Times News Mat Rankings

(through Jan. 14)

bout minimum: 5

106

- 1. Josh Griffith, Pleasant Valley, So. (15-5), 2. Ridge Snyder, Jim Thorpe, Fr. (10-10).

113

- 1. William Schwartz, Jim Thorpe, Sr. (15-4), 2. Brendan Smay, Northern Lehigh, Jr. (14-4), 3. Everett Lata, Pleasant Valley, So. (12-7).

120

- 1. Lukas Ferguson, Lehighton, So. (8-5), 2. Austin Oncay, Tamaqua, Fr. (7-5).

126

- 1. Eli Dellicker, Northwestern, So. (7-7), 2. Nick Zeigenfuss, Lehighton, Fr. (8-8).

132

- 1. Gabe Heaney, Jim Thorpe, So. (16-5), 2. Dennis Lombardi, Palmerton, So. (9-5), 3. Steven Fritzinger, Lehighton, Jr. (13-9).

138

- 1. Lucas Sangiuliano, Lehighton, Sr. (10-8), 2. Randy Steigerwalt, Tamaqua, Jr. (11-7), 3. Nathan Ellan, Northern Lehigh, Jr. (8-8).

Honorable mention

- Michael Shlanta, Tamaqua, Jr. (5-5).

145

- 1. Trevor Amorim, Northern Lehigh, So. (17-3), 2.. Ben Griffith, Northwestern, Jr. (13-8), 3. Aaron Coccio, Tamaqua, Jr. (9-9).

152

- 1. James Syracuse, Pleasant Valley, So. (14-5), 2. Caleb Sell, Tamaqua, Sr. (14-6), 3. Jon Ahner, Lehighton, Jr. (9-9).

Honorable mention

- Dax Weller, Tamaqua, Jr. (6-5), Brendan Allen, Panther Valley, Jr. (8-8).

160

- 1. Shawn Gardner, Palmerton, Sr. (12-4), 2. Lucas Miller, Northwestern, Fr. (10-8), 3. Eric Moyer, Panther Valley, Sr. (5-4).

Honorable mention

- Joseph Abidelli, Northern Lehigh, Jr. (3-3), Cole Eberts, Tamaqua, So. (5-4).

170

- 1. Richard Fronheiser, Lehighton, Jr. (13-1), 2. Jared Newhall, Jim Thorpe, So. (17-2), 3. Alex Womack, Pleasant Valley, Sr. (17-2).

Honorable mention

- Matt Lalik, Palmerton, Sr. (11-6), Harrison Bernhard, Northwestern, Sr. (16-5), Carson Krell, Tamaqua, Jr. (5-3).

182

- 1. Nate Wickersham, Tamaqua, Jr. (14-4), 2. Alex Zeigenfuss, Lehighton, Sr. (12-6), 3. Caleb McDermott, Jim Thorpe, So. (12-8).

Honorable mention

- Tyler Watson, Northwestern, Sr. (11-6).

195

- 1. Chris Frable, Pleasant Valley, Jr. (16-2), 2. Matt Frame, Northern Lehigh, So. (11-8), 3. Trent Hunter, Jim Thorpe, Sr. (8-5).

Honorable mention

- De’Antay Alston, Panther Valley, So. (6-2).

220

- 1. Brett Gasker, Lehighton, Sr. (16-3), 2. Kendall Herron, Jim Thorpe, Sr. (11-8), 3. Ryan Haverkamp, Northwestern, Sr. (10-6).

Honorable mention

- Jason Hunter, Northern Lehigh, Jr. (7-6); Jerome Balliet, Tamaqua, Jr. (8-2).

285

- 1. Bronson Strouse, Tamaqua, Sr. (17-1), 2. Derek Hunter, Jim Thorpe, Jr. (17-1), 3. Josh Schaffer, Northern Lehigh, Jr. (14-5).

Honorable mention

- Mike Yeakel, Lehighton, Jr. (6-5).

NOTES ... Griffith was third at Danville’s Iron Hammer Invitational over the weekend, and placed fourth at the South Williamsport Tournament earlier this month ... Snyder posted a seventh-place finish at Jim Thorpe’s Christmas Tournament in December ... Schwartz was second at JT’s Christmas Tournament. The senior went 4-1 at the Indian Duals over the weekend, with his only loss coming by a 7-4 decision to Scranton’s Dwight Abram, who is currently 13-9. He is the top seed at 113 for tomorrow’s Schuylkill League Tournament ... Smay was first at the Sam Lovello Tournament and pinned Lata in 1:32 on Dec. 28 ... Lata posted third place finishes at both Danville’s Iron Hammer Invite and the South Williamsport Tournament ... Ferguson, who took third at the season-opening Sam Lovello Tournament, wrestled for the first time since Dec. 20 at the Indian Duals over the weekend and went 4-1 ... Dellicker has faced some tough competition this season between the X-Caliber, Bethlehem Holiday and Zephyr Mat Classic. The sophomore also owns a 10-9 decision wrestling at 120 pounds over Smay, ranked second at 113 pounds this week ... Zeigenfuss was fifth at JT’s Christmas Tournament ... Heaney, who was sixth at Thorpe’s Christmas Tournament, posted a 5-0 performance at the Indian Duals, with three pins and a decision ... Lombardi was fourth at the Carlisle Tournament and topped Fritzinger 8-3 on Monday ... Fritzinger was fifth at the Sam Lovello Tournament and sixth at JT’s Christmas event. He was 4-1 at the Indian Duals ... Sangiuliano was sixth at JT’s Christmas Tournament, and went 4-1 at the Indian Duals ... Steigerwalt was fifth at the season-opening Darren Klingerman Invitational ... Amorim, fifth at the Sam Lovello Tournament, has won 11 straight matches since a 6-1 loss to Central Columbia’s Issac Kester on Dec. 28. Only one of those victories came via forfeit. Kester is currently 15-5 and was sixth in District 4 a year ago ... Griffith topped Heaney 6-4 at 132 pounds at the Rough Rider Tournament earlier this season. Heaney is first at 132 in this week’s rankings ... Coccio was second at the Darren Klingerman Invite wrestling at 138 pounds. He also dropped a 10-6 decision to Sangiuliano on Dec. 11, a match wrestled at 145. He is seeded second at 138 for the league tournament ... Syracuse was first at both the South Williamsport and Iron Hammer tournaments. Syracuse won his first six matches of the season, five of them via pin, the other by technical fall ... Sell was fourth at the Darren Klingerman Invite. Ahner finished fifth at JT’s Christmas Tournament ... Gardner was seventh at the Carlisle Tournament and third at the Governor MIfflin Holiday Tournament ... Abidelli has been out since Dec. 12, and won’t return until at least after the Coal Cracker Tournament on Jan. 24-25 ... Moyer was fifth at the Jim Thorpe Christmas Tournament ... Newhall leads a loaded class at 170. The sophomore was 5-0 at the Indian Duals, finishing all five bouts with a pin and going to the second period just once. The sophomore has won 13 matches via pinfall this season. Newhall’s two losses have come to Wallenpaupack’s Sam Kier in the JT Christmas Tournament final, and to Pine Grove’s Gavin Harris ... Fronheiser has not lost since a 14-4 setback against JP McCaskey’s Andrew Vogelbacher in the 170-pound final at the Sam Lovello Tournament. Vogelbacher is currently 16-0. Fronheiser has nine pins this season. Fronheiser is seeded second for the league tournament ... Womack placed first at the Iron Hammer Invite over the weekend, and was second at the South Williamsport Tournament earlier this month ... Bernhard was second at the Rough Rider Tournament and placed fifth at the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic with a 3-1 overtime decision against Northampton’s Colby Judd. Bernhard also topped Gardner, ranked first at 160, with an 8-6 decision in overtime ... Lalik placed third at the Carlisle Tournament and fourth at the Governor MIfflin Holiday Tournament ... Krell was fifth at the Darren Klingerman Invite but has not wrestled since Dec. 17 when he pinned Schuylkill Haven’s John Milosh ... Wickersham was second at the Darren Klingerman Invite and posted a 5-0 decision over Zeigenfuss on Dec. 11. He has suffered narrow setbacks in each of his last two matches – dropping a 3-2 decision to Line Mountain’s Jacob Feese on Jan. 11 and falling 4-2 to Wilson’s Alec Snyder on Jan. 14 in overtime. Wickersham was third at districts and fifth at regionals to qualify for states for the first time last season. He is seeded second for the league tournament ... Zeigenfuss was fifth at JT’s Christmas Tournament and went 4-1 at the Indian Duals ... McDermott was third at JT’s Christmas Tournament and posted a 3-2 mark at the Indian Duals ... Watson fell to Lalik, an honorable mention selection at 170 pounds this week, 5-3 in sudden victory overtime during the Tigers’ season opener ... Frable powered to titles at the South Williamsport Tournament earlier this month and the Danville Iron Hammer Invite over the weekend. Frable has not lost since suffering back-to-back setbacks to Blue Mountain’s Kevin Croley and Hughesville’s Caleb Burkhart on Dec. 13 ... Trent Hunter wrestled his first five matches of the season at 195 at the Indian Duals and finished 4-1. He is seeded second for the league tournament ... Frame was fourth at the Sam Lovello Tournament ... Alston is 5-1 in his last six matches, but he was injured in his last match, a 9-8 loss to Whitehall’s Melquan Warren during Saturday’s Indian Duals ... Gasker is unbeaten since a loss to Port Jervis’ James Oostermom in the JT Christmas Tournament final, going 8-0 during that time. He is seeded second at 220 pounds for tomorrow’s league tournament ... Herron wrestled at 220 pounds at the Indian Duals for the first time since the Rough Rider Tournament on Dec. 7 and went 4-1. Herron was fourth at both the Rough Rider and JT Christmas tournaments ... Balliet pinned Gasker in :54 during Tamaqua’s dual against Lehighton on Dec. 11, but the junior has dropped his last two matches. Wyalusing’s Jackson Chilson pinned Balliet on Jan. 11, and Milton’s Brent Mitch won via injury time ... Jason Hunter was fifth at the Sam Lovello Tournament ... Haverkamp was fourth at the X-Caliber Tournament ... Strouse’s only loss of the season was a 2-1 setback on Jan. 4 to Bensalem’s John Klewin, who is currently 17-0. Klewin was third at regionals last year and qualified for states. Strouse has nine pins this season. The senior is coming off a 3-2 decision over Wilson’s Roger Russell on Jan. 14. Russell is 16-4 this season, and was fifth at districts a year ago. Strouse has qualified for states the past two years, and was a district champion and third at regionals last season ... Derek Hunter has been a machine this season, pinning 14 of his opponents. The junior’s first decision victory of the season was a 6-3 triumph over Tunkhannock’s Jhamal Zacharias Saturday at the Indian Duals. Hunter’s only loss was to Sun Valley’s Hunter Catka on Dec. 14. Catka, who is committed to Virginia Tech and owns a career record of 113-9, was a Class 3A state champion in 2018 and took third last season. Hunter was third at districts, sixth at regionals and made his first trip to Hershey last season ... After starting the season 1-4, Yeakel has gone 5-1. He went 3-1 at the Indian Duals ... Strouse (No. 1) and Hunter (No. 2) enter tomorrow’s league tournament as the top seeds at 285, setting up a potential showdown in the final ... Six of Schaffer’s

wins this season have come by way of pinfall.

(compiled by Patrick Matsinko)