Rozanski registers 100^th career victory

            Daniel Hawkins has spent most of the current season dealing with a back injury. Last week, the junior helped Upper Perkiomen's wrestling capture its second division title in three seasons.

            Hawkins and Soren Svanson each posted pivotal victories to lead the team to

Zach Rozanski, right, goes for a takedown agains a  Pottstown opponent..

a 44-24 win over Pottstown in the Pioneer Athletic Conference on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The win completed a perfect 5-0 run through the conference's Frontier Division.

            "To go unbeaten in the division is a great feeling," head coach Steve Adam said. "The guys worked very hard for this goal and they earned it."

            Gavin Marks (138 pounds), Zach Rozanski (145), Austin DiDomenico (195) and Damon Faraco (220) each won by pin for the visiting Indians (10-8), who won four of five matches to extend a 15-12 advantage. Shane Freeh's major decision victory at 120 pounds clinched the team win and the division crown.

            "This title means a lot to me and the team," said Hawkins, who improved to 8-6.

            Two days later, Rozanski (29-6) became the 29^th wrestler in school history to reach 100 career victories at the Cedar Crest Falcon Invitational while finishing first at 138 pounds.

            Matt Martin (28-4) also finished first in the 113-pound weight class. Matt Milkowich added a bronze medal at 106 pounds. DiDomenico (182) finished fourth, while Joey Carpenter (126) and Tommy Flood (170) ended up on fifth.  Shane Freeh (120) ended up in sixth.

            Against the Trojans, the Pennsburg resident tallied a five-point flurry in the third period to rally for an 8-6 win over Patrick Green at 182 pounds. Down 5-3, Hawkins utilized a power-half to register a pair of near falls early in the period. He allowed a one-point escape with 10 seconds remaining in the match, but hung on for the victory.

            "I had it in my head that I had to win order to keep us ahead in the match," said Hawkins, who returned to full strength during the Exeter Blue/White Duals on Jan. 19.

             According to Adam, the injury has limited Hawkins' practice time and adversely affected his speed, strength and stamina. The wrestler called his victory at Strom Gymnasium, which extended the Tribe's 15-12 advantage, his best performance of the season.

            "It's been a real struggle for Daniel," the coach said. "Now that he's healthy, he working very hard. And I have a feeling that hard work will pay off in the post-season."

            At 160, Svanson rallied in the third period to post a 5-4 victory over Devon Green. He opened the third period with an escape and a takedown to overturn a 4-3 deficit. Svanson nearly allowed an escape with 23 seconds left, but hung on for the win to extend Upper Perkiomen's lead to 15-6. The coach described the bout as a matchup.

            Hawkins' hard-fought win started a stretch of five victories in the next seven bouts. DiDomenico (22-9) scored a second-period fall over Zach Griffin. Faraco won similarly over Justice Harris. Matt Milkowich was awarded a forfeit victory at 106. Following a double-forfeit at 113, Freeh delivered the decisive win, a 13-2 major decision over Julianna Figueroa.

            "Several guys came up big for us," Adam said. "They were able to stand up when it mattered. They've done it all season."

            Rozanski led the Indians to an eighth-place finish out of 13 teams in the tournament at Cedar Crest High School on Saturday, Feb. 1. He opened with a second-period fall over Sun Valley's Jonathan O'Neill at 138 pounds.

            In the quarterfinals, he registered a first-period fall over Matthew Ruiz, from East Stroudsburg South.  A similar result over Mechanicsburg's Logan Ledebohm propelled him to the championship bout. Rozanski went the distance in the gold medal bout, posting an 8-6 decision over Oxford Area's Kevin Quin.

            Martin notched a pin and two decisions on his way to title at 113 pounds. He opened with a 3:27 fall over Sun Valley's Matt Perretta. In the semifinals, he outlasted Oxford Area's Cannon Hershey 11-8. The senior outlasted Aliazer Alicea, of Manheim Township, 4-3 in the final.