RECAP >> Emmaus rebounded from its season-opening loss to Northampton earlier this week by rolling to a 63-18 victory over Pocono Mountain East on Friday night at home for its first league of the season.
The Hornets (1-1 EPC, 6-1 overall) made quick work of the Cardinals, winning 11 of the 14 bouts with six of those wins coming via forfeit.
“Going in with six forfeits, it’s hard to get the guys pumped up and we wanted to avoid over-confidence so I tried to keeping them from being overconfident,” said Emmaus second-year head coach Thad Smith following the match on Penn Sports Radio.
“We wanted to come out and wrestle the way that we have been wrestling which is in-your-face, go-to-it style wrestling and we were able to maintain that tonight and I was happy about that.”
Besides the six forfeits, the Hornets were also able to pick up pins from junior Gio Lainez (113) and senior Caden Wright (195), who remained undefeated on the season, along with sophomore Jack Brion (152) and junior Nicholas Ruggiero (170).
“I was very happy for both Jack and Nicholas,” said Smith. “Jack came out with a big win for us because that was a tossup match. When you can win those tossups that’s going to help you and it’s going to help his confidence moving forward. I thought he wrestled spectacular tonight.”
“With Nick the same thing. He came out there and the move he hit, the cement job, he just learned that this week. He’s a strong, strong kid and the other day the coaches were working with him in the room on that move and tonight he hit it perfectly.”
Pocono Mountain East (0-2 EPC, 2-5 overall) three victories all came by pins with seniors Steven Storm (145), Gino Ianelli (160) and Aaron Williams (220) recording falls.
Emmaus will return to action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. as they make the short trip up Cedar Crest Boulevard to take on rival Parkland. Penn Sports Radio will have Live coverage beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. Visit www.pennsportsradio.com or download the free Penn Sports Radio app to your IPhone or Android device.
To follow the team throughout the season, ‘like’ Emmaus Wrestling on facebook and follow @Emmaussports.com on Twitter.
Emmaus 63, PM East 18
106 -Fr. Marco Albanese (E) dec. Fr. Mikey Hollar 2-0 (3-0 E)
113 – Jr. Gio Lainez (E) pinned Fr. Josh Marrero in 5:45 (9-0)
120 – Fr. Zach Madigan (E) won by forfeit (15-0)
126 – Fr. Evan Camire (E) won by forfeit (21-0)
132 – So. Nick Velde (E) won by forfeit (27-0)
138 – Jr. Jack Ivankovits (E) won by forfeit (33-0)
145 – Sr. Steven Storm (PME) pinned So. Quin Scott in 2:28 (33-6)
152 – So. Jack Brion (E) pinned Jr. Khalif Ransom in 3:21 (39-6)
160 – Sr. Gino Ianelli (PME) pinned So. Drew Schmidt in 3:32 (39-12)
170 – Jr. Nicholas Ruggiero (E) pinned Sr. Joe Evers in 1:45 (45-12)
182- So. Jared Groller (E) won by forfeit (51-12)
195 – Sr. Caden Wright (E) pinned Sr. Owen Franco in 1:03 (57-12)
220 – Sr. Aaron Williams (PME) pinned Josue Rodriguez in 2:30 (57-18)
285 – Sr. James Santichen (E) won by forfeit (63-18)