Owen J. Roberts junior Dillon Bechtold became the program’s first-ever Escape the Rock champion on Sunday when he captured the 215-pound championship at Council Rock South High School.
Bechtold (26-2) defeated Anthony Moscatello (Mount Olive, N.J.), 7-1 in the bracket final to earn himself the champion’s belt.
Bechtold bested John Vinciguerra of Woodstown, N.J., 7-1 in the quarterfinals then edged Blair Academy’s Joshua Anthony 6-4 in the semifinals.
He was one of only three OJR wrestlers to reach the Rock final, following Scott Syrek in 2010 and Nick Fuschino in 2009, both of whom placed second.
Perkiomen Valley’s Max Tancini medaled when he placed fifth at 107 pounds. Tancini, a freshman with a 21-5 record, blanked Salvatore Borrometi of St. Peter’s Prep (N.J.) in the fifth-place match, 2-0.
Tancini rallied back from being pinned by PIAA 2A bronze medalist Ayden Smith on Notre Dame-Green Pond in the second championship round. He racked up a 6-2 record on the weekend.
Also for OJR, Sam Gautreau (152), Dean Bechtold (189) and Christian Gregory (285) all reached the fourth round of consolations before exiting. The trio each went 3-2 in the tournament.
Perk Valley’s Carson Pascoe (172) also reached the consolation fourth round.
OJR finished 14th in the team standings on 61.5 points. Perk Valley was 37th (24.5). Malvern Prep was champion (206.5).
