Sun Valley Wrestling: Archive 06-07 Results & Highlights
A New Season Begins
Welcome to the 2006-2007 Vanguard Wrestling Season. Practice begins today with the first scrimmage on Saturday.
Good luck to the Coaching Staff and the wrestlers.
Wednesday, November 15
District One Re-Districted
Here's some clarification of the re-districting taking place in District One.
Sun Valley will remain in Section V and will be combined with Section I and Section VII as part of District One South.
Below are a list of teams making up Sections I, V, & VII:
Section I:
Abington
Bensalem
Council Rock North
Council Rock South
Harry S. Truman
Neshaminy
Pennsbury
Upper Moreland
William Tenent
Section V:
Acacemy Park
Chichester
Glen Mills
Haverford
Interboro
Penn Wood
Ridley
Springfield
Sun Valley
Upper Darby
Section VII (Phila. Public League):
Central
Dobbins Tech
(Thomas) Edison
Frankford
(Ben) Franklin
Germantown
Kensington
(Abraham) Lincoln
Northeast
Olney
Overbrook
(George) Washington
Thursday, November 16
Roster Pictures
Pictures for the Website Roster are scheduled to be taken on Friday, November 24 and Wednesday, November 29 prior to practice. All wrestlers interested in having their picture on the website please arrive for practice a few minutes early.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Wednesday, November 22
Vanguards Name Captains
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Joe Boccella has a Black Belt in Karate and joined the Vanguards for the 05-06 Season. Having been awarded the Most Improved Wrestler last season, Joe attended off season camps and practices to improve his skills for his final season.
Coming off a career high 18 wins last season, Matt Christy spent the summer at wrestling camp and weight lifting. He led the Vikings as Captain during his final season of Middle School, and now has a chance to lead the Vanguards in his final season of High School.
Congratulations on your selections and Good Luck going forward through the season!
Sunday, December 3
Vanguards Do One Better
For the past two seasons, the Sun Valley Vanguards invaded Brandywine High School to compete in the Bulldog Classic. Each year they returned home a Fourth Place finisher. This year, behind Silver Medals by Turhan Solis (103), Ed Laulis (135), and Josh Marquard (160), and a Bronze Medal by Adam Porter (152), the Vanguards moved one up and captured Third Place. Finishing just 4 Points behind second place finisher Cardinal O'Hara, fourth place finishers Dan Stover (112), Matt Christy (130, and Joe Boccella (140) helped Sun Valley finish ahead of 13 of Delaware's finest teams.
Overall the Vanguards wrestled extremely well, making the Coaching Staff very proud.
Winners on the day include:
Dan Asebedo - 1 win
Mark Asebedo - 2 wins
Tyler Biddle - 1 win
Joe Boccella - 3 wins
Jeff Chen - 3 wins
Matt Christy - 2 wins
Matt Fisher - 2 win
Greg Kutys - 1 win
Ed Laulis - 2 wins
Cody Lee - 2 win
Josh Marquard - 2 wins
Charlie Morgan - 2 wins
Adam Porter - 3 wins
Sean Robbins - 1 win
Josh Simms - 1 win
Sean Simon - 3 wins
Turhan Solis - 3 wins
Dan Stover - 2 wins
Dom Venuti - 2 wins
Next Up: Ridley at home, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 6pm.
Wednesday, December 6
Raided!!
Behind the strength of 5 District Qualifiers, including a Section Champion, the Ridley Green Raiders marched into the Valley and took no prisoners.
The Vanguards met the raid head on as Josh Marquard (160) established a 6-0 lead. The Raiders quickly regrouped, running off 41 straight points. However, the Vanguards dug in as Matt Christy (130) and Ed Laulis (135) fired off consecutive pins in less than a minute each. By then, the damage had been done, as the Raiders handed the Vanguards a 57-18 defeat.
The Junior Varsity held off the advancing Raiders winning 6 of 11 matches. Although team scores are not normally kept for JV matches, the Vanguards bested the Raiders 36-29. Jeff Chen (119), Shane Mullen (125), and Sean Simon (160) powered the Vanguards with 1st Period pins. Sean Robbins (145) and Dan Asebedo (103) added 2nd Period pins to support the effort.
The most exciting match of the night featured the Vanguard’s Shaun Lessik (152). After being tied after each of the 1st two periods, 2-2 and 7-7 respectively, Shaun squeezed out a 12-10 decision to help secure victory in the Valley.
Next up: At Strath Haven, Friday, 6pm
Sunday, December 10
Vanguards Cage Fiesty Panthers
Coach K employed a little bit of strategy against his former club, and it paid off. Bumping 112 lber Dan Stover up to 119lbs worked masterfully as Dan scored a pin just 52 seconds into the 2nd Period. After Strath Haven tied the score, Matt Christy (130) worked an 8-1 decision followed by a 2nd Period pin by Ed Laulis (135). The Panthers fought back, closing the score to 15-9. But the Vanguards weren't through. Newcomer Kyle Russell (145), who traded his Royal Purple and Gold for Vanguard Blue and Gold, toughed out a 5-3 decision as Adam Porter (152) and Josh Marquard (160) scored consecutive 2nd Period pins to give the Vanguards a commanding 30-9 lead. Josh Sims (189) added six more points with a forfeit victory, and the visiting team was well on their way. However, someone forgot to tell Strath Haven that Sun Valley was on their way to winning! The Panthers extended their claws and scratched off 18 unanswered points bringing sweat pouring from the Vanguard fans. However, they fell just short as Sun Valley boarded the bus with a 36-33 win over Strath Haven.
In JV Action: John Haines pasted a quick 30 second pin, and Tyler Biddle and Sean Robbins added 2nd Period pins each.
Next Up: Unionville, Tuesday, 12/19, at home, 6pm.
Saturday, December 16
No Gold for Blue & Gold
Sun Valley didn't bring home a Gold Medal from the Strath Haven JV Tournament, but they did have a Blue & Gold Consolation Final. At 103lbs, Turhan Solis won the bronze, and Mark Asebedo finished in 4th Place. Sean Simon (160) led the way with a Silver Medal, and Dan Stover (112) and Cody Lee (119) each finished in 4th Place. All in all it was a good day as the competition was exceptional!
Winners on the day:
Turhan Solis - 4 wins
Mark Asebedo - 3 wins
Cody Lee - 3 wins
Dan Stover - 3 wins
Dan Asebedo - 2 wins
Jeff Chen - 2 wins
Sean Robbins - 2 wins
Sean Simon - 2 wins
John Haines - 1 win
Shaun Lessick - 1 win
Mark McKean - 1 win
Shane Mullin - 1 win
Wednesday, December 20
Hard Fought Battle in the Valley
The Unionville Indians rode into the Valley expecting the Vanguards to circle the wagons and bury their heads in the sand. Coach K and the defenders had something else in mind.
The Vanguards enticed the Indians, handing them an early 9-0 lead before the ambush began. Coming out firing, Adam Porter (152) blasted a 10-2 major decision followed by Josh Marquard's (160) forfeit win. Sean Simon (171) circled from behind to post his first Varsity win, a 7-6 decision elevating the Vanguards to a 13-9 lead.
The Vanguards refused to give up the big points, as Unionville charged back to take a 19-13 lead. Mark McKean's (285) first varsity win and Turhan Solis' (103) forfeit victories put Sun Valley back in the saddle, leading 25-19. The Indians, however out gunned the Vanguards in the end, handing Sun Valley a 35-25 defeat.
The Vanguards showed a lot of heart and character as they stood their ground against a very good Unionville wrestling team.
In JV action, Tyler Biddle led all the way in his 8-0 decision and Greg Kutys worked a masterful 7-5 win over his opponent.
Next Up: Radnor Holiday Tournament, Saturday, Dec. 23, 9am
Thursday, December 21
Laulis Draws a "3" Spot
The Daily Times released it's first weekly wrestling Individual and Team Rankings. Although Sun Valley has not been recognized as one of the top seven teams in Delaware County, Vanguard Wrestler Ed Laulis has received a #3 Ranking at 135 Pounds.
Saturday, December 23
Vanguards Roll "Sixes" At Radnor
Sun Valley placed "Six" wrestlers in the Consolation Finals; All of the Vanguards finsished "Sixth" or higher; And as a team, Sun Valley placed "Sixth" out of a 12 team field.
All Varsity wrestlers that competed in the Radnor Holiday Tournament wrestled in one of the three final rounds at the end of the day, with no Vanguard finishing lower than 6th Place. Turhan Solis(103), Matt Christy (130), Ed Laulis (135), Adam Porter (152), and Mark McKain (285) all finished in 3rd Place. Josh Marquard (160) finished in 4th Place, while Cody Lee (119), Kyle Russell (145) and Vince Boyle (215) finished in 5th Place, and Dan Stover (112), Charlie Morgan (125), Sean Simon (171), and Mike Redden (189) finished in 6th Place.
Winners on the day:
Adam Porter - 3 wins
Turhan Solis - 2 wins
Cody Lee - 2 wins
Matt Christy - 2 wins
Ed Laulis - 2 wins
Kyle Russell - 2 wins
Mike Redden - 2 wins
Vince Boyle - 2 wins
Dan Stover - 1 win
Charlie Morgan - 1 win
Josh Marquard - 1 win
Sean Simon - 1 win
Mark McKain - 1 win
Results of JV Action to follow:
Thursday, December 28
Valley Takes 2nd by Three!!
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Sun Valley 43 Upper Dublin 15
Someone had mentioned that the Cardinals of Upper Dublin were undefeated and came to the Delco Duals with the expectation of taking home a trophy. Instead, the Vanguards clipped their wings. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead on Matt Christy's (130) 8-1 decision, the Vanguards never looked back. Ed Laulis (135) followed with at 9-3 decision and Joe Boccella (140) came from behind to deck his bird in the third period. Adam Porter (152) made the Cardinals see red with an 11-3 major decision, and Josh Marquard (171) and Vince Boyle (215) each landed third period pins. Mark McKain (285) stayed hot with a second period pin, followed by a first period pin by Turhan Solis (103). Dan Stover (112) closed out the scoring for Sun Valley with a 6-0 decision.
Sun Valley 55 St. Pius X 20
The Vanguards were kind enough to let SPX win four bouts, although one of them was a forfeit, before completely dominating the meet. Ed Laulis (135) got the Vanguards on the board with a forfeit win followed by Joe Boccella's (140) 15-4 major decision. By the way, did anyone see Joe's back flip into a head lock? Sweeeeet! Anyway, Adam Porter (152) slammed home a third period pin, followed by Sean Simon (160) and Josh Marquard's (171) first and third period pins. After Vince Boyle (215) accepted a forfeit win, Mark McKain (285) stepped up again decking his opponent in the first period. Turhan Solis (103) accepted another one of SPX's forfeits as Cody Lee (119) earned a 6-0 decision, and Matt Christy (130) closed the door with a first period pin.
Sun Valley 39 Jim Thorpe 34.....oops, 31
Defending Delco Duals Champion Jim Thorpe didn't like the results of the opening pool's final round. Both the Olypians and the Vanguards were undefeated going into this qualifying bout. The winner moves to the Championship Pool, and the loser moves into, well, another pool. So unhappy were the Olympians, that after the meet, their coach was ejected and their team was penalized three points. (not that it mattered) It was "nip & tuck" all the way as Joe Boccella (140) put the Vanguards on the board with a 9-3 decision. Adam Porter (152) and Josh Marquard (160) put the Vanguards ahead 15-3 with first and third period pins respectively. But the Olympians fired back taking a 24-15 lead before Turhan Solis (103) stepped in and accepted a forfeit win. Dan Stover (112) pulled the Vanguards within three to 27-24, but the Olympians fired back to take a 34-27 lead with just two matches left. At this point, I'm sure the Olympians were set to cross the finish line with ease, however, they didn't know who those two Vanguards were standing in their way. After Charlie Morgan (125) wrestled a defensive match to set up the climatic finish, Matt Christy (130) stepped in and slammed down a second period pin bringing the Vanguards to within one point of the lead with just one match to go. Winner takes all, and all of Sun Valley's bets were on..........yup, Ed Laulis (135). Ed stepped in and launched the Vanguards into the Championship pool with a first period pin dousing the Olympians bid for a repeat.
Sun Valley 34 Cardinal O'Hara 29
The Daily Times 6th Ranked team, and several ranked wrestlers swaggered around Academy Parks gym like they owned the place. Facing un-ranked Sun Valley, the odds were that O'Hara would be in the Championship. Guess again. Sun Valley powered out to 6-0 lead and never looked back. Quiet up to that point, Kyle Russell (145) saved his best performance for when it counted the most with a first period pin launching the Vanguards to their upset victory. Josh Marquard (160) earned an 8-3 decision followed by Scott Simon's (171) third period pin. Vince Boyle (215) worked a 15-8 decision, while Mark McKain (285) worked his magic once again with a first period pin. Ed Laulis (135) sealed the deal with a second period pin vaulting the Vanguards into the Championship.
Sun Valley 30 William Tennent 33
There were two trophies standing on the scorers table and Sun Valley was taking one of them home. After Adam Porter (152) gave the Vanguards and early 3-0 lead, William Tennent came charging back shutting down Sun Valley and taking an 18-3 lead. Big Mark McKain (285), who keeps going and going and going took just 25 seconds to pin his opponent. That decking charged the Vanguards as Turhan Solis (103) worked a second period pin, and Dan Stover (112) smacked a first period pin, propelling the Vanguards into the lead 21-18. William Tennent just would not go away, as they kept fighting taking back a 29-21 lead. Ed Laulis (135) brought the Vanguards back to within two points, 29-27, but by the time Kyle Russell (145) earned a 5-2 decision, the match was already won by William Tennent.
Not since 2003 have the Vanguards placed this high in the Delco Duals. In that year, Sun Valley lost to Elco in the Championship Final 53-23.
This year's 2nd Place finish was accomplished by applying a team effort. Ed Laulis was the only Vanguard to win all five matches, and some others won four. However, if it weren't for the efforts of ALL the wrestlers, we would have never gotten into the finals. I saw a T-shirt at Radnor that said, "Go for Six, Get Six, Never Give Six." The Vanguards followed that word for word. Not giving up pins in their losses, and getting pins in their wins, really makes a difference in close matches.
Congratulations to all wrestlers. Keep up the good work.
Winners on the day:
Ed Laulis - 5 wins
Turhan Solis - 4 wins
Adam Porter - 4 wins
Josh Marquard - 4 wins
Mark McKain - 4 wins
Dan Stover - 3 wins
Vince Boyle - 3 wins
Matt Christy - 3 wins
Joe Boccella - 3 wins
Kyle Russell - 2 wins
Sean Simon - 2 wins
Cody Lee - 1 win
Next Up: League Opener at Home, Glen Mills, 1/4, 6pm
Wednesday, December 27
Rankings Once Again
This week, the Delaware County Daily Times claimed the Vanguards Adam Porter. Adam is ranked third in the 152lb weight class by the Daily Times.
Congratulations Adam.
Friday, December 29
Vanguard Named Daily Times Athlete of the Week
Sun Valley Vanguard Matt Christy has been named by the Delaware County Daily Times as the Athlete of the Week for the week of December 25th.
Congratulations Matt and keep up the good work.
Friday, January 5
Charging Back Falls Short
The Valley was overcome with Bulls as Glen Mills visited Sun Valley in the Del-Val League Opener. Although the Vanguards gave up early ground, they were one's charging back.
After spotting the Bulls a 19 point lead, Turhan Solis got the Vanguards on the board with a forfeit win at 103lbs. It wasn't the Bulls, but the Vanguards that were "snorting and scuffing." Dan Stover (112) posted a 16-3 major decision and Charlie Morgan (125) stepped up with a 6-2 decision. Followed by 14-4 and 15-5 major decisions by Matt Christy (130) and Ed Laulis (135) respectively, the Vanguards pulled within one point of the lead. An 8-5 decision by Kyle Russell (145) followed by a 13-5 major decision by Adam Porter (152) gave the Vanguards their first lead of the night.
Battling all the way back was not quite enough as Glen Mills had one more Bull than the Vanguards had rockets. The Battling Bulls of Glen Mills handed Sun Valley a 30-28 defeat in a close fought league match up.
In JV Action, John Haines warmed up the crowd by battling back from a 5-0 deficit scoring a 2nd Period Pin. Jeff Chen followed by taking a 2-2 tie into the 3rd period before "hog tieing" his Bull with less than a minute remaining in the match. Shane Mullen closed out the scoring by taking an early 2-1 lead into the second period before quickly decking his opponent.
Next Up: At Penn Wood, 1/10.
Thursday, January 11
Vanguard Overruns Patriots
With the help of forfeit wins by Turhan Solis (103), Matt Christy (130), Kyle Russell (145), and Adam Porter (152), Sun Valley posted a 60-12 victory over the Penn Wood Patriots in Lansdowne last night. Charlie Morgan (125) got the scoring started by winning his second consecutive match 7-5. Following the first forfeit, Ed Laulis (135) gathered up some points before decking his Patriot in the 1st Period while Joe Boccella (140) took just 41 seconds to dispose of his. Two more forfeits led up to Sean Simon's (160) gutsy 8-7 decision. Andrew Park (171) earned his 1st career victory with a 6-3 decision and Baq Duncan (215) toughed out his first Varsity victory with a back and forth 11-10 decision. Mark McKain (285) continued his hot streak taking less than a minute to send his Patriot packing, and Cody Lee (119) closed out the skirmish by posting a 1st Period pin.
The JV rode the tide as Greg Kutys and Shaun Lessik posted 1st Period pins and Mike Redden earned a 3rd Period pin. Sony Ross got his first win of the season with a 12-8 decision.
As a side note, Shaun Lessik wrestled two matches, pinning his first in 1:27, and his second in :27. If you play the lottery, you may want to consider this, Mike Redden's pin was 1:27 into the third period. Hmmmmmm..........interesting.
Next Up: Chichester, Home, 1/17. Aston AA night, so arrive early. JV starts 6pm.
Thursday, January 18
"Where Eagles Dare"
Amidst a full house at Sun Valley High School's Gymnasium, the Vanguards put on a show, clipping rival Chichester 52-21.
Before the event started, the Vanguards hosted the Aston AA Bandits. These future wrestlers were introduced and charged out onto the mat through the outstreched arms of the Vanguard wrestlers. Once on the mat they were greeted by handshakes and high-fives by Vanguard Wrestling Coach Damon Kuzemka.
On a more serious note, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Referees Association presented Mrs. Kevin Royer with a plaque and dedicated a memorial in memory of her husband, Kevin, who passed away last year. Kevin Royer was a wrestling official and was very active in the sport. Kevin was also an avid Sun Valley fan and time keeper for the Vanguards. Kevin was well loved, and loved everyone.
Now then, let's "Rock 'n' Roll!" Kyle Russell (145) opened up the rivalry, and if you blinked, you missed it! Kyle took just 29 seconds to bring down his bird. Hardly enough time to work up a sweat, 'eh? Adam Porter (152) climbed aboard the pin machine and took over the controls. After methodically wearing his opponent down, Adam stuck him with less than a minute left. Revving up the motor, Josh Marquard (160) returned after resting a sore shoulder to bring the hammer down in the second period. Sean Simon (171) didn't want to over heat the engine, so he gave the pin machine a rest. With a "rope-a-dope" technique, Sean allowed his opponent to tire, while quietly adding points. When it was all over, Sean had mastered an 11-1 major decision. Mike Redden (189) had no respect for the pin machine, nor the Eagles, as he wasted less than a minute, launching the Vanguards to a 28-0 lead. Mark McKain (285) accepted a forfeit while Turhan Solis (103) and Dan Stover (112) once again warmed up the pin machine. Turhan blew his bird out of the sky in just 36 seconds, while Dan sealed the victory in 36 seconds of the third. Matt Christy (130) closed out the scoring with a first period grounding of his Eagle.
In JV Action: Jeff Chen fired out with a 2nd period decking while Tyler Biddle worked an efficient 6-4 decision. Shaun Lessik continued his winning ways grounding his bird in the 2nd Period.
Up Next: Conestoga 5-Star Dual Tournament
Sunday, January 21
"2-Stars" at 5-Star
For second consecutive year, the Vanguards travelled to Conestoga to participate in the 5-Star Dual Meet Competition. The teams participating in this competion come from all over the state and are regarded as some of Pennsylvania's best teams. After coming off a big Del Val victory against Chichester, the Vanguards were immediately thrust back into the kettle to face off against some tough and competitive teams.
Round One - Sun Valley 28 Norristown 39
The Vanguards jumped out to a 9-0 lead on the strength of Turhan Solis' (103) 11-5 decision followed by a forfeit win by Dan Stover (112). But the competition in this tournament was such that no one could sit on a lead as the Norristown Eagles battled back to over take the Vanguards 15-9. Ed Laulis (135) scored an 8-7 decision and Adam Porter's (152) 1st Period pin helped bring the Vanguards back. Josh Marquard (160) gave the Vanguards a 22-21 lead after posting a 13-1 major decision. When Vince Boyle (215) decked his Eagle in the 3rd Period, the Vanguards were within a pin of victory with one match remaining. But on this night, at this place, it was not to be as the Vanguards dropped an opportunity to pick up a 1st Round win.
Round Two - Sun Valley 27 Avon Grove 43
The second round proved to be much closer than the score would indicate. Once again the Vanguards took an early 6-0 lead as Dan Stover (112) recorded a 1st Period pin. But again, the lead was handed back. Ed Laulis (135) recorded a 2nd Period pin at the buzzer, and Adam Porter (160) and Josh Marquard (171) decked their Devils to bring the Vanguards back to within three points. That would be all the scoring Sun Valley could muster until Turhan Solis (103) won the final bout with a 14-7 decision.
Round Three - Sun Valley 36 Central York 36*
Round Three brought about something rarely seen in High School Wrestling, a tie breatker. For the third straight time, the Vanguards opened with the lead as Cody Lee (119) posted 1st Period pin giving Sun Valley and early 6-0 lead. Matt Christy (130) and Ed Laulis (135) posted back to back pins boosting the Vanguards lead to 18-6. But the Tigers battled back taking a 21-18 lead midway through the match. A forfeit win by Sean Simon (160) followed by a 6-0 decision by Josh Maquard (171) and a 1st Period pin by Mike Redden the Vanguards recaptured the lead 33-21. Turhan Solis (103) gave the Vanguards a late 36-30 lead, but the Tigers roared back to tie the match 36-36. Since there are no ties in wrestling, tie breaker criteria was used. Still tied after the 1st Tie Breaker, the 2nd Tie Breaker, the 3rd Tie Breaker, and so on. It wasn't until the 6th Tie Breaker that a winner was declared. The 6th Tie Breaker is a total of the first points scored in each match. Sun Valley totaled 12, and Central York totaled 13, handing the Vanguards their 3rd consecutive loss.
Round Four - Sun Valley 20 West Chester Henderson 44
This time the Vanguards started from behind as WCH jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. This lead was short lived as Matt Christy (130) posted 1st Period pin followed by 13-5 and 13-1 decisions by Ed Laulis (135) and Joe Boccella (140). But the Warriors were too strong as they chaged back to take a commanding 32-14 lead. Mark McKain (285) temporarily stopped the bleeding with a forfeit win, however, the Vanguards met their match.
Round Five - Sun Valley 16 Conestoga 56
The Vanguards stayed close with a defensive effort. A 10-0 major decision by Ed Laulis (135) and a 1st Period pin by Josh Marquard (160) kept the Vanguards close, trailing 15-10. Conestoga was too strong, as Mark McKain (285) was the only other Vanguard to win as he decked his opponent in 46 seconds.
Round Six - Sun Valley 51 Strath Haven 32
A few weeks makes a difference in wrestling. Sun Valley just barely survived a trip to Strath Haven early in the season, coming away with a 3 point victory. But at this competition, the results would be much different. After being out with an injury, Matt Fisher (145) made his presence known with a 3rd Period pin, followed by a forfeit win by Kyle Russell (152). Adam Porter (160) and Josh Marquard (171) each scored 2nd Period pins and Vince Boyle (215) added a 1st Period decking. Dan Stover (112) posted a 2nd Period pin followed by Cody Lee's (119) workmanlike 6-2 decision. Matt Christy (130) closed out the scoring with a 1st Period pin.
Final Round - Sun Valley 51 Phoenixville 12
The Vanguards won their second consecutive match jumping out to a 22-0 lead. Joe Boccella (140) got things started with a 7-1 decision. As Boccella was working his win, Kyle Russell (145) warmed up and was preparing to do battle, but the Phantoms decided to duck him, forcing him to accept a forfeit win. Matt Fisher (152), the intended target of the "ducking", came out and did nothing less than to make them pay for the move, as he scored a 16-4 major decision. Adam Porter (160) took just 24 seconds to deck his Phantom, while Josh Marquard (171) toughed out a 12-10 decision. Mark McKain (285) accepted a forfeit win followed by a 6-4 decision by Dan Stover (112). Charlie Morgan (125) earned a 10-7 decision followed by a 19-4 tech fall by Matt Christy (130). Ed Laulis (135) closed out the scoring.
Next Up: Parents/Senior Appreciation Night, 1/24, Academy Park at the Valley.
Thursday, January 25
A DAN-dy TUR(ha)N of EVENTS
On a night when the Sun Valley Vanguards honored their Senior Wrestlers, it was the underclassmen who stole the show. Before the match got underway, the seniors were individually introduced and honored their parents with a flower as a token of their appreciation, and posed for pictures at center mat. With all of the festivities, there was some cautious excitement in the air. The Vanguards hoping to stay alive in the race for the League Championship, and Academy Park hoping to all but clinch a share of the title, each team needed a victory. At first, it didn’t look good for the Vanguards, as the Knights rode out to a 12-0 lead. Seniors Ed Laulis and Joe Boccella closed the gap with back to back 11-8 and 14-3 decisions. But the Knights wouldn’t give in, extending their lead to 16-7. Senior Matt Fisher toughed out a 5-2 decision bringing the Vanguards within 6 points of the lead.
Up step the Vanguard underclassmen. Refusing to allow their Senior classmates to walk off the home mat for the last time with a loss, Junior Adam Porter and Sophomore Josh Marquard scored consecutive 7-0 and 7-4 decisions, and Sophomore Mike Redden toppled his Knight with a 2nd Period pin giving the Vanguards a 22-16 lead, and new life. But the Knights were in full armor as they battled back to take a 25-22 lead with just two bouts remaining.
There was an eerie silence drifting through the stands as Sophomore Turhan Solis took to the mat to face off against one of Delaware County’s top 103 lbers. Trailing throughout the entire match, the hopes of a championship and a senior victory were ticking off the clock. With all he had left, Turhan grabbed a takedown with 3 seconds remaining to force overtime. With each wrestler cautiously sizing each other up, Turhan upset his Knight with a 4 point move tying the score at 25 and breathing a breath of fresh air into the Vanguards.
With everything on the line, and the score tied 25-25, the dream was in the hands of Freshman Dan Stover. The feisty Freshman fed off the newly acquired energy, and lanced the Knights in 50 seconds, sending the hometown fans into a frenzy and presenting the Seniors with a 31-25 win in their final home meet.
In JV Action: Mark Asebedo worked a pin in 1 minute, 19 seconds, while John Haines rung the bell in just 59 seconds. Jeff Chen and Shaun Lessik worked some good mat time taking a 5-0 leads into the 2nd Period before upsetting their Knights for a 2nd Period pins.
Monday, January 29
Tournament Not Friendly to Hosts
Once again, the Vanguard featured some of the best competition in the area. Delaware superpower St. Marks, a team the leads all other Delaware schools in State Champions, District One's 10th ranked West Chester Henderson, Delaware County's Super 7 Upper Darby, Glen Mills and Cardinal O'Hara, coupled with Central Bucks South and Penncrest visited host Sun Valley over the weekend.
There was plenty of action, and a number of elite wrestlers in attendance to give everyone a workout. And workout they did, as the Sun Valley highlights are limited to the 2nd Place Finish by Mark McKain at 285lbs, and 4th Place finishes by Adam Porter (152) and Josh Marquard (160).
Sun Valley winners include:
Mark McKain - 2 wins
Adam Porter - 2 wins
Josh Marquard - 2 wins
Turhan Solis - 1 win
Dan Stover - 1 win
Ed Laulis - 1 win
Andrew Park - 1 win
Mike Redden - 1 win
Next Up: At Harriton, 1/31, JV 6-6:30, Varsity 7pm
Thursday, February 1
Vans roll over the Rams
The Vanguards went on the road and toppled the Rams of Harriton for a Del-Val league win. It was very quiet in the home of the Rams this evening (for awhile). It was quiet until the wrestling started, then the Vanguards made all the noise and ended up with another win for the team.
The evening started out with Turhan Solis (103) dominating his opponent for a 17-2 tech fall despite having a sore elbow. Dan Stover (112) never trailed in his match winning by a score of 7-2. Cody Lee (119) and his adversary were next with a scoreless first period, then at the end of the second period Cody was up 1–0. At the end of the third, the score was tied at 1–1. Into overtime we go – at the end of the first overtime (a one minute sudden death period), the score was still tied at 1–1. Next up is two 30 second periods where Cody scored an escape in the first one to put him up 2–1. In the second, Cody held his opponent scoreless earning himself a hard earned win to put the Vanguards up 11–0.
Matt Christy (130) controlled his match from the beginning, leading 5-0 after the first period and 7-0 after the second. By the time the match was over, Matt earned a major decision, winning 19-5. At the 135 pound match, Ed Laulis dug down deep and pulled out a 2-0 win. Joe Boccella (140) added six points to the Valley score by putting his opponent’s shoulders to the mat for a second period pin, making the team score 24-5.
With the score 24-8 in favor of Sun Valley, Adam Porter (152) and Matt Fisher (160) both recorded forfeit wins. Josh Marquard (171) scored a 5-1 victory putting the Vans up 39-8. Mike Redden (189) and his foe were tied 0-0 and 4-4 after the first and second periods. By the end of the match, Mike won the match by a score of 7-4. Vince Boyle (215) took his Ram out with a first period pin further adding to the score. Mark McKain (285) closed out the scoring with a forfeit win making the final score 54-8 in Sun Valley's favor.
Sun Valley moves on to face the Interboro Bucs on Wednesday, 2/7/07 for the last match of the year.
Thursday, February 8
Sun shines on the Valley as Vanguards sink Bucs
DEL-VAL CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a cold, dark night as the Vanguard wrestlers boarded the bus for their last match of the season. The bus headed north into the territory of the Bucs from Interboro. Not much was at stake, just the Del-Val championship – no pressure.
The first match of the evening was Joe Boccella (140). Joe started the match off on the right foot, easily besting his opponent and scoring a second period tech fall. Next came Kyle Russell (145) who took matters into his own hands and sent his opponent home early with a second period pin, putting Sun Valley up 11-0.
Josh Marquard (171) scored a forfeit win making the score 16-9. Mike Redden (189) followed with a gutty performance earning a hard fought 9-6 victory. Vince Boyle (215) was the next Vanguard to take the mat and powered his way to a first period pin and six more points for our side. Next was Mark McKain (285) who also recorded a forfeit win, putting Sun Valley up 31-9.
The Bucs got their ship going and came back to make the score 31-26 with two matches remaining. Stepping onto the mat for his last regular season match wearing the blue and gold uniform of Sun Valley was Matt Christy (130). He was determined to sink the ship that the Bucs were sailing on. Matt was like a missile (the four-stage Vanguard missile) on a very important mission. Stage one – stepping onto the mat. Stage two – shaking his opponent’s hand. Stage three – taking charge of the match from the opening whistle. Stage four – sinking the Buc’s ship and hope with a dominating performance, pinning his opponent at 1:35 of the first period, giving Sun Valley an insurmountable 37-26 match score.
When the referee’s hand slapped the mat and the whistle blew, ending the match, Matt, the Valley wrestlers and their fans erupted in applause and cheering as the team just secured the Del-Val Championship! When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Sun Valley had secured another league victory, winning 37-32.
In JV Action: Dan Asebedo made his Buc walk the plank with a pin in 1:26 of the first period. John Haines and Jeff Chen followed as both went the distance winning 8-6 and 6-4
Now it is onto Sectionals and Districts. We wish all the wrestlers from Sun Valley good luck and hopefully we will see them in Hershey.
Sunday, February 11
Three fours at Haverford JV Invitational Tournament
The JV team traveled to Haverford for their JV Invitational Tournament on 2/10/07. There were 15 schools in attendance, including Springfield, Central Bucks South, Upper Darby and Penncrest to name a few. These schools brought some very good wrestlers, which only makes our wrestlers better.
Where do the "Three fours" come in? Well, we had four wrestlers win one match, four wrestlers win two matches and four wrestlers win medals! A very good tournament with good results, which looks very good for the future of the Sun Valley wrestling program.
Leading Sun Valley with two wins and a second place, silver medal is Dan Asebedo (105). Following Dan are John Haines (114), Greg Kutys (142) and Sean Robbins (147) all with two wins each and the third place bronze medals.
The Sun Valley winners are:
Dan Asebedo - 2 wins (second place - silver medal)
John Haines - 2 wins (third place - bronze medal)
Greg Kutys - 2 wins (third place - bronze medal)
Sean Robbins - 2 wins (third place - bronze medal)
Jeff Chen (121) - 1 win
Cody Lee (121) - 1 win
Shaun Lessik (154) - 1 win
Shane Mullin (127) - 1 win
Next up for the JV - EATING!
Next up for the Varsity - Sectionals at Haverford High School - Saturday, February 17
Monday, February 19
Four Vanguards Head for the "Rock"
As a team, the Vanguards finished 8th in the ten team field, but to the man, the Vanguards were impressive. This young, inexperienced group of wrestlers left everythin on the mat this past Saturday and Sun Valley competed in the Section V Tournament at Haverford High School.
In the Preliminary Round, 119lb Freshman, Cody Lee, blasted through and into the Quarter Finals with and 18-1 tech fall victory over Del-Val rival Ray Anderson of Glen Mills. Freshman Shaun Lessick, a 152lb Junior Varsity wrestler, stepped up to battle it out with the "Big-Guns". Shaun filled in at 171lbs, two weight classes over what he's used to wrestling, and didn't back down. He took Upper Darby's James McCullough, a more seasoned and experienced wrestler, to task, battling all the way before dropping the hard fought 12-8 decision.
As the Quarter Finals unfolded, the Vanguards didn't get their first win until Ed Laulis defeated Ridley's Mark Bascelli 9-5 to move him into the Semi Finals. Joe Boccella felt the energy, pinning Bryan McCullough of Interboro in the 1st Period. Matt Fisher (152) followed with a 3rd Period pin, and Josh Marquard (160) registered a hard fought 2-1 decision to send a nice grouping to the Semi Finals. At 285lbs, Mark McKain couldn't wait to join them as he mastered a 10-5 decision over Penn Woods Howard Patterson.
The Vanguards success was a little better in the Consolation Quarter Finals than in the Semi Finals. Sun Valley's Ed Laulis was the only Vanguard to advance to the Finals as he earned a 12-3 Semi Final victory. In the "Consy Quarters", 103lber Turhan Solis gladly accepted a forfeit win to advance the the "Consy Semis", before Cody Lee advanced with a gutsy 1-0 decision. Matt Christy (130) moved forward with a 16-1 tech fall over Del-Val rival Paul Lombardi of Interboro, and Mike Redden (189) moved up with a 3rd Period Pin.
With eight Vanguards in the Consy Finals, it was an impressive showing for this inexperienced team. However, their inexperience finally caught up with them, as Matt Christy advanced to the finals with a 10-2 major decision, Joe Boccella and Josh Marquard advanced to the finals with 1st Period Pins, securing a trip to the District Tournament.
Josh Marquard was the only Vanguard to win in the finals. At the end of two periods, there was no score in the match. Josh was locked up with Chichester's Brendan Curran until 34 seconds into the 3rd Period when Josh took him to the mat. Matt Christy lost a tough 4-3 decision to Del Val rival, and friend, Shane Matusik of Academy Park, and Joe Boccella lost a hard fought 6-1 decision to Springfield's Charlie Blue.
In the Championship finals, Ed Laulis wiggled and wrangled with top seed Matt Cinaglia from Chichester. Trailing by one point after both the 1st and 2nd Periods, Ed had to settle for the Silver Medal as Cinaglia posted an 8-4 decision.
All in all, our guys wrestled tough. The following is a breakdown of the winners on the day:
Ed Laulis - 2 wins
Joe Boccella - 2 wins
Matt Christy - 2 wins
Josh Marquard - 2 wins
Cody Lee - 2 wins
Matt Fisher - 1 win
Mark McKain - 1 win
Mike Redden - 1 win
Turhan Solis - 1 win
Good Luck to Joe Boccella, Matt Christy, Ed Laulis, and Josh Marquard as they advance in their quest for PIAA Gold!!
Thursday, February 22
District One South Gets a Hand Full from Vanguards
Sun Valley's 103lber, Turhan Solis joins teammates Joe Boccella, Matt Christy, Ed Laulis, and Josh Marquard at the District One South Tournament. Even though Turhan was eliminated in the Consy Semis of the Section Tournament, his performance throughout the season earned him a high enough seed to advance as an alternate.
Congratulations Turhan, and good luck to all our Vanguards. It's time to "Rock the Rock!!"
Sunday, February 25
Vanguards Not Able to Scale the Rock
The District One Tournament was held this weekend at Council Rock North High School. Some of the best wrestlers from Southeast Pennsylvania were in attendance, including our Vanguards. Of the 28 teams competing, and as a team, our Vanguards finished 17th overall.
The opening rounds began on Friday night, with 12th seed Turhan Solis squaring off against 5th seed James Bak from Harry S. Truman. Bak was too much for the 1st time District Qualifier, as Turhan lost by fall. Next up was 11th seed Matt Christy facing 6th Paul Eberts of Council Rock South. Matt gave everything he had before giving way to a 3rd period fall. 11th seed Joe Boccella took 6th seed Mouhammed Aboghalon of Frankford the distance earning a 12-2 major decision to advance to the Quarter Final Round. The final preliminary round bout for the Vangaurds pitted 8th seed Josh Marquard against 9th seed Stefan Broughton of Frankford. Josh wasted little time advancing to the Quarter Finals as he pinned Broughton in 54 seconds.
The Quarter Finals began with 4th seed Ed Laulis matching up against 5th seed Zak Wolf of William Tennent. Ed scrapped his way to an 11-4 decision advancing to a Semi Final showdown. Joe Boccella earned a right to square off against #3 seed Jim Volrath of Council Rock South. Flexible Joe bent and twisted as best he could, but eventually succumbed to a 2nd period fall. Josh Marquard finished the evening for the Vanguards matching up against the #1 seed Dillon Evans of Council Rock South. Josh wasn't going away easy, but Evans eventually outscored Josh to earn a tech fall sending one more Vanguard to the Consolation Rounds.
Saturday brought a new day with a crisp breeze and a lot of sunshine. Hoping that the Sun would shine on the Valley, Turhan Solis went out to get things started for the Vanguards. Facing Haverford High's Luke Bilyeu, the 103lb weight class 4th seed, Turhan was anxious to get started. From the opening whistle, Turhan forced the action, but everything he threw out there was counter by Bilyeu. Bilyeu finally caught Turhan, pinning him in the second period to end Turhan's first Varsity season and his first trip to the Post Season. Matt Christy stepped up to keep his season alive by taking on Tim Herrmann, the 130lb 5th seed from Abington. Matt had his game face on and was ready to do battle, but Herrmann just wouldn't let him score, ending Matt's season and career with a 10-0 defeat. Joe Boccella voluntarily ended his season and career following an injury received in his Quarter Final bout with Volrath on Friday night. Ed Laulis entered his Semi Final bout against top seed and eventual 135lb Champion, Oliver Hertzell of Council Rock North. Ed fought gallantly, giving way to an 11-7 decision, sending our final Vanguard to the Consolation Round. Josh Marquard began his trek in Wrestlebacks with a 2nd period pin over 12th seed Brett Vanvacter of Kennsington to advance within the Consolation Round.
With both remaining Vanguards in the Consolation Rounds, controversy struck again. As has happened in past seasons, it seems Sun Valley doesn't get the respect from the officials. In a close match, Ed Laulis had Frankford's 3rd seed, Tom Brogan on his back for what was clearly 15 seconds. When all was said and done, the referee gave Ed just two back points, leaving him one point short of overtime with a 14-13 loss, sending Ed to the 5th Place Finals. Josh Marquard continued his advace through the consolations with a 1st period pin over 5th seed Matt Hollingsworth of Bensalem. With a trip to the Southeast Regional Tournament on the line, Josh Marquard squared off against 6th seed Brian Watson of Pennsbury. A gallant effort by Josh couldn't overcome the experience of Watson, as Josh fell 11-1 sending him to the 5th Place Finals.
In the Finals, Ed Laulis faced off against Upper Darby's Tom Andresen, the 11th seed. Ed took on is fellow Delaware Countian winning an 8-4 decision finishing off a fine season and illustrious career at Sun Valley. Josh Marquard followed suit by decisioning 3rd seed Daniel Barrett from Central, 5-3 bringing to a close a glorious sophomore season.
It's probably safe to say that most first time visitors (as our guys were) to the post season don't advance. But our guys aren't alone. Delaware County standouts Ian Ortiz of Academy Park, Sean Rennish (Ridley), Bobby Gildea (Springfield), Nick Pisani (Ridley), Derek Sinclair (Ridley), Andrew Mariani (Penncrest), Shane Matusek (Academy Park), Brandon Loro (Springfield), Charlie Blue (Springfield), John Meyers (Radnor), Carl Schaaf (Ridley), Rayon Campbell (Academy Park), Zack Gallagher (Ridley), and Karl Sponheimer (Springfield) saw the District Tournament bring an end to their season as well.
Not to take anything away from any of the wrestlers mentioned, it takes courage, hard work, and a lot of heart to make it to the post season. Most wrestlers around the state of Pennsylvania were at home this weekend playing Xbox while the elite were wrestling.
To those wrestlers returning for another season, we wish you the best of luck. And for those wrestlers who will be graduating and moving on, we hope the experiences you enjoyed during your high school careers will follow you always and be a contributing factor to the success of your futures.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Congratulations, and the Best of Luck to you in the future.
Wednesday, March 21
Five Valley Grapplers Make All-Delco
There were five wrestlers from The Valley that made All-Delco status. There are three seniors, one junior and one sophomore. The future looks good for Sun Valley Wrestling!
Here are your All-Delco Honorable Mention Selections:
Joe Boccella
Matt Christy
Ed Laulis
Josh Marquard
Adam Porter
Congratulations to these five and lets add more next year!
Wednesday, March 21
2006 - 2007 End of Year Award Banquet
2006-2007 Wrestling Awards Banquet
The final whistle blew for the 2006-2007 Sun Valley Wrestling team on Sunday, March 18, 2007. This was the day of the annual Awards Banquet, which was held at the Aston-Beechwood Firehouse.
We had food, fun, food, laughs, food, weigh-ins (for the wrestlers, not the parents), cake, awards and more than a few good-bye hugs and kisses. Oh, did I mention that there was food at this event?
The food was expertly prepared by the Italian Brothers Catering. The meal they served consisted of: Fruit Salad, Caesar Salad, Rolls and Butter, Stuffed Chicken, Chicken Fingers, Sausage Scaloppini, Baked Ziti, Red Bliss Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine, soda and coffee. For desert there was a beautiful sheet cake done up to look like the Sun Valley wrestling mat made by Sharon Ryan.
Mark Christy opened the evening by introducing Tom Morgan who gave the blessing. After dinner, Mark took center stage again and introduced the coaches, their families and the special guests. Then it was Coach Damon Kuzemka's turn.
Coach K showed his computer expertise by presenting a slide show with highlights of many of this past year's matches. After the slide show, Coach K read the following quote by Calvin Coolidge:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"
Now onto the awards that were earned during the year:
Outstanding JV Wrestler - Dan Asebedo
Outstanding Attitude - Shaun Lessik
Iron Horse - Turhan Solis, Josh Marquard and Mark McKain
Outstanding Novice - Turhan Solis
Takedown Award - Turhan Solis
Joseph Zawisza Memorial Award - Adam Porter
Tom Schwarting Award - Matt Christy
Pinner Award - Ed Laulis (16 pins)
Most Team Points - Ed Laulis (156 points)
Outstanding Varsity Wrestler - Ed Laulis
Captians Awards - Joe Boccella and Matt Christy
Floyd Smith Memorial Award - Joe Boccella
Man of Steel - Matt Christy
Coaches Award - Matt Christy
John Loftus Memorial Scholar Award - Matt Christy (To be given at the Senior Banquet)
Most Improved Wrestler - Mark McKain
Student Athelete Award - Matt Christy
15th Wrestler - Sandy and Mark Christy
Every wrestler was given Del-Val Championship plaques to hang on their wall
Coach K introduced special guest and former Sun Valley Wrestling Coach - Chuck Grassano. Chuck talked about the quality of wrestling at Sun Valley and quoted Tim Notke:
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."
Chuck ended by challenging the wrestling team to win the Del-Val Championship next year - the last year that Sun Valley will be in the Del-Val League.
During the evening, wrestlers would be seen going and coming from the banquet. Upon further investigation there was a scale and a weight chart discovered in the lobby. The wrestlers were getting on the scale to see who gained the most weight since the end of the season.
To the senior managers – THANK YOU for all your hard work. You gals did a great job and you will be missed.
To the senior wrestlers – Thank you for all the memories and good luck in your future endeavors. We will all miss you.
To the senior parents – (no NOT your age) – Thank you for all the hours and hours of help, dedication and guidance you have given to the team. You will also be missed and remember, if you have nothing to do…
To the coaches – A huge THANK YOU!!!! Your hard work paid off with a Del-Val Championship. Now your families can remember what you look like when you come home at a decent hour.
To the returning parents – Thank you for your help this past year. Returning and new parents, we are always looking for people to help out with various activities. Please get involved in your child’s activities. Everyone benefits when you get involved.
To the returning and new wrestlers – Keep up the good work you did this year and lets meet the challenge that Mr. Grassano gave to you:
Win the last Del-Val Wrestling Championship that Sun Valley can get!!!!
See you in the fall.
Thursday, April 5
1 + 6 + 2 = All Del Val Wrestlers from Sun Valley
1 + 6 + 2 = All Del Val wrestlers from The Valley
Nine Sun Valley wrestlers were selected to the All Del Val team this year. We had one wrestler make the first team, six wrestlers made the second team and honorable mention went to two valley grapplers.
The wrestlers to make the All Del Val Team are:
First Team
Adam Porter
Second Team
Joe Boccella
Matt Christy
Ed Laulis
Josh Marquard
Mike Redden
Turhan Solis
Honorable Mention
Mark McKain
Dan Stover
These young men all worked hard and wrestled well this past year and prove that hard work pays off. Congratulations to these nine young men and lets carry on the next year.
