February 7, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

CHA wrestlers conquer Quakers, 51-15
by TOM UTESCHER

CHA senior Alex Blenheim pins Penn Charter’s Gene Pak. For more photos visit www.chlocalphotos.com. (Photos by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

Host Chestnut Hill Academy earned four pins and a decision out on the mat, and the Blue Devils also benefited from four forfeits by the visiting Penn Charter Quakers to win last Friday’s Inter-Ac League meet, 51-15.

It was the last home appearance for senior co-captains Alex Blenheim (135 lbs.) and Henry Gilbert (171 lbs.), who each pinned their opponents to help CHA level its league record at 2-2 while improving to 10-5 overall. The Devils will be on the road at Episcopal Academy for their final Inter-Ac dual meet.

Shortstaffed Penn Charter slipped to 0-4 in the league, with a contest against Haverford School remaining on the schedule. For much of the season, Charter has not been able to fill the 103, 112, and 215 lb. weight classes, and when the Quakers visited Chestnut Hill last week, their 119-pounder and their heavyweight were both out with injuries.

Dan Gallagher, CHA’s freshman 152, opened the proceedings by pinning PC sophomore Nick Kelly in one minute, 23 seconds.

A couple of takedowns helped sophomore Brendan Plunkett of CHA take a 5-3 lead into the second period, but PC’s 160-pounder, junior Malcolm Ford, scored in the same fashion in the second round to go ahead, 7-6. Ford started the third frame with an escape, then sandwiched two more takedowns around an escape by Plunkett to clinch a 12-7 decision.

Over the next six matches, the Blue Devils built up an insurmountable lead in the team score. The run started with first-period pins by Gilbert, who defeated Charter junior Tharell Singleton at 171, and by CHA’s Brendan Spearing, who matted a fellow sophomore, Nick Cassizzi.

Unfortunately for the visitors, their four forfeits now came one after the other. Both teams took a pass on the 103 lb. match, but CHA picked up uncontested points at 215, 285, 112, and 119, gaining a 42-3 lead in the meet.

Even though his team no longer could win the overall event, Charter 125 Jared Wenger proved to be a model of perseverance as he trailed fellow freshman Mike Blake through much of their match. With takedowns, reversals, and back points, CHA’s Blake had rolled up a 14-3 lead in points by the middle of the third round. Just a moment’s carelessness gave Wenger an opening, though, and he staged a reversal and secured a pin with 44 seconds remaining in the match.

In what proved to be a low-scoring bout involving a pair of juniors, CHA’s Nick Varallo and PC’s Ben Fries were tied at 2-2 at the end of the opening round at 130 lbs. The only points registered in round two came on a reverse by Fries, who went into the third period ahead 4-2. Starting on the bottom, Varallo appeared on the verge of an escape many times in the concluding two minutes, but couldn’t free his right leg from the tenacious grip of his PC counterpart. Thus Fries also held onto his 4-2 lead and claimed the decision.

In his CHA swansong at 135, Blenheim quickly shot for a takedown. Quakers freshman Gene Pak was able to stay on his stomach until late in the period, when Blenheim succeeded in turning him and recorded the pin with 14 seconds to go.

The 140 lb. match bore a resemblance to the 130 lb. contest, with the Penn Charter entry, Matt Lesso, carrying a modest 4-2 advantage into the third period against fellow freshman Corey Goldstein. Once again, the PC grappler started on top, but this time the CHA competitor made good his escape, closing up the score to 4-3. Goldstein now needed a takedown, but it was Lesso who got one, adding two points right at the buzzer for a 6-3 victory.

At 145, CHA freshman Matt Rubin went ahead on a first-period takedown, then Quakers sophomore Nash Robinson reversed from the bottom position early in the second frame, tying the match at 2-2. Things went Rubin’s way for the rest of the contest, though, as he registered a reversal and three back points later in the middle round, then added a reversal in the third period to complete Chestnut Hill’s victory with a 9-2 decision.