Tamaqua’s Strouse claims Regional crown

BETHLEHEM – Bronson Strouse is rolling.

And the Tamaqua senior’s pathway to Hershey is wide open.

Strouse picked up a little more steam with a 3-2 decision over Saucon Valley’s Nickolas Warnke in the 285-pound final at the Southeast Regional Tournament on Saturday.

The win gave Strouse, a two-time and defending District 11 champion, his first regional crown.

“I went out there and didn’t have any nerves,” said Strouse. “I went out there and got the takedown. It was a one-point match. If I wanted to push the action I could, but there was no need to.”

Strouse didn’t need to force anything because he took control early with a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the match to take a 2-0 lead.

Warnke got an escape with 1:12 remaining in the opening period. Strouse was able to get out to make it 3-1 in the second. Warnke could only register another escape in the final period.

“I just went out there and took a shot, and right there I pretty much know I’m going to win because I have pretty good defense,” said Strouse. “If someone can get on me, then they deserve the win.

“But coming next week (at states), I’m going to have to push the action more and more, because there are going to be kids that are shooting on me, too. So it will be going back-and-forth a lot more.”

Strouse edged Warnke 5-2 to take third place at 285 pounds last season. He also topped Warnke 3-2 in the district semis on his way to the title a year ago.

“Most of the heavyweights aren’t going to be doing too much, so if you get the takedown, you’re in good position to get the win,” said Strouse. “And if I get taken down, I’ll get right back up and get another takedown.

“It felt like I could have done more in the finals, but a win is a win.”

Strouse exacted a measure of revenge with a 2-1 decision against Church Farm School’s Emmanuel Lawal in the semis.

The senior took a 2-0 lead with 0:07 left in the second period, and held on after surrendering an escape nine seconds into the final period.

Lawal edged Strouse 7-6 in last year’s regional semis. Lawal also topped Strouse 3-1 in sudden victory overtime in the third-place match at last year’s Coal Cracker Tournament.

“It’s just the icing on the cake for this moment,” said Blue Raiders’ head coach Jim McCabe. “Obviously, next week we want to go in with the mindset that we’re going to win four in a row and get on the top of that podium. But this sets the week in motion positively.

“We’ll look back on some matches and pinpoint some things that we can work on. He’s very constructive with the way he wrestles his matches. He has great mat awareness. He’s definitely where he needs to be.”

And that’s right on track to get his first state medal in his third trip.

“He has the ability to shoot anytime he wants to,” said McCabe. “And when he makes the decision to do it, it’s very difficult to stop him. In the final (against Warke), he hit a dump. When was the last time you saw a heavyweight hit a dump?

“And he talks about doing it all the time. He had a little bit of a fear in trying it, but tonight it was there and he took it.”

Northern Lehigh’s Joshua Schaffer will be heading to states for the first time coming off a fourth-place finish after falling 10-5 to Church Farm School’s Emmanuel Lawal at 285 pounds.

Schaffer nearly completed a remarkable comeback against Lawal. Trailing 10-0 in the third period, Schaffer got a takedown with 0:35 remaining and put Lawal on his back for three nearfall points, but he couldn’t get the pin.

“I thought I had him,” Schaffer said of Lawal. “I had him flat on his back. I hit it perfect, just couldn’t get the pin.

“But I definitely feel like I’m getting better. Coming from last year, not placing (at districts) to making it to regionals, and now heading out to states, I think I’ve improved a lot.”

A runner-up to Strouse at last week’s district tournament, Schaffer saw his run at a regional title come to an end in the 285-pound semis, where he was pinned in 3:31 by Warnke.

But the junior bounced back in a big way with a 6-5 decision over Bishop McDevitt’s Saywer Morgan in overtime to move into the third-place match.

Tamaqua’s Nate Wickersham posted a 4-2 decision over Hamburg’s Travis Colson to secure fifth place at 182 pounds.

“It’s really big to keep that momentum going with a win heading into states,” said Wickersham. “But I just have to keep working hard, get back in the room to fix some things and hopefully get on one more podium this year.”

After a scoreless first period, Wickersham took a 2-0 lead a little over a minute into the second with two back points. The junior surrendered an escape with 0:29 to go in the period.

Wickersham increased his advantage to 4-1 in the third with a reversal. Colson got an escape with 0:32 remaining in the match, but wouldn’t get any closer.

“With the short first period (1:00), I always try to score points if I can, but it’s no big deal if you come out of it 0-0,” said Wickersham. “You just have to put some points in on top or bottom.

“Once he picked down (to start the second period), I know I ride pretty tough, so I was just thinking, get a few points here and then I’ll be in good shape in the third period. I was just trying to relax and take whatever he gave me, or whatever I could use to my advantage. But I didn’t want to rush anything because I was in a good position.”

Wickersham secured his second straight trip to Hershey by pinning Northwestern’s Ryan Haverkamp in 0:34 in their 182-pound third round consolation match.

In the consolation semis, Wickersham dropped a 3-2 decision to West Perry’s Brad Morrison to move into the fifth-place match. Wickersham got a reversal in the final 0:30 of the second period to make it a one-point match, but couldn’t overtake Morrison, who picked up three back points earlier in the second.

Wickersham was fifth wrestling at 170 pounds last season.

“I think the experience helps a lot, because last year I was there, and you really have nothing to lose at that point,” said Wickersham. “You just have to wrestle, and I think it helps a lot just doing it again.”

ELIMINATED … Northwestern senior Harrison Bernhard dropped an 8-1 decision to Hamburg’s Bailey Gimbor at 145 pounds in the third round of consolations that ended his campaign.

But Bernhard made an escape early in the second period hold up to eliminate Northern Lehigh’s Trevor Amorim with a 1-0 decision to secure the 100th win of his career in a second-round consolation match.

Jim Thorpe’s William Schwartz, and Tamaqua’s Aaron Coccio and Caleb Sell, all saw their seasons come to an end in the second round of consolation matches Saturday morning.

Newport’s Ganon Smith pinned Schwartz, a senior who captured his first Schuylkill League title this season, in 1:42 at 113 pounds.

After earning his first regional win in a 138-pound first-round consolation match on Friday, Coccio was pinned by Korbin Karper of Boiling Springs in 3:00.

Newport’s Will Davis pinned Sell in 2:34.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS … Saucon Valley captured the team title with 191.5 points, ahead of Notre Dame Green Pond (167). Bishop McDevitt (90), Faith Christian (87.5) and West Perry (75) completed the top-five. Tamaqua was 13th with 39 points.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

285 - Bronson Strouse (Tamaqua) dec. Nickolas Warnke (Saucon Valley), 3-2.

THIRD PLACE

285 - Emmanuel Lawal (Church Farm School) dec. Joshua Schaffer (Northern Lehigh), 10-5.

FIFTH PLACE

182 - Nate Wickersham (Tamaqua) dec. Travis Colson (Hamburg), 4-2.

FOURTH ROUND CONSOLATIONS

182 - Brad Morrison (West Perry) dec. Nate Wickersham (Tamaqua), 3-2.

285 - Joshua Schaffer (Northern Lehigh) dec. Saywer Morgan (Bishop McDevitt), 6-5 (TB2).

SEMIFINALS

285 - Bronson Strouse (Tamaqua) dec. Emmanuel Lawal (Church Farm School), 2-1; Nickolas Warnke (Saucon Valley) pinned Joshua Schaffer (Northern Lehigh) in 3:31.

THIRD ROUND CONSOLATIONS

145 - Bailey Gimbor (Hamburg) dec. Harrison Bernhard (Northwestern), 8-1.

182 - Nate Wickersham (Tamaqua) pinned Ryan Haverkamp (Northwestern) in 0:34.

SECOND ROUND CONSOLATIONS

113 - Ganon Smith (Newport) pinned William Schwartz (Jim Thorpe) in 1:42.

138 - Kobin Karper (Boiling Springs) pinned Aaron Coccio (Tamaqua) in 3:00.

145 - Harrison Bernhard (Northwestern) dec. Trevor Amorim (Northern Lehigh), 1-0.

152 - Will Davis (Newport) pinned Caleb Sell (Tamaqua) in 2:34.

182 - Ryan Haverkamp (Northwestern) pinned Gabriel Kolasa (Schuylkill Valley) in 2:04; Nate Wickersham (Tamaqua) pinned Stojan Gradistanac (Springfield Township) in 4:55.