The Saucon Valley Panthers remain unbeaten following a convincing defeat of an improved Wilson Warrior wrestling squad Wednesday night.
Maybe the cold temperatures had something to do with the Saucon Valley team’s slow start, but once the Panthers got going the home team’s scoreboard heated up.
After the first four matches, Saucon was deadlocked with Wilson. Saucon Valley received their points courtesy of a :32 pin by Nate Kehs (182) and a forfeit given up to Devan VanVliet (195). The Warriors answered with a couple pins of their own at 220 and 285 to even the score 12-12.
At 106, John Consorti of Wilson with an impressive 16-1 record narrowly defeated Saucon’s Paul Miller 7-5 to give the visitors a 15-12 lead.
The Warriors would try to ride the momentum at 113, but it was stripped away by Saucon junior Jack Hill. Hill was able to masterfully defend Jared Corriere’s attacks and skillfully take him down four times before pinning him at 2:36. For his efforts, Coach Chad Shirk and staff honored Hill as “wrestler of the match.”
Jack Hill of Saucon Valley gives his team a lift.
At 120, Saucon freshman Angelo Mahaffey would build on Hill’s pin with a workman-like performance and beat Zavery Lesher 10-4, with four takedowns of his own.
With the score 24-15, Saucon Valley’s Ty Druckenmiller (126), Jason Jones (132), Nick Schneider (138) and Blayne Hirschbeck (160) would be awarded forfeits and extend the Saucon lead.
Saucon’s Nate Harka (152) pleased the home crowd by crafting a 15-1 lead over Wilson’s Shivam Dhaliwal before finally ending it with a pin at 3:16.
Nate Harka of Saucon Valley rides his way to a pin.
Saucon Valley also earned bonus points at 145 and 170 from Dylan Yonney and Jason Lynch. Yonney worked to a 14-3 major decision while Lynch used a number of slick tilts in rapid succession to tech fall his opponent 16-0 in 1:08.
As the curtains closed on the match, Saucon remained undefeated with a dominant 60-15 performance.
Saucon’s Dylan Yonney gathers back points on his way to a major decision.
Next, the already battle-tested Panthers will continue to sharpen their skills this weekend at the Juniata Duals, and then continue with league play at Palisades on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
Note: The Saucon Valley Junior High wrestling team defeated Wilson 47-30. Eighth grader Jarrett Hirschbeck was named “Wrestler of the Match” by Saucon Valley coaches Andy Koch and Dave Stauffer.
Jarret Hirschbeck was named junior high wrestler of the match against Wilson.
About the Author: Keith Riefenstahl is a deeply rooted sports fan, former coach and freelance writer. A Penn State grad and veteran educator, he resides in Saucon Valley with his wife Jill and four children: Brooke, Kiele, Travis and Tanner.
