By ERIC KNOPSNYDER
JOHNSTOWN — There are many reasons why Nick Roberts has developed into such an outstanding wrestler: Quickness, balance, explosiveness, power, a will to win.
But North Star coach Pat Berzonski said the most important one might be impossible to see.
“Technically, I’ve never seen a kid that sees wrestling and understands wrestling like he does,” ;Berzonski said. “The grasp of positioning ... there are kids that are real good, natural athletes, but he’s a kid that has almost a photographic memory.”
Roberts will be looking to defend his 103-pound championship when the Southwest Regional Class AA tournament begins at 1 p.m. at Cambria County War Memorial Arena today.
In a bit of role reversal, Roberts sometimes will take Berzonski aside after practice and tell him how a different move a half hour earlier could have benefited the coach.
“The amount of technique he has stored in his 16-year-old head is amazing,” Berzonski said. “I guess that goes with going to camp, clinics, and wrestling all year long.”
While matches are a six-minute blur for most wrestlers, Roberts said he can vividly recall what happens during his bouts.
“I remember parts of the match,” he said before correcting himself. “I remember everything, actually.”
Of course, he hasn’t had to remember very much this season. Of his 32 victories, only two have gone the distance, and he has 19 first-period falls.
Still, his amazing memory helps him learn from any mistakes.
“You can correct what you did wrong,” Roberts said. “You can make adjustments for the next time.”
Success is nothing new to Roberts, who already has won a pair of national titles in freestyle and two more in Greco-Roman.
That’s part of the reason that he’s ranked as the nation’s top 103-pounder by Intermat.
Roberts also has had access to some world-class instructors.
“He’s been around Cael Sandersons, the Ken Chertows, the Jody Strittmatters locally. He’s been exposed to all of these guys at various camps and clinics. It’s that exposure to the best of the best that helps him pick up what he has, but the fact that he’s able to apply it is the cool part,” Berzonski said. “Whether he sees it in our room, at camp, at a clinic, at Fargo – he’s able to apply it to the trade.”
Roberts never really thinks about his ability to process wrestling information.
“I guess it just kind of comes natural to me,” he said. “I think when I’m out there. Some coaches say ‘Don’t think, just do it.’ But I’m always thinking.”
After winning District 5, Southwest Regional and PIAA championships despite being a bit undersized for the weight class last year, Roberts is looking to sweep the titles again this season.
That’s not good news for
103-pounders, but Berzonski did add a ray of hope for those small enough to be at the weight next year.
“This is absolutely, positively the last time he’ll be a
103-pounder,” Berzonski said.
A weight-by-weight look at the regional tournament:
103: Roberts is the prohibitive favorite and one of five unbeaten wrestlers in the tournament.
112: Penn Cambria’s Evan Link lost to Roberts in last year’s PIAA finals while Westmont Hilltop’s Josh Polacek was third.
This year Link and Polacek move up a weight, and they’re Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the latest editions of Off The Mat Rankings, so a rematch of their District 6 finals bout isn’t out of the question.
119: Shady Side Academy’s Geoff Alexander is a two-time regional champion, having beaten Westmont Hilltop’s Tanner Hough at 112 last year.
Both return and are in contention for the title again, but could be challenged by Bedford’s Cory Thomas.
125: Burrell’s Dave Makara is ranked third in the state, but has competition from No. 5 Patrick Myers of Penn Cambria and
No. 7 Joe Lascari of North Star.
130: The championship bout here could be the highlight of the finals. Shady Side’s Frank Martelloti is 43-1 and ranked second in the state, trailing only Ronnie Garbinsky of Tyrone
– the 125-pound regional champion a year ago – who enters with a 35-0 record.
135: Tyrone’s A.J. Schopp, who is 35-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state, will look for a third regional title. His biggest competition could come from Trevor Kushner – who he beat by technical fall in the District 6 finals – or Trey Easter – who he beat by technical fall in the Thomas Subaru finals.
140: Central Cambria’s Phil Steinberg moves up a weight after winning the regional title and finishing second in the state at 135 a year ago.
He’s already split with Chestnut Ridge’s Josh Shane this season, and needed a late reversal to beat Somerset’s Luke Lohr in the District 6 finals.
145: Portage’s Shawn Perich won the 140-pound regional title last season and is ranked fourth in the state.
He’ll face strong competition from South Fayette’s Nick Carr, who is ranked second in the state.
152: Charleroi freshman Cody Wiercioch made a name for himself by winning the POWERade tournament earlier this season, but he was beaten by Burrell’s Travis McKillop in the WPIAL finals.
Wiercioch could have to go through District 5 champ Brian Gibbons of Bedford and District 6 winner Craig Harris of Richland to earn a rematch.
160: Forest Hills’ Chris Gallaher is 33-0 and ranked sixth
– one spot ahead of Fort Cherry’s Sam Guidi, who finished third at 171 pounds last year.
171: Matt Cunningham of Shady Side Academy is eyeing a third regional title. He could have to go through District 6 runner-up David Kephart of Portage and D6 champ Ryan Burnheimer of Westmont Hilltop to do it.
189: Valley’s Kyle Dudley was a state qualifier here last year and is ranked third in the state, but he was upset by Fort Cherry’s Gary Kiefer in the WPIAL finals.
Kiefer is 26-1, with his lone loss coming to Somerset’s Nick Baer, who he could meet in the quarterfinals.
This weight could be the most wide open, with Penn Cambria’s Zak Newton and Forest Hills’ Zack Glessner figuring in the mix.
215: Burrell’s Brian Beattie is ranked No. 1 in the state and the favorite in a weight where the other top wrestlers have beaten one another throughout the season.
285: Richland’s John Rizzo is 35-0, ranked third in the state and has already beaten his top competition here.
Rizzo owns wins over Beth-Center’s Jeff Tarley, Westmont Hilltop’s Josh Duplin, Forest Hills’ Bob Oshaben and Central Cambria’s Shane Morris.
