Connect with us

Wrestling

O’Connell’s experience with Boyertown has him primed for Army National Guard

It could be argued there’s little difference between the training programs for the U.S. Army and the Boyertown wrestling team.

Brody O’Connell will be in position to make that comparison later this year.

The Bear senior, a fixture in the team’s upper weight classes for a fourth season, recently revealed his plans to enlist in the Army National Guard following graduation from high school. That ties in with a second plan to attend Kutztown University to continue his academic and athletic careers.

Boyertown's Brody O'Connell wrestles in the final of the PIAA Class AAA Team Championships at 195 last Sunday at Giant Center in Hershey. (Austin Hertzog - Digital First Media)

Boyertown’s Brody O’Connell wrestles in the final of the PIAA Class AAA Team Championships at 195 last Sunday at Giant Center in Hershey. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

“I will get 100 percent of my tuition at Kutztown paid for,” he said. “There’s also the satisfaction of serving my country.”

O’Connell will be attending the Army’s basic training course at Fort Benning, Georgia, for 8-9 weeks this summer. He will then stay at Benning another five weeks for AIT (Advanced individual Training) in his MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) of infantry.

He will be returning to the area around mid-October, looking to start at Kutztown for the spring semester, looking to major in business administration. He noted the armory where his guard unit is housed is a short walk from the Kutztown campus.

As for his involvement with the Golden Bears’ wrestling program, that will be limited the first year to training with the team.

“I’ll be deferring my first season at Kutztown,” he explained.

O’Connell will be joining current Boyertown teammate/classmate Lucas Miller at Kutztown. The Golden Bear mat program, whose current senior class includes Methacton alumnus Brandan Clark, has compiled an 11-5 record (3-3 PSAC) heading into Tuesday’s dual-match finale at East Stroudsburg.

O’Connell noted his father offered considerable insight on what military service entails. Bill O’Connell was a Navy veteran who achieved chief rank during his time, and went through two deployments while serving.

Suffice it to say, the traditional Army vs. Navy rivalry has made for some interesting contacts between father and son.

“We joke about it, particularly with the Army-Navy game,” Brody said. “We go back and forth.”

And in considering this unique decision on his future, O’Connell noted getting a “very encouraging” response from teammates and coaches, among others.

“We’re a family as we are now,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for better team. With these guys, I can get through a match with their support.”

Before that all happens, O’Connell is focused on his involvement with the Boyertown wrestling team … writing a memorable final chapter to his scholastic career.

Brody goes into the Bears’ post-season individual tournament phase with a 23-13 record primarily at the 195-pound weight class. He has scored 13 pins for a Bear lineup coming off a runner-up finish in the PIAA Team Championships this past weekend.

In his first three years as a varsity performer, O’Connell (77-51) has placed fourth in the league tournament each year and at districts as a junior. Hid junior year saw him wrestle at 220 until teammate Jordan Wood returned to action after healing a shoulder injury, then move down to 195.

“I’d do anything for these guys,” he said. “If I have to cut weight, I’m proud to do it.”

Credit for his development as a winning wrestler went to Miller and Gregg Harvey, Boyertown’s 182-pound performer and O’Connell’s practice-room partner.

“He’s helped me immensely on my feet,” Brody said of Harvey, a three-time District 1-AAA West champion and two-time state-tournament qualifier. “He gives me different looks. Lucas Miller helped me, too, even though he’s at a different weight. I look up to him.”

(POST) SEASON’S GREETINGS

The dual matches are done. Now, high-school wrestling moves into the stretch run where individual performances take center stage.

Tournament time for the Pioneer Athletic Conference starts this weekend at Boyertown. It then moves on to Spring-Ford for the District 1-AAA West competition the following week (Feb. 27), then to Souderton for the Southeast AAA Regional tourney (March 4-5) … and back to Hershey for the PIAA Championships March 11-13.

Spring-Ford will be looking to defend its 2015 PAC tourney title. It rode the championship showings of six wrestlers past Boyertown, but only Steven Rice (170) returns from that senior-laden title lineup.

Boyertown, by comparison, has four PAC champions back looking to reclaim the tourney title they won during the 2014-15 season. Defending 220-pound state champion Jordan Wood is joined by fellow Bear state medalists Jakob Campbell (113), Lucas Miller (126), Gregg Harvey (182) and Tommy Killoran (285), who was runner-up to the Rams’ Zachary Dorsey at the PAC tourney.

Boyertown's Gregg Harvey collects near-fall points to help him to a technical fall over Levi Wisor of Clearfield at 182 pounds on Feb. 11. (Nate Heckenberger - For Digital First Media)

Boyertown’s Gregg Harvey collects near-fall points to help him to a technical fall over Levi Wisor of Clearfield at 182 pounds on Feb. 11. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)

Methacton’s Bryce Reddington (132) rounds out the list of defending PAC-10 individual champions.

Daniel Boone will get its post-season started this weekend in the District 3 AAA Section 4 tournament at Gov. Mifflin Intermediate School. The qualifiers from that level will head to Hersheypark Arena the weekend of Feb. 26-27 for the South Central AAA Regional in hopes of qualifying for states.

The Blazers’ highest-placing returnees from last year are Brenden Valverde (182) and Jesse Enck (220), who scored bronze medals in their respective brackets.

The Hill School’s post-season also kicks off this coming weekend at Malvern Prep, site of the Pa. Independent School Wrestling Tournament (PAISWT).

Dymir Davis-Carruth, a 220-pound finalist at the 2015 tourney, is the Blues’ highest-finishing returnee.

Those Blues advancing through states will then focus on the National Prep tournament the following weekend (Feb. 27-28), again at Lehigh University.

MILESTONES

Three and nine.

Those are the numbers associated with Mason Pennypacker’s recent career achievement. Hitting the 100-win mark for his scholastic mat career, Pottstown’s senior 152-pounder became the team’s third wrestler to do so this year — preceded by brother Logan Pennypacker and Bryant Wise — and the ninth in program history.

Next in position to join the area’s burgeoning (127 to date) career-win fraternity is Spring-Ford senior Matt Krieble, who goes into the post-season grind with 92 victories. Look for Krieble to get to triple digits around regional weekend if he wins through the league and district tournaments.

* * *

Harvey made a bit of Boyertown program history during the district duals, reaching and surpassing the 150-win mark for his scholastic career.

Now, two other Bears are in position to make the same bit of history.

Boyertown's Jordan Wood cheers on teammate Tommy Killoran during the final of the PIAA Class AAA Team Championships Saturday at Giant Center in Hershey. (Austin Hertzog - Digital First Media)

Boyertown’s Jordan Wood cheers on teammate Tommy Killoran during the final of the PIAA Class AAA Team Championships Saturday at Giant Center in Hershey. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

Miller (144) and Wood (143) have been making runs at that victory plateau, and they both figure to reach it during the post-season. They’re currently in a footrace to see who gets there first, though Wood (36-1) has been more unstoppable this winter than Miller (29-12).

When they do so, the Bear seniors will become their program’s third and fourth wrestlers to achieve that milestone. They will join Harvey (156) and 2010 alumnus Alex Pellicciotti (170), with shots at being in the area’s Top 10 by the time the season is over.

* * *

A unique milestone is within Wood’s grasp.

Boyertown’s state-champion 220 pounder ran his career pin total to 97 through the Bears’ participation in the PIAA Team Championships, putting him three away from triple-digit stardom.

With a current career record of 143-5, Wood has averaged just above two falls for every three bouts wrestled. He has compiled 29 this year to date, out of 36 bouts.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

More in Wrestling

situs slot gacor provider terbaik agen toto slot terpercaya 2023 agen toto togel terpercaya 2023 situs toto togel pasaran resmi terbaik bandar toto macau pasaran resmi toto togel bandar toto slot gacor 4d 2023 bo togel online pasaran terlengkap sepanjang masa bo toto slot terlengkap sepanjang masa situs toto togel 2023 bet 100 perak daftar toto slot dan toto togel 2023 bermain toto togel dengan bet hanya 100 perak daftar toto slot bonus new member terpercaya bermain toto slot pelayanan 24 jam nonstop situs toto togel terpercaya situs toto togel online terbaik winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto unsurtoto unsurtoto unsurtoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto rasa4d rasa4d rasa4d gampangtoto gampangtoto gampangtoto winsortoto unsurtoto gampangtoto rasa4d bungtoto bandar toto togel terbesar hadiah 4d 10 juta daftar winsortoto situs toto terbaik winsortoto situs toto slot gacor dengan toto togel terbaik winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bet 100 perak winsortoto agen toto togel dan situs toto slot 4d winsortoto situs toto togel online deposit 10rb winsortoto situs toto togel online resmi hadiah 4d 10 juta winsortoto agen toto togel online terpercaya winsortoto agen toto slot dan situs toto togel resmi winsortoto situs toto togel 4d terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel dan toto slot winsortoto situs toto togel online resmi terbesar winsortoto situs toto togel dan agen toto slot terpercaya winsortoto situs toto terpercaya beragam bonus winsortoto situs toto terpercaya toto togel dan toto slot gacor winsortoto situs togel online dan slot online terpercaya winsortoto situs togel online hadiah terbesar winsortoto agen toto togel bonus harian terbesar winsortoto agen togel online terlengkap bet 100 perak winsortoto situs toto togel 4d dan toto slot 4d terbaik winsortoto situs toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel online terpercaya 2023 winsortoto agen toto togel 4d dan toto slot 4d winsortoto agen toto togel online banyak bonus terbesar winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bonus new member winsortoto situs togel online resmi terpercaya pasaran terlengkap winsortoto situs toto togel online 4d terpercaya situs toto togel deposit pulsa tanpa potongan winsortoto situs toto slot pasti slot gacor winsortoto situs toto slot dan toto togel hadiah terbaik winsortoto situs toto terpercaya permainan resmi dan terpercaya winsortoto situs toto resmi bonus new member 100rb tanpa potongan winsortoto toto slot gacor dan togel online resmi terpercaya winsortoto situs toto toge online terpercaya di Indonesia winsortoto toto togel online bonus new member terbesar winsortoto agen toto togel resmi hadiah 4d 10 juta terpercaya winsortoto toto togel online hadiah 4d 10 juta bet 100 winsortoto situs togel online terlengkap dan terpercaya winsortoto situs togel online resmi dan toto slot gacor winsortoto situs toto togel dan agen toto slot gacor winsortoto situs toto togel permainan toto togel dan toto slot winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bonus menarik winsortoto situs toto togel online terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya winsortoto situs toto togel online terlengkap dan terpercaya winsortoto situs toto togel online winsortoto situs toto terpercaya togel online dan slot online resmi winsortoto situs toto dengan permainan togel 4d dan slot 4d winsortoto situs toto terpercaya permainan togel online terlengkap winsortoto situs toto togel terpercaya permainan resmi winsortoto situs toto togel resmi bet 100 perak tanpa potongan winsortoto agen toto togel dan situs toto resmi winsortoto toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya dan terbaik winsortoto unsurtoto gampangtoto bungtoto rasa4d titi4d ltdtoto bobatoto bobatoto situs toto togel slot situs bandar toto togel slot terpercaya titi4d titi4d login titi4d daftar titi4d slot titi4d togel situs titi4d titi4d login titi4d daftar titi4d titi4d togel titi4d slot situs titi4d agen titi4d bandar titi4d