Council Rock North freshman Luke Lucerne decisioned CR South’s Kyle Waterman 9-1 in the 113-pound matchup in the recent battle for the Unity Cup won by the Golden Hawks. It was Lucerne’s 15th victory of the season. (John Gleeson – 21st-Century Media)
NEWTOWN – Council Rock North freshman mat warriors Sammy Hayes, Luke Lucerne and Cam Robinson continue to impress.
Each has at least 15 wins after the Indians’ recent Rock Yard Duals, in which the team captured a third-place trophy. And all three took down their opponents in North’s recent dual meet battle against sister school CR South, the defending Suburban One National League and District One East champs.
Against the Golden Hawks, Hayes – who is currently 17-7 – pinned CR South junior Mike McKinney, a regional qualifier in 2016, in three minutes, 11 seconds.
Sammy went 3-1 at Rock Yard, including two pins. His only loss was a 6-3 decision he dropped facing Wood 126-pounder Alex Shaffer, a District 12 champion and Regional medalist in 2016.
Hayes actually lost his first ever varsity bout when he got caught in a cradle by Bethlehem Liberty sophomore Travis Brown last month at the Brian Bealer Memorial Bear Duals. He had been leading the bout on points when he suffered the fall.
“I dropped my head down and I shouldn’t have done that,” said Sammy. “We worked on it in practice and now, I know what to do – I keep my head up.”
Hayes admitted that at first, he was a little nervous working the varsity mats as a freshman. Opening the season in a place like Boyertown, the team could not have selected a bigger stage upon which to compete.
“I was a little nervous but the adrenaline kicked in and I pushed myself through,” stated Hayes. “After my first match I just had to look past it and move forward – keep my head up.”
Hayes also went 3-1 in the Manheim Holiday Tournament, helping the Rock to an eighth-place finish Dec. 28-29 at Manheim Central.
“It feels good,” said Hayes, of helping the team score over 100 points at Manheim where Sammy made his way to the finals. “We have a great coaching staff here that is helping all the freshmen develop and reach their maximum potential.”
Working the mats at 113 pounds, Lucerne has just four losses on the season – and 23 wins. He majored CR South freshman Kyle Waterman and went 4-0 at Rock Yard. At RYD, Lucerne went 4-0 with two pins and a tech fall. His final win at Rock Yard was a 5-0 decision he recorded facing Wood senior Max Shaffer.
The Vikings wrestler entered the match with over 45 varsity wins including 33 he recorded last season when he placed third in sectionals and districts and qualified for regionals.
“We’re getting a lot of motivation from our fellow wrestlers and coaches in the (wrestling) room,” said Lucerne. “They’re pushing us to do great things this year.”
The motivation goes further than that, however, said Lucerne.
“Our coaches are motivating us a lot and they really expect great things from us,” said Lucerne. “But we also expect great things from ourselves.”
At 22-6, Robinson, who works the mat at 132 pounds, might be the most impressive wrestler in the bunch. Robinson posted a 15-0 tech-fall triumph over CR South senior Adam Figueroa before going 4-0 at Rock Yard. His RYD wins included a pair of techs and two pins.
The competition Cam faced at RYD was stiff. While the snow was falling all around the wrestlers Saturday, Jan. 7 in Newtown, Robinson teched LaSalle senior Matt Pires and Ridley junior David Huth. Pires was a District 12 medalist in 2016 and Huth was a sectional winner.
In the last two rounds at RYD, Robinson pinned Pennridge senior Morris Garcia in 31 seconds and Wood senior Zach Shaffer in 18 seconds. Shaffer was a D-12 medal winner and regional qualifier in 2016.
At the Manheim Tournament, Robinson suffered two of his three losses going up against Erie McDowell junior Leno Ciotti, a state qualifier in 2016.
After dropping a 6-5 decision in his opening tournament bout with Ciotti, Robinson rebounded with wins via injury default facing Spring-Ford sophomore Josiah Chapman and Bald Eagle Area junior Garrett Rigg along with a 5-1 decision win over Souderton senior Brandon Bach.
In the Indians’ first dual meet win of the season, a 71-10 triumph over CB West, Lucerne won via pin in the second period and Hayes recorded a victory with a tech-fall. The Bucks had only five varsity wrestlers however, and West had no one for Robinson to wrestle.
“When I don’t get to wrestle, I get mad,” said Robinson. “I just love wrestling so much.”
Robinson started wrestling at the tender age of six and was brought up through the CR Wrestling Association (CRWA).
“I was just having fun,” said Cameron, of his start in the sport. “I was getting my butt whipped but I didn’t really think about losing that much.
“As long as I was having fun. Eventually, I started winning.”
At the Comet Classic, with weights from only 106 to 160 pounds, the Indians still emerged with a third-place finish behind champion Bethlehem Liberty and runner-up Parkland.
“Everybody pulled their share,” explained Lucerne. “Everybody was doing their part and wrestling as hard as they possibly could, doing everything they could to get the win.”
“We had some studs at some of our lower weights so we got it done,” added Robinson. “We had some kids who know how to wrestle.
“Hard work – they want to get good and the outcome shows when they get on the mat.”
At Comet, Robinson took third after going 4-1 in the tournament.
“I wanted to make a name for myself because I’m a freshman and nobody knows who I am,” explained Robinson. “I wanted to make sure I made a statement out there.”
After a win and a major on the first day of the tourney, Cam suffered an 11-2 major decision loss to Pequea Valley sophomore Gabe Miller, a state qualifier in 2016.
“I looked back on the match and I was slow on my feet; I wasn’t attacking,” he explained. “Usually, I take someone down and try to take them down again and I wasn’t doing that.
“Sometimes, you just have to wrestle how you wrestle and that’s it.
“I did all my other matches the way I know how and it worked out for me.”
As a team, the Rock emerged from Rock Yard with dual meet wins over LaSalle, Ridley and Archbishop Wood. In its only loss – a 41-32 win by Pennridge – the Indians came within a pair of 1-point decisions of winning the match.
The Vikings are this season’s Ralph Wetzel Holiday Classic champions and the Rams are defending Suburban One Continental League champs as well as the 2016 District 1-East runner-up.
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Harry S Truman went 3-2 while the snow was falling Saturday, Jan. 7 at their own HST Duals. The Tigers emerged with wins over South Philadelphia, Wissahickon and Glen Mills while falling 46-17 to Seton Hall and 38-31 to Avon Grove.
The Tigers are led by sophomore Gunnar Fuss, who is 14-3. A state qualifier in 2016 who works the mats from 126 to 138 pounds, Fuss opened his season by going 4-1 at Brian Bealer including wins by pin over Garnet Valley senior Matt Marino and Dallas junior Kade Kravits, a regional qualifier last year.
He went 5-0 at HST Duals.
Senior heavyweight Isaiah Godbold also went 5-0 at the Truman Duals, winning all five bouts by pin. Working the mat at 285 and 220, Isaiah is 12-4 on the season.
Contact Steve Sherman at ssherman@21st-Centurymedia.com or @BucksLocalSport on Twitter
