WRESTLING: Despite three Falcons placing in the top 10 individually, coach Keith Holcombe was disappointed in his team’s performance.
By: Neil Hay
This National Prep School Wrestling Tournament might be remembered by the Peddie School as the year of unfulfilled hopes.
"We did not do as well as we had hoped," said Peddie coach Keith Holcombe. "I knew there was a chance it would go like this and it did."
Nationals is the culmination of the prep wrestling season. Nearly 140 teams compete, so Peddie’s 14th place finish (with 74 points) at Lehigh University last weekend is not bad, considering the big picture. But Holcombe prides himself on getting his team ready for Nationals, then seeing them deliver a high place in the team standings and one or two individual championships. But not this year.
Holcombe had set higher goals he always does for his wrestlers. But for the Falcons to place higher, they would need some outstanding performances throughout the lineup. Most were not forthcoming. That and too many holes at too many weight classes (103, 112, 135, 215, 275) left Peddie with little chance of a top 10 showing.
Once again Blair (401 points) was an easy winner, far outdistancing second place Germantown Academy (147).
"We didn’t wrestle bad," said Holcombe. "We got a couple of bad draws."
Two of those unfortunate draws came at 140 and 152. Already trying to wrestle through a bad back, Dave Icenhower lasted only three bouts at 140 before exiting the tournament.
Kinsella won twice but still endured a similar fate at 152. He opened with a 1:35 win by pin over Archbishop Wood’s Phil Mirabile, and decisioned Gilman’s J.D. Nelson in overtime. But Kinsella was ousted from further competition by an 8-6 setback.
"It didn’t pan out for him," Holcombe noted. "Kinsella’s problem is that he is tough but he has trouble scoring points. He had a great year (34-5 with 12 pins) but I am disappointed he did not place."
The highest placing of any Peddie wrestler was Keith O’Donnell’s second at 171. O’Donnell ran off four consecutive pins: 3:41 over Spencer Pope of Brooks School; 1:02 over Union’s Wade Swanson; :28 over Salisbury’s P.J. Richard; and 3:27 against Episcopal’s James Cook. He then major-decisioned Geoff Miller of McDonough 8-0, earning him a spot in finals against Blair’s Joe McGann.
But McGann outlasted O’Donnell 6-4 in overtime to win. There was some controversy surrounding the match. Said Holcombe, "O’Donnell destroyed everyone going to finals. Then he is called for stalling with eight seconds left. That is questionable. But you cannot let the referees beat you. Then he is taken down. He has to be more aggressive, he has to work on his mental approach. He is only a sophomore. We felt pretty confident he’d win, so we are disappointed. It’s our final match, so it sums up our season."
This marked the second year in a row that O’Donnell has lost in finals.
Dan Gollin had a busy tournament to take sixth at 125. It was Peddie’s next highest finish. Gollin (34-10, 23 pins) pinned Collegiate’s Weldon Diana in 2:59, defeated (eventual second place finisher) Aaron Herwig of Mt. St. Joe’s 9-6; pinned Mercersburg’s Kenan Wright in :41; decisioned Anthony Hayes of Canterbury, 9-4, decisioned Haverford’s Ryan Kennett, 1-0; and pinned Jim Barber of Archbishop Curley in 4:52. But Gollin lost two matches by decision to St. Ben’s Curtis Randall, and to Luke Palumbo of Ann Christ.
"I can’t say enough about him," said Holcombe of Gollin. "He beat some good kids in the wrestlebacks. He hung tough. For him to finish sixth at nationals, well, that’s pretty good for him, definitely."
Randall Totten, who was slowed by an injured knee, closed out his Peddie mat career with eighth place at 145. Totten (27-11, 16 pins) decisioned Chris Robichaud of Northfield Mount Herman, 12-6. Totten then took care of Brian Hayes of Canterbury, 9-4. Totten also pinned Zack Esposito of Blair in :30, and won a 19-4, 4:39 T-fall against Cornwell Egan’s Mike Burghardt. Totten’s losses were a 21-11 major decision to Archbishop Curley’s Tom Boettcher, and a decision to Zach Mrybcza of Calvery Hall.
"I am glad he placed. He’s worked hard. We are happy with eighth place," said Holcombe.
Peddie’s four other grapplers saw limited action. At 119 Dave Bacsik (10-26, 5 pins) was held to one match, a 3:33 loss by pin against New Hampton’s Louis Cassidy. Stanton (24-16, 8 pins) also made an early exit.
At 160 Ben Evans (18-5, 9 pins) was eliminated by a 14-2 major decision by Matt Perry of Fork Union. And at 189 Warren Clanton (31-11, 19 pins) lasted three bouts, posting an 11-0 major decision over Bishop O’Connell’s Joe Yates and losing twice.
"I wanted to be sure they got experience so next year they’ll be better prepared," Holcombe said. "If they placed, it would have been a bonus.
"I’m disappointed," continued Holcombe. "I was hoping he’d place. He was a major disappointment at Nationals. The kid who finished third (Vaughn of Germantown Academy) he easily beat" earlier in the season.
So ends the tournament. And the season. Peddie does not crack the top ten at nationals as Holcombe had hoped. "We had a chance but didn’t get it done," is the way he put it.
"We didn’t wrestle that great, but we were still up there. But I figure if we are not top five, we didn’t wrestle great."
Peddie loses only three wrestlers to graduation: Evans, Totten and Sam Greene. As for the season in its entirety, one that saw the Falcons win only a couple of dual matches, Holcombe said, "I thought it would go well for us and we’d hold the fort. I didn’t count on the injuries. We didn’t have enough (depth). That’s no reflection on the guys. They worked hard and improved. We just need more guys next year and we will (have them). I am pretty confident about next year. I think we’ll be in good shape."