Colonial League shows big boys path to top of podium at Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Sometimes little brother needs to take over and support big brother when he falters a bit.

After the Lehigh Valley Conference went 0-for-6 in championship matches in Thursday night's final round of the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic, the Colonial League stepped in and showed how it's done by batting a perfect 1.000 in its three finals.

And not only did Pen Argyl's Mike Racciato (145 pounds) join senior teammate Dylan Evans (182) and Saucon Valley junior Ray O'Donnell (195) atop the podium, the Green Knights junior walked off with the top prize of the night when he won the Frank Gutierrez Award as the tournament's outstanding wrestler.

Racciato, a PIAA Class AA state champ last season, edged Camden Catholic's 2011 New Jersey champion T.J. Miller 5-4 in the marquee matchup of the tournament in front of a two-thirds full Memorial Gym at Liberty High School.

"I'd never won this tournament and I'd come so close, third as freshman and second as a sophomore," said Racciato, who snapped Miller's 53-bout winning streak and handed the Camden Catholic junior just his fifth loss in 92 career bouts. "It feels great. He was very strong and got in deep on shots but I was able to scramble out of them. That's just how I wrestle. The one time (in the first period) I was able to get out of bounds. I couldn't really break him down."

Miller rued his missed chances.

"I was in on a few deep shots but I couldn't finish," Miller said. "He is very, very good at scrambling and he hit me with a few new moves."

Racciato scored two second-period takedowns -- one off a scramble to counter Miller, one on a duck-under -- after a scoreless first period to lead 4-3 after two. Racciato escaped to start the third period and spent most of that period fending off Miller.

Racciato was hit with his second stalling call late in the match for a point but held on.

"I'm in better shape than I was at the King of the Mountain (where he lost to Juniata's Jake Beitz, only his eighth loss in 112 scholastic bouts)," said Racciato, who smiled and said "kind of" when asked if he was tired and hanging on at the end against Miller. "I'm getting close to the shape I was in before and it shouldn't be a problem now."

Being in shape is never a problem for the powerful O'Donnell, who flattened Council Rock South junior P.J. Steinmetz in 3:32 in the final with an arm bar cranked to maximum power. O'Donnell (12-0) posted three pins and a technical fall en route to his gold and never saw a third period.

"The first period was a little frustrating; I couldn't get a takedown and he was slowing down the match," said O'Donnell, the Panthers' first champion at this tournament since Joey Killar in 1995. "I kept pushing the action but I knew had to be patient and look for my opportunities. Then he took down to start the second period, which I liked, because I do pretty well on top. The arm bar came open, and I slowly cranked him for the fall, which I was very happy with. Winning this tournament is was one of my three top goals this season (along with the Escape the Rock Tournament and a state title)."

Evans' win was the closest of the three -- he defeated Wyoming Seminary senior Conor Wasson 5-1 in sudden victory -- and remarkably for such a skilled wrestler with 92 career victories, marked his first scholastic tournament title.

"I've been runner-up at districts and regionals, never first," Evans said. "To win this tournament means a lot to me. Winning against some of the big teams here is good confidence-booster for me. It will help me get ready for districts and regionals."

Actually, what his final match looked like it would prepare Evans for was a Greco-Roman tournament as he and Wasson bear hugged and whizzered all over the mat for three periods with just an escape each.

"I don't know if he liked to wrestle upper body but I felt very comfortable in that position," Evans said. "I work out every day with (220-pounder) Brady (Mutton) and (285-pound) Kirby (Mutton) and they like to work upper body so I am comfortable with those positions."

Evans eventually countered off a whizzer and caught Wasson with an inside-out kind of a move.

"It's a simple move but you have to practice it to be very effective," he said. "It's kind of like when you put all the weight on one end of a table -- the other flies up, and he goes down to his back."

The small-school trio may have earned their grouping some respect.

"I definitely feel we get looked down on." O'Donnell said. "They call Class AA the JV."

Maybe not for much longer.

The LVC's six finalists -- Nazareth sophomore Tyrone Klump (106) and Chase Zemenak (126), Liberty's Grimaldi Gonzalez (120) and Devon Lotito (132), and Northampton seniors Jason Stephen (138) and Cole Sheptock (152) -- all lost in the final round.

Stephen and Sheptock dropped tough 5-4 decisions; Klump lost 5-1 to Pennridge sophomore Scott Parker and Zemenak was pinned in the final.

The two home-gym wrestlers fell to formidable foes. Gonzalez couldn't finish some good scoring chances in a 4-0 loss to returning PIAA Class AAA champ Billy Rappo of Council Rock South and Delaware Valley senior C.J. Palmer put on a clinic on his feet at 132, taking down Liberty senior Devon Lotito (14-1) five times in a 10-6 triumph for his 130th career win.

Wyoming Seminary, with five champions and eight placewinners, rolled to the team title with 250.5 points. Nazareth took second with 138 and Camden Catholic was third with 132.

NOTES: Delaware Valley senior Marc Wagner, the 170-pound runnerup, earned the John Fenstermacher Award and scholarship for accomplishments on and off the mat, and Wyoming Seminary's Don Malone, who posted four first-period pins, won the John Fritz Award for most pins/fastest time (four in 3:56).


Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic
(at Liberty HS)


TEAM SCORES and LEGEND: Wyoming Seminary (WS) 250.5, Nazareth (NA) 138, Camden Catholic (CC) 132, Big Spring (BS) 129, Delaware Valley (DV) 127, Pen Argyl (PA) 122.5, Bound Brook (BB) and Tri-Valley (TV), 118; Phillipsburg (Pb) 117, Stroudsburg (S) 116.5, Northampton (Nh) 115.5, Saucon Valley (SV) 106.5, Liberty (L) 97, Southern Regional (SR) 86.5, Council Rock South (CRS) 75, Northern (N) and Quakertown (Q) 72.5; Freedom (F) 67, Milton (M) 66.5, Honesdale (Ho) 63, North Penn (NP) 56, Boyertown (B) 54, Northwestern (NW) 48, Hazleton (Ha) 47, Lehighton (Le) 45, Pennridge (PR) 41, Selinsgrove (Se) 40, Northern Lehigh (NL) 35, St. Mark's (Del.) (STM) 34, Warwick (W) 33.5


CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS


106: Scott Parker, Pr, d. Tyrone Klump, Na 5-1
113: Guesseppe Rea, S, d. Joey O'Brien, NP 6-3
120: Billy Rappo, CRS, d. Grimaldi Gonzalez, L 4-0
126: Dom Malone, WS, p. Chase Zemenak, Na 1:58
132: C.J. Palmer, DV, d. Devon Lotito, L 10-6
138: Chad Walsh, CC, d. Jason Stephen, Nh 5-4
145: Mike Racciato, PA, d. T.J. Miller, CC 5-4
152: Cohl Fulk, WS, d. Cole Sheptock, Nh 5-4
160: Jon Neiman, B, d. Sam Scheib, TV 3-2
170: Eric Morris, WS, md. Marc Wagner, DV 8-0
182: Dylan Evans, PA, d. Conor Wasson, WS 5-1 SV
195: Ray O'Donnell, SV, p. P.J. Steinmetz, CRS 3:22
220: A.J. Vizcarrondo, WS, d. Ryan Solomon, M, 4-3 UTB
285: Michael Johnson, WS, md. Jeff Miller, CC 9-1


CONSOLATION FINALS


106: Craig DeLaCruz, BB, d. Danny Martoccio, CRS 2-0 SV
113: Zach Valley, Nh, d. Greg Warner BS 3-1
120: Evan Botwin, WS, d. Frank Carrozza DV 6-0
126: Devon Fraker, BS, fft.
132: Dustin Rook, BS, md. Jim Schuitema Pb 14-4
138: Ty White, WS, d. Aaron Kennedy Ho 5-2
145: Zach Ross, N, d. Emmanuel Soto BB 4-2
152: Ryan Preisch, M, d. Joshua Ugalde BB 3-2
160: Isaiah Soto, BB, d. Josh Young F, 11-4
170: Michael Balliet, Le, d. Cody Seibert BS, 10-6
182: Levi Veppert, NW, d. Martin Strenk DV 3-1
195: Chad Hoffman, Ha, d. Lyle Troutman TV 6-0
220: Aaron Bradley, Na, d. Brandon Hull, Pb 3-1 SV
285: Kirby Mutton, PA, d. Tyler Peerson, F 3-2


FIFTH PLACE


106: Tyler Harka, SV, d. Collyn Dorney Q 5-2
113: Robert Murray, BB, fft.
120: Zach Wilhelm, SR, d. Jeff Hernandez S 5-3
126: Max Elling, Pb, d. Matt Yostpille S 6-4
132: Jesse Holton, WS, d. Tyler Galasso F 6-1
138: Tyler Seislove, Q, fft.
145: Blake Bowman, TV, d. Ty Herzog, NL 6-5
152: V.J. Delmonico, Pb, fft.
160: Cody Schoenberger, W, d. Nick McGinley, STM 5-2
170: Donald English, M, d. Kyle Spina, F 6-1 SV
182: Evan Heffron, TV, d. Ronald Picato, BB 3-1
195: Marcus Newsom, Nh, d. Robbie Karstendiek, S 4-2
220: Matt Jorgensen, Q, d. Jack Fagan, DV 3-1
285: Dakota Matthews, BS, fft.


SEVENTH PLACE


106: Tyler McBride, CC, d. Shane Jones S 3-0
113: Zach Fisher, Pb, d. Caleb Bordner TV 5-3
120: Tyler Knapik, PA, d. Brad Lay, BS 7-5
126: Paul Hetrick, Nh, d. Andrew Sutton PA 7-3
132: Matt Evans, Ho, d. Garek Strouse N 8-1
138: Chad Wickard, BS, fft.
145: Anthony Colletta, DV, md. Jake Kocsis, Pb 12-3
152: Ty Schoffstahl, TV, d. Anthony Farole, Le 7-2
160: Travis Buddock, SV, d. Alex Price, NP 3-1
170: Kyle Koser, N, d. Kyler Kutzler, PA 2-1
182: Ryan Barry, S, fft.
195: Dave Wilke, Na, p. Matt Shaw, STM 0:57
220: Brady Mutton, PA, d. Justin Blobe, SV 3-1 UTB
285: Heath Rupp, N, d. Cody Cooper, S 3-1


SEMIFINALS


106: Scott Parker, Pr, d. Danny Martoccio, CRS, 5-0; Tyrone Klump, Na, d. Collyn Dorney, Q, 3-0
113: Joey O'Brien, NP, dq. Kyle Davis, SR, 2:59; Guesseppe Rea, d. Robert Murray, BB, 3-2
120: Billy Rappo, CRS, p. Frank Carrozza, DV, 3:37; Grimaldi Gonzalez, L, d. Evan Botwin, WS, 4-2
126: Dom Malone, WS, p. Hunter Harner, TV, 0:42; Chase Zemenak, Na, md. Max Elling, Pb, 13-4
132: Devon Lotito, L, md. Dustin Rook, BS, 10-1; C.J. Palmer, DV, md. Jim Schuitema, Pb, 16-2
138: Chad Walsh, CC, md. Tyler Seislove, Q, 13-4; Jason Stephen, Nh, d. Ty White, WS, 8-5
145: T.J, Miller, CC, md. Emmanuel Soto, BB, 12-4; Mike Racciato, PA, d. Zach Ross, N, 8-3
152: Cohl Fulk, WS, md. Frank Varallo, CC, 8-6; Cole Sheptock, Nh, d. Ryan Preisch, M, 7-2
160: Sam Scheib, TV, d. Cody Schoenberger, W, 6-3; Jon Nieman, B, d. Isaiah Soto, BB, 5-0
170: Eric Morris, WS, tf. Cody Seibert, BS, 1:53 (16-0); Marc Wagner, DV, d. Donald English, M, 10-5
182: Dylan Evans, PA, d. Ronald Picado, BB, 4-1; Conor Wasson, WS, d. Martin Strenk, DV, 6-3
195: Ray O'Donnell, SV, p. Lyle Troutman, TV, 1:04; P.J. Steinmetz, CRS, d. Chad Hoffman, Ha, 7-6
220: Ryan Solomon, M, d. Aaron Bradley, Na, 4-1; A.J. Vizcarrondo, WS, d. Brandon Hull, Pb, 8-4
285: Michael Johnson, WS, p. Kirby Mutton, PA, 1:11; Jeff Miller, CC, d. Anthony Pare, Pb, 3-2

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