2004 PIAA Wrestling Tournament

PA Wrestling's Notes and Quotes

Page 13

The Coaches...

Saucon Valley Coaches	Pennsbury Coaches
Perkiomen Valley Coaches	Emmaus Coaches
Council Rock South Coaches	McDowell Coaches

PA Wrestling Notes by Dave Ackley

HOLEY, MOLEY – Last week at the Southeast Regional Rick Rappo handed Spring-Ford’s Matt Moley an 8-1 loss in the finals. It was Moley’s first this season after in 40 bouts. They’ll meet again momentarily for the 103-pund title.

NUMBER CRUNCHER – Four AAA finalists are members of the 150-win club. Two-time champ Coleman Scott of Waynesburg has logged 155, Josh Haines of Northampton 156, Upper Perk’s Darren Kern has registered 154. The only one who can reach 160 is Connellsville’s Jarrod King who with a win against Shaler’s Mickey Moran will not only run his season record to 42-0 but end his career at 160-17.

TWO – That’s how many runner-ups from are trying to move up to the top. Two years ago, Clearfield’s Brad Pataky was second at 103 to Scott, 9-0. Easton’s Seth Ciasulli lost a 4-3 decision to Highland’s Drew Spencer.

GREAT SCOTT – That’s a given at 125 where Coleman meets another returning state champ – Reading’s Charles Griffin.

FOUR ­– The number of PIAA medals each won by King and  Scott.

******************************

When Frank Eisenhower won the first of his two PIAA championships backing 1959, he never imagined he’d be sitting on the floor of 45 years later taking his spot among the elite in the state’s history.

Eisenhower, now a physical education teacher at Curwensville High, was one of nine inductees to the Pennsylvania Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame prior to the start of the Class AA finals. In his high school career at Bald Eagle-Nittany High in Mille Hall, “Ike compiled a 57-4-1 record.

“I never imagined that I was going to have a career in wrestling when I started this in the seventh grade,” he said after being presented for induction.

TIME AND A HALF – Half of the first six finals all went to the double-overtime rideout period. The extra sessions began right from the start as Fort LeBeouf’s Kody Hiner controlled Loyalsock’s Rick Tedesco for 30 seconds following the 2-2 regulation.

“Going into the overtime, I thought neither of us was going to score a takedown and I was already planning to take top,” the Bisons’ first champ in 22 years said.

Garrett Scott, a sophomore from Juniata Valley, took gold when he escaped from Jeannette’s Derrick Hall with just six second left in their 130-pound bout.

Freedom’s Damian Rose avenged a 1-0 loss last week with an escape and a 3-2 win over Tyrone’s Thadd Westley.

*****************************

Four weeks ago in the quarterfinals of the PIAA dual meet championship quarterfinals, Brad Pataky downed Easton’s Josh Oliver 7-2. It was one of the few bright spots in a dismal performance for the Bisons in a 50-12 defeat.

Pataky was once again pitted against Oliver and again the setting was the Giant Center. Just like a month ago, Pataky won. But unlike that cold February night, the Clearfield junior walked off the arena floor wearing a gold medal around his neck.

In the 112-pound Class AAA final, Pataky defended against Oliver’s switch from the bottom and was able to prevent the Red Rovers’ junior from an effective leg ride for the 6-3 victory to become Clearfield’s 39^th state champion and first since 1986 when Todd Williams, Scott Collins and Mike Owens all claimed titles.

“I could hear the crowd in and out through my match,” said Pataky. “The Clearfield fans are awesome.”

Pataky followed his teammate Matt Kyler to the awards stand. Kyler rebounded from a semifinal loss earlier in the day for third.

“It would have been nice to have him win, he’s my workout partner and the reason I’ve been able to get better.”

While Clearfield is no stranger to the awards podium, Council Rock South High is.

In the school’s second year of existence, Rick Rappo garnered the title at 1103.

A junior, Rappo beat District 1 rival Matt Moley, a sophomore, for the second-straight week 7-3.

IT’S ALL RELATIVE – Curwensville’s Nate Sipes, the 189-pound champion, is a cousin of two-time state champion Kyle Cathcart of Clarion. Additionally, Sipes’ uncle Randy, was Curwensville’s first state champ and Nate’s dad Leland was a state runner-up in 1984 at 132 pounds.

BEST CELEBRATION – Hands down it’s Cedar Cliff’s Jared Royer hit a two 360-degree spinout on the center of the mat after downing West Scranton’s Dave Morgan in a battle of unbeatens.

I’LL TAKE THE YELLOW FOR THE GOLD – In the 140-pound final Greensburg-Salem’s Donnie Jones and Whitehall’s Jay Morrison both came out wearing yellow. Jones won his second-straight championship with a 3-2 decision.

BACK ON TOP – Easton’s Mike Rogers scored a a takedown and two tilt points in the final 35 seconds of the 152-pound final for a 5-3 win over Pennridge’s Dan Geib. Rogers was the 135-pound state champ in 2002. The title was the 29^th in school history and prevented the Red Rovers from being shutout in back-to-back years for the first timed since the 1998 and 99 tournaments.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES – Only the Maurey family of Clearfield can match them. Brothers Vertus (1995), Greg (2000) and Donnie have all won championships. James Maurey won his family’s first title just before the end of World War II, Don Maurey won three championships (1946-48), younger brother Jerry was a four-time champ from 47 through 50

HAD TO GIVE – Of the six past champions only one fell in the finals and there was a guarantee that would happen. Coleman Scott broke a 2-all tie with Reading’s Charles Griffin for the 125-pound championship. In addition to defeating Pataky in 2002, Scott moved up to 112 and won a second title. Griffin downed a defending champion Tim Haas of Cedar Cliff for last year’s 119-pound title.

THREE – In addition to Scott, earlier in the day Freedom’s Kurt Brenner won his third Class AAA championship – all at 171. Jones and Northampton’s Joey Ecklof  both will be shooting for their third titles next year and in AA Juniata Valley’s Garrett Scott can win his third, too.

TRIFECTA – Ecklof, Josh Haines and Jon Oplinger all repeated for Northampton which won had wrapped up the team title before the consolation finals began. The team title was Konkete Kids seventh since 1993.