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PA HS Wrestling thread

Maybe the way I should have put it was, to district 6 people who saw Shea wrestle multiple times Shea winning wasn't surprising. As far as Shea preparing for those headlocks, it wasn't like Best was the new guy on the scene.
I struggled with how to word that "blueprint" comment without making Solomon look bad or making his win look like a fluke.

Shea was significantly better than Solomon. So with a similar gameplan and more talent, a big win maybe shouldn't have been as surprising as it was at the time.

Shea winning shouldn't have been a surprise. The year before he took Tom Miller to OT in the state semis -- Miller then dominated Best before pinning him.
 
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Brandt Harer Top Public School incoming freshmen in PA. Nine PA wrestlers on this list 8 private and 1 public. Notre Dame Green Pond pulled another great recruit. Luke F was a MS state runner up last year. I am sure NW Lehigh isn’t happy.

https://www.rokfin.com/ranking/2079/Junior-High-Big-Board
I think Notre Dame is getting both Northwestern Lehigh big guys in Sumpolec and Fuggazzato. With Joey Killar running the junior high program, I’d expect NWL to keep developing kids, but it looks like it’s working a little too well right now.
 
That’s two tough upper weights for ND. Faith and Mcort have 3 guys on that list too.
As a AA guy my whole live, these private schools are loading up and going to smash regular AA schools. How doesn’t anyone say anything about Sumpolec and Fugazzotto going there? Won’t NW Lehigh be upset and fight it?
Hartmen knows this happens each year and does nothing about it.
Reynolds and Saucon Valley should be complaining about this stuff.

with NDGP, Faith and Mcort are they closing the gap between AA and AAA?
 
That’s two tough upper weights for ND. Faith and Mcort have 3 guys on that list too.
As a AA guy my whole live, these private schools are loading up and going to smash regular AA schools. How doesn’t anyone say anything about Sumpolec and Fugazzotto going there? Won’t NW Lehigh be upset and fight it?
Hartmen knows this happens each year and does nothing about it.
Reynolds and Saucon Valley should be complaining about this stuff.

with NDGP, Faith and Mcort are they closing the gap between AA and AAA?
Reynolds complain about guys transferring in??

That‘s hysterical.
 
That’s two tough upper weights for ND. Faith and Mcort have 3 guys on that list too.
As a AA guy my whole live, these private schools are loading up and going to smash regular AA schools. How doesn’t anyone say anything about Sumpolec and Fugazzotto going there? Won’t NW Lehigh be upset and fight it?
Hartmen knows this happens each year and does nothing about it.
Reynolds and Saucon Valley should be complaining about this stuff.

with NDGP, Faith and Mcort are they closing the gap between AA and AAA?
What is NWL supposed to fight? There’s no rule against changing schools between 8th and 9th grade - that’s always been viewed by the PIAA as a clean break. Heck, NDGP isn’t even fielding a junior high team anymore, so if they were going to Catholic middle school they wouldn’t have a place to compete.

I don’t like it either, but I also don’t know what you’re supposed to do about it.
 
I must be confused. So you are allowed through the PIAA to move or transfers anywhere between 8th and 9th grade? That’s ridiculous. So the mega teams will keep getting better.
 
I must be confused. So you are allowed through the PIAA to move or transfers anywhere between 8th and 9th grade? That’s ridiculous. So the mega teams will keep getting better.
From the Transfers section of the PIAA handbook

Section 3. Presumptive Eligibility.
Subject to Sections 5C and 6, of this ARTICLE, a transferring student is presumed to be eligible if the student meets one of the following provisions:
A. Natural Break Transfer.
Promotion from a junior high/middle school to a senior high school is considered a Transfer between schools. A student, who has made a Natural Break Transfer and who has not previously participated on a different senior high school Team in any sport, is presumptively eligible immediately for interscholastic athletics.
 
Ok I’ll ask:
Who TF is Hartmen?
The athletic director at Whitehall and the chairman of District 11. He was their wrestling coach before becoming the AD there (he coached the only state champ in school history - Christian Franco). He’s been in charge of D11 sports since 2013.

The common allegation is Hartman as the D11 chair refuses to police transfers to keep D11 wrestling on top.
 
The athletic director at Whitehall and the chairman of District 11. He was their wrestling coach before becoming the AD there (he coached the only state champ in school history - Christian Franco). He’s been in charge of D11 sports since 2013.

The common allegation is Hartman as the D11 chair refuses to police transfers to keep D11 wrestling on top.
Thanks, he’d make a compelling Mad Max character. Was he, by chance, the Whitehall coach for Whitey Chlebove transfer?
 
Sorry gentlemen, I am done. I promise-

but it’s own thread would be kind of great. “public vs private” or “Who did the privates bring in with their new recruiting class”
 
On a different note. WNO match ups look fun. PA didn’t get nearly as much love as last year.
Barr vs Welsh, Jesuroga vs Forrest, Ryder vs Thompson
 
Sorry gentlemen, I am done. I promise-

but it’s own thread would be kind of great. “public vs private” or “Who did the privates bring in with their new recruiting class”

iamneverdrinkingagain-never.gif
 
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They basically do. I heard the hammer is coming down on a few other private schools but that could be another PIAA rumor.
 
They basically do. I heard the hammer is coming down on a few other private schools but that could be another PIAA rumor.
Rumor. Of course it's the PIAA so they may feel the need to punish other schools for copying the BECA, Nazareth, Reynolds models.
 
I was there for all of Tom Best's finals. When he was a Junior he wrestled a kid from Huntingdon named Jason Shea. Shea destroyed him with an easy tech fall. It was shocking.


His Senior year, Best met Brian Campbell from Pottstown in the finals . They got into a pissin' contest, as both were head hunters. Best caught Campbell and got a first period fall.

I might point out that I spelled "Huntingdon" with a 'd'.
Shea knew the headlock was coming, and countered it for a lot of points
 
At the time yes, with hindsight maybe less so.

Definitely surprising that Shea busted 2 headlocks -- Best was well-known state-wide as a headhunter. (And Williamsport as a team was known for aggressively working double underhooks.) Or maybe Shea knew Best's reputation and prepared for it?

But in any case: the year before, Milton's Scott Solomon beat Best in a dual -- wild match, something like 13-11. Solomon was a solid wrestler but IIRC never qualified for states -- but he was scrappy as hell and never gassed. He beat Best by staying out of the headlock, getting in on legs while Best was standing upright, and out-working Best in scrambles.

So the blueprint was there.
I'm not sure who thought Williamsport was know for working double unders. Tommy with his Greco experience was comfortable there, but as a teammate for 3 years, I can tell you it wasn't a common thing we all did

The Solomon match was out outlier for sure, I can't remember if he was also who Tommy got DQ'd for punching. Tommy headlocked the guy multiple times, and he was poking at Tommy's eyes to try and get off his back. Tommy retaliated and got DQ'd. Kid danced around like he won the Olympics
 
I'm not sure who thought Williamsport was know for working double unders. Tommy with his Greco experience was comfortable there, but as a teammate for 3 years, I can tell you it wasn't a common thing we all did

The Solomon match was out outlier for sure, I can't remember if he was also who Tommy got DQ'd for punching. Tommy headlocked the guy multiple times, and he was poking at Tommy's eyes to try and get off his back. Tommy retaliated and got DQ'd. Kid danced around like he won the Olympics
I love these old stories.....cuz folks act like the stuff now is so horrific and it never happened in my day.

Knucklehead stuff has always happened. The game changed w camera phones and social media.

Knuckleheads slowest to react
 
I'm not sure who thought Williamsport was know for working double unders. Tommy with his Greco experience was comfortable there, but as a teammate for 3 years, I can tell you it wasn't a common thing we all did

The Solomon match was out outlier for sure, I can't remember if he was also who Tommy got DQ'd for punching. Tommy headlocked the guy multiple times, and he was poking at Tommy's eyes to try and get off his back. Tommy retaliated and got DQ'd. Kid danced around like he won the Olympics
I was on another team that faced Williamsport annually. We were told to watch for it, and did see it more than from other teams. Not everyone used it, but enough did to form a reputation outside your room. IIRC it was less about tossing opponents than it was about getting them upright and susceptible to other attacks.

In any case, the way Shea attacked that position, he was anticipating it.

Solomon beat Best once, so that wasn't him. No idea who did that. Solomon himself got a DQ for punching an opponent, along with a hefty suspension from PIAA that was reduced to IIRC 2 matches when Solomon gave a public apology. The opponent bit Solomon in the nether region.
 
I was on another team that faced Williamsport annually. We were told to watch for it, and did see it more than from other teams. Not everyone used it, but enough did to form a reputation outside your room. IIRC it was less about tossing opponents than it was about getting them upright and susceptible to other attacks.

In any case, the way Shea attacked that position, he was anticipating it.

Solomon beat Best once, so that wasn't him. No idea who did that. Solomon himself got a DQ for punching an opponent, along with a hefty suspension from PIAA that was reduced to IIRC 2 matches when Solomon gave a public apology. The opponent bit Solomon in the nether region.
That was against Lewisburg wasn't it. I remember a kid got punched
 
Willie’s top 100 sophomore list in the country. PA kids are all through it. Bethlehem/Lehigh Valley University leads with four in the top 100, followed by Faith Academy College with 3 . (Rumor a few more on the list might end up there before the school year)
M2 has the most for any club. Is M2 now the premier club in the state or top five in the country? Bouzakis TBD- really to be determined? Will he end up at Faith or Becca? Why is everyone leaving SEM?

Our Dalton Perry is the highest PA wrestler at #8. Botero (Faith) #10 and Austin Johnson(M2) #11. Shaw (Quest) 15, Gaj (Redhawk) 16 and Desmond (Becca) 18.
21 Rath (Becca)
23 Evanitsky
29 Sipes (M2)
31 Muterilli (MP)
42 Seidel (LAW)
57 Milheim (M2)
65 Willochell (Quest)
66 Sement
67 Stein (Faith)
77 Campbell (Becca)
88 Cunningham (M2)
89 Suglkaski (Faith)
99 Scanlan (Becca)
No Mcort, NDGP or Nazareth on this list. They better start their campaigns sooner.
 
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Willie’s top 100 sophomore list in the country. PA kids are all through it. Bethlehem/Lehigh Valley University leads with four in the top 100, followed by Faith Academy College with 3 . (Rumor a few more on the list might end up there before the school year)
M2 has the most for any club. Is M2 now the premier club in the state or top five in the country? Bouzakis TBD- really to be determined? Will he end up at Faith or Becca? Why is everyone leaving SEM?

Our Dalton Perry is the highest PA wrestler at #8. Botero (Faith) #10 and Austin Johnson(M2) #11. Shaw (Quest) 15, Gaj (Redhawk) 16 and Desmond (Becca) 18.
21 Rath (Becca)
23 Evanitsky
29 Sipes (M2)
31 Muterilli (MP)
42 Seidel (LAW)
57 Milheim (M2)
65 Willochell (Quest)
66 Sement
67 Stein (Faith)
77 Campbell (Becca)
88 Cunningham (M2)
89 Suglkaski (Faith)
99 Scanlan (Becca)
No Mcort, NDGP or Nazareth on this list. They better start their campaigns sooner.
Sipes is a kid to keep an eye on, 5th place at 152 and did it with a knee injury.
Don’t worry too much about McCruit, their 7-9th grades are well stocked. Their wave is just beginning.
 
Sipes is a kid to keep an eye on, 5th place at 152 and did it with a knee injury.
Don’t worry too much about McCruit, their 7-9th grades are well stocked. Their wave is just beginning.
Sipes is a monster. Kid is a point scoring machine. I follow his dad and he might break out in a big way soon.
M2 is reloading with this next wave. Sipes, Milheim and company
 
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