Norristown Wrestling – 'It's In the Water'

A couple of weeks ago when the Norristown Wrestling Team made it to the PIAA State Duals, I joked to the local wrestling fans, “It's in the water!”

Here we are, four weeks later, and Norristown, of all contenders, wins the PIAA Southeast Regional and District 1 Team Titles. Now, people are believing in that water.

What makes this title more extraordinary is that Norristown has trained several wrestlers for second-place finisher LaSalle as well. The Norristown Eagles have four native sons, and LaSalle has three Norristown boys all going to states. Several other local wrestlers can attribute at least some of their success to training in Norristown.

How does one room produce all that talent? It's in the water, right? Actually, it's in the Harner—coach Mark Harner, that is. Harner has worked with this group of wrestlers, as well as other district stars, since they were 4- and 5 years old. Now that long-term contact is paying off. If you ask Norristown fans, I am sure they will agree that Harner should be “Coach of the Year.”

On Saturday night at Oxford High, the Eagles scratched and clawed their way to the top. Brandon Parker (145) and Brett Harner (152) were crowned champions, while Zack Fuentes (103) and Gavin Queenan (285) had runner-up finishes. Mike Springer (135) and Larry Gordon (189) finished in fifth place. Every single point counted as Norristown edged out District 12 powerhouse LaSalle by one point. District 1 duals champ Council Rock South finished third.

Some credit has to be given to the Norristown assistant coaches, too. These unsung heroes not only believe in and support Harner, but are an organized squad ready and willing to do whatever it takes to help out their team. There is no jostling for position or power struggle. When one wrestler wins, everyone wins.

Harner is a great coach, but he would be lost without these guys—Randy Hartman, Steve Snyder, Rah Lusane and Brian Keyser. All deserve raises, but won't get any. However, they do get the love and respect of their wrestlers, fans and especially their head coach (along with all the water they can drink).

Zack Fuentes (Sophomore) (103) battled Billy Rappo, his District 1 finals opponent from CR South, once more and came up short. Zack has looked very strong thus far in the post season and should have high hopes at states. Zack finished second and will see Dom Forys (9) 33-5 from North Allegheny in the first round at States.

Mike Springer (Freshman) (135) lost in overtime in the quarters and battled his way back to wrestle for a spot to go to the dance, but lost a squeaker and finished fifth. Those fifth-place points were very important in the big picture, as every team point counted. Watch out next year for a very "Mad Mike."

Brandon Parker (Senior) (145) was to face off with fellow Norristown native Casey Kent in the finals, but Casey was injured earlier, and Brandon was crowned by default. Brandon had a strong showing throughout the post season thus far, and hopefully, he will keep it going at states. Brandon will face Logan Walstron (11), 31-12 from Phillipsburg-Osceola, in the first round at states.

Brett Harner (Sophomore) (152) wrestled a rematch from District 1 finals with Thomas Demetrio of Pottsgrove for the championship. The match was physical and full of action, with Brett coming out on top to win his first Southeast Region Title. Several times during the match, one could see the fathers wrestling along with their sons. Brett will face Geno Morelli (11), 33-6 from Dubois, in the first round at states.

Larry Gordon (Junior) (189) battled back through the wrestle backs to come up just short on a trip to states. But, he wrestled hard for his fifth-place finish with a victory over a LaSalle boy, and those couple of points may have made the difference in the team title. He will be back next year for one more try. Good luck, Larry!

Gavin Queenan (Junior) (285) had an exciting fall in the semis over his LaSalle opponent to reach the finals. Gavin has had several crowd-pleasing throws and falls throughout the post season. He lost in the finals to District 12 foe Jeremy Reith to finish second in the region and will face Dawson Peck (11), 37-1 from Chambersburg, in the first round at states.

Other Norristown native wrestlers making it to the big dance were junior Casey Kent (145) in second, junior Shane Springer (160) in third and senior Nick Burns (171) in fourth.

The PIAA State Tournament will take place at the Giant Center in Hershey Park from Thursday, March 10, through Saturday, March 12. You can check on the tournament's progress at www.PIAA.org

Good luck to all of the Norristown wrestlers, and make sure you drink plenty of Norristown water!

Chuck Springer is the man behind the Norristown Wrestling website norristownwrestling.shutterfly.com. He's also coach of the Greater Norristown PAL Wrestling Team. You can contact him at CoachSpringer@gmail.com.