Council Rock North wrestling and CR South square off tonight

NEWTOWN – Fresh off their performances in the prestigious Escape the Rock (ETR) Wrestling Tournament, Council Rock North and CR South square off tonight on the Indians’ home mat. On the line is the Mike Sipler Memorial Unity Cup. The Hawks won the rivalry between the sister schools last year, 47-30.

CR North started its season by going 4-1 at the Brian Bealer Memorial Duals including a 10-point win over the host team Boyertown. The Indians are currently 9-3 after last night’s dual meet win over Abington.

In its 44-25 triumph over the Ghosts, CR North posted wins by Kyle Hauserman (106), John Shalinsky (113), Luke Lucerne (120), Tyler Capriotti (132), Shane Thompson (138), Cameron Robinson (145), Dillon Sheehy (160), Nick Nucero (170) and Chantz Kouveras (285).

Wrestling up from his usual weight of 160, Nucero made his way back to the mat with a convincing first-period pin of Abington sophomore Sam Giordano to put the Indians on top, 26-6. A District 1 runnerup and South East Region qualifier last season at 152 pounds, Nucero had been on the shelf since suffering an injury at the Comet Classic held in mid-December at Bethlehem Liberty.

Senior Jake Shalinsky also made his way back to the mat versus the Ghosts, though he found himself on the downside of a fall going up against Abington senior Marcellus Martin, a District 1 qualifier in 2017.

Sophomore Sammy Hayes, who won 21 matches last year for the Indians last year as a 126-pound freshman, is still out after suffering an injury in the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic held at the end of the year at Bethlehem Liberty. Hayes is 6-3 wrestling at 132 pounds this year.

The Golden Hawks are 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the SOL National with wins over Neshaminy and Truman. CR South recently went 2-2 in the Parkland Duals with wins over Saint Anthony’s and Souderton and losses to Northampton and Cumberland Valley.

The Hawks lost to the Konkrete Kids by two points and to the Eagles by the slimmest of margins.

CR South has since rebounded with a 52-12 win over Truman Jan. 10 on Rock Way. Winners for the Hawks included Kyle Waterman (106), Maximino Mendez (113), Collin Waterman (132), Joel Martsinovsky (138), Shane Hanson-Ashworth (120), L.J. Kahn  (152), Cole Flanagan (160), Peter Eklund  (170), Nik Korbich (182) and Giani Gilch (220).

South had three medal winners at the 14th annual ETR including Kyle Waterman who grabbed runner-up honors at 106 pounds. Junior Shane Hanson-Ashworth, who joined the Hawks after two years at Malvern Prep, took third place at 120 pounds and junior Max Mendez wrestled his way back at ETR and won fifth place at 113 pounds.

CR North senior Shane Thompson (145 pounds), sophomore Cameron Robinson (138), sophomore Luke Lucerne (120) and freshman Kyle Hauserman (106) each went 2-2 in the ETR tournament.