January 5, 2006 6:00am

EASTON 42, WHITEHALL 19
130 -- Jr. Ju-Ju Drummond (12-4), E, p. Jr. Luke Roth (10-7), 3:48.
135 -- Sr. Mike Biase (11-5), E, d. So. Drew Silfies (12-7), 5-1.
140 -- Sr. Braylin Williams (15-2), E, forfeit.
145 -- So. Colin Dailey (14-7), E, d. So. Robbie Kern (9-6), 10-6.
152 -- Sr. Brandon Salinas (14-5), W, md. Jr. Jules Knighton (11-7), 14-5.
160 -- Sr. Josh Ballan (10-3), W, forfeit.
171 -- Fr. Joe Piro (10-9), E, d. Jr. Bobby Relyea (13-8), 3-2.
189 -- Sr. P.J. DiStefano (14-3), W, p. So. Keenan Walls (0-1), :32.
215 -- So. Cory Rutt (15-5), E, d. Jr. Justin Buss (8-8), 5-1.
275 -- Sr. Anthony Smock (12-7), W, d. Fr. Chris Wilson (7-8), 7-3.
103 -- So. Jordan Oliver (19-0), E, p. Fr. Ryan Rader (1-5), 1:53.
112 -- So. Kegan Handlovic (9-4), E, d. Jr. Gary Atiyeh (15-4), 5-4.
119 -- Jr. Brandon Veres (12-3), E, d. So. Matt LaRose (2-9), 7-1.
125 -- Sr. Russ Souders (17-2), E, p. So. Pete Himmelwright (2-6), 3:28.

Rovers do best juggling act EASTON 42, WHITEHALL 19. Lineup changes lead to convincing win over previously-unbeaten Zephyrs Thursday, January 05, 2006 By NICK FIERRO The Express-Times S. WHITEHALL TWP. | As the Easton Area High School wrestling coaching staff huddled in the stands Wednesday night at the start of the junior high match against Whitehall, there was more than just a token concern about the varsity match that loomed. "You really have to force me to juggle (the lineup)," coach Steve Powell said, "and I juggled a whole lot, pulling everyone down (for weigh-ins) and then moving them back up. We had to for Whitehall." Turns out, Powell and his staff didn't have much to worry about as the Red Rovers won nine of the 12 bouts contested to hand the previously-unbeaten Zephyrs their first loss with a convincing 42-19 Lehigh Valley Conference victory. All the moves paid off as Easton (8-1 overall, 3-0 LVC), ranked No. 2 in The Express-Times region, won the key tossup bouts at 135, 145, 171 and 112 pounds. The Red Rovers also avoided giving up major bonus points in some of the mismatches, such as 152 and 275 against upset-minded and fourth-ranked Whitehall (8-1, 2-1). "We won the flip of the coin, which allowed us to move (Joe) Piro (171) and everybody (above him) up," Powell said. "We had to try to get a win with Cory (Rutt at 215), we had to try to get what we could out of (Russ) Souders (at 125) and Ju-Ju (Drummond at 130) and decide whether we were better with (Colin) Hershey or (Brandon) Veres in the lineup (at 119)." Kegan Handlovic, who missed his team's trip to the Manheim Lions Tournament due to an illness, won the evening's most intriguing and exciting bout, even though the final two periods of his 5-4 decision over Gary Atiyeh at 112 were scoreless. Atiyeh brought a 15-3 record and the No. 6 individual ranking in the Express-Times region into the bout, but soon found himself on his back and staring at a 5-0 deficit in the first period. But Atiyeh was able to reverse Handlovic and tilt him for two back points before the period ended. And that was it. Handlovic chose a neutral start for the second period but could not get the takedown, and Atiyeh chose defense to start the third but wasn't nearly as successful as he was on bottom in the first. Handlovic rode him the whole way, surviving a stall warning with 16 seconds to go. "I try not to look at the newspapers," said Handlovic, who transferred in from Wilson. "My dad always tells me, 'don't look at names, don't look at anything, just go out and wrestle. Don't be intimidated.'... I'm trying to relax and work more things and get away from big moves. I knew I could hold him down." At 135, Mike Biase (11-5) scored a takedown on Drew Silfies (12-7) with 12 seconds remaining in the second period to take a 2-1 lead and later sealed his 5-1 decision at 135 by taking him down again with 16 seconds to go in the third. At 171, freshman Piro used a first-period takedown and an escape at the start of the third to overcome Bobby Relyea, 3-2. Junior Jules Knighton, another raw talent in the Easton wrestling room, was just as impressive in his 15-4 loss to the much slicker Brandon Salinas at 152. Knighton even came out and scored the first takedown. And after being turned for three points later in the first period, he never gave up any more backpoints. Nick Fierro can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at nfierro@express-times.com