LOWER GWYNEDD >> Abington’s Jake Rose dropped a trio of decisions to Wissahickon’s Matt Fritz last season.
But a change in approach resulted in a change in result for the Galloping Ghosts junior when the two met again Wednesday night.
“My mentality, it’s changed so much,” Rose said. “I’ve been running, pushing myself every day. Last year, I wasn’t really pushing myself as I hard as I could and now when I’m out on the mat I feel confident in everything I’m doing. When I’m getting to the third period and overtime, I’m not tired, I’m just working.”
The familiar opponents needed more than three periods to decide their 138-pound match. After the first six minutes ended even at 4-4, Rose claimed a takedown early in sudden victory to best Fritz by a 6-4 decision.
“I saw him, he walked back to the center of the mat after injury time, I knew he was tired from then on,” Rose said. “I just wanted it more, I out-worked him.”
Rose’s win was one of nine the Abington wrestling team earned in the SOL American dual meet with host Wissahickon as the first-place Ghosts kept their perfect conference record intact with a 50-24 win.
“We’ve just been in the room every day drilling, me and Matt McCaughey our 113-pounder,” said Rose, Abington’s lone regional qualifier last season. “Been in the room from five to seven in the morning, staying after practice, working before practice, doing whatever we have to do to get better. Pushing our self to the next level every day, we’re pushing everyone in the room every day we just want it. We want state medals.”
Abington (13-5, 5-0 SOL American) finished with six pins and never trailed in the matchup, opening the meet with a 17-0 lead after a Jack Werner 15-0 tech fall win in 3:16 at 106, McCaughey’s pin in 1:24 at 113 and a forfeit victory at 120.
“Definitely happy with it but I’m definitely someone how always looks forward to the next challenge,” Ghosts coach David Osei said. “So it’s already over to me, we’re on to next cause we’re still going and Springfield’s doing well so we still have to finish out the last two dual meets, it’s going to come down to that.
“So for the league that’s good but also just a wrestlers, I’m try to get them ready for the postseason at this point so those little mistakes that they may get away with in this match come district, regionals, we’re not going to get away with that.”
Three of Wissahickon’s five wins came by pin – Christian Smalley at 132, Kevin Salmon at 170 and David Keller at 220.
The Trojans (4-10, 1-4) are a younger side from last year’s group that won the SOL American title and took first at the District 1-AAA South tournament. Seven freshman and sophomores wrestled for Wissahickon Wednesday, with sophomore DJ Adriaanse (8-3 decision at 126) and freshman Nathanael Chez (12-9 decision at 152) earning victories.
“It is pretty tough – not going to lie – with a pretty young team, there’s definitely a lot of maturity that needs to be resolved but in the room we’re always focused,” said Keller, a state qualifier in 2019. “It’s just sometimes that young age kind of shows a little bit.”
The Trojans got within 17-9 after Adriaanse’s decision at 126 and Smalley’s pin at 132. At 138, Rose led 4-3 after two periods before a Fritz escape in the third forced overtime. Rose, however, was quick to get a takedown in the one-minute sudden victory round for the 6-4 decision.
“I think we both have really good shot defenses so it’s tough to score,” Rose said. “It’s always active but we’re always moving. I thought I had a couple more takedowns there but he may have had a couple more too. Just how the match goes.”
Shane Kibler followed Rose by claiming a pin in 2:40 at 145 to put the Ghosts up 26-9.
After Chez’s decision win at 152, the last six matches were also decided by fall – four going to the Ghosts. Abington seal the dual meet win at 182 on Robert Glemser’s pin in 42 seconds.
“The big thing we’ve been focusing on the last couple dual meets is not trading sixes,” Osei said. “Getting those points and learning how to defend yourself, not giving up bonus points.”
Both teams next compete Saturday in the SOL American Championships at Hatboro-Horsham.
“I’m just looking for a more focused effort than anything,” Osei said. “Cause I want that to be our dry run for districts and everything else cause nowadays just the way wrestling’s set up, there’s more dual meet tournaments and stuff like that, there’s less individual tournaments.
“When I wrestled you’d have individual tournament like every weekend. Now, it’s just not the way people do it you can’t get as many matches. So I kind of want this as a good individual tournament to springboard into districts. Just get your mind right, learn how to wrestle and you just worry about yourself and get the job done.”
Keller’s Climb to 100
Keller earned Wissahickon’s final win Wednesday by pinning Cody Judge in 1:22 at 220.
“He was a tough opponent, pretty strong,” Keller said. “I just got to my offense and just worked my way on top.”
The victory was 96th of his career with the senior looking to hit the century mark soon with Saturday’s conference championships then home dual meets with Upper Dublin Wednesday and Penncrest Thursday.
“It’s a huge accomplishment for me,” Keller said. “Started wrestling in seventh grade that was my main goal – 100 wins and state medalist. Even though I never knew what I was doing, I’ve always loved watching the best wrestlers and my 100th win’s projected around Senior Night (vs. Upper Dublin) so that would be lovely to have it then.”
Keller has won his last five matches – three by pin, two by forfeit – to hold an 18-3 record on the season. Last year, Keller took fifth place in 182 at South East Regionals to reach PIAAs for the first time but lost both of his matches at Hershey.
“I personally think it was more the atmosphere,” Keller said. “I never really wrestled on the big stage so going out there I was kind of nervous. I went 0-2, I wasn’t prepared for that kind of wrestling – like I said I started pretty late, but yeah just got to keep my mindset ready and just do what I do best which is wrestle.”
