Josh Rosella broke into the Bellwood-Antis lineup last season as a junior. Rosella provided some big thrills last year finishing matches with falls in compiling a 19-10 record and leading the team in falls, nearfalls and team points and ending in the number two spot in takedowns, unusual for a heavyweight wrestler.
But none of the thrills Josh provided was anywhere as momentous as the one in Tuesday night’s dual meet against Glendale. Though the Blue Devils fell to the Vikings 55-19, the 275-pound weight class was definitely the most exciting match of the evening.
With little doubt about the outcome of the dual, Glendale coach Bill Damiano weighed in two wrestlers at 189. Coach Damiano, a former B-A heavyweight in his high school wrestling days, moved Matt Grega up to 215 and pushed Thad Francisco, a three-time Tri-County champion, up to wrestle the Blue Devil senior. Francisco got a takedown for the only score of the first period and reversed Rosella to open up a 4-0 lead early in the second stanza. Rosella, who weighed in at 219, got on the scoreboard when Francisco was called for interlocking his hands. Following the penalty point for Rosella (5-1), Josh appeared to be in a bad position, but came up on top with a reverse headlock to put Francisco on his back and then held the Viking senior there until referee Rod Hoover slapped the mat for the surprise fall at the 3:35 mark as the crowd in the Bellwood-Antis Middle School gynasium went wild.
The match began with the 125-pound weight class with B-A freshman Josh Ervine (5-2) majoring Blake Caracciolo 13-1. Ervine jumped out in front with a takedown and nearfall in the opening period, then added another three back points in the middle period for an 8-1 advantage. Ervine began the final period in the bottom position, reversed Caracciolo and put him on his back for a three-point nearfall that completed the scoring. Ervine faced Caracciolo at the Tri-County in Saturday’s consolation semifinals, winning 6-3.
Bellwood-Antis also got a victory in the final match of the evening, with 119-pounder Will Edwards (5-1) catching Glendale’s Merv Killion for a second-period fall. Edwards, a junior, opened up a 8-3 lead at the time of the pin, registering a pair of takedowns and two back points in the first stanza for a solid 6-2 start. Killion began the second period with an escape, but Edwards took him down again and put Killion on his back for the pin in 3:35.
After Ervine’s decision to begin the dual, Glendale won the next nine weight classes to put the match away 49-4.
Bellwod-Antis forfeited at 130, 135 and 145. Pad Flynn (0-2) was pinned in 2:51 at 140 by Tony Villella, Derrick Miller (1-5) was pinned for the third time in five days by Aaron Potutschnig at 171, this time in 5:37.
Dustin Earnest (0-4) was decked by Matt Kauffman at 189, Dwayne Cherry (3-3) dropped a 13-3 decision to Rob Reynolds at 160, and Chris Carrier (0-4) lost by fall to Mike Grega at 215. Mike McGeary (0-4) was pined in by Jamie Laing at 112, and Jared Ervine (2-4) dropped a 1-0 decision to Alan Collins at 152. neither Ervine nor Collins was able to score over the first two periods, before Ervine cut Collins loose midway through the third stanza. Ervine appeared close to notching a takedown several times, but couldn’t it one out. Collins and Ervine also battled through a close match in a Tri-County semifinal match with Collins winning 2-1 in the 30-second tiebreaker.
The only other win for Bellwood-Antis was at 103, where Sophomore Shane Evans (1-2) got tough on his feet in the third period to pull out a 16-10 win over the Vikings Josh Clarkson. Evans led just 8-7 lead after two periods. In the final two minutes, Clarkson chose the neutral position to start with both wrestlers on their feet. Evans proceeded to give a takedown clinic, garnering four and yielding just three escapes to wrap up his first varsity win of the year.
“We ran into a really solid wrestling team tonight,” described B-A coach Ron Wilson. “We knew coming in that the first three teams we wrestle every year are pretty good wrestling teams. This year has been no exception. Glendale is a fine team with a lot of really good kids. They stepped up and got the points where they needed to. But I have to credit our kids too. They hung in there in a lot of situations, they worked hard and there was no quit there. With a very inexperienced team we need that. We have to make it up with some aggressiveness and the kids did do that tonight. We are pleased with the development. Hopefully we will get some of our people back who are out right now, keep improving and get things to fall into place by districts. We believe we can still have a pretty decent wrestling team.”
Junior High
Bellwood-Antis won the junior high match with Glendale 63-38 to even their record at 1-1. The junior high dual began at the 155-pound weight class and Bellwood-Antis won the first five matches to jump out to a 24-3 lead and never looked back. Dan Pielmeier (155) won by fall, Willie Dukes (185) won by decision and Andy Martinez (165), Brian Daugherty (210) and Tyler Narehood (250) all received forfeits.
Glendale picked up two pins, a forfeit and a regular decision over the noext six weights to close the lead to 30-25, but the Blue Devils won five of the final eight to seal the victory. Joe DelMastro (85) and Ron Wilson (115) won by forfeit and Eli Colyer (100), Brandon Beech (105), Dustin Harris (130) and Boe Latchford (145) all picked up falls.
Varsity
Glendale 55 Bellwood-Antis 19
125 – Josh Ervine (BA) won by maj. dec. Blake Caracciolo 13-1
130 – Jeff Paup (G) won by forfeit
135 – Bob Hewitt (G) won by forfeit
140 – Tony Villella (G) pinned Padraig Flynn 2:51
145 – Jon Gallaher (G) won by forfeit
152 – Alan Collins (G) dec. Jared Ervine 1-0
160 – Rob Reynolds (G) won by maj. dec. 13-3
171 – Aaron potutschnig (G) pinned Derrick Miller 5:37
189 – Matt Kauffman (G) pinned Dustin Earnest 2:50
215 – Mike Grega (G) pinned Chris Carrier 1:24
275 – Josh Rosella (BA) pinned Thad Francisco 3:03
103 – Shane Evans (BA) dec. Josh Clarkson 16-10
112 – Jamie Laing (G) pinned Mike McGeary 1:24
119 – Will Edwards (BA) pinned Merv Killion 3:35
Junior High
Bellwood-Antis 63 Glendale 38
155 – Dan Pielmeier (BA) pinned Bobby Pennington 0:41
165 – Andy Martinez (BA) won by forfeit
185 – Willie Dukes (BA) dec. Brandon Baker 15-9
210 – Brian Daugherty (BA) won by forfeit
250 – Tyler Narehood (BA) won by forfeit
75 – Aaron O’Shell (G) pinned Jordan Miller 1:15
80 – Jordan Marshall (G) pinned Don Partner 1:15
85 – Joe Delmastro (BA) won by forfeit
90 – Matt Gates (G) won by maj. dec. Ricky Shawley 15-5
95 – Brad Sweiter (G) won by forfeit
100 – Eli Colyer (BA) pinned Mike Hommer 1:58
105 – Brandon Beech (BA) pinned Mario Beber 1:25
110 – Matt Queen (G) won by maj. dec. Ricky Tilley 14-2
115 – Ron Wilson (BA) won by forfeit
122 – Delwyn Fry (G) won by forfeit
130 – Dustin Harris (BA) won by fall 2:27
138 – Kelsey Tar (G) pinned Josh Hanna 3:44
145 – Boe Latchford (BA) pinned Cody Caracciolo 0:25
