Nov. 12, 2010
BLOOMSBURG, Pa.; November 12, 2010 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 6 nationally, opened up the 2010-11 season with a resounding 41-3 win at Bloomsburg. The young Lions, with five freshmen starters, won nine of ten bouts and picked up three pins in front of a standing room only crowd in BU's Nelson Field House.
Five of Penn State's starters were either true or red-shirt freshmen making their collegiate debuts and all five of them were victorious. True freshman Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) got the night started in fine fashion with a 5-3 win over Bloomsburg's Sean Boylan at 125. Sophomore Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) thrilled the many Penn State faithful with a fall over three-time New York state high school champion Nick Wilcox at the 2:59 mark at 133. True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 141, made his much anticipated collegiate debut with a quick pin of BU's Derek Shingara at the :54 mark.
Sophomore James English (York, Pa.), stepping in for No. 3 Frank Molinaro at 149, notched a thrilling 8-4 TB win against Bloomsburg's Josh Roosa. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), also making his collegiate debut, put on an offensive clinic. Ranked No. 6 at 157, Taylor posted a 20-5 technical fall in just 5:00. Taylor's show gave the Nittany Lions a 23-0 lead heading into intermission.
Red-shirt freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) had a successful PSU debut, posting a 3-2 win over talented Huskie sophomore Josh Veltre at 165. Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 174, then put on an offensive show, notching seven takedowns on his way to a 20-4 technical fall at the 6:16 mark.
All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 184, brought the many Penn State faithful in the capacity crowd to their feet with a quick second period pin. Wright got the fall just :07 into the middle stanza, putting Penn State up 37-0 at the 3:07 mark. Bloomsburg got its first win as Richard Perry posted a 7-4 win over Lion Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) at 197. Heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 9 at HWT, notched a convincing 8-0 major over BU junior Zac Walsh, a national qualifier.
Penn State posted a convincing 24-3 edge in takedowns and, by virtue of three pins, two technical falls and a major, had 14 bonus points to BU's none.
Penn State, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, continues a busy opening weekend when No. 15 Lehigh invades Red Hall on Sunday, Nov. 14, for a 2 p.m. dual. Season tickets for the 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season are on sale now. This year's package features seven home duals (the Nittany Lion Open is not part of the package) and costs only $42 for adults and $28 for youth (18 and under). Fans can place new orders for season tickets by calling Joel Diamond at 814-867-2557. A $5 per order handling fee will be added to new season ticket holders. Single dual tickets will go on sale later this fall. The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) and WSQV (92.1 FM). All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
#6 Penn State 41, Bloomsburg 3
November 12, 2010 - Bloomsburg, Pa.
| 125: Frank Martellotti PSU dec. Sean Boylan BU, 5-3 | 3-0 |
| 133: Bryan Pearsall PSU pinned Nick Wilcox BU, WBF (2:59) | 9-0 |
| 141: #14 Andrew Alton PSU pinned Derek Shingara BU, WBF (0:54) | 15-0 |
| 149: James English PSU dec. (TB) Josh Roosa BU, 8-4 | 18-0 |
| 157: #6 David Taylor PSU tech. fall Frank Hickman BU, 20-5 (5:00) | 23-0 |
| 165: Jake Kemerer PSU dec. JoshVeltre BU, 3-2 | 26-0 |
| 174: #13 Ed Ruth PSU tech. fall Mike Dessino BU, 20-4 (6:16) | 31-0 |
| 184: #3 Quentin Wright PSU pinned Nate Graham BU, WBF (3:07) | 37-0 |
| 197: Richard Perry BU dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 7-4 | 37-3 |
| 285: #9 Cameron Wade PSU maj. dec. Zac Walsh BU, 8-0 | 41-3 |
Attendance: 2,374
Records: Penn State 1-0 (0-0 Big Ten), Bloomsburg 3-1 (0-0 EWL)
Up Next for Penn State: home vs. #17 Lehigh, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: True freshman Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) made his collegiate debut against Bloomsburg rookie Sean Boylan at 125. Martellotti got on the board early, using a low single to score on the edge of the mat at the 1:53 mark, taking a 2-0 lead. The Lion rookie then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Boylan for :32 before Boylan escaped to a 2-1 score. Martellotti nearly notched a second takedown as the period ended but time ran out. Boylan chose down to start the second period but could not break free of Martellotti's ride. The Lion freshman maintained control long enough to build up a 1:01 riding time edge before Boylan escaped to a 2-2 tie. Neither wrestler managed a scoring chance over the final minute and the bout went to a third period tied 2-2. Martellotti chose down to start the third period and this time it was Boylan that was tough on top. But Martellotti burst out from underneath at the 1:25 mark to take a 3-2 lead. Martellotti countered a quick Boylan shot with a strong double leg to take a 5-2 lead with another takedown at the :52 mark. Boylan escaped to a 5-3 deficit at the :24 mark with Martellotti owning only :54 in riding time. Martellotti nearly scored again but Boylan was able to keep from giving up any points. Still, the strong 5-3 decision for Martellotti put Penn State up 3-0.
133: Nittany Lion sophomore Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) took on freshman Nick Wilcox at 133. Wilcox, a three-time New York state champion in high school, looked to score early, getting control of Pearsall's ankle early, but the Lion sophomore was able to move out of bounds to force a reset at the 2:00 mark. Another Wilcox shot led to a tie-up at the 1:25 mark, but Pearsall forced a scramble that allowed him to work his way around the side of the Huskie to get his own takedown at the :54 mark. Leading 2-0, Pearsall began to put together a very strong ride, looking to tilt the Huskie. With just :04 left, Pearsall worked Wilcox to his back and, with just :01 left got the pin. The fall put the Lions up 9-0.
141: True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 14 nationally at 141, made his collegiate debut against Bloomsburg's Derek Shingara. Alton slipped under Shingara just :07 into his first bout to take an early 2-0 lead. The savvy Lion rookie quickly worked his way into control of Shingara's shoulders, deftly tossed him to the mat and wasted no time in getting the pin. Alton planted Shingara just :54 into his first collegiate bout and put the Lions up 15-0.
149: Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 3 at 149, was held out of the opener due to an injury and sophomore James English (York, Pa.) stepped in for the start. English took on Huskie sophomore Josh Roosa. The duo battled evenly for the first period and neither man found an opening in which to score. Tied 0-0, Roosa chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. English worked the center of the mat, forcing Roosa towards the outside circle for the bulk of the second period. Slight shots by the Nittany Lion were not enough to break through Roosa's pure defensive style and the Huskie held a 1-0 lead after two periods. English chose down to start the third period and quickly scrambled out to an escape and a 1-1 tie. Roosa took his first shot at the :51 mark of the third period, but English was able to easily step back out of trouble. The Lion then countered and nearly scored with :32 left, almost tossing Roosa to the mat. But Roosa worked his way out of trouble to keep the bout tied and send the match to a first sudden victory period. English took the period's first shot but Roosa fought it off. Roosa fought off two more late English shots to force two tie-breaker periods. English chose down for the first tie-breaker period and quickly reversed the Huskie and nearly pinned him. Three near fall points and an escape by Roosa gave English a 6-2 lead after :30. Roosa chose down to start the final :30, escaped and was quickly taken down again. A final escape by Roosa mattered not and English posted a thrilling 8-4 win, putting Penn State up 18-0.
157: Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 6 nationally at 157, made his collegiate debut against Bloom's Frank Hickman. Taylor wasted no time in getting his first collegiate takedown, scoring just :16 into the bout. Hickman escaped but was immediately taken down by Taylor again. Taylor tried to pin Hickman but the Huskie was able to scramble his way out of trouble and escape to a 4-2 deficit. Taylor then opened the floodgates. A quick takedown led to three near fall points and a 9-2 lead. Hickman managed to escape again, but Taylor used another quick single for a fourth takedown and quickly tilted Hickman for three more back points to lead 14-3 with 1:28 in riding time after one period. Taylor chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way free to an escape and a 15-3 lead. Hickman looked to score on a low single, but Taylor sat out and countered the move, forcing a tie-up with 1:12 left. Taylor then used a strong high double off the reset to take a 17-3 lead with 1:02 left. The Lion freshman began working for another tilt but got a bit loose on his move and was reversed by Hickman. The move cut Taylor's lead to 18-5 after a Taylor escape. With just :04 left, Taylor snagged a scrambling Hickman as he tried to scamper away and got a takedown to clinch a two-period technical fall. The 20-5 win at the 5:00 mark put Penn State up 23-0 heading into intermission.
165: Red-shirt freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) made his collegiate debut against Bloomsburg sophomore Josh Veltre at 165. Veltre got in deep on Kemerer's right leg and nearly took a 2-0 lead with a trip on the edge of the mat. But Kemerer was able to work his way out of bounds to keep the match scoreless a minute in. Kemerer matched Veltre's move, using a slow single to nearly score with :32 left. But this time, Veltre stepped out of bounds and forced the reset. Scoreless after one period, Veltre chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Kemerer nearly scored again at the :40 mark, almost finishing off a high single. But the Huskie sophomore was able to step back, out of trouble, and hold onto his slim lead. Trailing by one, Kemerer chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Kemerer continued to pressure Veltre and his work paid off as a low single led to a takedown at the 1:27 mark, the first of his collegiate career. Veltre escaped to a 3-2 deficit and action returned to the center circle. Kemerer countered a Veltre shot with :39 left and tried to work his way behind the Huskie for a clinching takedown. Veltre backed out of bounds, forcing a reset with :09 left. Kemerer fought off one late Veltre shot and notched a 3-2 win, putting Penn State up 26-0.
174: Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 174, made his collegiate debut against Huskie sophomore Mike Dessino. Ruth, like many of his fellow freshman, got on the board early with a takedown less than :30 into the bout. Dessino worked with way to an escape with 2:00 left, cutting the lead to 2-1. But Ruth was relentless, using a low single to take Dessino down for another takedown. This time, Ruth deftly turned Roosa for two back points and led 6-1. Dessino finally scrambled to an escaped with :45 left, only to get taken down by Ruth again with :32 left as the Lion freshman used a strong high double to move out to an 8-2 lead. A strong Ruth ride-out gave Ruth an 8-2 lead with 2:09 in riding time after one period. Ruth chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to an escape and a 9-2 lead. Ruth was relentless on offense, using a low trip to get his fourth takedown and move out to an 11-3 lead after a Dessino escape. With just :14 left, Ruth heard the call from the Penn State coaching staff to add one more takedown and the Lion promptly used a low double to take Dessino down and lead 13-3 after two periods. Dessino chose down to start the third period but Ruth quickly turned it into a far side cradle for three near fall points. Ruth added two more takedowns and posted a 20-4 tech fall at the 6:16 mark.
184: All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 184, returned to the mat for the first time since 2008-09 by taking on Bloomsburg senior Nate Graham. Wright scored just :04 into the period, taking Graham down with a low double. Graham, a senior, scrambled his way to an escape, cutting the lead to 2-1. The early takedown was the lone offense of the first period. Trailing 2-1, Graham chose down to start the second period, but Wright made him pay. The Lion All-American worked his arms around Graham's shoulders, moved his body over top of him and turned the Huskies' shoulders to the mat in just :07 to get the pin at the 3:07 mark. The victory put Penn State up 37-0.
197: Sophomore Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.), a starter at 174 last season, got the nod at 197 for Penn State and met Bloomsburg freshman Richard Perry. Perry used a strong high throw to get Bloomsburg's first takedown of the dual, taking a 2-0 lead at the 2:45 mark. Ortega worked his way to an escape, cutting the lead to 2-1, and action returned to the center circle. Perry's early score was the only takedown of the period and the Huskie took that 2-1 lead into the second stanza. Ortega chose down to start the second period but could not break free of a solid Perry ride until the 1:21 mark, giving Perry a 1:07 riding time edge. Tied 2-2, action returned to the center circle. With a 1:07 time edge, Perry chose neutral to start the final period. Ortega needed a takedown to try and keep Penn State's hopes of a shut-out alive. But Perry was able to back away from each Ortega charge. Ortega took a slight shot on the edge of the mat, but Perry stepped aside the move and countered for a second takedown and a 4-3 lead (after a quick Ortega escape). One more Perry takedown and an Ortega escape gave the Huskie a 7-4 win with the riding time point, breaking Penn State's shut-out hopes and cutting the Lion lead to 37-3.
285: Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 9 at heavyweight, faced off against Bloomsburg's Zac Walsh in the dual's final bout. Walsh, a junior, was an NCAA qualifier last year. After more than two minutes of battling, Wade used a single leg to trip Walsh to the mat and take a 2-0 lead with :28 left in the opening period. A Wade ride-out allowed him to carry that lead into the second period. Wade chose down to start that stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Wade gained control of Walsh's left leg and worked to pull him onto the mat. But the Huskie was able to force a stalemate at the :47 mark. Wade tripped Walsh to the mat with :24 left on the clock, getting a second takedown to move up to a 5-0 lead. Wade then rode the Huskie out once more to lead 5-0 after two periods. Walsh chose neutral to start the final stanza, but Wade was too much for the Bloomsburg junior. The ninth-ranked Lion countered a quick Walsh shot and moved over his hip for another takedown and a 7-0 lead. Another strong ride by the Lion senior gave him the bonus point and a very impressive 8-0 major decision. The four points gave Penn State a 41-3 dual meet win.