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After the way the 2005-06 season fell together
for the Edinboro University wrestling team, it would be easy to
assume there’s no where to go but down.
Consider that the Fighting Scots were the only
Division I team in the country to finish with an unblemished
record, going 12-0. They dominated the PSAC Championships for
their seventh title in the last nine years, then overcame a slow
start to send nine wrestlers to Nationals while winning their
eighth Eastern Wrestling League Tournament title in the last nine
years.
That success has almost become a given. But
what happened at Nationals isn’t. Edinboro battled the big
boys at the NCAA Division I National Championships, finishing in
sixth place, the second-highest finish since upgrading to the
Division I level in 1986-87.
But this is 2006-07, not 2005-06. New year, new
expectations.
“I look at every year
differently,” stressed head coach Tim Flynn. “Last year
was last year. It’s a new year.”
Edinboro must replace two-time All-American
Shawn Bunch, who earned second and third place finishes at 133
lbs. the last two years, and Eric Ring, who was a two-time
national qualifier at 174 lbs.
The rest of the lineup is intact, including
freshman sensation Gregor Gillespie, who earned All-American
honors with a seventh-place finish at 149 lbs., and Deonte Penn,
who was one of the biggest surprises at Nationals with a fourth
place finish at 165 lbs.
“We have very high goals once
again,” Flynn pointed out. “I’d like to get in the
top four in the country. I really think we can do that. But it’s
a tough road. We try to set our goals high every year. Certainly I
think it’s an attainable goal.”
With eight starters back, the 2006-07 team
features plenty of experience. Yet there are several young
wrestlers who will push for spots, and the competition at the two
open spots should be interesting.
“I think we have a good team,”
assessed Flynn. “It’s a team that knows what they need
to do. We have some experience, wrestlers who know what it’s
all about. Hopefully that helps the younger guys.”
The Edinboro program is based on hard work as
much as talent. That always leaves Flynn with concerns.
“You have concerns at every
weight class, even with a Gregor Gillespie,” commented Flynn.
“How do you make him better, and keep him moving forward? We
have unsettled weights, particularly at 125 lbs. At heavyweight,
Jeremy Mosley won’t be back until the second semester.”
One other concern, but a welcome one, is the
schedule. It all gets started for Edinboro on Saturday, November
4, when the Fighting Scots host the Avalon Duals. This year’s
field finds the Fighting Scots meeting another local squad in
Mercyhurst, followed by matches with Stanford and Maryland.
Two weeks later Edinboro will take part in the
Pennsylvania Duals, and Flynn got what he wanted -- matches
against Lehigh and Penn State. Lehigh was ninth and Penn State
tenth at Nationals.
December begins with a dual at Michigan State,
and ends with the annual trip to the Southern Scuffle. In January,
the Fighting Scots will once again participate in the Virginia
Duals.
All told, challenging to say the least, and
that doesn’t take into account the EWL matchups, where West
Virginia and Pittsburgh join Edinboro as preseason favorites.
“We’re excited about our
schedule,” Flynn grinned. “The first two monthes of the
season is pretty solid. We’ll hit a lot of the big teams
between the Pennsylvania Duals, the Southern Scuffle, the Virginia
Duals, and the Michigan State Open. But our team is good enough
that it should be challenged. We’re real excited about it.”
Here's a look at the Fighting Scots, weight
class by weight class:
125 lbs.
A year ago Ricky Deubel earned a trip to Nationals while competing
at 125 lbs. Deubel will move up to 133 lbs., leaving a wide open
weight class. Flynn rolled off no fewer than five competitors who
will wrestleoff for the job, with several likely to redshirt.
“Someone is going to have to rise
up,” surmised Flynn. “We need someone to stgep up from
that group.”
Leading the way is Greg Sill. In 2004-05, Sill
was thrown to the wolves as Edinboro's lone 125 pounder and a true
freshman. While he battled valiantly, Sill compiled a 4-22 record.
Sill redshirted a year ago, finishing with a
6-8 record while competing in open tournaments.
“Greg worked hard all last year,”
Flynn pointed out. “He has improved tremendously. If he makes
the same improvement, he can be pretty darn good one day. People
will notice a big difference in him. He’s one of our hardest
workers.”
Eric Morrill, a three-time New England finalist
and a three-time New Hampshire state champion, is one of four
freshmen looking to challenge Sill. Morrill finished 47-5 last
year, winning the New Hampshire title at 119 lbs. He was 118-16
over his last three years for New England powerhouse Timberlane
Regional High School.
“Eric is one of our more
highly-regarded recruits,” noted Flynn. “We feel he has
a bright future.”
Kyle Fluke and Kory Hiner are also in the mix.
Fluke was a four-time PIAA placewinner at State College High
School, finishing fifth a year ago at 130 lbs. Hiner finished
seventh at 112 lbs. last season for nearby Fort LeBoeuf High
School.
“Kyle is a tweener. He may
physically be the most ready, but he may benefit from redshirting.
Kory is real young and will probably redshirt. He needs to get
more mature for college wrestling.”
133 lbs.
Ricky Deubel enjoyed a solid freshman campaign while competing at
125 lbs., but a late-season slump may have foreshadowed the need
to move up in weight.
“This is a much more natural
weight for Ricky,” related Flynn. “What we saw at th end
of last year wasn’t indicative of Ricky Deubel. I think
people will remember the real Ricky Deubel this year.”
To set the record straight, Deubel finished
with a 24-13 record with 7 falls, finishing second in the PSAC
Championships and also second in the Missouri Open and third in
the Eastern Michigan Open.
However, he turned in a lackluster showing at
the EWL Tournament, losing a pair of matches before picking up a
technical fall in the fifth place match. He went 1-2 at Nationals.
Consider that Deubel lost ten matches to
nationally-ranked wrestlers, most by close scores. The Ricky
Deubel that Flynn expects to see in 2006-07 was the blue-chip of a
strong 2004 recruiting class. He was named the Division II Most
Valuable Wrestler at the 2004 Ohio State Championships after
winning his second state title.
Flynn expects Pat Wayne and Joel Webster to
push Deubel. Wayne, a junior and a former Massachusetts state
champion, is also moving up from 125 lbs., where he was 11-8 last
year, competing mainly in open tournaments.
“Pat has been working really
hard,” Flynn commented. “He had our most productive
summer work-wise. He has changed dramatically since he first
stepped on campus. He’s a lot more competitive.”
Webster, a former three-time Connecticut state
champion, is a redshirt freshman who was 5-7 in open events. “Joel’s
work ethic has stepped up,” Flynn noted. “He’s a
tough kid who will start to see more wins at the tournaments.”
141 lbs.
Rick McLaughlin enters his third season as the starter at 141 lbs.
As a junior he just missed making it ten Fighting Scots to go to
Nationals, suffering a 5-3 loss in sudden victory to Cleveland
State’s Mike Hurley with a trip to Nationals on the line at
the EWL Tournament.
McLaughlin finished the year with a 17-16
record after going 15-10 the year before. In addition to his
fourth place finish at EWL’s, he was second at the PSAC
Championships, losing in two tiebreakers, and was fourth at the
Missouri Open.
“Rick was so close to being a
(National) qualifier last year,” Flynn pointed out. “He
has beaten some good kids. He has to work on his consistency,
within a match. He has the ability to be really good.”
Third-year sophomore Ryan Morgan moved up to
141 lbs. midway through last season. He finished with a 5-8 record
after missing a good part of his redshirt freshman season due to
injury.
“Ryan has worked pretty hard,”
Flynn noted. “He’s a little more mature and knows it’s
his time. We expect to see him compete.”
Freshman Daryl Cocozzo rates with Morrill as a
top recruit. He earned a second place finish at the New Jersey
state tournament last year, but then went on to a third place
finish at the high school nationals.
“Daryl is a gifted freshman. He
should be able to compete at the college level right away. He’s
as advertised, a high school All-American. We’re real pleased
with him,” Flynn commented.
149 lbs.
Just as it will be difficult for Edinboro as a team to duplicate
last year’s success, so too will it be for Gregor Gillespie.
Gillespie opened his career with a bang, running off 23 straight
wins.
When it was all said and done, the freshman
compiled a 40-4 record, the most wins by a freshman in school
history. He brought back memories of Josh Koscheck, one of two
Division I national champions from Edinboro, in the way he
dominated his opponents. He won six matches by fall, had six major
decisions, and 13 technical falls.
Gillespie served notice that he was for real
with a first place finish at the Las Vegas Invitational. He went
on to also win the PSAC and EWL titles. And in his first trip to
Nationals, he won his first two matches by fall, then picked up a
third over Central Michigan’s Mark Disalvo to earn
All-American honors with a seventh place finish. He was also named
the PSAC Rookie of the Year.
“Gregor had a great year,”
understated Flynn about the former two-time New York state
champion, “and I expect more of the same. He’s a little
more mature this year and has worked hard. Gregor’s going to
be a handful for people. I expect him to compete for a national
championship. Anything less would be a disappointment.”
Matt Chelsted is another returnee. A senior,
Chelsted joined the team in 2003-04 but missed a good portion of
the season with injuries. He was 3-7 a year ago in open
tournaments.
“Matt’s working real hard,
like he always does” Flynn stressed. “He has steadily
improved, and is a product of the system. He’s a hard-working
kid, and a great part of our team.”
Redshirt freshmen Joe Bockmore is also
available. Bockmore was 10-8 in open events last year, including a
second place finish at the UB Open.
“Joe has some ability,”
commented Flynn on Bockmore. “We have to get him to sharpen
his work ethic. He has the talent to be successful.
Freshman Ricky Saxton rounds out the weight
class.
“Ricky’s a young kid who’s
working hard,” assessed Flynn. “With the depth we have,
he’ll probably redshirt.”
157 lbs.
Matt Hill battled a series of injuries a year ago, but took third
place in a rough weight class in the EWL Tournament to qualify for
Nationals for the second time. He proceeded to go 1-2 at
Nationals, but in the process proved he can compete against the
best in the country.
The senior suffered an 8-2 loss to number three
seed Alex Tirapelle of Illinois in his opening match, then
disposed of Kent State’s Kurt Gross, 17-3, in his next bout.
He was eliminated by a 7-5 decision to sixth-seeded Brandon Becker
of Indiana.
After going 30-14 as a sophomore, Hill posted a
25-10 record, also finishing second in the PSAC Championships for
the second straight year. He enters his final campaign with a
73-35 career record, and Flynn expects a big senior season.
“Matt had a rough year last year,”
admitted Flynn. “He was hurt a lot. He really came along at
the end of the year. I wish the season had been another month
long. If he can pick up where he left off, he will be on the stand
this year. His confidence is up after his showing at Nationals. I
think he’ll have a great year.”
Several youngsters will look to prep for Hill’s
spot in 2007-08. John Foley is a redshirt freshman who sat out
last season. “John’s eager to get going,” noted
Flynn. “He sat out last year and is excited to wrestle. He’ll
make some pretty quick gains from being in the room.”
Adam Bearden, and Kevin Orlandi are true
freshmen at 157 lbs. Bearden was a two-time Missouri state
qualifier. “Adam is a young kid who’s excited about
wrestling for us,” Flynn commented. “We’re happy
with his attitude.”
In all likelihood, both will redshirt.
165 lbs.
Few wrestlers caught people more off guard at Nationals than
Deonte Penn. He entered as an unseeded grappler, but has always
had the reputation for the spectacular. Only this time he did it
on the big stage, upsetting two seeded wrestlers on his way to a
fourth place finish and All-American honors.
It all got started with an 8-5 win over Matt
Nagel of Minnesota, who came in as the sixth seed. In an
action-packed match, he then won by fall in overtime at 10:53 over
Will Durkee of Northwestern, before losing to American’s
Muzaffar Abdurakmanov, the number three seed.
Penn would run off three straight wins to reach
the third place match, upsetting tenth-seeded Pat Pitsch of
Arizona State, 8-5, followed by a fall over Daniel Thompson of The
Citadel, and then a 15-10 win over rugged Joey Bracamonte of
Oregon. That set up a rematch against Abdurakmanov, but an injury
in the consolation semifinals forced him to medical forfeit.
Penn was making his second trip to Nationals,
but his first at 165 lbs. He went in 2004 at 149 lbs. In his first
season competing at 165 lbs., Penn finished 33-11 with a
team-leading 14 falls, tied for the sixth-highest total in school
history. He picked up a first place finish at the PSAC
Championships, along with third places at the EWL Tournament and
the Eastern Michigan Open.
Now a senior, he enters his final year with a
77-39 career record with 33 falls. He ranks fifth in career falls,
needing ten to set the school record. Repeating his magical
journey through Nationals may not be so easy this year. It is a
class loaded with talent, and he will sneak up on no one this
year. Yet Flynn feels Penn could just compete for the national
title in March.
“Deonte’s going to have one
of the tougher weights in the country,” Flynn pointed out. “If
he can be consistent and improve just a little, I think we’ll
have a guy in the national finals. It’s tough to get to the
stand twice. We’re really challenging him. He can compete
with anyone, but there are a lot of good kids at 165 lbs.”
Redshirt freshman Jamie Cross provides backup.
Cross is in his first year with the program after sitting out last
season. He is a former Florida state champion who posted a 148-15
career record.
“Jamie is excited about the
challenge,” noted Flynn. “He will be good for our room.
He works real hard, but it will take a year for him to get
acclimated. We look for him to be a good part of our future.”
174 lbs.
Who knows what might have been. A year ago Eric Ring and Phil
Moricone were battling for the top job at 174 lbs. The two squared
off in the Eastern Michigan Open, Edinboro’s season opener,
with Moricone prevailing 3-1 in overtime.
However, Moricone suffered a season-ending
shoulder injury in the tournament after going 6-2 with four falls,
and Ring went on to earn his second trip to Nationals. Now
Moricone looks to fill the void left by Ring. The sophomore is a
former three-time New Hampshire state champion who was rated sixth
by InterMat at 171 lbs. as a senior. In 2004-05 while redshirting,
he went 16-10 with 5 falls.
“Phil had a disappointing year
because he got hurt,” admitted Flynn. “But I think that
made him even more hungry. He beat Ring in the tournament. He saw
what it took to be great. He knows he can compete, and he’s
hungry to do so. We expect real big things from him.”
184 lbs.
Look for the real Alex Clemsen to show up in 2006-07. Clemsen
redshirted in 2004-05, in the process undergoing two surgeries. He
came back a year ago and turned in a solid campaign, including
qualifying for Nationals for the third time. But he never may have
been 100 percent.
Despite that, Clemsen fell one victory shy of
All-American status at Nationals, suffering a 7-2 defeat to
third-seeded Ben Wissel of Purdue in his final bout. He went 3-2
in his third trip, with the other loss coming to Iowa State’s
Kurt Backes, the seventh seed.
“Alex was real close last year to
reaching one of his goals,” noted Flynn, referring to
All-American honors. “This was his first summer without
surgery. He was able to stay healthy all summer, allowing him to
train. He looks better. He’s a half-step quicker. He knows he
can compete with anyone. Now we have to fine-tune him.”
Now a senior, Clemson finished with a 34-10
record, winning his third straight PSAC crown, along with second
place finishes at the EWL Tournament and the Missouri Open, a
fifth place finish at Southern Scuffle, and a seventh place finish
at the Las Vegas Invitational. He enters the year with an 84-31
career record, ranking 20th in career wins.
Donald Walker, a junior, will push Clemsen.
Walker suffered a similar circumstance to Moricone. He won his
first two matches at the Eastern Michigan Open while competing at
184 lbs., then went down with a season-ending injury. Walker
competed at 174 lbs. in 2004-05, going 7-10, before moving up a
class a year ago.
“Donnie is really the same as
Phil,” related Flynn. “He wrestled well at Eastern
Michigan then got hurt. He’s hungry to get out there and show
everyone what he can do.”
Freshman Shawn Fendone will also back up
Clemsen. He follows older brother Joe to Edinboro, and the
Fighting Scot coaching staff can only hopes he follows a similar
path. He was a two-time New England champion at Central Catholic
(Mass.) High School, and also won Massachusetts state titles as a
junior and senior.
“Shawn is a good young kid,”
related Flynn. “He had a lot of success in high school. With
the depth we have, he will likely redshirt.”
197 lbs.
With Joe Fendone moving up to heavyweight, the 197 lbs. weight
class takes on a new look, yet a familiar one. Senior Jim Gibson,
who has served as a starter both at 184 and 197 lbs. in the past,
will battle redshirt freshman Pat Bradshaw and junior Mike LaBella
for the starting job. LaBella was the starter in 2004 and for part
of 2005 before going down with an injury.
Gibosn is a senior with is a great deal of
experience, showing a 40-34 career record. A year ago he went 6-8,
with a fifth place finish at the Missouri Open. He was 21-15 with
a second place showing at the PSAC Championships and fourth at the
EWL Tournament while competing at 184 lbs. in 2005.
“Jim has been a very consistent
wrestler for us,” commented Flynn. “He’s been in
and out of the starting lineup. He’s a kid with experience
who we can rely upon.”
Bradshaw was a highly-regarded recruit at 197
lbs. a year ago, and did nothing to sway that thinking. While
redshirting, he finished with a 10-7 record wrestling in open
events. He placed second in the WVU Classic and third in the UB
Open.
Bradshaw is from nearby Saegertown High School,
and follows his father Jeff as a wrestler at Edinboro. He capped
an outstanding high school career by winning the 2005 PIAA Class
AA state championship at 189 lbs. He finished the year with a 41-1
record, and was 102-21 for his career despite missing his
sophomore season.
“Pat is the kind of kid who is a
perfect example of what our program is about,” noted Flynn. “With
that attitude, if he keeps grinding away, he can be a great one.
He brings it for seven minutes.”
LaBella earned the starting role in January of
2004 as a true freshman, finishing with a 16-15 record and a third
place finish at the PSAC Championships. An injury in early
February of 2005 forced him to the sideline. He was 17-16 up to
that point. LaBella was redshirted a year ago, and received
clearance to resume wrestling during the year. He competed in a
pair of open events, going 5-2.
“Mike is in the same boat as
Donald Walker and Phil Moricone,” explained Flynn. “He’s
hungry to compete, and we know he can do well. He brings
intensity. He’s one of the hardest working kids we have.”
Hwt.
Two years ago Jeremy Mosley was an undersized heavyweight who was
still trying to overcome a serious knee injury in high school
while moving up from 197 lbs. Last year a heavier and healthier
Mosley emerged as the starter at heavyweight in late January. He
proceeded to earn a trip to Nationals for the first time with a
third place showing at the EWL Tournament. He earlier captured
third place at the Cleveland State Open.
The junior ended the year with a 17-12 record.
Unfortunately, his debut in 2006-07 will once again be delayed due
to injury. He is expected to miss the first semester.
“Jeremy came in and did a nice
job for us,” noted Flynn. “He needs more and more
confidence. He’s hurt now, but I think he’ll come back
hungry. He showed promise last year. He had his eyes opened up at
Nationals. He wants to get back.”
Unlike year’s past, the Fighting Scots
have some depth to call on in sophomore Joe Fendone and redshirt
freshman Terry Tate. Fendone emerged as the starter at 197 lbs.
after an eighth place finish at the Southern Scuffle, and
proceeded to take home first place at the PSAC Championships and
second at the EWL Tournament. In addition, he earlier finished
first at the Cleveland State Open.
Now a sophomore, Fendone ended the year with an
impressive 29-9 ledger with 11 falls. He went 1-2 in his first
trip to Nationals.
“Joe had a great year,”
gushed Flynn. “PSAC champion, EWL runnerup. He has the
ability to compete at a very high level. This move allows Joe to
wrestle at his natural weight and hopefully will help him in the
long run. It also makes us very strong at heavyweight with two
national qualifiers in Mosley and Fendone, and a top young
heavyweight in Tate. I feel that all of these guys will be
productive for us.”
Tate was a highly-regarded recruit a year ago
who was redshirted. A PIAA state champion as a senior at Tyrone
Area High School, he went 15-10 a year ago with 6 falls. He
brought home fourth place in the Cleveland State Open and WVU
Classic. As a prepster he had a 149-24 career record, including
47-0 as a senior with 36 falls.
“Terry is excited to have a
chance to be in there,” related Flynn. “He’s
working real hard. We’ll see if he can take advantage of the
situation.”
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