Pottstown takes inaugural Border Battle over Pottsgrove

POTTSTOWN >> Not that they need any additional incentive, mind you …

Pottstown and Pottsgrove have a spirited competition in all sports — one spanning the districts’ decades of co-existence as neighbors. That’s extended to the wrestling mats, where the programs have gone at it hard and intensely during each of their annual matchups.

So the inaugural “Border Battle” Wednesday just enhanced the schools’ longstanding rivalry, coupled with the goal to “promote sportsmanship and build enthusiasm for co-curricular programs.” The first battle ended up with the Trojans rolling up a 46-24 victory on the Falcons at Pottstown High’s Strom Gymnasium.

The new tradition featured the presentation of a “Border Battle” team trophy to the winner of this Pioneer Athletic Conference contest, and Outstanding Wrestler trophies to both schools as decided by the opposing head coaches. The Pottstown and Pottsgrove middle school teams also competed side-by-side with the high school squads during the varsity match, which saw the Trojans use a 35-point run to reverse an early 21-11 deficit.

“It’s fun,” Pottstown head coach Brad Bechtel said while admiring the team trophy afterward. “It creates a bigger crowd, and having the middle schools wrestle adds to the atmosphere. We have this with Owen J. Roberts already.”

Jimmie Zazzi became Pottstown’s first recipient of the “Border Battle” outstanding wrestler trophy. The Trojan senior earned it by dominating the 285-pound bout with Tyler Smith, building a 5-1 lead before Smith was forced to withdraw due to injury 26 seconds into the third period.

Zazzi’s win gave Pottstown (1-1 league, 1-2 overall) back an 11-9 lead after Pottsgrove (0-2, 1-2) answered Isaiah Mayes’ technical fall in the 182-pound opener with Chris Quintrell’s pin at 195 and Skylar McLeod’s decision at 220. The Trojan senior, with previous wrestling experience, is back in the sport after stepping away from it to focus on football.

“It kind of started with football,” he said of the excitement surrounding the Border Battle. “We had T-shirts that said ‘Win The Day,’ and we had success. Every sport saw what we did and started doing it. It’s a way to instill pride back in Pottstown sports.”

Chris Quintrell, recipient of his team’s Outstanding Wrestler award, was the bright spot for an undermanned Falcon lineup missing seniors Chris DeFrancesco — sidelined for the remainder of the season to undergo chemotherapy in conjunction with a previous testicular cancer diagnosis — and Kylif Underwood. Though it benefited from Pottstown’s forfeits of the 106 — and 113-pound bouts, Pottsgrove in turn forfeited at 138, 145 and 152 to give the Trojans a match-clinching 42-21 lead with two weights left to be contested.

“Obviously taking Chris (DeFrancesco) out of the lineup is a big adjustment,” Pottsgrove head coach Jeff Madden said. “Chris (Quintrell) moving up … it was nice to see him get a pin. McLeod did a nice job, too.”

The remainder of the Falcons’ points came in the 170-pound finale, where Ryan Finn (10-0) scored a 3-1 decision on Saddiq Ibn-Mustafah, Finn answered Ibn-Mustafah’s escape from a second-period bottom start by scoring a takedown, then escaped in turn from a bottom start to the third period.

“This has always been a big match for us,” Madden said. “A lot of times, it (win) has come down to a couple points. Before recently, it was always nip-and-tuck.”

After forfeiting 106 and 113 to Michael Kilgore and Kyle Fehnel, respectively, Pottstown got its comeback going with William Gephart’s 10-7 decision of Chase Banyai at 120. Nathaniel Parson followed at 126 with a major decision of Frank Galgiare, and A.J. Ecker added a first-period pin at 132.

Leading by a 24-21 count at that point, the Trojans’ Logan Pennypacker (138), Anthony Wiggins (145) and Bryant Wise (152) all accepted forfeits. Mason Pennypacker completed the roll at 160 with a 13-2 major decision of Christian Pace highlighted by a 5-0 first-period lead and seven more points in the third.

“I was surprised they bumped a couple people at the top,” Bechtel said. “After I realized they might be a couple short, I wanted to have our best guys on the mat.

“Zazzi’s wrestled well for us,” he added. “He has experience … wrestling’s not new to him. We expect big things of him.”

In the wake of season-opening duals losses to Spring-Ford and Downingtown West, Pottstown is riding the crest of a second-place showing at the Governor Mifflin Holiday Tournament one week ago. It has the added impetus of Logan Pennypacker (99 wins) and Wise (98) both closing in on the 100-win mark; it’s estimated they can achieve that during the Trojans’ visit to the Octorara Duals this weekend.

“We got a lot of momentum from Mifflin,” Bechtel said. “We want that momentum to keep going on.”

NOTES >> Bechtel reflected on the situation involving DeFrancesco, whose season ended with an 8-0 record and OW showing at 220 in Hatboro-Horsham’s Ralph Wetzel Holiday Classic. “It’s unfortunate what’s happened to Chris DeFrancesco,” he said. “Pottstown wrestling sends out its wishes and prayers.” … Pottstown assistant wrestling coach John Arnmato and Pottsgrove athletic director Gary DeRenzo were identified as spearheading the committee behind the “Border Battle” concept. … Pottsgrove’s next action will be this weekend, in the Rock Yard Duals hosted by Council Rock North.