The Navy Classic, Predatory Behavior, and "Old Faithful"

Tonight we are heading down to the Navy Classic.  For the past 2 weeks the guys have been working on their technique and whatever mistakes/errors they made at the Pentagon.  It has been nice to have the 2 week break because we did not have to jam a bunch of technique into a small window of practice time and completely overwhelm them.  This past week we have been focusing on match intensity and the overall "attitude" needed on the mat to be successful.  This team is made up of a great group of young men.  Most if not all of them will go on to be successful leaders in their chosen fields.  They are respectful, courteous, and caring towards each other and everyone else they come in contact with.  They represent the program and college with the highest regard but unfortunately they aren't able to turn off the "niceness" as easily as is necessary to be successful in wrestling.  Our sport can call for extreme intensity and harsh actions when it is competition time.  As a wrestler you must be able to harness your inner animal and use it to your advantage during that 7 minutes.  When you are out there on that mat it is not unlike those shows you see on National Geographic or Discover Channel.  You know the ones I am talking about, the lion and the gazelle, the crocodile and the buffalo, the shark and the seal.  Right now we need to be able to become the lion, crocodile, and shark otherwise we will end up being the gazelle, buffalo, or seal.  That is what we are working on.  That is what we need to get to the next level.  To score that winning takedown in the 3rd period we must be the shark.  To get out from bottom in overtime we have to become the lion.  Until we can become the predator we will end up being the prey.  We will get a great feel for where we are in this metamorphosis this weekend and I look forward to seeing some of you there or in the upcoming weeks at another one of our events.

Also here is a clinic I did at Apache Wrestling Club in the Philly Area where I broke down "Old Faithful".  Old Faithful is my front headlock.  It was my best position throughout my career and is the one situation I feel you will almost always end up in every time you step on the mat.  You can get there from your own setups or initiative or you can end up there through defense or counter wrestling.  We work with our guys daily on this technique and we will definitely be seeing a lot of Old Faithful as the season moves forward.

*those of you who get this as an email, you have to go to the blog to see the video for some reason, just click here for all the juicy goodness...

Pentagon Recap...

Army

In the first match of the Rogers/Greenberg era we took on a very tough Army team.  This was the first time since I have been here (maybe longer!) that we put a full team out on the mat.  This had to be a huge factor for our guys mentally as last year we would go into duals down 12-0 or even 18-0.  I know it doesnt sound like much of a motivator but to go into a dual 0-0 really can help a wrestler feel like they are fighting for more than just an individual match result.  In the dual we fought hard and with a few breaks here and there we could have won the dual.  Matt Fullowan and Anthony Bongarzone lost by a combined total of 3pts with Anthony losing on a controversial call at the buzzer.  Could the call have gone the other way?  Sure it could have, but in wrestling you cannot leave the match up to the clock or the official.  This is a lesson I hope the guys learned Saturday and something they will not have to be on the losing end of again.  Throughout the match we scored the first takedown in almost every matchup.  This is a huge improvement for our program given we would usually be hesitant and wait for the action to come to us last year.  We had game plans for each opponent and we stuck to them even if we fell behind.

American

Against American we performed decently, but what made me excited was all of the guys fought hard.  Obviously American has some buzzsaw's that just have more experience than our guys, but in the matches where we went up against their studs we still fought with all we had.  Our shape and conditioning was more than good for both matches, in the Army dual we seemed to be able to use it more to our advantage, but from the coaches perspective we were very satisfied with our guys gas tanks.

125-Matt Murray wrestled hard for his first time down to weight.  In the Army match he scored the first takedown but was not ready for the emotional pressure scoring first can put on you.  This being the first time Matt competed at 125, he will only get better from here.  He will manage his weight better and only get stronger as the season progresses.  Matt will need to stay aggressive on his feet and use his length and power to his advantage if he wants to build on first period takedowns.

133-Jake Bucha picked up where he left off the first round of EIWA's last year.  I say the first round because Jake didn't perform at his best after that point in the tournament last year.  In his first match he beat the 4th seeded wrestler from Penn convincingly and looked as good as he had all year.  Jake scored at will this past weekend, dominating from his feet and giving up nothing on the mat.  He avenged an 2009 early season loss to the Army wrestler and never looked like he was in trouble.  Against American he was a bit tentative and if he wants to make it to Philly this year he will have to push himself to score until the final whistle.

141- Kenny Knapp stepped in for us even though he was hurt and did his best against Army.  Kenny needs to get healthy so that he can show everyone how good he really is.

149- Andrew Murano got the freshman welcome to college wrestling.  While he took some lumps on the mat he did show some promise on his shots and his overall heart during the two matches.  He was unfortunate to draw two of the best wrestlers in the gym Saturday, but I have no doubt he will rebound and learn from this experience and be ready by the end of the year to make a run.

157- Ladies and Gentlemen, please let me introduce you to the most dangerous man in the world.  Eric Norgard has no fear on the mat and showed our team that no matter where you are in the match you are always in a position to win.  Trailing in the second period Eric turned and stuck the Army wrestler sparking a huge roar from the fans.  Against American, Eric put #2 Steve Fittery on his back for a count and almost a fall before Fittery fought back for the win.  Eric is a perfect example of somebody who has bought into the system we are teaching and as a result is a much more complete (and dangerous) wrestler.

165- Anthony Bongarzone lost a heart breaker to the Army kid when the ref failed to call the TD as time ran out on the one point match.  Anthony needs to learn that he cannot wait for the end of a match to press the action and that he needs to create motion on his feet if he wants to get in on his shots.  Against American Anthony had good news and bad.  The good news is he only got hit with one move in the entire match, the bad news is the guy hit it on him 6x.  We are spending the week on this position and Anthony will be ready next time.

174- Matt Fullowan lost a close match to Army not because of skill but because of nerves.  He held back and didn't open up and wrestle to his potential.  If he had wrestled like I know he can he would have beat the Army guy easily.  Against American Matt did open up and scored a variety of takedowns to finish 1-1 on the day.

184- Matt Latessa showed flashes of greatness on his feet but unfortunately made some big mistakes there as well.  Matt needs to improve on his shot defense and he will be a tough match for anybody at 184.

197- Colin "Vino" Ely had quite the day, finishing up 2-0.  I call him "vino" because for the last few weeks he has been hurt (or on the shelf) yet he only gets better (just like wine!)  Colin wrestled smart on his feet, held position, and capitalized on his opponents mistakes.  It was a great start for his season.

HWT- Danny Canfield wrestled really well against the Army guy scoring early in the first with a nice leg attack.  He held position and was able to escape fairly easily to ein the match without too many mistakes.  The one area we need Danny to work on is opening up and believing in his shots.  He is a quick heavy so he should be able to score on a lot of the bigger, slower guys.  Against American Danny made a silly mistake which landed him on his back and ended what could have been an exciting HWT match.  Danny will have a great year and surprise some people who overlook him (which isn't too hard since he is 5'9" ZING!)

Coach Rogers talks about the weekend with Danny Canfield and Steve Peed here.

Pentagon Duals Results...

Here are the match scores from the weekend.  The team looked amazing, but of course we still have a lot of work to do.  Countless people came up to Mike and myself to say how hard our guys fought and how impressed they were with what they saw today.

My analysis and comments will be posted Monday...


#20 American 26, Army 6
125: Travis Coffey (Army) dec. Thomas Williams (AU), 3-2
133: Kevin Tao (AU) dec. Jordan Thome (Army), 7-4
141: Matt Mariacher (AU) dec. Casey Thome (Army), 1-0
149: Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) dec. Daniel Young (Army), 9-3
157: #2 Steve Fittery (AU) dec. Rudy Chelednick (Army), 7-1
165: Patrick Graham (AU) dec. Jake Vetter (Army), 4-0
174: Collin Whittmeyer (Army) dec. Phillip Barreiro (AU), 10-4
184: Thomas Barreiro (AU) dec. Will Brown (Army), 4-3
197: #20 Daniel Mitchell (AU) dec. Ryan Ross (Army), 3-0
HWT: #8 Ryan Flores (AU) tech. fall Christian Botero (Army), 18-1




Army 26, Franklin & Marshall 15_
125: Travis Coffey (A) pinned Matt Murray, 4:34_
133: Jake Bucha (F) dec. Jordan Thome, 7-4_
141: Casey Thome (A) pinned Kenny Knapp, 1:35_
149: Daniel Young (A) tech. fall Andrew Murano, 15-0_
157: Eric Norgard (F) pinned Rudy Chelednik, 4:11_
165: Jake Vetter (A) dec. Anthony Bongarzone, 4-0_
174: Collin Wittmeyer (A) dec. Matt Fullowan, 2-0_
184: Wil Brown (A) dec. Matt Latessa, 8-4_
197: Colin Ely (F) dec. Patrick Smith, 8-4_
285: Dan Canfield (F) dec. Christian Botero, 6-3

#20 American 33, Franklin & Marshall 10
125: Corey Borshoff (AU) dec. Matt Murray (F&M), 6-0
133: Jacob Bucha (F&M) dec. Glenn Donatelli (AU), 13-6
141: Matt Mariacher (AU) win by forfeit
149: Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) tech. fall Andrew Murano (F&M), 18-3
157: #2 Steve Fittery (AU) fall Eric Norgard (F&M), 2:43
165: Patrick Graham (AU) major dec. Anthony Bongarzone (F&M), 17-7
174: Matt Fullowan (F&M) dec. Tanner Shaff (AU), 9-3
184: Thomas Barreiro (AU) dec. Matt Latessa (F&M), 9-5
197: Colin Ely (F&M) major dec. Kenny Clessas (AU), 10-1
HWT: #8 Ryan Flores (AU) fall Daniel Canfield (F&M), 1:04

Thank you to all of the fans, families, and Pentagon Officials for making this event a day to remember for ever.  A thank you must go out to the wrestlers, all of them!  Army & American competed hard and with respect and it was a pleasure to battle with them today in the Pentagon.  Best of luck to both programs...See you at EIWA's! As for our F&M wrestlers, I want to thank them for believing in Coach Rogers and myself and working tirelessly to improve and get better every day.  Today was the start of the season, THE START!  If we can continue to improve the way we have over the last two months there will be a lot of amazing things in our future.  GREAT JOB BOYS!

Thanks to Coach Rogers for giving me the chance to coach with him and learn from an amazing coach and leader. For embracing my quirks and utilizing my skills and abilities.  Mike has made this transition a dream come true for me and I look forward to working and learning together for years to come and know that the sky is the limit for the Diplomat's Wrestling Program moving forward.  Also a thank you to Mrs. Rogers for being so nice and accepting of me during Mikes move to F&M.  She is our #1 fan and I cannot wait to brainstorm with her as well.

The last thank you I have is to my family.  It meant so much to me that you all took the time to come down and support your #1 son this weekend.  Zach, I know you are super busy but I was so happy I was able to have you in my corner today.  I love you all so much and would be nowhere without your support, love, and guidance over the years.

The time has come...

We arrived at the hotel tonight at 10pm and got everyone weighed in at 12:01am. For the first time in a few years we will be putting out a full line-up for the duals. This in itself is a huge achievement and shows the dedication our wrestlers have to the program. The guys are feeling good and more importantly confident for tomorrow's events. We all know that the other two teams are taking us lightly and that is the perfect chance for our wrestlers to catch them off guard and show them how tough F&M is. All we want is for our guys to wrestle as hard as they can and do what we have been learning and working on and honestly, the rest will work itself out. I am excited for tomorrow (or today really).  Please keep F&M Wrestling in your thoughts...

Rogers talks on...Ranking Matches, Line-up for Pentagon, and much more!

Coach Mike "The Killer Cradle" Rogers weighs in on F&M Wrestling's ranking bouts, the status of the team heading into the the Pentagon Duals,  and what he expects from the guys this season.

The full interview is here on "Matt"Burn only a few short seconds after it was originally recorded.

What else is new?

Yesterday Coach and myself had the pleasure of doing a clinic in Newark, NJ at St. Benedict's Prep.  It was a very humbling experience for me as it was wrestling at its most raw and pure form.  Most of the kids there don't have parents, or homes, or a reason to be at wrestling practice, but thanks to the efforts of Solomon Fleckman, (inhale) the Lehigh All American, Blair Assistant Coach, high school teammate of Mike Rogers, Junior National Finals Coach for yours truly, Maccabi teammate of yours truly, and overall great human being (exhale) these kids now have a place to go and a place to focus their energy and free time.  Seeing the look in these kids eyes when we would show them moves they never saw before or the appreciation they showed by making sure to shake our hands after we were done is what makes what I do all worth it.  It reminds me of how this sport survives generation after generation...from our community constantly looking out for each other and offering therapy through wrestling and teaching.  I urge some of you to take a ride to Martin Luther King Blvd in Newark, NJ one day and pop your head into the wrestling room.  Point at any kid in the room and I guarantee you there is an amazing story that goes along with why they are there in that wrestling room.  We were there for a few hours and we barely scratched the surface when it comes to understanding all of the who, what, where's, and why's of the Gray Bees Wrestling Team.  It certainly puts things in perspective when you think that you are having a bad day and it definitely gets me thinking of how I can use my place in the wrestling world for good and for the benefit of the youth and the future of the sport.

Solomon Fleckman-Head Wrestling Coach, St. Benedict's Prep, Newark, NJ

Ranking Matches & Homecoming EXTRAVAGANZAAAAA!

On Friday we had our first "Ranking Matches" of the year.  Coach Rogers and myself both believe that the term "Wrestle-Off" is not a good way to describe the bouts we hold in the room to decide who will get the spot for a given competition.  We liked the term "Ranking Match" because it better describes what we are trying to figure out from said matches.  We need to find the best guy for a single competition right now so in a few weights we had them wrestle each other. 

At 133, Kenny Knapp wrestled Jake Bucha in a hard fought 3-2 match.  Jake was able to convert a shrug for 2pts and hold on to take the win.  What we hope both guys took away from the match was how different an actual "real" match is than a practice match or live wrestling period.  Both guys got extremely tired, and in a quiet room with everyone watching you, nerves tend to have an effect on your stamina.  This was clear in both of these wrestlers and is probably what led to the conservative score and low risk attempts throughout the bout.  After the match I spoke with Jake and he told me he was very nervous and felt like he got tired before he thought he would/should.  We were able to identify why that was and how he can work more on pushing himself in practice to get over those plateaus in his wrestling.  What I took away from the talk with Jake is that he is no longer satisfied with a win and is more interested in winning big.  He feels that as a wrestler he is supposed to beat guys a certain way and if he doesn't, then he did something wrong or didn't do something as right as he could have.  Kenny should be motivated as well.  Even though he lost, this is his first full year of wrestling and he took a 5th year senior to the brink in his first match back on the team.  These two are going to be really good for each other in the upcoming weeks and months. 

At 165 Anthony Bongarzone beat freshman Colin Lahiff in a battle that took place on the mat.  After a scoreless first period Colin rode Anthony for most of the second period, making a rookie mistake and letting Anthony go with 30 seconds left.  The third period was all Anthony as he rode Colin and turned him once to lock up the win.  Anthony looks really good this year and if he can stay aggressive on his feat he will have a lot of success. 

Andrew Murano used a barrage of takedowns to secure a 9-4 win over Chris Barkesdale.  Both of these guys are freshman and should help the team this year.  They both also need to work hard on their technique and their mat sense if they want to be competitive in the college arena.

After watching the matches and seeing how tired and nerve racked some of the guys were, the coaches decided that we would try and get similar matches for all of our guys over the next few weeks.  Simulating an actual competition match would help us evaluate their progress, evaluate our training techniques, and also modify or improve on anything we feel is a recurring issue among our guys.  Overall we saw good things from the guys who wrestled, but a coaches job is never done and we have a lot to work on if we are to get our team ready for this weekend and the season.

HOMECOMING...

Over the weekend F&M celebrated Homecoming.  The wrestling team had a tent and we were able to meet and great a lot of the alums and supporters of the program.  It was a great time to all get together and have some fun after all the hard work we had put in over the last month.  The guys got to eat a lot of good food, spend time with their families, and interact with alums and other students and sports programs all in one place.  We also used this weekend as a recruiting trip for some of our top prospects, and the feedback we have been getting is all really positive.  As things unfold we will be sure to update everyone on the recruiting class and the upcoming season.