BETHLEHEM, PA (February 3, 2025) – Taking the trip crossing state borderlines to watch some solid Pennsylvania wrestling was a treat for GardenStateHSWrestling.com. Not only did Pennsylvania showcased some of its best wrestling locally, it was a very special night for Coach Shaun Lally and his Northampton Community College Spartans wrestling team. Giving the team its second win on the year, this was the first ever home match for the Spartans in program history and they were fortunate to come out on top. With the program only starting its season less than a month ago, the Spartans already looks to be a fierce, physical, technical, and well conditioned wrestling team with Coach Lally on his wrestlers side all the way.
“I got hired in late April and we missed that whole recruiting cycle [in the off-season],” Coach Lally said. “So, we have just been hyper recruiting, finding out anybody that had already been attending and coming in already in second semester, people who were coming in as a traditional true freshman. So we just started working with everything we have had and everybody that is in this program has picked up a hammer, has gotten to work and we can’t ask for any more from these kids. Everyone has bought in.”
Some of the team’s recruits include wrestlers from Northampton and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania such as Easton (Notre Dame Green Pond), Bethlehem, Schnecksville, East Stroudsburg, Stroudsburg, Fountain Hill, and Pen Argyl. Some of these are traditionally known for their scholastic wrestling and have traditionally seen its wrestlers advance to the collegiate level year in and year out. Despite only four true bouts wrestled in the night’s dual match, alongside three exhibition matches, the Northampton Community College Spartans showed the Lackawanna College Falcons exactly what they are made of and just how they have shown the right mentality to get out there on the mat and wrestling.
One of the wrestlers that has certainly bought in Coach Lally’s coaching and mentality was the 149lber, Derek Cruz, who got the team’s very first wrestled home win in his home gym. Cruz, who was a recent graduate from Liberty High School in Bethlehem, PA, really loves wrestling for this team, was really excited and honored to be a part of making history for his team in his gym. He got the team a pin at the 2:00 mark in the first period.
“I was hyped more than ever,” Cruz said of the night. “This was my first home match, my parents are here, my girlfriend was here, my sisters were here, you know it’s like a conscience that I have to put on a show here for them. I have to work hard and show everybody in the crowd at [Northampton Community College] that we mean business, we’re not a team to look down upon and show a team that works hard on and off the mat [in the classroom]. My goal was to push the pace, [wrestle hard] and come out with a win.”
“He had a huge pin [tonight]. We talk about this all the time about pinning. People want to see pins and the crowd loved [watching Cruz’s pin], ” Coach Lally said of his 149lber, Derek Cruz. “
As the wrestling season approaches closer to the end of the season, Coach Lally followed up with another point that was made about teams already fearing to wrestle against Northampton Community College with the strong representation of wrestlers from Pennsylvania that not many teams can fair up with.
“[Lackawanna] purposely dodged [Xavier Arner],” Coach Lally said of his Xavier Arner who bumped up to 157 lbs tonight only having the Falcons to forfeit to him. “We were still able to pull out the win because we had the bodies in the right places and the matchups. But it just goes to show that people are starting to already have fear for Northampton and that is going to bode well for us for the postseason.”
With already having ten wrestlers on the roster (most new teams are very fortunate if they can even pull half of a lineup), the Northampton Community College Spartans look to be on a rapid rate of success. At the end of the day, it is all about having a fun and enjoyable experience, but treating the experience as a business trip and remaining a mature presence is imperative to a successful community college wrestling team.
What’s Up Next For These Two Teams?
With this win for the Northampton Community College Spartans team, they improve to 2-2, they will be finished with dual matches as they take the next three weeks to prepare for the NJCAA District Championship Tournament in Scranton, PA on Saturday (02/22). As for the Lackawanna College Falcons, they will be looking to get their wrestlers additional mat time as they will head to the University of Scranton for the U of S Duals on Saturday (02/08).
