Written and Reported by Dave Ritterpusch
On Saturday, January 22, at the so-called “2011 Final Four” in Easton, PA, Blair used 22 different wrestlers in running rough shod over a field of 10 teams that included the top-ranked public schools in Pennsylvania and Georgia, the perennial #1 team from the state of Washington and the 2nd ranked public school in New Jersey.
Competing without 2010 Fargo Junior National Champ Austin Ormsbee, who is recovering from an ankle sprain, Blair used most of its starters in just 3 of 5 matches, and wrestled many of its lower and middle weight wrestlers up a weight in each of its 4 pool matches.
Bottom line: Despite using modified line-ups, Blair averaged 54 points, while giving up on average 7. Over all, Blair wrestlers won 60 of their 70 bouts, 24 by fall and 39 (65%) for bonus points.
After decisively sweeping its four pool matches, Blair met nationally ranked High Point (NJ), for the championship Saturday night. High Point had won all 4 of its pool bouts, including a 41-29 victory over then USA #10 Easton (PA).
For the only time all day, Blair used its full first team line-up against High Point– absent only Austin Ormsbee – and wrestled each man at his best competitive weight. The result: Blair had a remarkable 7 falls en route to stunning High Point, 54 to 10.
The 13 members of Blair’s current starting line-up who wrestled Saturday in Easton won 92 % of their matches, winning 45 while losing 4 -- this despite the fact that 7 of the 13 are freshmen or sophomores. Of these 13 regulars, 9 went undefeated, while 4 lost once each. Leading the way was freshman Joe McKenna, who went 5-0 at 103 lbs., with 2 pins and a technical fall. Junior Mike Mocco went 4-0 at 160 lbs, with 2 pins and a major decision. Freshman Dylan Milonas went 4-0 at 145 lbs, with one major decision.
Eight Blair wrestlers went 3-0, as follows: Senior Evan Silver at 112 lbs, junior Max Hvolbek at 112 and 119 lbs, senior Caleb Richardson at 119 and 125 lbs, junior Mark Grey at 125 and 130 lbs, junior Todd Preston at 130 and 135 lbs, junior Abram Ayala at 135 lbs, brand new Blair sophomore Frank Mattiace at 189 lbs and senior Willie Wilson at 215 lbs. Freshman P.J. Klee went 2-0 at 119 lbs.
Silver had three pins, all in the first period; Hvolbek had a fall and a major decision; Richardson had two major decisions; Grey had a fall over High Point’s 2-time NJ state champ and a tech fall; Mattiace had one pin; and Wilson had one pin and one major decision.
In addition, sophomore Russ Parsons went 4-1 at 140 and 145 lbs, with 4 major decisions; freshman Pat Coover went 3-1 at 152 lbs, with 2 pins and a tech fall; sophomore Addison Klepshield went 3-1 at 171 lbs, with 2 falls and a major decision; and sophomore Brooks Black went 4-1 at 285, with 4 pins, three of them in the first period. Aside: Against High Point, Brooks suffered his only loss of the season in a full 7- period overtime match that he lost on a ride-out. In addition to having gone undefeated in dual meets, Brooks had won this year’s Ironman, Beast of the East and Cheesehead.
In weight class order, the 2011 Final Four records of the remaining Blair participants were as follows: senior Kyle Taylor, 1-1 at 119 lbs; freshman Walker Dempsey, 2-1 at 130 lbs, with 2 falls; senior Mark Stillerman, 0-1 at 140 lbs; sophomore Jack Wedholm, 1-0 at 152 lbs, with a fall; junior Marino Orlandi, 1-1 at 160 and 171 lbs; and freshman David Farr, 2-2 at 189 and 215 lbs, with one fall.
The final team scores of Blair’s first four matches Saturday, in chronological order, were as follows:
• Blair 50 – Parkland (PA) 10
• Blair 45 -- Jackson Memorial (NJ) 12
• Blair 53 – Council Rock South (PA) 5
• Blair 70 -- Lake Stevens (WA) 0
In no dual all day did Blair lose more than three bouts.
Over the next two weekends, Blair will move into the most challenging portion of its dual-meet schedule. Saturday evening January 29, after ceremonies dedicating Blair’s new wrestling room to Coach Buxton, Blair will face last year’s USA Co #1 St Paris Graham (OH). The following Saturday, Blair will meet longtime USA #1 St Edward (OH) at St Ed’s in the Cleveland suburbs.
On Saturday, January 22, at the so-called “2011 Final Four” in Easton, PA, Blair used 22 different wrestlers in running rough shod over a field of 10 teams that included the top-ranked public schools in Pennsylvania and Georgia, the perennial #1 team from the state of Washington and the 2nd ranked public school in New Jersey.
Competing without 2010 Fargo Junior National Champ Austin Ormsbee, who is recovering from an ankle sprain, Blair used most of its starters in just 3 of 5 matches, and wrestled many of its lower and middle weight wrestlers up a weight in each of its 4 pool matches.
Bottom line: Despite using modified line-ups, Blair averaged 54 points, while giving up on average 7. Over all, Blair wrestlers won 60 of their 70 bouts, 24 by fall and 39 (65%) for bonus points.
After decisively sweeping its four pool matches, Blair met nationally ranked High Point (NJ), for the championship Saturday night. High Point had won all 4 of its pool bouts, including a 41-29 victory over then USA #10 Easton (PA).
For the only time all day, Blair used its full first team line-up against High Point– absent only Austin Ormsbee – and wrestled each man at his best competitive weight. The result: Blair had a remarkable 7 falls en route to stunning High Point, 54 to 10.
The 13 members of Blair’s current starting line-up who wrestled Saturday in Easton won 92 % of their matches, winning 45 while losing 4 -- this despite the fact that 7 of the 13 are freshmen or sophomores. Of these 13 regulars, 9 went undefeated, while 4 lost once each. Leading the way was freshman Joe McKenna, who went 5-0 at 103 lbs., with 2 pins and a technical fall. Junior Mike Mocco went 4-0 at 160 lbs, with 2 pins and a major decision. Freshman Dylan Milonas went 4-0 at 145 lbs, with one major decision.
Eight Blair wrestlers went 3-0, as follows: Senior Evan Silver at 112 lbs, junior Max Hvolbek at 112 and 119 lbs, senior Caleb Richardson at 119 and 125 lbs, junior Mark Grey at 125 and 130 lbs, junior Todd Preston at 130 and 135 lbs, junior Abram Ayala at 135 lbs, brand new Blair sophomore Frank Mattiace at 189 lbs and senior Willie Wilson at 215 lbs. Freshman P.J. Klee went 2-0 at 119 lbs.
Silver had three pins, all in the first period; Hvolbek had a fall and a major decision; Richardson had two major decisions; Grey had a fall over High Point’s 2-time NJ state champ and a tech fall; Mattiace had one pin; and Wilson had one pin and one major decision.
In addition, sophomore Russ Parsons went 4-1 at 140 and 145 lbs, with 4 major decisions; freshman Pat Coover went 3-1 at 152 lbs, with 2 pins and a tech fall; sophomore Addison Klepshield went 3-1 at 171 lbs, with 2 falls and a major decision; and sophomore Brooks Black went 4-1 at 285, with 4 pins, three of them in the first period. Aside: Against High Point, Brooks suffered his only loss of the season in a full 7- period overtime match that he lost on a ride-out. In addition to having gone undefeated in dual meets, Brooks had won this year’s Ironman, Beast of the East and Cheesehead.
In weight class order, the 2011 Final Four records of the remaining Blair participants were as follows: senior Kyle Taylor, 1-1 at 119 lbs; freshman Walker Dempsey, 2-1 at 130 lbs, with 2 falls; senior Mark Stillerman, 0-1 at 140 lbs; sophomore Jack Wedholm, 1-0 at 152 lbs, with a fall; junior Marino Orlandi, 1-1 at 160 and 171 lbs; and freshman David Farr, 2-2 at 189 and 215 lbs, with one fall.
The final team scores of Blair’s first four matches Saturday, in chronological order, were as follows:
• Blair 50 – Parkland (PA) 10
• Blair 45 -- Jackson Memorial (NJ) 12
• Blair 53 – Council Rock South (PA) 5
• Blair 70 -- Lake Stevens (WA) 0
In no dual all day did Blair lose more than three bouts.
Over the next two weekends, Blair will move into the most challenging portion of its dual-meet schedule. Saturday evening January 29, after ceremonies dedicating Blair’s new wrestling room to Coach Buxton, Blair will face last year’s USA Co #1 St Paris Graham (OH). The following Saturday, Blair will meet longtime USA #1 St Edward (OH) at St Ed’s in the Cleveland suburbs.
