189 - Sr. Zach Pizzaro 22-2 (E) dec 11-10 Jr. Chris Ramos 8-7 (L) 215 - Fr. Cory Rutt 7-5 (E) dec 6-4 OT So. Sherman Compton 9-9 (L) 275 - Sr. Eric Valazquez 21-4 (L) WBF 1:11 Sr. Jarrid Myers 1-15 (E) 103 - Fr. Jordan Oliver 24-2 (E) dec 6-2 Fr. Shane Kelly 13-10 (L) 112 -So. Brandon Veres 9-9 (E) WBF 6:00 Jr. Josh Osorto 20-7 (L) *** 119 - Sr. Brad Gentzle 25-6 (E) WBF 3:22 Fr. Davi Ramos 13-9 (L) 125 - Sr. Seth Ciasulli 28-0 (E) dec 7-4 Jr. Willie Horwath 23-3 (L) 130 - Sr. Josh Oliver 27-4 (E) maj dec 15-7 Jr. Shane Hutchinson 17-11 (L) 135 - Sr. Alex Krom 27-1 (E) dec 5-2 Sr. Benny Heiast 16-8 (L) 140 - Sr. Andrew Goldstein 23-4 (E) maj dec 25-12 Jr. Zan Hayspell 14-11 (L) 14 - Jr. Braylin Williams 20-7 (E) dec 5-4 Sr. Keith Kelly 21-5 (L) 152 - Sr. Willie Melendez 13-11 (L) dec 5-1 Sr. Kyle Hershey 9-14 (E) 160 - Sr. Sal Crivellaro 24-6 (E) dec 7-2 Sr. Scott Edwards 20-5 (L) 171 - Sr. Mike Fink 23-3 (L) Dec 11-6 So. David Crowell 12-14 (E) *** -1 team point for coach misconduct Chuck Lieberman Memorial Award goes to Easton Sophmore Brandon Veres

From The Express-Times Red Rovers look sharp, blow away Hurricanes Thursday, January 27, 2005 By MIKE WEILAMANN The Express-Times PALMER TWP. -- It was another one of those nights at the office for Easton Area High School's wrestling team. The Red Rovers were simply too much -- even for a very good Liberty team that couldn't catch a break all night long. Easton won 11 bouts in perhaps its most impressive performance to date as it dismantled Liberty 41-11 Wednesday in a Lehigh Valley Conference clash on Senior Night at the 25th Street Gymnasium. "This is as well as we've wrestled all year," said a satisfied Easton coach Steve Powell. "Liberty is a well-balanced team and they have some great kids. It was certainly a good battle." The Red Rovers (13-1 overall, 6-0 LVC), ranked No. 1 in The Express-Times region, are now just one victory away from wrapping up the LVC title. To do so, Powell's team need only to beat Northampton 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Liberty's Memorial Gym in the Rovers' regular-season finale. "I thought today we'd be a little sluggish after Monday (a win over Nazareth) but we dominated," said 135-pounder Alex Krom, one of seven seniors to win their final home match. "I would have been disappointed if I didn't (win). Wrestling here has been a joy." No. 4 Liberty (18-3, 3-2) lost every close one and even some where it was favored. Needless to say, it made for long evening for the Hurricanes and coach Jody Karam. "I knew what we were in for," said Karam, an Easton alum and former star wrestler. "Easton is well-coached and very experienced. We're definitely not on that level yet." The first bout on Wednesday pretty much foretold what kind of night it would be for the Hurricanes. Senior Zach Pizarro got the ball rolling by edging Chris Ramos 11-10 at 189 pounds. The heavily-favored Pizarro (17-2), ranked second by The Express-Times at 189, had to fight off his back in the third period and needed a takedown with 36 seconds left to win. The upset-minded Ramos (8-7) actually led 9-8 after putting the Rover to his back for five with 1:20 to go. Easton went up 6-0 after 215, where freshman Cory Rutt took Sherman Compton down with five seconds left in overtime for a 6-4 victory. After the teams traded wins at 275 and 103, sophomore Brandon Veres stunned everyone by decking Liberty junior Josh Osorto at 112. After the match, Veres garnered the Chuck Leiderman Memorial Award as the meet's outstanding wrestler. "I've been in a slump for a while so it felt good to get a win," said Veres, who had lost five straight coming into Wednesday. "I knew (Osorto) was ranked (fourth) in The Express-Times but I didn't know anything about him. I just tried to go out and get a win." Veres (9-9) trailed 5-4 late before taking Osorto down to his back in the closing seconds and applying a half-nelson. Referee Tony Phillips counted back points and appeared to slap the mat a good two seconds after the buzzer had sounded. Almost immediately, Karam ran over to the scorer's table to question both Phillips and the clock operator who said the ref whistled for the fall before the buzzer sounded. Phillips eventually heard enough from Karam and deducted one team point from Liberty for unsportsmanlike conduct. "I'll give one hundred dollars to the charity of that scorekeeper's choice if I'm wrong," Karam said. "And I'm right because I already watched the tape." Even Veres was stunned to learn he got six points. "I didn't know it until we shook hands," he said. From there it was all downhill as Easton won the next six to go up 38-5 with three bouts left. During that run, senior Seth Ciasulli knocked off Willy Horwath 3-0 in a good matchup at 125 and junior Braylin Williams nipped Keith Kelly 5-4 at 145 in another clash of ranked wrestlers. "Every time you think you have a chance to breathe they march out another state runner-up or placewinner," Karam said.