Southeastern Pa. Wrestling Guide By Joey Cranney
Wrestlers to Watch Joe Galasso, Father Judge. A senior middleweight, Galasso is the area's only returning state champion. He won a 3-1 decision in overtime against Central Dauphin's Tyson Dippery in the 138-pound Class AAA state final in March. Galasso (37-1) also captured sectional, district, and regional titles last winter.
Wrestlers to Watch
Joe Galasso, Father Judge. A senior middleweight, Galasso is the area's only returning state champion. He won a 3-1 decision in overtime against Central Dauphin's Tyson Dippery in the 138-pound Class AAA state final in March. Galasso (37-1) also captured sectional, district, and regional titles last winter.
Jordan Wood, Boyertown. Wood swept league, district, and regional titles en route to a second-place finish at the Class AAA state tournament at 220 pounds as a freshman last season. Wood (46-2) beat some of the area's best grapplers, including Coatesville's Mike Boykin (39-2) and Downingtown East's Matt Bartolotta (38-12), in the postseason.
Mike Boykin, Coatesville. A league and district champion at 220 pounds, Boykin earned a bronze medal at states after losing in the quarterfinals. Boykin (39-2) went undefeated before falling to Boyertown's Jordan Wood (46-2) in the regional playoffs in Class AAA. Boykin, a senior, also qualified for states as a sophomore.
Scott Parker, Pennridge. A two-time state qualifier, Parker won league and district titles last season at 113 pounds before earning a bronze medal at the AAA state tournament. Parker (36-2) lost in the state semifinals to Parkland's Ethan Lizak, the eventual champion. Parker, a senior, is the clear area favorite among lightweights after Norristown's Zach Fuentes graduated.
Francesco Fabozzi, Central Bucks East. Fabozzi is a senior who placed fifth in states at 132 pounds after winning league, district, and regional titles. He lost in the Class AAA state semifinals to Franklin Regional's Tyler Smith, the eventual champion. Fabozzi (39-4) picked up 27 pins last season.
Colby Frank, Owen J. Roberts. A senior and the best wrestler on the best team in the area, Frank placed eighth in states last season at 126 pounds. Frank (29-7) won league, district, and regional titles, along with the opening match of his first appearance at states. He went 31-14 as a freshman and 33-12 as a sophomore.
Matt Lattanze, Malvern Prep. As a freshman at 120 pounds last season, Lattanze (18-1) won a Pennsylvania Independent Schools championship and was named a National Prep All-American after his fourth-place finish in that tournament. His brother Nick Lattanze (23-4) also placed in the state and national tournaments.
Teams to Watch
Owen J. Roberts. The back-to-back District 1 duals champion returns three district champs in Colby Frank (29-7), Derek Gulotta (40-9), and Demetri D'Orsaneo (28-15). Owen J. Roberts (20-2) went 9-0 in the Pioneer Athletic Conference last season and beat opponents by more than 30 points on average. Fifteen members of the Wildcats' roster of 23 are upperclassmen.
Downingtown East. The District 1 duals runner-up, Downingtown East (28-5) returns district champions Wade Cummings (42-3) and Sean Snodgrass (40-10). Overall, the Cougars have seven wrestlers on their roster who placed at districts last winter, including Adam Pleines (35-9), Chris Jarani (28-10), and Jude McDowell (27-20). Senior heavyweight Matt Bartolotta (38-12) had 29 pins last season.
Boyertown. Led by sophomore sensation Jordan Wood (46-2), who placed second in states as a freshman, Boyertown (18-8) is primed to challenge perennial powerhouse Owen J. Roberts for the PAC-10 championship. The Bears finished fourth in the league last season, but ended up as a district semifinalist. They also return sophomores Gregg Harvey (30-13) and Lucas Miller (35-9) and senior Eddie Kriczky (39-12).
Upper Moreland. With a deep roster that returns most of its lineup from last season, Upper Moreland (10-12) has emerged as the favorite to knock off Norristown (15-3) in the Suburban One League American Conference. One coach said the Golden Bears are at the top of the league and "it's not even close." Regional qualifier Dom DeLaurentis (18-12), Anthony DeLaurentis (20-12), Justin Hester (27-7), and Chris Fleming (19-9) are key returners.
La Salle. Last season's undefeated Catholic League champion, La Salle (15-4) returns eight wrestlers who placed at districts last season. Greg Konieczny (37-8), Pat McGinley (16-6), Andrew McLaren (33-9), Antonio Pelusi (44-6), and Anthony Piscopo (32-9) are returning district champions. La Salle beat opponents last season by an average score of 51-21 and topped fellow Catholic League powerhouse Father Judge, 39-24, in the league title match.
Malvern Prep. The Friars are coming off a historic season. Malvern (7-5) placed fifth at the National Prep Wrestling Championships, its best finish in program history. Three of the six Friars who placed at the National Preps have returned: Matt Lattanze (18-1), Nick Lattanze (23-4), and Jake Anderson (17-5). Matt Lattanze won the Independent Schools state championship at 120 pounds as a freshman last season.
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