RSS Feed
|
|
Links: |
 |
Bee Home Page |
|
WNY Events |
|
Classifieds |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
North wrestling tries to turn the corner
North is off to a good start, winning its own Spartans Duals Tournament on Nov. 24. North beat Alden, 40-31, Wilson, 43-25, and won its last four matches to edge Lockport, 31-30, despite Lockport having two more wins overall. "We had a couple of kids out of the lineup but it was promising," said Swatland. "I didn't know if we would be middle of the road like we have been or if we're going to turn the corner and try to break into the top three or four in our division. I still don't know but it's certainly a good start to the season." Last year, North finished 5-3 in ECIC I, good enough for fourth place, and 9-3 overall. In front of the Spartans were Lancaster, Jamestown and West Seneca West, ranked third, eighth and seventh, respectively, among Western New York large schools. If North is to compete with these teams, Swatland feels his squad can always practice better and harder. "That's what we preach to them," he said. "Instead of doing something five times poorly, do something twice great." He will also need his lightweights to come through in matches because he said the middle of his lineup is "one of the better ones in our division." North's starting lineup is seventh grader Travis Berube (96); freshmen Mike Pitz or Dave Marple (103), Steven Voglmayr (112), Austin Berube (125), and Steven Liebler (130); sophomore Alex Booth (119); juniors Tommy Kellner (135); Ben Martin (140), Matt Proven (152), Scott Herberger (189); and seniors Abbas Rizvi (145), P.J. Abbarno (160), Matt Aloisio (171) and Mohammad Abidi (215). Swatland said Travis and Austin Berube, Pitz, Marple and Voglmayr wrestled on the modified team but were trained well by Jim Lamb, who is now Swatland's varsity assistant. "They're all technically skilled which has made my job easier," said Swatland. "It allows me to spend a lot of time working on fundamentals, like getting in good body position." Travis Berube is already off to a good start, going 3-0 at the Spartan Duals. "He's excitement all of the time," said Swatland. "He has endless amounts of energy." Martin wrestled as a freshman but did not come out for the team as a sophomore. "He's a safe option in the lineup," said Swatland. "He might not get a win every night but he's not going to get pinned." Every other wrestler in the starting lineup is returning, led by tri-captains Kellner, Aloisio and Abbarno. Kellner was 15-7 at 125 pounds last year but an injury to one of his fingers required surgery, ending his season. Kellner has 50 career wins and has been with the team since he was an eighth-grader. He won at the Williamsville North Tournament last year at 119. He won all three of his matches at 135 at the Spartan Duals. "He's a no-nonsense kid," said Swatland. "He comes in every day and it doesn't matter what we're doing, he never complains. He's a good leader by his work ethic." Aloisio, a fourth-year varsity wrestler, went 19-16 at 171 as a junior. He took fourth at the Class AAAA Tournament. Aloisio went 2-1 at the Spartan Duals, losing in overtime to Wilson's Matt King, who placed fourth at 160 in the Division II Section VI New York State qualifier. He also won 5-0 over a Lockport wrestler to give North its 31-30 victory. "Matt's put in the time, competing in the fall and summer sessions of New York State Super Six Wrestling Club," said Swatland. "Matt and his sparring partner, Mike Herberger, have really helped each other out." Abbarno, who took first at North, second at Depew and Class AAAAs and third at the New York State qualifier en route to a 29-8 year at 160 pounds last year, should be one of the top three wrestlers at the weight class, Swatland said. "He comes in and works his butt off," said Swatland. "He does a lot of moves that he learns at camps. He's the only wrestler on the team that uses these moves." Abbarno is off to a 3-0 start from the Spartan Duals, including a pin under 1:50 in North's comeback victory over Lockport. Rizvi is another three-year wrestler who Swatland called one of the hardest working kids in practice. At the Spartan Duals, Rizvi reversed a Lockport wrestler with 30 seconds left to win 9-8 and help North rally to victory. Going into the match, North was losing 30-16. Proven, another third-year varsity wrestler, went 14-14 at 152 as a sophomore. He won at least two matches for North during the regular season, and opened 2007-08 2-1, including a 5-2 decision at the Spartan Duals to help North beat Lockport. Abidi was in and out of the lineup last year at 189. Liebler won nine matches last year but is 2-1 this season.
Voglmayr, Booth, Austin Berube, Martin, Herberger and Abidi each went 1-2 at the Spartan Duals. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
News
)