bca9719d1c2aab556a395b8a33fd8fec.jpg

ALLENTOWN: Redbirds’ Scheuerman heading back to AC

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
   Ross Scheuerman earned his wish.
   The Allentown High School 171-pounder will return to Atlantic City for the Tournament of Champions, this time as a Region 7 champion and a senior looking for the perfect ending to his career.
   ”Last year was my first time,” said Scheuerman, who placed seventh at 160 pounds last year. “I was just happy getting to states. This year, I set my goals a lot higher. I think I have a shot at winning the whole thing. That’s what I’m looking to do.”
   Scheuerman is the top seed on the bottom of the 171 bracket. He will wrestle Friday against the winner of Marlon Duque of Boonton and Nate Leer of Teaneck.
   ”I only have the one on Friday night,” said Scheuerman, who is 27-0 this season. “I had to wrestle two last year on Friday.”
   Anthony Pafumi of St. Peter’s Prep is the second seed in the bottom bracket. Ethan Orr of High Point, considered the top team in the state, is the top seed in the top half of the bracket.
   ”I think I know what to expect this year,” Scheuerman said. “Most every match will be a tight match. Every kid is good down there. The atmosphere down there is great to wrestle in. I had so much fun last year. It had a great time. I’m so excited.”
   There is no mystery for Scheuerman, who has already decided that this will be his final wrestling tournament. After the season, he will begin lifting to move toward the 195 pounds for which Lafayette College would like him to report to pre-season football camp. Scheuerman skipped the Mercer County Tournament to go on his official visit to Lafayette.
   ”I was pretty disappointed to miss counties,” Scheuerman said. “I really had no choice there. College is a little more important. That’s my future. I was really happy with my decision.
   ”Football is my No. 1 sport. I’ve been wrestling just as long as I’ve been playing football. I enjoy the 1-on-1 aspect of it and the team aspect of it too. It’s a lot of fun to go out there and compete on my own.”
   It’s just not fun for his opponents. Scheuerman got some of his toughest competition of the season, but it didn’t stop him at regions. He opened with a 16-0 technical fall over Delran’s Shaquille Lawrence on Friday. Saturday in the semifinals he topped Seneca’s Declan Deveney, 3-1. He captured his first region title with a 7-3 win over Taylor Venanzi of Collingswood after going into the third period tied, 0-0.
   ”I definitely was going in there to win it,” Scheuerman said. “It was a really good feeling for me. Allentown hasn’t had a region champ in a long time. It was good to get the win for the school and for myself.”
   The win snapped a 32-year drought between region champions, though it was predictable that Scheuerman would be the one to end it.
   ”He cruised through districts and the first match of regions, he got a pin,” said Allentown coach Larry Kimport. “In the semifinals and finals, it was rougher sledding. I was confident he’d get through it. He just had to be cautious and use his offense.”
   Scheuerman is the lone Redbird to advance, and the lone champion from Mercer County. Allentown teammates James Mottram and fellow Redbirds senior Sam Shonk both made solid showings before bowing out of regions. Mottram, a freshman at 103 pounds, beat Louis Arensberg of Audubon, 4-1, then stopped Joe Ansbro of Maple Shade, 6-4. But he lost to Shawnee’s Connor Muli in the semifinals, 10-4, and lost to Camden Catholic’s John Amato in the wrestleback semifinals, 10-1.
   ”In my knowledge,” Kimport said, “we’ve never had a freshman go to regions. He ended up being 25-7, which is fabulous.”
   Shonk also topped an Audubon wrestler to open his regions when he pinned Bob Tegan at 140 pounds. But Shonk couldn’t get by Eric Hamrick of Collingswood or Austin Wetterau of Shawnee in the quarterfinals and wrestleback quarterfinals respectively.
   ”He advanced to regions again,” Kimport said. “He’s at a tough weight, 140. He won Tuesday, then lost Friday and then lost Saturday in wrestleback quarters. He had a good year too.”
   Robbinsville’s Dave Bossie lost to Camden Catholic’s Aaron Lambert, 5-2, in the consolation match to fall one win shy of another trip to Atlantic City. The senior 130-pounder finished his year 24-5. Christopher Tan won his quarterfinal bout at 103 pounds, but could not advance further. Andrew Reca beat New Egypt’s Brad Schwarze in the 152-pound wrestleback quarterfinals before falling in the wrestleback semifinals.
   New Egypt’s quartet did well last Wednesday in the region preliminary round. Sean Pryzbylkowski won, 7-5, at 125, Kit Creager pinned Moorestown’s Walter Fox at 130, Brad Schwarze pinned Cherokee’s Michael Cascio at 152 and Rigo Morfin was a 9-7 winner at 189. Kreager and Morfin got as far as the wrestleback semifinals, but could not advance to the TOC. Tyler Miller lost in the quarterfinals at 160 and then the wrestleback semifinals. Matt Carr lost in the semifinals at 103, won in the wrestleback semifinals and then lost, 9-5, in the third-place match to John Amato of Camden Catholic to fall a win shy of Atlantic City.
   Scheuerman had some tougher matches in the region tournament, but was able to win after placing second in regions last year when he overtook Venanzi in the final period.
   ”The kid I was wrestling, he was trying to be more defensive,” Scheuerman said. “I had to push the action and go forward on him. I was trying to be aggressive. I just wore him down to the end and I got a couple takedowns in the last period.”
   Scheuerman is a bit different this year, in his final year of scholastic wrestling. He is showing the effects that come with being the winningest wrestler in Allentown history.
   ”My confidence level just going into matches,” Scheuerman said. “Having that mentality that I’m going to win and no one is going to stop me. I think I’m being a little more physical this year and a lot more aggressive.”
   Said Kimport: “He’s a sensational athlete. I met him when he was 12, and he was great back then. He’s got great balance and he’s a physical strong kid. And he’s a hard worker. I can’t underemphasize that. He’s a hard worker. He knows a lot more than he does out there, but what he does works.”
   Kimport can’t wait to see how Scheuerman competes in Atlantic City this year. He was strong in his state debut last season, and he’s even better and more motivated this year.
   ”He doesn’t make many mistakes,” Kimport said. “This time, going to Atlantic City, he has to find the balance between his explosive offense and being mistake free. He’s not alone. That’s the same boat the other kids are in. The kids that win it all have to take chances, that’s the scary part of it and the funny part of it. You can’t caution your way to the top.
   ”He’s a lot more relaxed about it. When he made it to finals of regions last year, he was just overjoyed to go to Atlantic City. This year, he’s not just happy to go there. He wants to see how far he can get.”
   But win or lose, Ross Scheuerman knows it’s been another special year, and he can make it the perfect ending at the Tournament of Champions.
   ”There’s nothing more that you can ask for,” Scheuerman said. “A district title, region title, undefeated. There’s nothing more you could ask for.”