Upper Perk overcomes Perkiomen Valley's matchup control

by Jeff Stover, Pottstown Mercury

Posted on January 15, 2010

GRATERFORD — It does more than just decide which team's wrestlers get second-period choice in odd or even bouts.

The pre-match flip of the green/red disk can also set off all manner of lineup-shuffling scenarios, as was the case Thursday when Perk Valley hosted Upper Perk. This pairing of unbeaten Pioneer Athletic Conference mat programs witnessed some variations from the announced pairings ... and, ultimately, a 42-27 victory by the Indians.

Winning the flip, the Vikings (2-1) parlayed that into an early lead. After 10 bouts and two lead changes, UP (3-0) forced a 27-27 tie before stringing together a shutout decision and two pins between 160 and 189.

"We had to throw guys out there," Indian head coach Tom Hontz noted. "They controlled the matchups."

PV took advantage of that situation, bringing David Robinson out to face Chris Cornell in the 215-pound opener. Robinson scored a second-period pin prior to 285, where teammate Lou Fiovaranti took a 3-2 overtime decision from Dan Wolfram.

"The matchups were a huge part," PV head coach Tim Walsh said. "We had a few favorable ones, especially at the beginning. You try to get the matchups where you think you can be most successful.

"Sometimes it works, and sometimes it bites you."

The Tribe's late flurry aside, the Vikes were more than equal to the task at hand.

Despite forfeiting two weights (103, 130) to its guests, the home team overcame early 17-9 and 23-15 deficits to take a 27-23 lead at 145, aided by Vaughn Gehman's first-period drop of James Clingman. That win was preceded by successive 6-4 and 6-3 decisions from Blair Heaps (135) and Gavin Milligan (140).

"It helped us, getting the coin toss," Walsh added. "They had to send out their wrestler at 215. And even the forfeit at (130) worked out for us."

But Upper Perk got control in the stretch run. It started at 152 — Anthony DiElsi ringing up a 13-1 major decision on Dalton Fleming, after getting six back points in the third period — and continued at 160, where Cody Ambrose's 5-0 blanking of Chris Kline featured all his scoring in the third.

Nate Pompei then administered the match-clincher with his first-period drop of Cody Fountain at 171. Capping the 36-27 cushion was UP's Nick Hale with a 12-second cradling of Bobby Strickland.

"The 40-pound (bout) was a turning point," Hontz said of Milligan's decision of Chris Rementer. "I was praying we weren't looking at bonus points. At 60, it seemed we were wrestling to not lose, but then he (Ambrose) got a cushion."

Another lineup shift — Kyle Fellman inserted at 112, with Wolfgang McStravick going to 119 — resulted in a pin and technical fall, respectively, good for giving UP a 17-9 lead. But PV stemmed that run with Richie Tevlin's first-period fall of Frank Carpinello at 125.

"It was certainly exciting," Walsh said. "One of the things I've asked of our kids is to be competitive. I think they're doing that ... I don't know how much more we can get out of them."

And for the youngish Indian unit, the close contest was just more business as usual.

"We've had a number of those — one against Methacton, and Pottstown (44-24 win) gave us a bit of a scare," Hontz noted. "Teams are not going to roll over on us. We have to get our victories."

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