Bethlehem Catholic program arrived ahead of schedule

FROM THE MORNING CALL

Their wrestling offseason is approximately three weeks long.

Then the Golden Hawks of Bethlehem Catholic are "right back at it," in the words of third-year coach Jeff Karam, who believes his team arrived ahead of schedule this winter by capturing the PIAA District 11 Class 2A title and the state dual-meet championship.

Though not everybody might agree that an aggressive, year-round approach is the way to go, it sure has worked for Bethlehem Catholic, which could not be denied Morning Call 2A Wrestling Team of the Year honors after everything it pulled off this season.

On their way to a 13-2 season, the Hawks knocked off Lehigh Valley Conference rival Nazareth, finished seventh at The Ironman and fourth at the Beast of the East to establish themselves as being worthy of a No. 27 national ranking by the Amateur Wrestling News.

Though they dropped Lehigh Valley Conference matches to Northampton and league champion Easton, they dominated both the dual-meet and individual postseason tournaments right up until their appearance in the PIAA Wrestling Championships, where three wrestlers reached the semifinals and one, junior Randy Cruz, made it to the finals for the second straight year before losing again in the final seconds.

Yet that loss seemed to set the stage for next season, when Karam should have an excellent chance to coach his first individual state champ.

Not only will Randy Cruz return, but so will his little brother Darian (third in the state at 103), Zeke Moisey (fifth at 112), Richard Cruz (state qualifier at 130), Ryan Todora (sixth at 140), Elliot Riddick (fourth at 160) and Josh Alpha (state qualifier at 215).

"It's going to be my job next year to make sure we get [Randy Cruz] up there on the top podium," Karam said, "and he will. He'll be up there next year."

Randy Cruz certainly won't be the only one with a chance to go all the way.

"You want to be the best, you've got to commit to it," Karam said. "These guys made a commitment to it and they improved this year and I expect great things down the road."

And as is the case with all powerhouses, the exceptional talent in the wrestling room helped pull up the levels of all the others. Every Becahi wrestler is a tough out now, regardless of skill level.

http://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/mc-wrestle-allarea-becahi-0324-20110324,0,7886086.story