Wrestling

Avon Grove’s Reiters gets best of Great Valley’s Gee in coaching debuts

by
Nate Heckenberger
December 7, 2022

EAST WHITELAND >> One of the more challenging feats in the realm of coaching is building a wrestling program from the ground up.

Unlike many other team sports, where a couple or a few stars can raise a team’s ceiling, wrestling requires as close to all 13 wrestlers to be capable for team success.

Wednesday at Great Valley, first-year head coaches, Avon Grove’s Gerhardt Reiter and the Patriots’ leader, Scott Gee, got a taste of their initial dual meet. On the backs of five pins, Avon Grove prevailed, 39-30, in the inter-league dual, giving Reiter, who wrestled at Kennett — where Gee was assistant — his first career win.

Gerhardt Reiter is in his first year as head coach at Avon Grove. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

“It feels amazing,” said Reiter, who’s just 23. “It’s been a little bit of a learning curve, watching all the weight certs and seeing who can go where. It’s a whole different maturity level. It’s like another step in my adult phase of life.”

Reiter was hired just two weeks prior to the start of the season, after two years as an assistant for the Red Devils. Though he was thrown into fire, in many ways, Reiter had a couple experienced wrestlers he knew he could lean on while he learned on the job.

Both showed up, Thursday, and Christian Ford (127 pounds) was the first to do so. Great Valley had no wrestler at 121, Ford’s actual weight, so he was bumped up to face one of the better Patriots, Michael Cruz.

Avon Grove’s Christian Ford rides out Great Valley’s Michael Cruz for a 2-1 win at 127 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

“I gave it to him because I know he’s thirsty this year,” Reiter said of bumping Ford up. “He’s on a mission and he never stops training. He’s on a different path than last year.”

Ford scored a quick takedown in the first period, but couldn’t find any more offense and was ridden out in the second. Leading 2-1, Ford returned the favor, and rode the bigger Cruz out for the win.

“It feels great to beat one of their better kids,” said Ford, who reached regionals as a sophomore. “He’s a senior and he’s tough, but it worked out for me.”

Great Valley’s Michael Cruz. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Alex Salvattera (133) followed with a fall for Avon Grove (1-0), but pins by Great Valley’s Bennett Scribner (114) and Tim Matthews (139) and a forfeit at 145 put the Pats up three.

In stepped Garrett Landon (152), who entered the season with a team-high 51 career wins. Landon managed a second-period pin over Brandon Son, who was making his season debut.

Avon Grove’s Garrett Landon. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Gabe Ertle (160) gave Great Valley its last lead with a first-period pin, but Avon Grove ran away with the dual thanks to three straight falls by Andrew Spancake (172), Ian Tickman (189) and Jagger Vitelli (215).

“It means everything to us,” Ford said. “We have a brand new head coach teaching us some good stuff, so it feels good to help it pay off for him.”

Reiter won 108 matches as a wrestler for Kennett, and Gee was on the staff his senior season.

“This is all about coaching kids to become future coaches,” Gee said. “It’s cool to see Gerhardt get that opportunity and it was fun to compete against him.”

Great Valley’s Bennett Scribner. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Great Valley is looking for its first winning season since 2018-19. The Patriots have won just three duals the last two years, and Gee, a Great Valley alum, knows it won’t be an overnight overhaul.

“For us, this is probably the most full lineup we’ve had in a few years,” Gee said. “The kids believe in the direction we’re going and understanding what we’re doing in the room. They’re buying into those things and I’ve seen a lot of things from this young, inexperienced team.”

Avon Grove’s Jagger Vitelli works Great Valley’s Jose Ramirez to his back en route to a fall at 215 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

With the majority of the season still ahead, the Pats and the Red Devils got what they came for, Wednesday. Now, the new coaches can continue to build on their early foundations.

“It was cool going against an old coach,” Reiter said. It’s great that both us are in this position to have our own teams. At the end of the day, I hope both of us achieve our goals at the end of the season.”