FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> The odds were stacked against Neshaminy.
Boyertown, the three-time defending District 1-AAA champion, entered Thursday night’s opening-round match against the Redskins fresh off their first Pioneer Athletic Conference loss in the past three seasons.
Think the Bears took the bus ride to Methacton with some extra aggression?
The Bears were all over Neshaminy, posting five pins and a technical fall on their way to a 62-15 win over the Redskins.
“We didn’t have too much time to wallow in our sorrow,” said Boyertown head coach Pete Ventresca with a laugh. “So we put last night behind us and got this tournament started off right.”
With the win, the top-seeded Bears will take on Upper Darby — a 35-30 winner over West Chester Rustin — in next Friday’s quarterfinal round at Pottsgrove.
Less than 24 hours after dropping their first PAC loss since the 2013 season — a 37-33 tilt against Owen J. Roberts on Wednesday night — the Bears took complete control against the youthful 16th-seeded Redskins (7-14).
Gene Walsh – Digital First Media
Boyertown’s Chase Stehman wrestles Neshaminy’s Harry Fornes during a District 1-AAA Duals first round match at Methacton on Jan. 26.
After forfeiting the opening heavyweight bout, the top-seeded Bears (16-2 overall) posted consecutive pins by Chase Stehman (106) followed by Matt Wilde’s 38-second pin at 113.
Christian Fox (132), Chris Berry (152) and Elijah Jones (182) all posted pins for Boyertown while Hunter Vogels posted a technical fall in the 160 bout.
“We were in a pretty good mood on the way here,” said Berry. “We got up for this one. We came prepared. Obviously that was big coming off last night’s loss.
“First win of districts, we just had to come out strong and get it done.”
Brett Breidor posted a 7-0 decision over Austin Saba during their bout at 138. The Bears also benefitted from four forfeits, including the final two bouts to close the match.
“We’re taking it one match at a time,” added Ventresca. “We came into this thing thinking about Neshaminy and now we’re leaving thinking about Upper Darby.”
Neshaminy head coach Mike Stewart and the Redskins left the gym with a different mentality.
With a roster of only one senior – Kyle Osteroudt – a winner by forfeit in the opening bout, Thursday night could give the Redskins a platform to aim for over the next few seasons.
“We were very thin coming into this one,” Stewart said, “but for us, this was an opportunity to wrestle some of the top kids. That’s invaluable. We’ve got a lot of young guys who can take a lot from seeing a team like Boyertown.”
Sophomore Jackson Erb posted a 38-second pin during his bout at 126 before classmate Gus Natelli posted a 5-0 decision at 145.
“We battled. There’s not much more we can ask for,” Stewart added. “We have seven freshman in our lineup, and some of them went up against seniors.
“Hopefully one day, teams will be looking at us the way we look at Boyertown.”
Gene Walsh – Digital First Media
Boyertown’s Hunter Vogels works for back points against Neshaminy’s Brock Leinbach during a Disrtict 1-AAA Duals first round match at Methacton on Jan. 26.
