Unsung Kerr, Houck help Tribe fend off feisty Vikings

by Don Seeley, Pottstown Mercury Sports Editor

Posted on January 25, 2009

RED HILL — There's no question Upper Perkiomen can't deliver the resounding knockout punch it had a few years back as the heavyweight champion in the Pioneer Athletic Conference and District 1. But the Indians can still throw a few crippling jabs in the lower and upper portion of their lineup.

They did again on Saturday.

But it was a couple of roundhouses from unsung Joey Houck and Britt Kerr that wobbled visiting Perkiomen Valley and led to a 39-25 decision that was a wee bit closer than that final score may indicate.

After winning just three of the first seven bouts — two pins and a forfeit, respectively, from reliables Martin McStravick (119), Garrett Fellman (125), and Mike McStravick (140) — the hosts were up against the ropes. clinging to a two-point lead at 18-16.

That's when Houk and Kerr stepped in and sparred their way to back-to-back victories that could've very easily gone the other way.

So, with Houck and Kerr providing a minimum 12-point swing, and a couple of other reliables yet to break a sweat — namely Nick Edmonson (171) and Jared Bennett (285) — the Indians never really required that old wow-ouch-that-hurt flurry in the end.

"I think we get overlooked a little," admitted Kerr, who used three back points in the second period to underline his 5-0 shutout at 160. "We have those power spots down low and those power spots up top. But we may be a little average, or look a little average, in the middle.

"It's definitely big when Britt and I can get wins," added Houck, who used a pair of takedowns in the first two periods for the difference in his 4-3 thriller at 152. "We may have won a couple of close matches, but it was still an all-around team effort."

Enough of one to keep Upper Perkiomen (6-1, 16-7 overall) right behind unbeaten Boyertown in the PAC-10, enough to keep the entire cast focused for its final two league tests as well as the District 1-Class AAA Team Duals in between.

And enough to frustrate the Vikings (4-2, 12-7), who took everything their hosts gave them and responded with a few hit of their own to erase most of the horrors of last year's 52-7 mismatch.

"We didn't come up here expecting it to be quite this close, but the kids were competitive ... they battled," said PV head coach Tim Walsh. "But I think the difference in this one was that (Upper Perkiomen's) kids are used to being in the big matches where our young kids aren't used to that.

"On top of that, (Upper Perkiomen) is still very tough. Those kids over there know how to win the close matches."

The Vikings didn't exactly lay over, mind you.

Starting at 112, Rich Tevlin came out with a pin. Then, after Martin McStravick and Fellman followed with pins of their own, the Vikings grabbed their lone lead of the morning when Gavin Milligan rolled up a 13-2 major at 130, and Andrew Boesch added a 4-2 decision at 135. Mike McStravick accepted a forfeit at 140 when Walsh opted to bump up his lineup, and it seemed to work when Jordan Deane responded with a 10-4 decision at 145 to get the Vikings back within those narrow two points (18-16).

But forget any momentum swing.

"We knew Perk Valley would give us a run for it," Houck said. "They have a lot of decent kids, and they gave us a lot of decent matchups. But we're still showing that toughness, and it begins in the practice room with (head coach Tom) Hontz. It's non-stop work."

"Joey helped today because it's a lot easier to go out there after you get a win (in front of you)," added Kerr, who spent his first two years backing up two-time state champion Zack Kemmerer and missed most of last season with mononucleosis. "It really helps when you know the match is going to be close, and we expected this because PV is a lot better."

Edmonson's pin at 171 created a 30-16 spread, one that the Vikings' Brett Petriello (3-2 decision at 189) and Lou Fioravanti (pin at 215) cut into to remain in contention. But Bennett held off Chase Godfrey in the 285-pound feature to clinch it, and 103-pound Dan Rodenberger capped the matinee with a pin.

"We want to keep this tradition going," Kerr said.

Anytime you can compete with Upper Perkiomen, it's a plus," Walsh said. "Walking out of here with a win would've been a huge surprise for a lot of people. When you beat Upper Perkiomen, a lot of people know you're for real Those (Upper Perkiomen) kids don't want to let the tradition they have here get away. At the same time, we're trying to make this team of ours the first to start a tradition."

NOTES

Petriello's win went the full eight minutes of regulation and four overtime periods, and decided in the waning seconds of the marathon when the Indians' Nick Hale was whistled for locking hands. ... Bennett (26-2) got an escape seven seconds into the final period to edge Chase Godfrey (26-4). Bennett and Godfrey are the area's No 1 and 2 ranked heavyweights. ... Mike McStravick's win on Saturday was the 95th of his career.

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