Stroudsburg’s Cam Enriquez ‘thrilled’ to be sharp again
Mountaineers standout goes into Northeast Regional tournament with confidence
Cam Enriquez sensed nerves building in his stomach leading up to his District 11 Class 3A 120-pound semifinal last Saturday, so he leaned on another voice.
“I turned on some Michael Jackson and just felt loose and got after it,” the Stroudsburg senior said. “Thriller.”
Enriquez quickly got after his last two foes — Northampton’s Sam Hanley and Liberty’s Matt Maloney — and rolled to his second district title and fourth medal overall in what is becoming one of the best high school careers in Monroe County history.
Enriquez will not surpass former Stroudsburg and current Lehigh wrestler Jake Jakobsen’s school and county record for career wins (146), but the senior wants to make sure he doesn’t fall short of his dream — a state title.
At the very least, he wants to know he wrestled his best.
“It’s starting to click,” Enriquez said. “After having a letdown at Escape the Rock when I lost in the semis and only took fifth, just being able to bounce back from that drove me to the top of the podium here [at districts].”
Enriquez takes a 133-34 career record into this weekend’s Northeast Regional tournament at Liberty’s Memorial Gym, where he’ll see many of the same faces from the district tournament.
Most importantly, the Mountaineer will only have to deal with one of the top challengers — Maloney, Nazareth’s Sean Pierson or Father Judge’s Eamonn Logue — as long as Enriquez stays in the winners’ bracket. Those three state-ranked wrestlers are in the bottom half of the bracket.
Pierson, a two-time state medalist, was ranked second in the state entering last weekend, when he finished third after a semifinal loss to Maloney — who is a returning fifth-place finisher at states.
Logue, the District 12 champion, is a two-time regional medalist who recently won his 100th match.
Enriquez has a sour taste in his mouth after a pair of state sixth-place medals the last two seasons. He feels he could have — should have — done better.
He gets one more chance at giving it his best shot.
“Honestly, thinking about this being my last year is making me less nervous,” Enriquez said.
The Stroudsburg senior flashed his potential earlier this year at two national-level tournaments. He was runner-up to Norwin’s Kurtis Phipps — a two-time state medalist and the current top-ranked 120-pounder — at Powerade, losing 6-5. Earlier in the tournament, he beat returning Class 2A state champion Beau Bayless of Reynolds and Shaler’s Ryan Sullivan, who is nationally ranked and a returning 3A state champion.
Enriquez also pushed national No. 1 (according to flowrestling.org) Lucas Byrd of La Salle (Ohio) in the Escape the Rock semis before losing 9-6.
The 120-pounder also spent the first part of this season wrestling up a weight class or two to get work against stronger wrestlers, including a 3-1 overtime loss to returning 3A state medalist Kenny Herrmann of Bethlehem Catholic at 132.
“That was a big advantage,” Enriquez said. “In my mind, looking at Herrmann keeping it close [several times] against [Northampton two-time state champion Julian] Chlebove, that makes me believe I can wrestle with anyone.”
Enriquez can wrestle a variety of ways against opponents with varying styles.
“I think it’s hard to prepare for me,” he said. “I can drag, shrug, open, free or tie-up. I can wrestle any way.”
If Enriquez can wrestle his best in the coming weeks, he’ll leave Hershey’s Giant Center thrilled with whatever state medal is around his neck.
Here’s a look at the top 10 pound-for-pound wrestlers entering the regional tournaments (previous ranking in parenthesis):
1. Julian Chlebove, Northampton (1): He dealt Bethlehem Catholic’s Kenny Herrmann his first career pin in the District 11 3A 132-pound final. In fact, only three of Herrmann’s 34 career losses are by bonus points — two are in five meetings this season against Chlebove.
2. Ryan Crookham, Notre Dame-GP (2): Five of the top 11 Class 2A wrestlers (according to papowerwrestling.com) are in District 3. They all will have to go through the state No. 1 and national No. 2 (according to flowrestling.org).
3. Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic (3): He appeared more focused on his way to a second District 11 3A gold medal. 4. Josh Jones, Saucon Valley
(4): He needed 8 minutes, 58 seconds to register three pins and a technical fall on his way to a district 2A title at 132.
5. Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic (5): Four more bonus-point wins added up to the junior’s first district title. Hard to think he won’t win a regional title this weekend.
6. Patrick Gould, East Stroudsburg South (NR): After spending all but one match this year at 138, the senior won his third district title at 126. He looked fast and funky. He looked hard to beat.
7. Jagger Condomitti, Northampton (7): He again pushed Anderson, but a fourpoint mistake in the second period was the difference in a 5-3 loss. The sophomore had three pins to reach the district 145-pound final.
8. Matt Arciuolo, Saucon Valley (8): Won his first district title without too much drama and little rust from his injury.
9. Andrew Cerniglia, Notre Dame-GP (9): A strong first period was the difference in beating returning state champion Nathan Haubert of Palisades in the district 2A 145-pound final. It should be a great rematch at regionals.
10. Cam Enriquez, Stroudsburg (NR): Crisp and efficient, he rolled through a tough 3A 120-pound bracket.
Dropped out: Sean Pierson, Nazareth; Tal-Reese Flemming, Liberty. Others to watch (in no
particular order): Dashawn Farber, Nazareth; Devon Britton, Northampton; Elijah Bundro, Wilson; Brandan Chletsos, Notre Dame-GP; Ethan Mordaunt, Jim Thorpe; Bronson Strouse, Tamaqua; Andrew Smith, Nazareth; Nathan Haubert, Palisades; Patrick Noonan, Stroudsburg; Kenny Herrmann, Bethlehem Catholic; Connor Herceg, Nazareth; Lenny Pinto, Stroudsburg.