freshman, Pitzer, stud...
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports...-hopewell-PIAA-wrestling/stories/201903090056
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports...-hopewell-PIAA-wrestling/stories/201903090056
This kid...
- Thread starter PSULBU
- Start date
That's some NJ.com level Making Sh** Up journalism there.
"But winning a state championship as a freshman in an upper weight class is simply unheard of.
Until now."
Thomas Haines says hi.
"But winning a state championship as a freshman in an upper weight class is simply unheard of.
Until now."
Thomas Haines says hi.
Don't worry. NJ.com will have something soon about the progress Rutgers has made by going from 10 top 8 placers and scoring 106.5 points at B1Gs in 2016 to 4 top 8 placers and 53.5 points this year - with all seriousness.
Someone already pointed out that NJ had 6 Big TEN champs today. Pretty impressive.
Pitzer has looked good all year, he got put feet to back in regionals and still came back to win comfortably means a lot at 14-15.
Lawrence and Pitzer are good, but still AA, Lawrence lost to Frinzi at the ETR finals and placed below seed with 2 losses at Ironman. Pitzer got pinned by Scott Joll from Belle Vernon (PIAA AAA 3rd plus pin trophy) at Westmoreland county.
Lawrence and Pitzer are good, but still AA, Lawrence lost to Frinzi at the ETR finals and placed below seed with 2 losses at Ironman. Pitzer got pinned by Scott Joll from Belle Vernon (PIAA AAA 3rd plus pin trophy) at Westmoreland county.
Lawrence also wrestled much of the year with a shoulder wrap. It'll be interesting to see how he does next year when presumably healthy. I would pick him over either AAA 160 finalist this year even with the wrap. Where he might not have won AAA is if his shoulder couldn't hold up in a war of attrition against tougher opponents throughout the tournament..
BTW, those 2 losses at Ironman were against #6 and #8 nationally.
The real issue with Thayne is that he has 4-6 kids in his team room with Frazier fielding a 1/2 team, can’t blame Buck Watkins his coach who is growing the program, it just takes time. His younger brother won Jr High states as an 8th grader last week. It’s just that 5 miles down route 51 was Scott Joll in a room with the same problem this year.
I knew Frazier was thin because it's a much newer program -- IIRC created to keep the Lawrence brothers around.
Had no idea Belle Vernon had fallen so far, so quickly. That's a real shame.
At least none of them transferred to Canon Mac at the first hint of trouble, such as what happened at Charleroi.
Had no idea Belle Vernon had fallen so far, so quickly. That's a real shame.
At least none of them transferred to Canon Mac at the first hint of trouble, such as what happened at Charleroi.
Buck has grown that program tremendously a ton of credit to him. Belle Vernon caught lightning in a bottle, they had maybe 5-8 place winners in 10 years then for the last 5 had 20. Missed their state champ with the Verk debacle and Godzin losing it mid year last year.
With a record of 43-1 and a state title he had more than a "very good year" especially for a freshmen at a upper weight class. From what I understand this is only the second time a freshmen wrestler has won a state title in PA competing at a upper weight class so it's quite a feat despite more than one of your posts downplaying it. I'll call it a rare occasion vs unheard of if that's ok with you.
Hmm u said Ash and Suriano would underperform this year... now they both won and ur still hating.. lol just give some props man..
And then beat Joll...
Pitzer, who was pinned by Joll in their first meeting, (his only loss 43-1 record) avenged the loss with a 5-3 decision two weeks later.
The kid is a stud and if he keeps this up will be one of the best in the nation in my opinion.
While I agree with all of your points, it was impressive that they had 2 champions. Suriano looked large to me and I assume has a reasonable weight cut. Do you think he stays 133 for next year or moves up?
A) The season isn't over. AA won B1Gs twice previously so he didn't break any new ground.
B) What are facts is that Rutgers went from 106.5 team points and 10 finishers in the top 8 at B1Gs in 2016 to 53.5 team points and 4 finishers in the top 8 in 2019. That's regression, not progression. And you and every other Rutgers board poster will NEVER, EVER address that in any meaningful way. NEVER, EVER. You'll just change the subject. Pointing out facts that belie delusional groupthink isn't hating - it's pointing out facts.
The point which you downplayed is... "Pitzer also became the second freshman in state history to win above 160 pounds."
Being just the second freshman in state history to win a state title above 160 pounds to me is quite a feat.
https://tribhssn.triblive.com/mt-pleasants-pitzer-brings-home-gold-medal-dom-deluca-comes-up-short/
In the post that you quoted, I called it "an unusual accomplishment and worthy of praise."
That's downplaying?
Speaking of heavyweights, anyone know anything about Erie Cathedral Prep DeBoe? He went undefeated with a AAA gold this year and silver last year. He is listed as undecided but seems late in the year without an offer somewhere...wrestling or football ( he played on ECP’s 3 state championships ).
Don't know about his college plans, but his matches are painfully slow to watch. Can't imagine Cael looking at him as more than a practice partner if at all.
His type of 285 is rapidly disappearing from the college landscape, I think (hope?).
I like your handle name. Reminds of the movie the Ringer. That is a good one. "YOU SCRATCHED MY CD!" hahahalol
We will wait and c what happens after nationals then
.. getting first NCAA champ would be a sign of progression When someone says New Jersey had x number of Big 10 or National Champions, do they include wrestlers from Blair Academy in that equation? I mean yes Blair is in New Jersey but the wrestlers are not all New Jersey natives so what exactly is the criteria for "from" New Jersey?
This year, all were from New Jersey. May be wrong, but the only one that wrestled at Blair was McKenna, and he was from New Jersey anyway. Doesn't answer your question, as the number of B1G champs from NJ never come up before as news-worthy.
And Martin didn't wrestle in NJ. But NJ also tried to claim Ed Ruth as a "NJ NCAA champion" in the past.
We will wait and c what happens after nationals then
As I said, no Rutgers fan will address the dropoff in B1G tournament performance between 2016 and 2019. NEVER, EVER.
Next, do some research and see how many programs in recent NCAA wrestling history have had one or even two champs and have not moved forward to any significant degree. You're going to find a lot.
I know it's another narrative that Rutgers fans accept without thinking, but Ashnault winning only one title at Rutgers is not a badge of honor for the program. He was, at the time he graduated, the only four-time undefeated state champ in NJ high school history. If Rutgers does squeeze one title out of his six year tenure (and at the weakest weight class in the country this year at that), how much does that say for the program? If he had been able to make it back last year, do you think he stood any reasonable chance to beat Zain? He needed an extra year and a weakened weight class to be in this position - if he can win a national title after winning a B1G title, unlike the first two times. If you count Scott Winston, the three top NJ HS wrestlers have all gone to Rutgers and in over half of their collective careers, there are no national champs and a total of 4 placements between the three.
Look at Rivera (one time NJ champ and two time placer) and think about how much he has progressed at NW. If you were a recruit, which program would you think could get the most out of you - NW or Rutgers? I'm assuming we are talking about a rational recruit, btw. Ashnault finally making it to the top of the podium wouldn't make a huge difference to you, I would surmise.
Again, Rutgers went from 106 points and ten top 8 placers to 53 points and 4 top 8 placers in three years at the B1G tournament. In any other program in the country, the alarms would be blaring and the fan base would be calling for the coach's head. But Rutgers fans have been bamboozled into thinking it's "progress". Wait until next year when AA is gone.
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What does that even mean, "NJ tried to claim Ed Ruth as a NJ NCAA champion"? One guy at NJ.com?
Hometown is hometown. Martin is from Penns Grove, NJ, Ed Ruth from Harrisburg, PA. Simple.
The Newark Star-Ledger, back in the days of print newspapers, which was/is NJ's largest circulation daily. They did it every year Ed Ruth was in Nationals for Penn State.
