Weilamann: Easton-Kittatinny belonged on card
We’ve all heard tales about the one that got away.
It happened Saturday as fans, coaches and writers missed the big one.
That big one would be Easton vs. Kittatinny as part of the annual Easton Invitational.
The showdown was noticeably absent by all accounts. I mean, how often does the chance to see No. 1s on both sides of the Delaware River — Easton in Pennsylvania and Kittatinny in New Jersey — going head-to-head come around?
It could have and should have gone down Saturday. Who’s to blame?
Well, I feel the blame lies on both sides.
First, Easton didn’t seem that interested in making this happen. Coach Steve Powell was more than content with the schedule as he watched his team beat two quality teams — Caesar Rodney of Delaware 36-25 and cross-town rival Wilson 36-20.
“Caesar Rodney came after us and they were No. 1 in Delaware last year, “Powell said. “I realize it’s not the same being No. 1 in Delaware as New Jersey. Plus we had the Wilson match. We didn’t have any more room in our schedule (for a third match).”
Meanwhile, Kittatinny hardly broke a sweat in waxing two overmatched opponents — Pleasant Valley 44-12 and Warwick 62-6.
“(Kittatinny) has a very good team, “Powell said. “We didn’t know they were all that good this year.”
That’s where The Express-Times, whose writers have volunteered in the past to help with the pairings, could have made some useful suggestions.
Kittatinny returns 11 starters from a team that was 22-1 and won its fourth straight Group 2 championship. In addition, the Cougars have been coming to the Lehigh Valley the past five or six years — back when it was billed at the Easton-Phillipsburg Classic and held on College Hill at Lafayette.
What’s more, these teams did wrestle two years ago at the 25th Street Gym with Easton winning 49-24. Kittatinny also lost 35-27 to Wilson in one of the day’s best matches.
So you can’t blame veteran Kittatinny coach John Gill for being puzzled by Powell’s above statement.
“We scored 24 points on them, I think that’s pretty respectable, “Gill said. “We’re a small fish compared to them. We had a great match with Wilson here last year. I think we should’ve been placed in a higher tier so to speak.”
To be fair, Easton athletic director Jim Pokrivsak, the event’s chief organizer, said he sent out original pairings way back last spring and updates in the months leading up to the season.
“No coach called to complain or ask to be paired with someone else, “he said.
Gill said he didn’t call because he wasn’t sure about Warwick and also he didn’t want to ruffle any feathers.
“We’re happy to get out of (New Jersey) and wrestle good people, “he said. “I took heat from our fans and I don’t know if Steve did from his. I felt bad for Warwick. We like being here, but it would have been nice to be tested with a big match. I can’t complain because Easton has always been a great host.”
Unfortunately, it could be some time before the Cougars are this good again.
Most wish this match could have happened this time around. Hopefully the boat isn’t missed in the future.
Just for the record, I have Easton winning 34-22.
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PATRIOT GAMES: Kudos to North Warren for winning its own Patriot Duals on Saturday — the first time the Pats ever won their event in its 14-year history.
Coach Chris Jones’ team improved to 4-0 on the season with three victories, including a 42-28 win over Scotch Plains in the title match. The Pats, a Group 1 school, knocked off two Group 4s and a Group 3 en route to the title.
“It was fun considering I didn’t know if we’d even get through the first round, “said Jones, whose team also beat West Milford (48-28) and Randolph (42-27). “I figured we had a shot because we can go with anybody. The best thing was Monday when they came to practice. The kids acted like it never even happened and got right to work.”
Leading the way were seniors Brian Lasso (8-3 at 130), Bob Kadel (9-2 at 189) and Jeff Case (8-3 at 215).
Speaking of Lasso, he made program history the same day by registering his 55th career pin to establish a school record — eclipsing the old mark of 54 set by the Tierney brothers (Greg and Jeff). Also, the former state qualifier now has 78 wins which ties him for fourth on the Pats’ all-time list.
Jones also said that junior 112-pounder Ryan Catton, a first-year starter, also had a big win against Randolph.
“Some of the inexperienced guys are coming through and where we’re losing we’re not getting crushed, “Jones said. “We’re even sneaking out a couple of victories.”
North could very well be 9-0 when it hosts Voorhees in two weeks on Jan. 26. The Pats travel to Sussex Tech tonight and host Sparta on Thursday before traveling to Pope John on Saturday.
“Everyone is excited, “Jones said.
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COLONIAL CHASE: Wilson begins in earnest the quest for a Colonial League title 1:30 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Northern Lehigh.
The Warriors (6-1) are finally getting healthy and looked very good in beating Delaware Valley and in their first loss to Easton on Saturday.
Returning to the lineup were Kyle Garis (130) and Jon Hoagland (152). Coach Rick Krieger also said that Hoagland and senior Chris Labatch were both recently bitten by the flu bug.
“They were really sick and made it to school Friday, “said Krieger, who watched his team beat a Del Val squad, coached by good buddy and former teammate Brent Conly. “We’re still not fully healthy.”
Wilson (5-0 in league matches) will have to be at its best Saturday. Northern Lehigh already is 6-0 in the league and has beaten Northwestern, the other league title contender.
A win for the Bulldogs certainly puts them in the driver’s seat. Wilson travels to Northwestern one week from today on Jan. 19.
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HERE AND THERE: According to Easton coach Steve Powell, sophomore Ju-Ju Drummond has left the team. Drummond, 8-3 at112 pounds this season, last competed at the Reno Tournament of Champions in December. Nazareth snapped Caesar Rodney’s 127-match regular-season win streak with a 30-25 win Saturday at the Easton Invitational. Sophomore Adam Counterman was the hero with his win in the final bout at 135. Senior Bryan Reiss had an 18-second pin for Emmaus, which won the Zephyr Duals Saturday by beating New Jersey foe High Point 30-28 in the title match. For some who feel New Jersey teams can’t compete with teams from District 11 here’s a comparison: Hunterdon Central beat High Point 34-33 on Dec. 20 in match that was decided on criteria (bouts won). Speaking of Central, the Red Devils hammered Voorhees 46-14 Saturday in a match that figured to be competitive. Phillipsburg travels to Southern Saturday for a match between top-ranked teams in Jersey. Southern is the No. 4 team in the state, according to the Star-Ledger. The Stateliners have already lost to one Shore Conference team this season — falling 35-33 to Toms River North in their season opener on Dec. 18.
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