Upper Perk tops undermanned Phantoms

by Barry Sankey, The Phoenix

Posted on January 17, 2010

PHOENIXVILLE - Nothing like a Saturday morning breakfast date with the Upper Perkiomen High School wrestling team that packs a mighty punch.

Phoenixville greeted the Indians in a Pioneer Athletic Conference match, but the Phantoms did not have a full lineup to even attempt to match up with the Tribe. The Phantoms gave away 30 points on five forfeits in falling to the Indians, 46-19, at the Phoenixville Area Middle School gymnasium.

Upper Perkiomen (4-0, 9-4) won nine of the 14 bouts in defeating the Phantoms (0-4, 3-8).

"We were a little flat today," said Upper Perkiomen coach Tom Hontz. "I thought in some of the bouts we were overaggressive, and it cost us."

Cody Ambrose (171 pounds) and freshman standout Dylan Steffenino (103) won technical falls for the Tribe. Ambrose, a junior, improved his record to 16-5 with a 16-1 verdict against Sam LaPorte. The match lasted the full three periods. Ambrose led 6-1 after two periods and then started on top in the third frame and nearly pinned his foe four times.

Steffenino (14-5) won a 17-1 verdict at the 3:45 mark against the Phantoms' talented freshman, Eddie McCarthy, to make the score 43-19. Steffenino led 7-0 following the first period.

The Indians' Daniel Rodenberger (130) picked up a 1-0 decision over Brendon Bonner in the third match on the card. Rodenberger scored the lone point of the bout on a second-period escape.

"Bonner has to work on getting out of the bottom," said Phoenixville coach Dave Saville. "He needed an escape in the last two minutes."

Phoenixville's Brandon O'Hara (285) registered the lone fall of the day. O'Hara pinned Chris Cornwell at the 1:04 mark of the first period.

Phoenixville won a pair of one-point decisions. At 140, Matt Cermanski edged Chris Rementer, 3-2, and at 215, Kenny Cenci (17-3) nipped Nick Hale, 2-1. Hale, a senior who is now 17-5, bumped up a weight class to have a competitive match against a wrestler of Cenci's ilk.

Cermanski scored a first-period takedown and third-period escape to offset Rementer's second-period escape and third-period stalling point.

Cenci and Hale had a scoreless first period. Hale went in front on an escape point in the second period. Cenci gained a penalty point for going out of bounds to tie the match at 1 prior to the end of the period. Cenci started on the bottom in the third stanza and escaped at 1:17 to eke out the victory. Both wrestlers suffered bleeding from the head during the bout and had to be bandaged to continue the fray.

"I was disappoined with the 2-1 decision at 215," said Hontz. "It was a really good bout, and unfortunately it came down to a referee's call. Nick is a 189-pounder who bumped up to get a good bout and it was. They were going at it. It was really physical. They were two warriors going at it. It was pretty cool."

"Kenny Cenci had a good match," said Saville. "Their kid bumped up for the challenge and we like to see all the kids do that. We want them all to do that and take the challenge. We got the call there, but we didn't get some other calls. Kenny is going to see a lot of good competition at 215. There are a lot of good wrestlers in the league there."

Phantom freshman Steve Kelley won a 10-6 decision over Frank Carpinello for Phoenixville's initial victory of the day at 125 pounds. Kelley scored on three takedowns, a reversal and a pair of escape points. Carpinello had one takedown in the second period.

At 145, Phoenixville's Dan Giannone took a 14-4 major decision over James Clingman. Giannone used a Peterson maneuver in the first period to take a 4-1 lead and tacked on a two-point near fall and takedown in the second period.

"Matt (Cermanski) and Dan (Giannone) did a nice job," said Saville. "They are now down at their weights of 140 and 145 with the two-pound allowance. They have come down and have been working their way down."

Hontz spoke about the youth on both sides.

"Both teams seem young," he said. "You try your best. Phoenixville was undermanned, but they did a good job."

NOTES

Wolfgang McStravick (119), Martin McStravick (135), Dalton Fleming (152), Tyler Godshall (160) and Nate Pompei (189) were awarded forfeits for the Indians due to injuries and concussions by some of Phoenixville's grapplers. ... Takedowns were even at nine apiece.

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