Whiteman, Strouse capture Schuylkill titles

ORWIGSBURG – The expectation was to win.

The reality wasn’t any different.

Lehighton’s Chris Whiteman and Tamaqua’s Bronson Strouse lived up to their billing as top seeds at the Schuylkill League Wrestling Tournament on Saturday.

Whiteman defeated Pottsville’s Shane Quick via injury default at 1:48 in the first period to capture the 145-pound title, while Strouse pinned Pottsville’s Tim Nevadomsky in 1:31 to win the 220-pound title.

“I was expecting myself to win,” said Whiteman. “I was the first seed coming in. You gotta wrestle your best when you’re ranked that high.”

Strouse had two pins to reach the finals. The sophomore didn’t wait long to get his third, scoring a quick takedown before putting Nevadomsky on his back to finish the match.

“Not as good as I thought,” Strouse said of the match. “I just came out and took a shot, had my opening and pinned him.”

Whiteman’s match was cut short when Quick aggravated an injury suffered earlier in the tournament.

“I asked him and he was saying his knee locked up the match before, and he put a brace on it to kind of help it out a little bit,” Whiteman said of Quick. “Then, I don’t know, when he got up or something if it just locked out again.”

Whiteman pinned North Schuylkill’s Dylan Edwards in 1:24 in the quarterfinals and picked up a 10-1 major decision against Williams Valley’s Chett Pesta in the semis to reach the finals.

Rolling through his bracket just gives the junior more motivation for the rest of the season.

“I think it actually increases my goals of getting even better,” said Whiteman, who was sixth at the league tournament a year ago. “Knowing that I can be the best in our league is good. But you gotta take it to the district tournament, you gotta take it to regionals, and you gotta take it to states.

“(It gives me) a lot of confidence. You just gotta keep working hard, though. You can go back on this all the time. This isn’t districts yet. Once that comes around, that’s when you gotta wrestle your best. This is a good stepping-stone to getting better each and everyday.”

Strouse pinned Schuylkill Haven’s Nathan Reedy (2:45) in the quarters and Lehighton’s Brett Gasker (3:58) in the semifinals to reach the championship match.

After placing fourth at the league tournament a year ago, Strouse showcased the ability that has made him a force this season.

But the sophomore admitted he still gets anxious before he takes the mat.

“I get nervous sometimes,” Strouse said with a laugh. “But then right when I go out on the mat and take a shot, it just all goes away.”

Like Whiteman, Strouse knows his biggest matches are still to come.

It’s a challenge Strouse is ready for.

“It feels great,” said Strouse. “Just getting closer to the end of the year, with districts … and regionals, and hopefully making it to states and doing good there.”

More medalists

While Whiteman and Strouse were the only Times News area wrestlers to win titles, they weren’t the only ones to leave Blue Mountain High School with hardware.

A total of 23 area wrestlers medaled at the annual all-league event, up from 17 a year ago.

Jim Thorpe’s John Newhall, Lehighton’s Tyler Schock and Panther Valley’s Hunter Kennedy also reached the championship finals.

Newhall lost a 4-2 decision to Pottsville’s Nick Onea in the 113-pound final.

Onea, the top seed at 113, used a takedown in the first and second period and played defense in the third period to hold on.

After losing a 15-3 major decision to Onea in last year’s semifinals, Newhall was encouraged with Saturday’s performance.

“This was by far my best, after last year,” Newhall said of his effort. “It was a closer match. Two points away; it was only a takedown, so I did a lot better.”

The senior was able to get out from the bottom at the start of the second period to make it 2-1. After an Onea takedown, Newhall used an escape off a reset with 14 seconds remaining in the second period that made it 4-2.

Newhall picked up a 7-0 decision over North Schuylkill’s Gavin Locke to reach the finals.

Pottsville’s Braden Goodman pinned Schock in 2:50 in the 152-pound championship match.

“Going into the match, I knew it was going to be hard,” said Schock. “He was No. 1, I was No. 2. I had to switch my game up because I’m an offensive wrestler, and he’s an offensive wrestler.

“In the first period, we went back and forth; he scored and then I scored. It was 4-3 going into the second and it was just a tough match all around. He’s a really good wrestler. He’s strong.”

Schock pinned Tri Valley’s Braxton Zerbe (3:12) to reach the finals.

Mahanoy Area’s Colin Fegley edged Kennedy for the 170-pound title, winning a 3-2 decision against the Panthers’ senior.

Kennedy led 1-0 after the second period. An escape by Fegley tied it at 1-1 early in the third, and a takedown near the edge of the mat with 36 seconds remaining in the match provided the difference.

Kennedy got an escape off a reset with 14 seconds left to make it 3-2.

“I thought I wrestled tough,” said Kennedy. “We were both going at it. We went at it last year about six times.

“It’s a disappointing loss for me. But I’ll work on it and get better.”

One of those meetings was in the semis at last year’s league tournament, which Fegley won 6-3.

Kennedy topped Blue Mountain’s Chase Sincavage 3-1 in the semifinals.

MEDALISTS … In addition to the finalists, the following area wrestlers finished in the top six: Jim Thorpe – Andrew Eisenhardt (sixth, 120), Ethan Mordaunt (third, 195); Lehighton – Nate Kemmerer (fourth, 126), Lucas Sangiuliano (fifth, 132), Logan Pagotto (third, 138), Brett Gasker (sixth, 220); Panther Valley – Colby Newton (third, 120), Tanner Kennedy (fourth, 160), Derrick Beckham (third, 182), Aaron Eidem (fifth, 285); Tamaqua – Randy Steigerwalt (sixth, 113), Aaron Coccio (fourth, 120), Pierce Demetriades (fifth, 126), Caleb Sell (fourth, 132), Brandon Mader (fourth, 138), Khalid Holland (sixth, 152), Carson Krell (fifth, 170).

MILESTONE … Lehighton’s Nate Kemmerer was honored for surpassing 500 team points during the tournament.

CHAMPS … Pottsville won the team title with 243 points. Blue Mountain (193) was second. Tamaqua (119.5) placed fourth, Lehighton (97.5) seventh, Panther Valley (86) eighth and Jim Thorpe (60.5) 13th in the team standings.