ALLENTOWN: Redbirds four district champs

By Ken Weingartner, Special Writer
   As amazing a day enjoyed by the Allentown High wrestling team at last weekend’s District 25 finals, junior Justin Miller couldn’t help but look forward.
   The Redbirds crowned a tournament-best four champions and nearly rallied from fifth place entering the finals to win the event, which was hosted by Steinert. Allentown fell just two points shy of New Egypt for the team title.
   ”This shows we’re a good team,” Miller said after he joined juniors Alec Rugo and Frank Juba and sophomore Jack Mottram in winning a district championship. “And all these guys are coming back next year. It’s going to be fun, man.”
   Allentown actually had seven wrestlers reach the district semifinals and only one, Marc Meloro, was a senior. Meloro ended up finishing fourth in the tourney, falling in overtime in his third-place bout that would have sent him to this week’s Region 7 Tournament at Robbinsville. The top three finishers from each weight class advanced to regions, where the top three will again advance, this time to the state tourney in Atlantic City.
   Junior Andrew Schreck also lost in OT in his third-place bout and sophomore Jack Giglia dropped a two-point decision in his consolation final.
   Miller won his title at 138 while Mottram won at 113, Rugo at 170 and Juba at 195.
   ”We have a young team,” said Allentown coach Larry Kimport, who saw his squad graduate eight seniors from last year’s team but still knock off Mercer County Tournament champion Hopewell Valley in a dual meet and make a run at the district title. “I’m real happy with it.
   ”I don’t know if we’ve ever had four champions. The second half of the season we sort of retooled and got ourselves in shape like we should have been in the first half of the season. The kids have been wrestling all six minutes; I think that’s one of the biggest things.”
   Juba and Rugo both won MCT championships in January. Juba, who was the No. 2 seed, avenged an earlier loss to Nottingham’s Wroway Williams, the top seed, with a 4-1 victory in the district final. Juba has won 11 matches in a row since losing to Williams and is 25-5 heading to regions.
   ”This is a great win,” Juba said. “I knew what to expect. I studied him; I watched him wrestle so I knew what I could do. I just did it. It was great. I knew I had to win this.”
   Juba has enjoyed every moment of this season.
   ”I love practice, I love all the kids I wrestled with, we’re like a family, we’re all best friends,” he said. “MCTs was great and this is phenomenal. I’m just ecstatic.”
   Mottram also was a No. 2 seed in the district tourney. He won the title 5-1 over New Egypt’s Ryan Molokie, who was the top seed after beating Mottram, 3-2, earlier this season.
   ”Last year I took second and I took it pretty hard,” said Mottram, who is 25-6 this season. “I always want to take first. He beat me early in the year. He’s a good wrestler, but I knew anything could happen. I was just working hard the whole match. This is a good way to redeem myself; get a championship for the season.”
   As district champs, all four Allentown wrestlers received byes into Friday’s regional quarterfinals. The extra time provided more opportunities for practice, as well as a chance to savor the district performance.
   ”I love to see the rest of the team do well,” Mottram said. “I think we really get along well and it shows out on the mat.”