Brandan Rozanski usually keeps his emotions in check. However, the smile the Upper Perkiomen sophomore exuded after securing a berth in the PIAA Wrestling

Brandon Rozanski wrestles at 113 pounds.  The Upper Perk- iomen spophomore finished fourth in the Southeast AAA Reg- inal Tournament.

Championships was unforgettable, according to head coach Steve Adam. "I saw how happy Brandan was to achieve his goal," Adam said.

            Last weekend, Rozanski finished fourth at 113 pounds in the South East AAA Regional Tournament at Oxford Area High School. He became the fourth Tribe wrestler under the current head coach and the third in his family to qualify for states.

            Brandon Godshall went 1-2 at 120 pounds. According to Adam, the sophomore performed much better than his overall record.  "It does not define how good of a season he had," the coach said.

            Rozanski (34-6), who opened the tournament with a pair of wins on March 4, lost 1-0 in the semifinals. Tony Burke, a senior from Council Rock North who eventually won a gold medal, scored the only point on an escape 30 seconds into the second period the following day.

            "Brandan had his has opportunity to escape," Adam said. "He got to his feet a few times, but could not break Burke's hands or prevent a mat return."

            Needing only one more win to advance, Rozanski posted a 4-2 overtime victory over Andrij Szczesniuk, a ninth-grader from Coatesville, in the consolation semifinals. Adam described Szczesniuk as a challenging opponent.  "Brandan was a little sharper," the coach said. "He was a little quicker."

            In the third-place bout, Rozanski fell 3-1 to Luke Heimbach, a junior from Boyertown.  Heimbach scored the decisive takedown with 30 seconds remaining in the third period following a scramble, according to Adam.

            "Brandan got in a few shots, but could not finish," the coach said. "He was in deep."

            After opening the tournament Friday with a second-period pin of Jinuk Han, a junior from Plymouth Whitemarsh, Rozanski eked out a 2-1 victory over Heimbach to advance to the semifinals. A penalty point for an illegal head scissors was the difference.

            According to Adam, Rozanski received support from three generations of his family. The coach said his uncle Brad, a three-time state qualifier and a gold medalist in 1990, and older brother Zach, who finished with 106 career high school victories and qualified for states two years ago for the Tribe, assisted in his mental approach.

            Rozanski will make his debut in the state tournament against Carson Wagner (25-7), a junior from Northampton who finished fourth in the Northeast Regional, around 4 p.m. on Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.

A win in the pigtail round would set up a meeting Friday against Kaedyn Williams (24-1), the top-seed from Manheim Township who won a PIAA goal medal last season at 106 pounds.

            When a wrestler first qualifies for states, he crosses a threshold into higher expectations, according to Adam. The coach said Rozanski will be facing the toughest match of his life.

"Now is the time for Brandan to believe in himself and keep his emotions in check," Adam said. "There are going to be a lot of tight calls."

            At 120 pounds, Godshall (18-21) lost his initial match. He was pinned in the first round by Carmen Cortese, a junior from West Chester Henderson.

            In the consolation round, Godshall responded by posting a 4-2 victory over Kevin Bernhard, a sophomore from Downingtown West.

            However, Jake Williams then eliminated the Indians sophomore from the tournament. Williams, a senior from Plymouth Whitemarsh, posted a 10-1 major decision win. 

According to Adam, a knee injury suffered in the victory hampered Godshall's lateral movement in his final bout.

            "I'm proud of how far Brandon has come," the coach said of Godshall, who dropped down a weight for the postseason. "You could see how he took his game to the next level."