This Delaware Valley Terriers wrestling team is something really special. Especially on Senior night as the team put together a show and closed out the gap to a longtime Skyland Conference rival with a win over the Warren Hills Blue Streaks, 45-22. The scoreboard looked to be a bigger deficit than what the actual match indicated and that is all in relation to the rivalry that has been between the two teams overtime. These two are some of the longest running programs in the state of New Jersey and it seems that the rivalry lives up to its expectations by consistently seeing them throughout the season in a dual meet and team tournaments like the John Goles Tournament at Warren Hills High School and the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex county tournament at Phillipsburg High School.
“We have wrestled Warren Hills as much as anybody,” Coach Fitz said of the rivalry. “They are a longtime, very friendly, but very fierce rivalry. We love wrestling them. The [wrestling communities] are very similar to one another. There were some very well wrestled bouts tonight, especially the 144 lbs bout.”
To walkthrough the course of the night’s match, it all started at 165lbs with a tech fall win from Marcus Gary in the second period following to closely contested bout at 175lbs from Olivier Paul who won a barn burner of a bout, 7-3 over the Blue Streaks’ Tyler O’Neill. Warren Hills got on the scoreboard, but in the most unfortunate circumstances as 190 pounder David Koscor took on Senior Jon Nalesnik. Koscor threw in a headlock early in the first period but then Nalesnik appeared to be in some pain as he was holding his right arm. Best wishes for the Delaware Valley senior in speedy recovery to get back on the mat before the season ends. The Blue Streaks trailed 8-6 after that. 18 points were then quickly in play as the Terriers got pins from 215 lbs, 285lbs, and 106 lbs to extend the lead to 26-6.
However, the Warren Hills murderers row was waiting as the Blue Streaks gained bonus victories from Junior Augie Szamreta (Tech Fall win 17-1) and Senior Charlie Piccione (a very hard earned 13-3 major decision win). Junior Davey Rhinehart ran into the Terriers’ Senior Jaden Perez, with what was looking like to be the marquee matchup of the night but ended with a 19-4 technical fall for Perez. The Blue Streaks’ Sophomore Aidan Webb picked up an 11-6 win at 132 lbs and Senior Tyler Redfield won a major decision win 11-2 over last season’s region qualifier, Michael Hasson at 138 lbs.
With the Blue Streaks now trailing 31-22 with three bouts to go, a tossup mat at 144 lbs was a must win and limiting the next two Delaware Valley wrestlers of Jackson Bush and Luke Sinkewicz or potentially upsets were a must. Delaware Valley Junior, Jacob Edwards, who has been a lot of the season in and out of the lineup had the statement win in the biggest stage that he could possibly ever think of. While trailing 5-3 entering the third period, thanks to a late second period reversal for Edwards, he decided to cut Blue Streaks Senior, Ethan Drazek, to make the deficit to 6-3. Edwards then got himself a huge double leg to tie the match at 6, concedes the escape to make it a 7-6 Drazek lead, and then took the shot which was countered by Drazek, but then Edwards was able to muscle his way through the takedown and wins the bout with 15 seconds to go. The win at 144 lbs helped Delaware Valley extend their lead to even further and help the match away after a Jackson Bush pin and a tech fall win for Luke Sinkiewicz at 150 lbs and 157 lbs respectively.
“I wasn’t thinking much,” Edwards said of his win. “I was just looking at [Drazek] and nothing else like in tunnel vision kind of. I took him down and he got out. I wanted to take him down again but I got lazy and off guard. He shot on me but was able to spin behind [to get the win.]”
One of the things that the Junior credits the conditioning work-outs to last longer in his matches but knows that he is going to work on improving where he struggled with tonight to get ready for the next time his name gets called.
“I definitely need to be more aware when someone shoots on me and stay on guard,” Edwards said of the improvements he will be working on this coming week. “Maybe, work some more moves on top and ride people out.”
“Jake is amongst the hardest workers we have,” Coach Fitz said of Edwards. “He just loves this sport and is totally committed to the sport in season and off season. He doesn’t get an opportunity to get out there all the time [due to other wrestlers in the weight classes]. I thought it was a good time to give him his opportunity and never know what’s going to happen. He pulled out a thrilling win over a quality opponent.”
Prior to the start of the season, many people had written out the team expecting a few lumps earlier in the season. However, Coach Fitz claims that this team is just as, if not, more special of a team than what they had a season ago. Edwards also agreed and is having a fun Junior season.
“This is as close to a senior unit as I have ever coached,” Coach Fitz said of his team for this season. “They are pretty much together all the time, hanging out, they are doing the right thing off the mat, they are going to the diner to get something to eat, and they are just good kids and I think that is translating to a positive season so far.”
The more of that team bonding exercises they continue to do, it will lead to even bigger successes for the team and individually as well. As the old saying goes, “There is no ‘I’ in team,” and that is why the Delaware Valley terriers have had the successful program that they have had in history.
What’s Coming Up Next For These Two Teams?:
Delaware Valley improves their record to 13-3 on the year and will look to end the regular season with some quality wins starting with Tuesday, (02/04) at Roxbury, Thursday (02/06) at Bloomfield, and Friday (02/07) back at home for a match against Hopewell Valley. As for Warren Hills, they drop to a 10-9 record and will look to end the regular season as best as they possibly can with a home match on Wednesday night (02/05) versus High Point.
