Originally published in the Aug. 29 football preview in The Mercury.

A little bit of this and that; some notes, quotes and anecdotes, if you will; and a peek or two into the past and glimpse into the future … all related to Pioneer Athletic Conference football teams.

Hold onto your socks now (or, if you prefer, your helmets)… the Pioneer Athletic Conference season doesn’t open for two more weeks.

No matter what you’ve heard, seen in any of the scrimmages, or get to hoot and holler about during tonight’s and next week’s non-league games, nothing really is for sure until Friday evening, Sept. 12 – when Methacton makes its PAC-10 debut up in Boyertown, Phoenixville travels to Pottsgrove, Upper Perkiomen visits Owen J. Roberts, Spring-Ford heads over to Perkiomen Valley, and St. Pius X buses a few blocks across town to meet Pottstown.

And it’s likely to only get better and better after that, all the way to Thanksgiving morning.

Now, if only the fellas down there at Perkiomen Valley and Methacton would get together and agree to move their game from Saturday, Nov. 8 back to Thanksgiving morning (like it once was), the final round of the Pioneer Athletic Conference would really PAC a punch (hint, hint).

HARD DEFENSE

In the previous 22 years of the Pioneer Athletic Conference, only two schools have won back-to-back, undisputed championships. Spring-Ford actually did it twice (in 1986 and 1987 and again in 1994 and 1995), while Pottsgrove (in 2000 and 2001) did it the other time.

Two others, Pottsgrove and Lansdale Catholic, won or shared consecutive titles. Pottsgrove won it all in 1990, then shared the top spot with Owen J. Roberts the following year. LC dominated in 1996, tied Upper Perkiomen for the title in 1997, then shared the top spot with both Perkiomen Valley and Spring-Ford in 1998.

Pottsgrove and Owen J. Roberts both closed up their 1991 schedule at 7-2, the only season a league champion finished with two losses. It was also the only season seven teams – that’s right, seven teams – finished with winning records. And 1998 was the only season to end in a three-way tie for the championship.

SCORES TO SETTLE

There are two PAC-10 series that are split right down the middle after 22 seasons. Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen are 11-11 against one another, a deadlock that will end when they meet Sept. 19. Pottstown is 11-11 against Perkiomen Valley, too, and that will end when they meet Oct. 10.

MORE EVEN-STEVENS

Longtime Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen fans may not want to hear about that so-called home-field advantage. In Pioneer Athletic Conference games only, both the Trojans and Indians are 48-48-1 in games on their home fields.

And if that isn’t enough, Owen J. Roberts is 45-45 in away games since joining the conference in 1988.

NO TOTAL STRANGER

Methacton enters its first season in the PAC-10 having never before played four teams – Boyertown, Pottsgrove, Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen. However, the Warriors have run into the other five teams in non-league games. They are 0-1 against Owen J. Roberts, 18-4-2 against Perkiomen Valley, 2-2 against Phoenixville, 2-9-1 against Spring-Ford, and 1-0 against St. Pius X.

STREAKING

Pottsgrove still holds the PAC-10 record for the most consecutive games without being shut out (57, set from 1988 to 1994).

If the Falcons can score at least one point (OK, two for a safety … or more) in every one of their games this season, they’ll break that record and push their current streak to 58 games.

Spring-Ford, which has scored in its last 46 league games dating back to 2002, owns the second-longest streak (53). Lansdale Catholic left the conference with a 50-game streak.

* * *

The next PAC-10 shutout will be the league’s 200th since the inaugural season back in 1986.

PLAYOFF SKED

The District 1 Class AAA and AAAA playoffs get under way the weekend of Nov. 7-8. Eight teams will qualify for the AAA bracket, while 16 will qualify in AAAA. The AAA final will be Nov. 21or 22, while the AAAA final is set for Nov. 28 and 29.

While District 1 is a region in itself in the two aforementioned classifications, it’s an entirely different story in AA and A.

In Class AA, the district’s three teams will compete with the 11 teams in District 12 for one or more of the four places in that sub-region, and no team

is guaranteed an entry into the playoffs because of having just three teams in the classification.

In Class A, the five District 1 teams will compete with the six teams from District 12 for positions in the four-team sub-region bracket. Discussions between the two districts will determine the format by which the four teams are selected.

All of the brackets’ Eastern finals are the weekend of Dec. 5-6, with state finals scheduled for Dec. 12-13 in Hersheypark Stadium.

SERIOUS SERIES

The current members of the Pioneer Athletic Conference have previously played in a number of different leagues, most in the former Bux-Mont and Ches-Mont leagues … but have managed to play one another quite a bit regardless of their membership cards.

The longest series among PAC-10 teams belongs to Phoenixville and Pottstown, who have met 95 times. Other notable rivalries (with the number of meetings in parenthesis) include Phoenixville and Spring-Ford (53 years), Spring-Ford and Owen J. Roberts (52), Pottstown and Spring-Ford (51), and Boyertown and Upper Perkiomen (50).

Two local series – Owen J. Roberts and Phoenixville, and Owen J. Roberts and Pottstown – will hit the 50-year mark this season. OJR and Phoenixville are scheduled to meet Oct. 17, while OJR and Pottstown renew their riveting Thanksgiving Day rivalry on Nov. 27.

* * *

Phoenixville and Pottstown actually own the seven longest series among PAC-10 schools. Ironically, only one – the Phantoms’ and Trojans’ 96th meeting on Sept. 26 – is still active.

The next six longest series belong to Phoenixville and Henderson (82 years), Phoenixville and Coatesville (78), Pottstown and Coatesville (69), Pottstown and Henderson (67), and Phoenixville and Downingtown (66).

COUNT’EM UP

When Pottstown lines up Thanksgiving morning against Owen J. Roberts, it will be the 999th game in the history of the Trojans’ program. … Upper Perkiomen will play its 600th against Downingtown West next Friday night. … Pottsgrove wll play its 550th a week later, Sept. 12, against Phoenixville.

MILESTONES AHEAD

Phoenixville needs two wins for 550 in the long history of its program, while Spring-Ford needs six for 275 and Upper Perkiomen needs just one to hit 260. … On the other end of that scale, Boyertown’s next loss will be No. 360, Upper Perkiomen’s next loss will be No. 325, and St. Pius X’s next loss will be No. 260.

None of the local folk have any idea who came up with the phrase, but “The Little City That Could” sure fits their easy-to-miss town that sits a short drive off I-81, in the foothills of the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains and just down the road from Roanoke, Va.
The NCAA sure knows what can get done here in Salem, and done well — and there’s never any trouble finding it anymore.
At least not since 1993, when the first NCAA Division III Football Championships — the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl — was held at Salem Stadium, and has remained here since.
The town has flicked on its spotlight for a number of other national championships, too.
So Ursinus would like nothing more than to come up with a pair of wins today and Saturday in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championships and be crowned the 50th champion in the “The Little City That Could.”
Since that inaugural Stagg Bowl, the town has hosted 49 NCAA championships in baseball, basketball, lacrosse, softball, and volleyball. And that number is second only to Omaha, Neb., home of the NCAA Division I Baseball World Series.
“In two years, we plan on catching Omaha,” said John Saunders, assistant director of facilities at the Salem Civic Center.
Saunders spoke with pride as he explained how the NCAA has returned time and time again. The football championships hold the lead, with 15 of them played out here. Right behind is softball (14) and men’s basketball (12), with baseball (five), volleyball (two), and women’s lacrosse, which debuted here last spring.
No one knew exactly how many AAU championships — mostly basketball and volleyball — have been held here. But one thing is for sure. All the games and the national exposure they bring with them has injected millions and millions of dollars into this town’s economy.
Carey Harveycutter, the director of civic facilities who steps up as tournament director when the NCAA moves in for one of its national championships, estimated the annual impact of the events to be between $3 million and $5 million.

YOUNGSTER
Ursinus head coach Kevin Small is 38 years old, in his eighth season guiding the Bears and already the program’s winningest coach with 145 career victories.
But those numbers pale in comparision to his three rivals here this weekend.
Hope’s Glenn Van Wieren is in his 31st season and has 617 career wins.
Amherst’s David Hixson, who Small will attempt to match wits with tonight, is in his 31st season as well and owns 574 career wins.
And Washington’s Mark Edwards is in his 26th season and has 498 career wins.
Van Wieren was fifth all-time in Division III when the season began. The leader was Franklin & Marshall’s Glenn Robinson, who in 36 years leading up to this season was 718-271.

LAST TIME AROUND
Ursinus’ only other trip to the Final Four was to Rock Island, Ill., 27 years ago.
The Bears opened postseason play in the Mid-Atlantic Regional at Franklin & Marshall, defeating the hosts, Diplomats (69-58) and William Patterson (66-64). The two victories advanced them to the national quarterfinals in East Orange, N.J., where they edged Upsala (71-69) to earn a spot in the Final Four.
After falling to eventual national champion Potsdam State, N.Y., (63-61) in the semifinals, the Bears bounced back to defeat Otterbein (82-79) for third place.

HE AIN’T HEAVY
Washington’s Troy Ruths was presented the Jostens Trophy on Thursday morning during a special ceremony honoring him as the Division III Player of the Year.
The Salem Rotary Club hosted the event and made the presentation — and Ruths likely needed some help getting his prize back to the hotel.
The Jostens Trophy is 2 feet high, featuring an 8-inch basketball in the center made of Czech crystal on a solid cherry wood base, and weighs 64 pounds.

RANK AND FILE
Amherst comes into tonight’s opener ranked No. 1, a spot it’s held the past four weeks. The Lord Jeffs opened the season at No. 2 but moved on top for two weeks before slipping as low as No. 4.
Washington was actually the preseason No. 1 but held that spot for just one week after the season began and is now No. 7.
Hope comes in at No. 3, while Ursinus — which didn’t even appear in the national rankings until debuting at No. 21 four weeks ago — comes in at No. 17.

ALL ALONE
Even though Amherst, Hope and Washington were here for last year’s shootout, only Amherst point guard Andrew Olson returns from the All-Tournament Team. Olson, who at 5-10 will be the shortest starter on the court tonight, happened to be the MVP of last year’s Final Four, too.

SMALL WORLD
One of Hope’s fans strolling around the Civic Center on Thursday was wearing a T-shirt with Midland Legion printed on the front. He said he was a former player in the Midland American Legion baseball program and had played in Bear Stadium in Boyertown during his final summer with the team.

THE CASTLE
Ursinus, as well as the other three teams in today’s Final Four lineup, are all staying at the Hotel Roanoke and Convention Center, a 15-minute drive from the Civic Center.
The hotel, as grand in appearance as any in America, was built in 1882 and has endured bankruptcy, the Great Depression, a major fire and a number of different owners. One interesting aspect of its history, though, is that a $1,050,000 renovation in 1938 made it the first hotel in the nation to offer its guests air conditioning.

Kevin Small passed on having the spotlight all to himself Tuesday night.
Instead of dressing up in a coat and tie and attending the Philadelphia Area Small College Coaches Association’s annual dinner at the University of the Sciences – where he was to receive the Sam Cozen Coach of the Year award – Small stepped into his sweats and retreated to Helfferich Hall to run his Ursinus basketball team through one more two-hour practice.
“Of all the honors, well, this one matters the most because it comes from my friends in the (coaching) profession, my colleagues,” Small said. “It carries a very special meaning to me.”
But…
“We have some work to do here, though,” Small added, pointing toward the nearby Ursinus gym.
Tuesday evening’s practice was the Bears’ last one at home. They’ll get together for another workout soon after arriving at the Salem Civic Center in Salem Va., to prepare for the NCAA Division III semifinal showdown against defending champion Amherst, Mass.
“We can’t wait to get down, work on some things, and get ready for Amherst,” Small said.
Small was excited.
But no more than he was for the season’s first practice back in October. And no more than he was for his very first practice at Ursinus eight years ago.
An assistant for nine years – three seasons each at Haverford (1991-94), Ursinus (1994-97) and Swarthmore (1997-99) – Small was finally a head coach … and just a flip or two of the desk calendar past his 30th birthday.
Ursinus never saw anyone bring as much energy and enthusiasm into its basketball program as Small did, never had anyone as committed to the game and the young men who played it as Small was.
It became evident that first season.
And it’s been oh so evident this season.
“We had the youngest staff in the (Centennial Conference) when we first came here,” Small said. “I wasn’t awestruck, but I knew what I was up against, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
Small was referring, of course, to conference coaching legends like Glenn Robinson of Franklin & Marshall, Bill Nelson of Johns Hopkins, Dave Madera of Muhlenberg, and George Petrie of Gettysburg – who he got the best of four times this winter.
“Those guys aren’t just good coaches, they are some of the pillars of Division III basketball,” Small said.
Perhaps, but it didn’t take Small long before he was matching wits – and wins – with the hierarchy.
That first season (2000-01), the Bears won the Centennial Conference’s Eastern Division title and advanced to the playoffs for the first time … and they haven’t missed the playoffs in any season since.
During the remarkable run, two of Small’s teams have posted unbeaten CC seasons. And as good as any may have been, none have rivaled this year’s team, which has strung together a school-record 23 straight wins, put together a school-record 29 wins overall, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships’ Final Four for the first time in 27 years.
And Small, as always, deflects the credit to his players.
“We’ve just been fortunate to have remarkable kids,” Small said. “We prioritize. We recruit kids of good character because we want kids of good character. We want kids who’ll put their basketball family first, kids who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.”
Those early Ursinus recruits bought into Small’s approach.
Those who followed have been an easy sell, too.
“When we first started here we thought we were looking at a five-year rebuilding project,” Small recalled. “But in our third year (2002-03), we went undefeated in the Centennial Conference. That was fun … a great year. But it caught us off-guard, to be honest.
“That’s when we realized we were fortunate to be getting the kids we were getting here. They all worked incredibly hard. They were selfless. They wanted something.”
So did Small. And he’s gotten it.
“We’re committed to what’s in front of us, to improving every day,” he said. “We’re not about winning, winning, winning.
“If you come here, we want you to be a great student, an engaged student, not someone merely going through the motions. And as a basketball player, we want you to be committed to execution, committed to getting better. If everyone does that, winning takes care of itself.”
Few can criticize Small’s approach.
Even though he’s already the winningest coach in the 92-year history of the Ursinus men’s basketball program (145-72), Small again likes to emphasize the achievements of those who play the game – like the 21 who have been named All-Centennial Conference; the six who have been named the CC’s Player of the Year; the four who have been named All-Americans; and the two Josten’s Trophy finalists (Division III Player of the Year). And he’s even more proud of the many players who have been selected to the conference’s Academic Honor Roll.
Small is a class act himself while courtside. Three times he has been presented regional sportsmanship awards, and two years ago was presented the College Basketball Officials Association’s National Sportsmanship Award.
“But I do this because I have a passion for basketball and I get the opportunity to work with kids,” Small said. “I am not employed to go to the Final Four … I am here to work with and mentor kids every day, to inspire them to become better people. That’s what is important.”

Break down District 1’s overall performance at last week’s PIAA Championships however you like. Look at it this way, that way, anyway you choose.
The panel of critics, which has grown tenfold in three years – or since the district’s Claim to Fame in 2005 – sure has. They began analyzing every single move throughout the preliminaries last Thursday afternoon and were still at it Monday night, two full days after the state tournament was over and done with.
That isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
Neither will the bottom line … at least not until next March.
In plain ol’ English, the district didn’t fare well at all.
A total of 56 wrestlers were penciled into the AAA brackets for Thursday’s opening round, and their combined effort following Saturday evening’s final round was, well, humbling to say the least. Only one state champion and just 66 individual bouts won.
While it’s easy to get overwhelmed and often misled by the slew of numbers, that latter statistic – 66 wins – is one that cannot be overlooked. It’s the one statistic that truly defines how mediocre the district was last week.
There simply was no depth.
The district’s No. 1 seeds – or the Southeast Regional champions – were a somewhat respectable 31-29 with nine medals. But other than Council Rock South’s Mark Rappo, who dominated all the way through for the gold at 103 pounds, the remaining eight featured three fourths, two fifths, a sixth, and two eighths.
Regional runners-up were only 17-29 with three sevenths and an eighth. Only two wrestlers who were third at the regional won more than one bout at states and both finished seventh, and only one wrestler who was fourth at the regional won more than one bout at states, and he finished sixth.
The Southeast Region has four state qualifiers per weight class because of the number of schools in the district, and the District 1 Steering Committee should – and likely always will – continue to demand that number.
But if PIAA officials would ever resort to a revolving or floating number-of-qualifiers format based on all district’s competitiveness in the PIAA Championships, District 1 would obviously be in jeopardy of losing that fourth qualifier. Especially after last week, when just four of the its 14 fourth-place finishers won a state bout, only one – Quakertown freshman Scott Wolfinger – won more than one (and finished sixth), and the 14 were a combined 5-29 overall.
There was a day, and not so awfully long ago, when coaches from around the state saw District 1’s shortcomings as a result of not having enough feeder programs, which resulted in wrestlers not having the wealth of mat time as rivals from around the state. And they never once hesitated to say District 1’s shortcomings were a result of not getting out of its own neighborhood and competing against quality programs from around the state.
Those arguments don’t hold any weight anymore.
Neither do those who question District 1 wrestlers’ technique, and the strength, quickness, and agility that go along with it.
But there were a few coaches, even some from throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, who did question District 1 wrestlers’ intensity … or drive for the entire six minutes of every bout, as many mentioned.
“Sometimes I see our kids wrestling not to lose instead of wrestling to win,” one coach said.
Good point … the operative word there being point.
More than one-quarter of the district’s 115 losses last week were decided by a takedown or reversal or, perhaps, a near-fall. There aren’t too many people who will remember the actual move that led to all those losses, but few will forget that 15 of those setbacks were by a single point, and another 15 were by just two points.
But as disappointing as all those numbers may be – the number of wins and medals, that is – there were some promising numbers to take into the offseason. More than half of the state qualifiers (30 of 56) and more than half of the medalists (10 of 16) return next season.
Combined with what is supposed to be a very good incoming freshman class, it may be just enough to get District 1 wrestling back on a more respectable track.

GOOD EXAMPLE
No one from District 1 dropped their preliminary bout and came all the way back to medal. Pottstown’s Seth Ecker came close.
The 119-pound senior won his Class AA opener only to fall 9-6 to eventual state champion Travis Erdman of Line Mountain in the quarterfinals. Ecker then strung together a technical fall and two major decisions before outlasting Forest Hills’ David Fogle, 3-2 in overtime, for third place and the bronze medal.
Erdman got his gold medal by holding off Northwestern Lehigh’s Evan Yenolevich, who a week earlier edged Ecker in the Southeast Regional final.
Ecker’s admirable comeback also enabled him to pass Pottstown graduate Joey Allen (131) as the Trojans’ winningest wrestler. Ecker, who matched Allen’s school record of three state medals, finished with 132 career wins.

STREAKING
Boyertown, since returning to District 1 back in 2003, extended its streak of at least one state medalist to six straight years when 130-pound sophomore Alex Pellicciotti placed seventh. … Methacton’s string of three straight seasons ended, as did Upper Perkiomen’s area-high and District 1 record run of 10 straight seasons with at least one medalist also.
*
Rappo’s sweep of the 103-pound bracket in Class AAA extended District 1’s streak of at least one individual state champion to 13 straight years. In the 13-year streak, the district has had 25 state champions.
Rappo, who finished 50-0 (152-10 career), also gave his family its fourth gold medal. Brothers Rick (2004) and Mike (2005-06), now wrestling for Penn and North Carolina, respectively, were state champions as well. Unofficially, the three brothers were a combined 421-53 in their high school careers.

LEADERBOARD
Upper Perkiomen still leads the area in state champions (5) and medalists (25). Methacton (18), Pottstown (13), Spring-Ford (12) are the only other area schools with double-digit state medalists.
*
North Penn remains District 1’s leader in state champions with nine, while Upper Perkiomen, the former Council Rock and now Council Rock South – in just its sixth year of existence – are tied for second with five apiece. … North Penn’s Matt Prestifilippo finished fifth last week to improve the program’s total of state medalists to 20 and into a tie with the former Downingtown High School for third on the all-time chart. That number trails only the former Council Rock (22) and Upper Perkiomen (25).

NOTEWORTHY
Great Valley’s Kyle Liberato (119) and Carl Buchholz (215) finished seventh and fourth, respectively, giving the Patriots two state medalists for the first time in the history of their program. … Upper Moreland’s Tim Santry (112) was eighth to become the Bears’ second state medalist. The first was Eric McCoy (fourth), 30 years ago. … Truman’s James Bak (103) was seventh, his school’s first medalist in 17 years.

CAREER UPDATE
Spring-Ford’s Ryan Kemmerer (132), who returns next year, and Ecker closed the season tied for 20th on the area’s all-time win chart. Methacton’s Jonathan Hammond (128), a senior who closes as the Warriors’ third winningest wrestler, is tied for 26th. … Daniel Boone’s Tyler Swartz (115) and Owen J. Roberts’ Connor McCormick (108), both seniors, were the area’s only other wrestlers to get on the list this season.
There are seven underclassmen who could reach the milestone next season. They are OJR’s Nick Fuschino (92), Upper Perkiomen’s Jared Bennett (79), Pellicciotti (77) and Boyertown teammate Tim Feroe (75), St. Pius’ Bobby Burns (74), Upper Perkiomen’s Michael McStravick (71) and Boyertown’s Matt Malfaro (67).

No one had an eye on the clock and an ear glued to their cell phone, but as the four medalists in each weight class stepped up and onto the awards podium during the final hours of the Southeast Regional on Saturday night, four others stepped up and onto their own awards podium at about the same time during the final hours of the Northeast, Southwest and Northwest regionals (just as they did a week earlier at the Southcentral Regional).
The winner was hailed, the runner-up and those other two fortunate enough to survive the grind of the consolation bracket, were acknowledged by a rousing round of applause.
The goal of getting to the PIAA Championships – qualifying for arguably the most physically and mentally demanding tournament of its kind in all of high school sports – was reached.
It was, without question, a memorable moment. And not just for the 14 individual champions, but for the other 42 medalists.
A good time.
But before any of those 56 wrestlers rolled into bed and under the covers for the night, they were well aware that the most imposing challenge of their entire season, if not their career, lied ahead … the state tournament.
So, after sleeping on their victories, their accomplishments of a weekend past, and getting a day to soothe the aches and pains and the bumps and bruises, it was one of those back-to-work-Mondays, or a return to the practice room.
And if the weekday routine seemed a bit difficult from November through February, they discovered it was never quite as intense as it is now, in the three days leading up to that first bout at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Pick it up now or, sometime Thursday, pack it up and head back home.
You see, there are four particular things about the PIAA Championships that, year in and year out, never change. Won-loss records are worthless; reputations are of no value; previous match-ups are meaningless; and, most important, whoever did whatever in the past carries absolutely no weight.
The area’s 12 qualifiers will have to deal with and digest those four realities before their openers.
And if you don’t think they exist…
At 130 pounds, if Boyertown’s Alex Pellicciotti can get past West Allegheny’s Zach Kelly, he’ll be rewarded with a quarterfinal date against two-time defending state champion and Oklahoma State-bound Jordan Oliver of Easton.
At 135, if Spring-Ford’s Ryan Kemmerer can get past Jason Kane of Lower Dauphin, he’ll be rewarded a quarterfinal date with returning bronze medalist and the No. 1 or No. 2 ranked (depending on your poll of choice) Dylan Alton of Central Mountain.
At 140, Methacton’s Jonathan Hammond opens against returning state runner-up Marshall Peppelman of Central Dauphin, who was upset in the Southcentral Regional final last week.
At 145, Owen J. Roberts’ Nick Fuschino makes his PIAA debut against defending state champion Walter Peppelman of Central Dauphin (yep, older brother of Marshall), who had to settle for third place in his regional that featured – and will send to Hershey – undefeated James English, who took down Peppelman in the semifinals and Cumberland Valley’s Joe Napoli in the final (and Napoli owns the only other two wins over Peppelman).
At 152, Boyertown’s Tim Feroe opens with returning bronze medalist and Southcentral Region champion Mallie Shuster. At 171, Upper Perkiomen’s Nick Edmonson takes on two-time state qualifier and Northeast Regional champion Joe Laffredo of Jersey Shore. And at 189, Owen J. Roberts’ Scott Syrek – the area’s first freshman to qualify at such a high weight – happens to get unbeaten and returning bronze medalist Mike Salopek of Norwin.
At 215, Spring-Ford’s Alex Kanakis opens against Northwest Regional champion Glenn Barnes of Central Mountain. And the big boys, 285-pounders Jared Bennett of Upper Perkiomen and Tyler Swartz of Daniel Boone, get just as big as tests. Bennett goes against Mike Horton of Phillipsburg-Osceola, and Swartz opens with returning seventh-place medalist Eric Kush of Chartiers Valley.
That’s just in AAA.
It isn’t any easier for Pottstown teammates Seth Ecker and Fred Holly in the Class AA bracket, either.
But getting to Hershey is no easy task to begin with. Ask any of those “can’t miss wrestlers” – a lot with just as good credentials as those heading there – who are sitting at home this week.

LUCKY 13TH
District 1 has won at least one individual state title the past 12 years. Whether this weekend is the Lucky 13th or Unlucky 13th remains to be seen.
Since 1981, or when the district quietly broke out of its woeful ways in Hershey, it has been blanked in the gold-medal count just four times – in 1985, 1986, 1990 and 1995. In the current 12-year streak, the district has had 24 state champions.

SPEAKING OF STREAKING
Edmonson and Bennett helped Upper Perkiomen extend its area-high streak of consecutive years with at least one state qualifier to 11. Spring-Ford is next at seven straight years, while Boyertown is third at six (as a member of District 1). Methacton and Owen J. Roberts each have qualifiers for the four straight year, while Pottstown’s streak in Class AA is now at three.
Bennett also gave Upper Perkiomen a regional champion for the ninth straight year. Head coach Tom Hontz has had 16 overall in that nine-year span.

REGIONAL RECAP
In AAA, the area’s 25 regional qualifiers combined for three individual championships, nine state-qualifying berths, and a collective 47-41 record.
In AA, the area’s 12 regional qualifiers combined for two runner-up finishes and state-qualifying berths, and a collective 6-22 record.
*
District 1-Central – which includes Boyertown, Owen J. Roberts and Spring-Ford – had the best winning percentage (.521, 101-93) of the three sub-district alignments and tied with the South for the most state qualifiers (20) during last weekend’s AAA Southeast Regional.

PREMATURE
Once again, way too many coaches were jotting down their Outstanding Wrestler votes before the AAA Southeast Regional was over. While it would be difficult to go against the selection of Hatboro-Horsham’s Robert Gribschaw, one has to wonder how many votes Bennett would have received had everyone waited until the 285-pound final was over.
Bennett did something no one else did the entire tournament by dealing two undefeated opponents their first losses of the season. He beat Marple-Newtown’s Pete Massaro, a prized Penn State football recruit, and Abington’s David Osei, who was ranked No. 1 in the district the entire season.
The rush to get the ballots in brought back memories of the fiasco at the 2004 PIAA Championships. A lot of writers were asked to get their votes in for the OW award before the 171-pound final had even started. About a half-hour later, Boyertown’s Mike Spaid punched up his 12th pin in 13 postseason bouts (the other never started because of a medical forfeit) to complete his run to the 285-pound state title.

MOVING UP
Kemmerer (131) is now tied for 21st place with Owen J. Roberts’ Robert Hoffman and Spring-Ford’s Matt Moley on The Mercury’s all-time win chart. Four wins at states this week would push him past six former standouts and into a tie for 14th place with Upper Perkiomen’s Shane Smith. … Hammond (128), who will finish as Methacton’s third winningest wrestler, and Ecker (126), who will finish as Pottstown’s second winningest wrestler, are 26th and 29th, respectively. … The remaining state qualifiers and their career totals going into Thursday’s opening rounds are: Swartz (114), Kanakis (91), Fuschino (a junior with 90), Holly (82) and Bennett (junior with 78), Feroe (junior with 75), Pellicciotti (sophomore with 74), Edmonson (sophomore with 58) and Syrek (freshman with 39).

The New Year began with headlines about Alcatraz being named a federal prison, which didn’t take long to disappear from the front pages after the infamous John Dillinger broke out of another with a wooden pistol. By late January, with prohibition a thing of the not-so-distant past, the first liquor store opened in Pennsylvania.
In February, sports fans, especially those diehards up in New York, began volleying insults at one another when the Yankees convinced Babe Ruth to take a $15,000 pay cut and sign for $34,000, the crosstown Giants rewarded National League MVP Carl Hubbell with a raise, a whopping $18,000 contract, and the Brooklyn Dodgers hired a young man by the name of Casey Stengel as their new manager.
Then in early March, Babe Didrikson Zaharias – perhaps the greatest female athlete of all time – pitched an inning during an exhibition game between the A’s and Stengel’s Dodgers. She walked the first batter, hit the next, then promptly ended the calamity by getting the third batter to hit into a triple play.
The year was 1934.
And while Zaharias was turning heads down in Florida, a group of unsung athletes competing in the relatively unknown sport lined up in Temple University’s Conwell Hall for the inaugural District 1 Wrestling Championships.
So when they unroll the mats for today’s four – that’s right – four District 1-AAA and AA tournaments, it’ll mark the 75th Anniversary of the oldest sanctioned scholastic wrestling tournament in the state.
There were only an estimated 25 PIAA-member schools in all of Pennsylvania with wrestling programs, and seven of them – Cheltenham, Coatesville, Haverford, Jenkintown, Radnor, Upper Darby, and Upper Merion – were represented at District 1’s tournament, not only the first of its kind in Pennsylvania but also one of the oldest on record in the entire country.
Competition was held in nine weight classes – 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, and 185 pounds (which was an optional bracket for dual meets). There was no such thing as growth allowance, now known as weight allowance, either.
And the officiating?
Officials, dressed in white pants with a long-sleeve white shirt, bowtie and black shoes, conducted the bouts verbally (the use of whistles did not become part of the sport for almost 20 years), and he touched the competitors to signal a break in the action or to stop the wrestling. An official called a pin by slapping the wrestler executing the fall on his back. However, the wrestler being pinned could also concede the match himself by slapping his opponent on the back. If the match wasn’t decided by a pin, the official would decide the winner or call the bout a draw
Few disputed calls back then. Especially Cheltenham’s Wilbur “Dutch” Lehman, whose Panthers swept six of the nine individual titles behind Pat Serago (95), Jules Bell (105), Hugh Fisher (125), Ed Drehmann (135), Tony DeMaria (155), and Carl Ruzicka (165). The lone three to survive Cheltenham’s knockout punch were Upper Merion teammates Howard Mowrer (115) and Jenard DeSimone (145), and Upper Darby’s Lloyd Black (185).
Bell, who would never lose a bout in his high school career – a mark matched by DeSimone – and Black finished the memorable weekend with the first of their three straight district championships. Black would go on to Temple and become a three-time NCAA qualifier (1939-41) at 175 pounds. In 1986, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.
Lehman, who matched wits with such pioneers as Al Adam of Lower Merion, Bill Geyer of Upper Darby, Herbert Homer of Lansdowne, and Lloyd Moll of Upper Merion, would have to be considered one of the founding fathers of wrestling in District 1. He introduced the sport at Shamokin High School in the late 1920s, then established the sport at Cheltenham in 1933, where he stayed for 14 seasons and compiled a 96-4 overall record. Lehman was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 1979, and later into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.
And overlooked at that inaugural District 1 showdown were a couple of youngsters – Frank Horpel and Frank Osinski.
Horpel, a freshman at Upper Darby that year, would wrestle for the Royals as well as for Penn State before serving with the Marines during World War II. After the war, he settled in California and started up the wrestling programs at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana and at the Orange Coast YMCA in Newport Beach. His contributions were at last recognized six years ago when he was inducted into the California Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Accepting the award for him was his son, Chris, who was an NCAA All-American and a member of the U.S. Olympic team’s Greco-Roman squad.
Osinski, a freshman at Upper Merion that year, would wrestle for the Vikings as well as for Temple, where he was a three-time NCAA qualifier (1939-41) and the first graduate of a District 1 school to earn All-American honors when he placed fourth at 155 pounds during the 1941 NCAA Championships at Lehigh University.
A lot of individuals – student-athletes, coaches, administrators, contributors and fans – have since changed the District 1 wrestlers landscape dramatically.
Weight classes have been added and subtracted, rules have been modified or changed entirely, and the tournament itself has undergone a number of alterations.
The District 1 showdown itself remained virtually unchanged for 40 years. But in 1974, the two-district alignment (North and South) as well the first Class AA (smaller schools) tournament was adopted. Last year, the AAA bracket went to a three-district alignment (North, Central and South). And this year, District 12 – the Philadelphia Public League – has joined the South lineup.
So for the District 1 Wrestling Tournament, happy anniversary.
You have been a genuine gem.
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The area’s first District 1 champion was Owen J. Roberts’ Sand Sweisford, who swept the gold medal at 103 pounds in 1966. … The area wouldn’t have another for two years, or until OJR teammates Keith Nyman (130) and Ted Madden (180) gave head coach Fred Follar two more champions in 1968.
Other area schools’ first District 1 champions were: Boyertown – Kevin Mitchell (119) in 1978; Methacton – Rick Moser (112) in 1975; Perkiomen Valley – Kevin Kehs (heavyweight) in 1974’s Class AA tournament; Phoenixville – Ernest Kelly (145) in 1973; Pottsgrove – Mike Meko (105) and Dave Matthews (126) in 1974’s Class AA tournament; Pottstown – Dan Staverosky (103) and Garry Billy (112) in 1969; Spring-Ford – George Landis (165) in 1970; St. Pius X - ; and Upper Perkiomen – Jeff Smith (98) in 1977’s Class AA tournament.
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Four of the area’s current head coaches were also District 1 champions – Methacton’s Bill Moser (1977-78) at Methacton; Phoenixville’s John Tornetta (1981) at Phoenixville; St. Pius X’s John Martucci (1982) at Council Rock; and Upper Perkiomen’s Tom Hontz (1983 and 1985) at Quakertown.

MEMORABLE DATES
80 YEARS AGO: The first NCAA Championships were held at Iowa State. … Oklahoma State had four individual gold medalists and swept the team title.
50 YEARS AGO: Michigan’s Max Pearson, a graduate of The Hill School, places second at 130 pounds during the NCAA Championships at Wyoming. The top-seeded Pearson, the 130-pound runner-up the year before, decisioned Colorado’s Garth Rogers; Oklahoma’s Stan Abel (who would win a national title in 1959); and Cornell’s Carmon Molino. However, in the final, he falls 7-5 to Iowa State’s Les Anderson. … Also competing that year at the NCAAs was 115-pound Art McCall, who would later take over the Upper Darby wrestling program.
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Don Seeley is the sports editor
of The Mercury.