Veit/Ross rivalry reaches new level
One more matchup looms in state finals
It was just another showdown in a long line of showdowns between Souderton’s Kolton Veit and Pennridge’s Ben Ross. The eighth meeting between the seniors if you do not include the times they tangled in middle school and youth wrestling, but this was the biggest bout between the two yet.
Last Saturday, with a Regional Championship on the line at Pottstown, Ross rolled to a 5-1 decision and his second straight season with a regional crown. Veit, who did takedown his rival for a District One East championship a week earlier, had to settle for second place.
“The two of them have developed a nice rivalry,” Souderton’s coach Tristan Boyd said.
“They both do respect each other and every time they step out on the mat together they know it is going to be a dog fight. It is fun to watch two kids go out there and give 110 percent and have no clue whose hand is going to be raised.”
Both 126-pounders earned trips to Hershey
this weekend and a spot in the PIAA championships. Ross (133-35 career) just does so as the No. 1 seed out of the Southeast Regional while Veit (127-19) goes as No. 2. Initially it looked as though winning a regional crown may ultimately help Ross elude some studs in the prelims, but then you realize at this level, the bracket of 16 has 16 studs.
“Bottom line is there are 16 great wrestlers out there,” Boyd said. “You have to be on your “A” game. You cannot take anyone for granted and at the same time you cannot give anyone too much respect.”
Veit awaits Hempfield Area junior Sam Krivus in the first round. A returning state champion holds a 38-3 record this season. Meanwhile Ross, who is a returning state medalist (fifth place) in his own right, faces Waynesburg Central’s A.C. Headlee, who went 35-5 this season. One of those wins was a 4-3 decision over Ross in the Beast of the East tournament this December.
“You cannot help to look and play the whatif game,” Boyd said. “Kolton has a very tough draw right off the bat, but if you look at Ben Ross, he has a stud right off the bat as well.”
At this stage of the game its state medal or bust and everyone in Hershey is aiming for the ultimate prize of a state championship. For seniors like Ross, his teammate Scott Parker, North Penn’s duo of Jeff Reimel and Alex Price, as well Veit, it would be quite the way to cap a career. But just placing at Regionals is not something that happens every day for a wrestling program.
“Getting to Regionals is an impressive feat,” Boyd said. “District 1 has a lot great wrestlers and to get on the podium shows you can compete at the highest level.”
Veit now holds a 5-3 edge over Ross in the head-to-head meetings, though the Rams’ 100win wrestler had the state medal in his back pocket. Veit’s missed out on regionals and states completely as a junior and had to pull himself from the competition as a sophomore. If the two local products were to meet one more time in their illustrious careers it would be for a state medal. Now that would become the biggest bout between the two yet.
“We are pretty darn excited,” Boyd said. “It is nice to back at the state tournament after missing last season. We have high hopes. There is no reason Kolton cannot get on top of that podium and fill one of those spots.”