DAWGS GEARED TO RELOAD FOR
2005 - 2006 SEASON
Posted:  November 13, 2005

2005 - 2006
VARSITY NEWS

BERWICK WRESTLING
Over 50 Years Of Pride & Tradition

Got the itch?

Anticipation is in the air and riding high for the start of competition in the 2005-2006 Berwick Wrestling season.

The Champion Dawgs have been working hard all off-season and are poised to effectively reload for the upcoming season.

It's that time of year to take a look at who we lost to graduation, who the returning starters are, and who is coming up from junior high.

Who We Lost
The Dawgs graduated ten seniors, seven of which were starters.  It was one of the biggest graduating classes in recent memory and included several post-season honorees such as
State Place Winner Anthony Bujno, State Qualifier Roland Singletary, and District Place Winners Adam Alley, Thomas Bomboy, and Billy Drake.  Other graduating seniors included starters Ryan Becker and John Karns, as well as Robert Brown, Shawn Probst, and Jeremiah Morris (who was unable to compete due to injury)..

With half of the starting lineup gone, one may be a bit concerned.

Don't be.

Senior Josh Walsh and junior Tyler Perry possess the highest honors out of all returning starters from last season.  Walsh capped his junior season as a 2005 5th Placer at the NE AAA Regional and won the 2005 District 2 AAA Championship at 135lbs.  Perry closed his sophomore season also with a 5th Place finish at the 2005 NE AAA Regional and was the 2005 District 2 AAA Runner-Up at 112lbs.

Overall, the Dawgs return a total of 5 district place winners from last season.

Seniors
Four seniors return to the lineup and will led by Regional 5th Placer and District Champion Josh Walsh who notched 35 wins last season.  Zeb Bankes, District 8th Placer, returns to fight at Heavyweight and much weight will be placed on his performance this year.  Steve Ferguson, a starter last year injured during the middle of the season, has returned to full health and much will be expected of him.  Jeff May, a talented wrestler stuck behind some big guns the past two years, will also be counted on to fight for a starting role.

Underclassman
The focus this season will be on the Dawg underclassman stepping up to manage the majority of the lineup.  Underclassman will be led by junior Tyler Perry (Regional 5th Placer & District Runner-Up with 31 wins last year), sophomore Lou Ney (District 3rd Placer with 32 wins last year), and sophomore Nick Venditti (District 5th Placer with 26 wins last year).

Aaron Karns, a tough sophomore and returning starter, will be a key Dawg counted on to anchor and excel at an upper-weight slot.  Chris Johnson, another tough sophomore who got the starting nod last year after Ferguson's injury, will be expected to take it to another level for the Dawgs as an upper middle-weight.  Sophomores Josh Snyder and Steve Beck will also be competing for starting spots.

Who's Coming Up
Each and every year the Dawgs have relied upon the talents of wrestlers making the jump from junior high to varsity to make a significant impact.  This year will be no different.  No matter what honors they achieved on the junior high level, they rise to varsity with a 0-0 career record.  Their official scholastic wrestling career starts now.  They are hungry.  They have something to prove.

The following is a review of junior high district place winners who may be competing at the varsity level this year.

Freshman Dominick Yantorn, a two-time junior high district champion, will be called upon to fill and excel at a lightweight slot.  Sophomore Derek Bower, a junior high district champion, will be battling it out and expected to shine in an upper-weight class.  Freshman Stephen Prebola (a two-time junior high district place winner) and sophomore Matt Mindler (junior high district 3rd placer) will be counted on to fill or compete for slots in both a lightweight and upper-middle weight class respectively.  Sophomore Seth Fetteroff, a junior high district 3rd placer, will also be fighting for one of the upper-middle or low heavy-weight positions.  Freshman Ryan Sitler, a junior high sectional champion last year, will also be expected to fight for the varsity roster.

Summary
The Dawgs return two regional place winners, a total of five district place winners, and will be receiving the talents of five junior high district place winners which includes two junior high district champions.  That's 10 Dawgs out of 14 starting slots who wore medal standing on a podium less than a year ago. 

The lineup will be young but very solid.  The key for the success of Berwick Wrestling this year is simple to define.  The accomplished stars will be expected to continue to shine.  The veteran starters will be expected to have a break-out season.  Those coming up from junior high and those yearning for their first starting role will be counted on to wrestle as seasoned veterans.

Preseason district rankings have Berwick near the basement.  In my opinion, what a great place to be at this time of the year.  That's why the matches are wrestled with the only ranking that counts being the final results of the year.  One intangible factor into the equation this year is that Berwick will not have to wait until late December to return to full roster strength as we now have all of our wrestlers that compete in fall sports back for the first day of practice.

District competition may resemble a level of parity close to that witnessed last year.  As always, team competition will hinge on individual match-ups.  A look around the district shows Hazleton returning the most starters from last year, Pittston returns the bulk of their lineup and will be in the hunt, Coughlin is always able to tap the most sap from the maple tree, and Crestwood and Valley West should be improved from last year.  District titles can be for the taking. The Champion Dawgs can certainly be in the running for another championship season.

With a great series of tough tournaments during the first month of competition, expect the Dawgs to be both hungry and confident going into the bulk of the dual meet season.  This tough slate of early tournaments could be "just what the doctor ordered" in getting the young and very talented Dawgs in veteran shape.

Pride and tradition doesn't graduate.  Pride and tradition reloads.

Good Luck Dawgs!!!