Quakertown's Ziegler earns silver medal

            Branden Rozanski departed the PIAA Class 3A Wrestling championships last weekend empty handed and with a feeling of disappointment. The Upper Perkiomen junior didn't think he delivered his best effort.

            "I was not as aggressive as I could have been," he said.

            His bid for a medal at 121 pounds in Hershey ended after three matches. Rozanski shared a somber moment with head coach Steve Adam in a Giant Center hallway following his season-ending loss on Friday, March 10.

            "I told Branden how proud I was of him," the coach said. "He had a tough couple of days. But he's going to keep grinding. A state medal is still within his grasp."

            The two-time state qualifier displayed progress despite failing to reach the medal stand. Rozanski (36-7) posted his first victory in the tournament and scored his first points after being shut out in two matches as a sophomore.

            "For him to be competitive all weekend tells me he's moving in the right direction," Adam said.

            In three bouts, he failed to score a takedown. Rozanski said he was dealing with a mental block.  "I need to get my head right and just let things fly," said Rozanski, who finished the season 20 victories short of 100 for his career. "Sometimes it felt like I was holding back. I have to learn to just go for it in spots like that."

            Rozanski recorded two personal milestones in his initial match on Thursday, March 9. He registered his first points and victory at states in a preliminary round match. The junior utilized a second-period reverse to defeat Owen Klodowski, a ninth-grader from Baldwin, 2-0 to post his sixth consecutive win.

            "It felt good to get that first state tournament win," Rozanski said.

            In his next match, Rozanski was dominated by Christian Horvath, a northeast regional champion. The Bethlehem Freedom senior utilized a relentless attack to post a 7-0 victory.

            "[Horvath] suffocated Branden on his feet," Adam said. "He was taking non-stop shots."

            Rozanski, who admitted to making a few critical mistakes, spent nearly the entire match on defense, according to the coach. He said the wrestler was unable to execute his game plan.  "I was reaching too much," Rozanski said. "I made a couple mistakes I couldn't afford."

            The following day, Ryan Klingensmith – a southwest regional champion – eliminated the Pennsburg resident. Klingensmith, a senior from Kiski Area who finished seventh, utilized two near fall points with 40 seconds left in the third period after a scramble to post a 3-0 victory.

            "Branden made a bad decision on the scramble, and it caused him to become exposed," Adam said.

            Rozanski's performance one week earlier played a role in his early exit, Adam claimed. He said the wrestler could have avoided a preliminary round bout at states by finishing first or second at the Southeast Class 3A Regional. However, an opening round loss during the tournament at Souderton High School eliminated that option.

            "That just makes life a little more difficult," the coach said.

            Adam expressed certainty that the outcome will motivate Rozanski. The coach said they will work on getting him to react more quickly to score a takedown.

            "Branden is very good at getting in deep on a shot," Adam said. "But he's got to learn to finish a move quickly before his opponent reacts. At this level, every second of every match counts. If you don't react fast enough, it can cost you the match."

            Quakertown's Mason Ziegler earned a silver medal in the tournament at 121 pounds. The southeast regional champion lost 4-0 to Cael Nasdeo, a senior from Williamsport, in the title bout Saturday night.

            Ziegler (45-5), a two-time state qualifier, opened his tournament with an 8-0 major decision victory over Connellsville's Jacob Layton. He then posted a 10-3 win over Hunter Johnson, a senior from Mifflin County. In the semifinals, the junior scored a 5-3 victory over Daniel Boone's Dean Houser to reach his first state title match.