Escape The Rock Preview
This weekend brings the always improving Escape the Rock Tournament from Council Rock South High School. Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion Jordan Burroughs will be making an appearance and the field of talent spans several State’s. Below is a look at the Pennslyvania wrestlers who will highlight each weight-class. Seeds and more information can be found at the link below!
Visit the Escape the Rock Tournament website here.
At 106 lbs. returning PIAA State runner-up Connor Sheehan (Solanco) is the #1 seed as a senior. Sheehan was a runner-up in 2013 at the ETR and this season he was a POWERade runner-up to #1 raked Devin Brown (Franklin Regional). Standing in his way will be a group of freshmen led by Northampton’s Dan Moran, Chambersburg’s Aaron Rump and Bishop McDevitt’s John Pipa. Moran is a talented freshman who has many quality wins this season including a victory over #6 seed Riley Palmer (Council Rock South). Aaron Rump of Chambersburg placed at the Beast in his first attempt and had some impressive victories thus far including a (9-3) win over returning PIAA State qualifier Devin Schnupp (Warwick). POWERade fourth finisher John Pipa has put together a nice rookie season and comes in as the #3 seed. Sophomore Kordell Rush (Pennridge) returns to 106 lbs. and will challenge the field. Freshman Jake Reigel (BECA), a King of the Mountain third place medalist, will also be in the mix to place.
At 113 lbs. returning PIAA State runner-up Luke Karam is the #1 seed in his first ETR. Karam placed third at the King of the Mountain this and was the Beast of the East runner-up this season. Returning PIAA State Medalist Michael Scheetz (Northampton) will look to improve on his sixth place finish at last season’s Escape the Rock after he was forced to injury default out of the tournament in the semifinals. Joining Scheetz is former PIAA Medalist Derek Gulotta (Owen J. Roberts) who is looking to rebound from a (2-2) finish at the ETR last season. Returning to 113 lbs. as a junior Gulotta will be a strong opponent. POWERade third place finisher at 106 lbs. is moving up to 113 lbs. for the ETR as sophomore Jacob Lizak looks to test the waters up a weight-class. Lizak was a PIAA State qualifier last season and placed third at the ETR in his rookie season. Senior Nick Palmer (Council Rock South) is a consistent wrestler who placed fourth last season at the ETR and will fair well in his home gym.
In the toughest bracket of the Tournament – 2x PIAA State Champion Ethan Lizak is the #1 seed at 120 lbs. with rival Scott Parker (Pennridge) closing in as the #3 seed. Parker has been on an absolute tear this season winning the Beast of the East and the Hurricane Classic over noteworthy opponents. Lizak was the runner-up last season at the ETR and this season has been unable to get past sophomore State Champion Luke Pletcher falling twice in the finals (KOM & POWERade) to the Latrobe grappler. Former 2x PIAA State Medalist for Ligonier Valley and current Kiski Prep senior Justin Patrick will shake things up in his first ETR. The sleepers in this talented weight-class are freshmen Zack Trampe (Council Rock South) and Todd Lane (Southern Columbia). Both have had impressive rookie season so far and have proven they can not only hang with the best but win against solid competition.
2x PIAA Class AA State runner-up and 2013 Beast of the East Champion Zeke Moisey has been firing on all cylinders in his senior season. Moisey is the #1 seed but will be tested by a strong field. Northampton senior Zach Valley is a returning 2x PIAA State medalist and the 2013 ETR Champion at 120 lbs. Joining Valley are returning PIAA State fifth place Medalists Rodney Sunday (Dallastown) and Ben Ross (Pennridge). Sunday placed fourth in last season’s ETR at 126 lbs. Former PIAA State medalist Dan Martoccio (Council Rock South) is up two weight classes from a season ago where he finished fourth at the 2013 ETR at 113 lbs.
Junior Kent Lane (Southern Columbia) is the #1 seed in his first career ETR Tournament in a more wide open 132 lbs. weight class. The undefeated junior is a retuning PIAA State Medalist and recently made the drop to 132 lbs. Lane will be tested by a variety of Keystone State wrestlers including former PIAA State runner-up Matt Grossman (Manheim Township). Grossman, a 2013 ETR runner-up, has had a solid senior season and will be joined by District 3 wrestlers Greg Warner (Big Spring) and Nick Sheilds (Dallastown). Both Warner and Sheilds are former PIAA State Qualifiers with Sheilds finishing in eighth at the 2013 ETR. Adding to the depth is senior Jalen Palmer (Delaware Valley) who was a 2013 Escape The Rock runner-up at 132 lbs. Palmer, also a 2013 PIAA State Medalist, will have a tough road back to the ETR finals. Rounding out 132 lbs. is junior Todd Hetrick, a 2013 PIA State Qualifier, and sophomore Stephen Maloney (BECA).
At 138 lbs. returning ETR third place finisher and 2x PIAA State Qualifier Cortlandt Schuyler (Manheim Twp.) is the highest seeded PA wrestler at #3. Schuyler was a Best of the East runner-up this season in addition to a CV Kick-Off Classic Champion. A pair of juniors, David Rump (Chambersburg) and Frank Carrozza (Delaware Valley) will be looking for their first ETR Medals. Impressive freshman Mike Labriola (BECA) will fair well and could knock off several top wrestlers.
The big news at 145 lbs. is the return of 2013 PIAA State Champion Joe Galasso (Father Judge). Galasso will be in the hunt for his second straight ETR Championship title as the senior makes his season debut. Returning PIAA State Medalist Chad Wickard (Big Spring) will be making the drop from 152 lbs. and look to improve on his fourth place finish from a season ago at the ETR. Owen J. Roberts junior Dominick Petrucelli is the #8 seed and was one win away from placing at the 2013 ETR Tournament.
Former PIAA State Medalist and over 150 career match winner Mikey Springer (Norristown) is the highest seeded PA wrestler at #3. Springer was a runner-up at the 2013 ETR and this season placed eighth at the Beast of the East. Fellow PIAA State Medalist Josh Ortman (Parkland) is the #4 seed at 152 lbs. Ortman placed fifth at the 2013 ETR Tournament and this season placed seventh at the King of the Mountain Tournament. Returning PIAA State Medalist Blake Marks is a talented sophomore who is undefeated this season. Other PA wrestlers who will have a chance to earn a medal are Father Judge senior Vickson Krah and Big Spring senior Brad Lay. Vikson Krah fell to Ortman (7-2) at the POWERade Tournament and Brad Lay has bumped up from 145 lbs. after Chad Wickard made the drop from 152 lbs.
Returning PIAA State sixth place medalist Bobby Fehr has recently made the drop from 170 lbs. and is the #1 seed at 160 lbs. This season Fehr was a runner-up at the Hurricane Classic and was one win away from placing in a loaded 170 lbs. bracket at the Beast of the East. Joining Fehr at 160 lbs. is senior Chad Reece (Central Mountain) a returning PIAA State qualifier who is the #3 seed. Reece placed fifth at the 2013 ETR Tournament and this season placed fourth at the King of the Mountain. Bursting onto the State scene this season is Pennridge sophomore Kyle Gentile who placed eighth at the Beast of the East this season and is the #4 seed at 160 lbs. Delaware Valley senior Colin Irwin is the #5 seed at 160 lbs. and last season placed fourth at the ETR Tournament. Talented freshmen Frank Guida (Parkland) and Drew Peck (Chambersburg) will look for success in their first ETR.
At 170 lbs. a solid group of PA wrestlers make up the bulk of seeded wrestlers. Bethlehem Catholic senior Nick Cortopassi is the #3 seed and this season captured a Championship title at the King of the Mountain. Returning PIAA State qualifier and #4 seed Cody Seibert (Big Spring) is a dangerous wrestler who can put almost any wrestler is a cradle. Sophomore and returning PIAA State qualifier Rashon Lusane (Norristown) is the #5 seed and will be in search of his first career ETR medal after falling one win short last season. Father Judge junior Idris White was a 2013 Escape the Rock runner-up and this season he is the #6 seed at 170 lbs. White placed sixth at the POWERade Tournament this season. Central Mountain junior Gavin Caprio is a solid wrestler who last season was one win from placing at the ETR and this season placed fourth at the King of the Mountain. Talented freshman Zane Black (Bishop McDevitt) has a chance to continue his success as the #7 seed.
A pair of 2013 PIAA State qualifiers headline the PA wrestlers at 182 lbs. with Manheim Township senior John Shorter and Bethlehem Catholic’s Jose Ortiz. Shorter, the #2 seed, placed sixth last season at the ETR Tournament. Ortiz placed fifth this season at the King of the Mountain and the #3 seed fell to Shorter at the Best of the East this season by fall in (4:53). Chambersburg senior Calvin O’Farrell is the #4 seed and was one match from earning a medal at last season’s ETR.
Senior Nezar Haddad recently earned his 100th career victory and the Parkland Trojan has had an impressive season thus far. Haddad placed second in both the King of the Mountain Tournament and POWERade Tournament this season at 195 lbs. Haddad, a returning PIAA State qualifier, placed third at the ETR last season. Big Spring junior and returning PIAA State medalist Tommy Rayhart is the #3 seed at 195 lbs. Rayhart will be in search of a ETR medal a season after falling one win shy of placing in the top 6. Fellow junior and returning PIAA State qualifier Matt Wagner (Delaware Valley) is the #5 seed a season after not earning a medal. Saucon Valley’s Justin Blobe, the #6 seed, will also be in search of his first ETR medal. Bishop McDevitt Cole Nye is seeded #11 and has the potential to knock off some higher seeded wrestlers in his first career ETR.
Ditrict 11’s top 220 lbs. wrestler Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic) and Omar Haddad (Parkland) are the #1 and #2 seeds respectively. This season Dunn defeated Haddad (3-2) in the semifinals of the King of the Mountain Tournament. Dunn went on to finish as the runner-up while Haddad finished third. Haddad won the POWERade Championship title at 220 lbs. and last season placed sixth at the ETR Tournament. Senior and undefeated Central High wrestler Sam Reid is the #4 seed in his first ETR Tournament. Reid won a Wetzel Holiday Championship this season and owns a victory over the #5 seed Neil Putman (Blair Academy, NJ). Others in the hunt to place are Saucon Valley’s Tyler Kehs, Central Mountain’s Cameron Porter, and Pennridge’s Ezra Outlaw.
At 285 lbs. 3x PIAA State Champion Thomas Haines has moved up a weight-class but is no less dominant. Haines won Championship titles at the Beast of the East and the POWERade Tournament. Haines won the ETR title at 220 lbs. last season. Joining Haines is Norristown junior Shaheed Hill who placed fourth at the ETR last season. Central Mountain junior Bryce Hanley is the #9 seed at 285 lbs. and could sneak onto the medal stand.