Iredale stays undefeated as Stoga tops Ridley for 3rd in Central

TREDYFFRIN — A year ago Conestoga’s Dan Iredale learned an important lesson: the amount of wins one has in the past does little for what a wrestler has to do in the present.

Iredale won leagues and districts and reached the regional tournament last winter with a record of 21-0, but two unexpected losses not only ruined his perfect mark, but ended his season a week early.

Now a senior, Iredale will enter the postseason undefeated once again, as his 28th win of the year helped Conestoga hold off Ridley, 42-32, at home, Wednesday in the Central League dual meet.

With 43 straight regular season wins, Iredale (160 pounds) is hoping to string along enough to end his career in Hershey for the PIAA tournament.

“Honestly, I’m trying just to have fun and enjoying it and not getting caught up in the wins and losses or how far I make it,” Iredale said. “Obviously my goal is to place at states, but sometimes I get too caught up in my own head so I’m just having fun and wrestling.”

Iredale has 95 career wins, and while Conestoga’s schedule isn’t always enough to truly test him, he has beaten everyone who’s stepped in front of him, including Garden Spot’s Dan Swarr.

“His maturity level and understanding of the nuisances of the sport have improved,” Conestoga coach Tom Ellicker said. “The losses at regionals last year lit a fire under him and set him up. He’s working on every stage of his game and he’s at another level.”

Having a talented practice partner in junior Eric Hutchinson (152) has helped the both of them.

Wednesday, after major decisions by Ameer Martinez (113), Tyler Amendola (120) and Evan Walker (138) gave the Pioneers (6-2 league, 12-6 overall) a small lead, Hutchinson and Iredale pushed the margin to 15 with a pair of pins.

“He’s done a great job and the last two years he spent a lot of time cutting weight, so this is his natural weight and he feels comfortable,” Ellicker said of Hutchinson, who typically wrestles at 145. “It’s one less distraction and he’s focused and working with a wrestler like Dan every day in the room has been good.”

Ridley (4-4, 6-7) fought to come back with a technical fall from Cade Heverly (170) and a fall from Nate Brennan (182). Four points would be as close as the Green Raiders would get.

Conestoga’s Dean DiVitis (195) and Mike Karas (285) used headlocks to seal the dual with pins. Karas, a returning regional qualifer, missed the first month of the season but is 11-4 and played a big part in Conestoga’s third-place finish in the Central League.

“Coming into the season our goal was to get 12 wins and this was our 12th win,” Ellicker said. “We wrestled as a team and we knew it was gonna be a tight bout and it was.”

Ridley also got wins by Davis Huth (120), Rob Receveur (145) and Leo Cassidy (220).

“I think for the most part we’re moving in the right direction,” said Ridley coach Tony Fabri, a former assistant for West Chester Rustin. “Some kids are relatively new to the sport and there’s a good learning curve. We have a couple veterans and I think they can shake some things up and surprise some people in the postseason.”

Conestoga’s regular season is done, and will compete in the Central League Championships on the 20th. Iredale knows it’s his last chance to achieve the goals that so quickly got taken away last year.

“Last year I lost to kids I had beaten a couple times earlier in the season and the postseason was kind of a bummer,” Iredale said. “It didn’t really go as I expected it to go and I didn’t wrestle a great tournament and wasn’t on my game. I learned no matter how many times you beat your opponent, they’re always coming for you. There’s always a bear in the woods.”

Conestoga 42, Ridley 32

106- Huck (CON) won by forfeit (6-0)

113- Martinez (CON) maj. dec. Scandle, 14-6 (10-0)

120- Huth (RID) pinned Matson, :44 (10-6)

126- Amendola (CON) maj. dec. Shaak, 9-1 (14-6)

132- Strazdus (RID) won by forfeit (14-12)

138- Walker (CON) maj. dec. Heiskell, 20-8 (18-12)

145- Receveur (RID) dec. Reagan, 14-7 (18-15)

152- Hutchinson (CON) pinned Cooper, 2:20 (24-15)

160- Iredale (CON) pinned Regan, 1:45 (30-15)

170- Heverly (RID) tech. fall Frantz, 4:26 (30-20)

182- Brennan (RID) pinned Elkin, 4:25 (30-26)

195- DiVitis (CON) pinned Blair, 3:54 (36-26)

220- Cassidy (RID) pinned Jean, 3:07 (36-32)

285- Karas (CON) pinned Sheldon, 1:44 (42-32)