Browsing all articles from December, 2014
John Callahan Wins by Fall in 54 sec
Freedom defeats Central Catholic 66-9 with the following Freedom Wrestlers all winning by fall John Callahan, Jake Rugis, Andrew Evans, Ben Huber, and Adam Evans.
Wrestling Results: Freedom 66 Central Catholic 9
Posted by: admin in Wrestling News 
Comments Off on Wrestling Results: Freedom 66 Central Catholic 9 Dec
22
22
Central Cath. 12/20/14
170. Double. FF
182. Jake Young. F. FF
195. John Callahan F. Keegan Connelly CC. Fall :54
220. Jake Rugis F. Pedro Patino CC Fall 3:30
285. Josh Newhart F. FF
106. Andrew Evans F. Stephen Wroge CC. Fall 1:20
113. Ben Huber F. Dennis Lupin CC. Fall 1:39
120 Dylan Brown F. FF
126. Jonah Zych F. FF
132. Floyd Keim. CC Drew Spearko F. 5-3
138. Juan Rodriguez. F. FF
145. Jason Torok CC. Andrew Montoya Fall 3:25
152. Adam Evans F. Ryan Goodwin CC. Fall 1:22
160. Cyrus Thompson F FF
Final Score. Freedom 66. Central Cath. 9
Lehigh Valley Live: Freedom wrestlers tasting success!
Posted by: admin in Wrestling News Comments Off on Lehigh Valley Live: Freedom wrestlers tasting success! Dec
19
19
By
on December 16, 2014 3:12 PM
Success proves to be a powerful stimulant.
And it may be that athletic success – specifically football – will spark Freedom’s wrestling team to its greatest success in many moons.
The Patriots’ breakout 44-22 win Monday over Northampton came in large part because seniors Jake Young and John Callahan, who originally did not come out for wrestling in November, rejoined the wrestling team in the last couple of weeks. Given that Young was a state placewinner (fifth) as a sophomore and Callahan owned 66 career wins entering the season, they are an enormous addition.
But it was a reinforcement that may not have happened without the success both enjoyed playing for Freedom’s football team this fall, a team that went 9-3 and reached the District 11 semifinals. Callahan had doubts about wrestling and Young health concerns (his shoulder sports a huge ice bag after he competes).
But their taste of success in football made them want more of it.
“Football was one of the best seasons we could have imagined,” Callahan said. “Jake and I talked about it and we wanted to continue feeling the way we did in football on another winning team. It’s really fun to be on a winning team.”
It’s been a while since Freedom’s wrestling team has been known for winning. This winter, though, the Patriots, unbeaten at 7-0, not only want to win, they know they can.
“Somebody asked me if I needed to dial back our team’s confidence, and I said I don’t know if I want to,” Freedom coach Brandon Hall said. “I’m here to instill confidence in them. I want them to have confidence that they will win matches because when you expect to win matches you do win matches. They’re supposed to have a lot of confidence.”
And they should – because Freedom’s big wins, it says here, won’t stop with Northampton.
Once Young gets down to be able to wrestle at 170 – which he said he will be by the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic Dec. 28-29 at Liberty – the Patriots will have an upperweight group – Young, Evan Callahan, John Callahan, Jake Rugis and Josh Newhart – equal to or better than any in the Lehigh Valley and District 11. Admittedly these are not banner times for big boys across the area, but that makes what Freedom has even more important – a bonus-point hammer up top could swamp teams who can’t equal the Pates’ talent and eye for the fall. The Northampton match started at 182 and it was 23-0 Freedom very quickly.
Then add in lightweights such as Dylan Brown, maybe the best wrestler in D-11 who didn’t make states last season, and Jonah Zych, maybe the best wrestler you have never heard of (but you will) in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, solid veterans in the middle such as Willy Byrnes and Adam Evans, and a strong ninth-grade group in Andrew Evans, Ben Huber and Andrew Youwakim, and suddenly it hits you: this is, potentially, a top-5 area team. Or more.
Now there are caveats. That 44-22 score over Northampton might flatter Freedom slightly because the K-Kids were missing starters Michael Scheetz and Jason Kocher. Freedom is counting on several wrestlers who are not tested or proven against top competition. Injuries seem always to be a factor for the Patriots, starting with Young. They don’t wrestle Bethlehem Catholic, Parkland, or Nazareth, matches that could provide strong tests of the kind the Pates will need. They do meet Liberty (Jan. 24) and Easton (Jan. 21).
But it says here Freedom need not stand in awe of any of those teams, talent-wise, except maybe Becahi and even there, up top, not at all.
What those teams have, though, that Freedom does not is the legacy of success and the history of winning, attributes that a price cannot be put on. When a wrestler dons an Easton or Nazareth singlet, he expects to win, especially against a foe not from a Parkland or Becahi or Liberty.
Now, though, by vanquishing a foe Freedom had never defeated in any of their lifetimes, maybe the Patriots will start to feel that same confidence whenever they take the mat flowing through their veins. Maybe this year it’s the black and yellow singlets that should inspire fear in foes. Maybe this year, at last, as Young said proudly Monday, it’s Freedom’s year.
And if it is, it will have started in many ways with success on the football field, success that Callahan and Young now want to duplicate, or better, on the mat. Given Monday’s win, the Pates seem well on their way.
Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@express-times.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports.
Freedom wrestling team fights off Emmaus to remain unbeaten
Posted by: admin in Wrestling News Comments Off on Freedom wrestling team fights off Emmaus to remain unbeaten Dec
19
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By Josh Folck | lehighvalleylive.com
on December 17, 2014 10:02 PM, updated December 19, 2014 12:27 AM
12/17 – 7:00 PM Wrestling Final Freedom 37 Emmaus 24
Emmaus was closing in and the Freedom wrestling team’s unbeaten season looked like it might be in danger on Wednesday night in Bethlehem Township.
The Patriots’ Thomas Bonilla was trailing Green Hornets’ Matt Hamati 2-1 very late in the second period during the 145-pound bout as Freedom led 31-24 with only more bout to follow.
The Freedom sophomore then put four points on the board in the matter of five seconds to take the lead in the bout and make sure the Patriots’ perfect record would stay intact.
Bonilla got a reversal and near fall in the closing seconds of the second period to take a 5-2 lead. He then fought off a late rally from Hamati to clinch a 7-4 decision.
Freedom would go up by 10 points with Bonilla’s victory and then wrap up a 37-24 win over Emmaus to move to 8-0 on the season.
“Obviously, it’s what you do in those closing seconds of each period that really matter and that’s something I preach to these kids about owning the final 30 seconds of every period because you don’t know what’s going to happen. And 145 was a great example of that. There was five seconds left in the period. He (Bonilla) gets a reversal and near-side cradle to his back to close out,” Freedom coach Brandon Hall said.
“I don’t feel I was aggressive enough off the whistle in the first period,” Bonilla said. “He was really dominating me on my feet. So I got on the ground in the second period.”
Thomas Bonilla (Bill Adams | lehighvalleylive.com )
In the third period, strategy changed for Bonilla as he remained scoreless in the period until a takedown in the closing seconds.
“I was just trying to stay away from his offense,” Bonilla said. “I knew he was going to come at me pretty aggressive. I knew he was going to go for something big so I didn’t want to bait myself into it. At the end when he went for something big, I just lowered my level and tried to stay on top.”
Emmaus jumped out to a 12-0 lead with a pin by Cole Franklin in 1:22 at 160 pounds and a forfeit victory by Michael Horn at 170 pounds.
Freedom cut the lead to three points with a 13-6 decision by Jake Young at 182 pounds and a pin from John Callahan in 2:26 at 195 pounds.
After a decision by Emmaus’ Thomas Alcaro at 220 pounds, Freedom senior Josh Newhart got a pin in 1:43 to tie the match at 15-15.
Freshman Andy Evans then put the Patriots on top 19-15 with a 17-6 major decision at 106 pounds.
At 126 pounds, Jonah Zych used a late third-period reversal to get a 3-1 win over Emmaus’ Justis Walton. That made the Freedom lead 31-15.
Emmaus cut the Patriots’ lead to 10 points with a fall by Lucas Schaf in 3:35 at 132 pounds. The Green Hornets then used a 3-0 decision by Jacob Alcaro over Freedom’s Willy Byrnes at 138 pounds to make it 31-24 Patriots.
But up next came Bonilla’s late-period magic to secure the win.
“Tommy having a win on Monday night over (Zachary) Rooks against Northampton obviously boosted his confidence, made him feel like he’s going in the right direction,” Hall said. “To come out here tonight against a kid, who I joked with (Emmaus coach) Jeff (Arbushites) that I feel has been in his lineup for five years, against Hamati, who’s been around and in and out of their lineup. So he’s a seasoned wrestler. So it was very nice win for Tommy to come out here and keep plugging away and looking to score points at every opportunity that you can.”
Ben Huber won by fall in 3:16 at 113 pounds, Dylan Brown had a 5-2 decision over Emmaus’ Tyler Corpora at 120 and Adam Evans closed out the Freedom win with an 8-2 decision over Green Hornets’ Jared Skibinski at 152.
It was another win for the surging Patriots, who got their first victory over Northampton in almost 40 years on Monday.
“It really speaks to the hard work we put in the room,” Bonilla said of Freedom’s unbeaten mark. “We put in a lot of hard work and it’s showing.”
Wrestler of the Week Thomas Bonilla
Our outstanding wrestler of the week honors goes to 145lb Thomas Bonilla. He battled his way to victory against Emmaus wrestler Matt Hamati 7-4 and Northampton Zack Rooks 10-8 both were huge wins for Freedom.
Freedom Defeats Emmaus 37- 24
Freedom defeats Emmaus with wins by the following Freedom Wrestlers 182 Jake Young, 195 John Callahan, 285 Josh Newhart, 106 Andrew Evans, 113 Ben Huber, 120. Dylan Brown, 126 Jonah Zych, 145 Thomas Bonilla, and 152 Adam Evans.
Wrestling News: Freedom 37 Emmaus 24
Emmaus 12/17/14
160. Cole Franklin E. Cyrus Thompson F. Fall 1:22
170. Mike Horn E. FF
182. Jake Young F. Austin Flaugh E. 13-6
195. John Callahan F. Dan Oberle E. Fall 2:26
220. Tom Alcaro E. Jake Rugis F. 9-3
285. Josh Newhart F. Colin Molitorisz E Fall 1:43
106. Andrew Evans F. Gabe Ayala E. MD. 17-6
113. Ben HuberF. Chase Pavelko E. Fall 3:16
120. Dylan Brown F. Tyler Corpora E. 5-2
126. Jonah Zych F. Justis Walton E. 3-1
132. Lucas Schaf E. Andrew Youwakim F. Fall 3:35
138. Jake Alcaro E. Willy Byrnes F. 3-0
145. Thomas Bonilla F. Matt Hamati E. 7-4
152. Adam Evans F. Jared Skibinski E. 8-2
Final Freedom 37. Emmaus 24
After 37 Years Freedom Wins
Almost 40 years have gone bye since the Freedom defeated Northampton 44-22. Add Jake Young and Johnny Callahan to the line-up and the results are huge. Wrestlers securing falls: 182 Jake Young, 195 Evan Callahan, 285 Josh Newhart, 120 Dylan Brown and 126 Jonah Zych.
Wrestling News: Freedom 44 Northampton 22
Northampton. 12 /15/14
182. Jake Young F. Dave Rehrig N. Fall 1:09
195. Evan Callahan F. Curtis Heckman N. Fall 1:00
220. John Callahan. F. Alex Quaglieri N. TF 5:39. 20-5
285. Josh Newhart F. Alex Darabaris N. Fall 2:50
106. Logan Ninos N. Andrew Evans F. 3-2
113. Dan Moran N. Ben Huber F. MD. 14-3
120. Dylan Brown F. Cole Kleppinger N. Fall 1:20
126. Jonah Zych F. Brittan Shander N. Fall 2:35
132. Andrew Youwakim F. Luke Lieberman N. 2-1
138. Todd Hetrick N. Willy Byrnes F. 9-5
145. Thomas Bonilla F. Zack Rooks N. 10-8
152. Adam Evans F. Andrew Szerencsits N. 7-2
160. Cade Moisey N. Cyrus Thompson F. Fall 1:13
170. Josh Coleman N. Ff
Final. Freedom 44. Northampton 22
Freedom defeats E. Stroudsburgh South
Freedom dominates East Stroudsburgh South 53-18 with pins from:
120 Andrew Youwakim, 126 Dylan Brown, 138 Willy Byrnes, 182 Evan Callahan, and 195 Jake Young.
