Noll, Nazareth hang on to beat Parkland

by By Mark Wogenrich OF THE MORNING CALL

Posted on January 31, 2010

Rob Kandel / The Morning Call / January 31, 2010 Parkland's Mike Kistler tries to take down Nazareth's Ian Stoudt. Kistler won the 145 pound bout on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Parkland High School. Rob Kandel / The Morning Call / January 31, 2010 Parkland's Mike Ottinger celebrates defeating Nazareth's Ryan Krecker in overtime of their 152 pound bout on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Parkland High School. Rob Kandel / The Morning Call / January 31, 2010 Parkland's Andrew Moore can't pin Nazareth's Ethan Dilcherd. Moore won the 160 pound bout on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Parkland High School. Rob Kandel / The Morning Call / January 31, 2010 Parkland's Wade Rivera takes down Nazareth's Erik Wolak. Rivera won the 171 pound bout by major decision on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Parkland High School.

Noll, Nazareth hang on to beat Parkland

Blue Eagle wrestler wins key bout with an overtime rideout in his team's 29-24 victory

Greg Noll couldn't see anything those last 30 seconds, blinded by a combination of sweat and fatigue. So he closed his eyes, tightened his grip and imagined himself in the practice room.

''It seems like the harder I work, the more luck I have,'' the Nazareth junior said.

Noll's 81/2-minute overtime victory at 135 pounds was the decisive piece of the Blue Eagles' layered-puzzle of a victory over Parkland in the season's premier Lehigh Valley Conference wrestling match to date. Nazareth won the final four bouts, scored two key pins and stayed off its collective backs to edge the Trojans 29-24 at a rowdy Parkland High School on Saturday.

With the victory, Nazareth (10-1, 7-0 LVC) completed the first phase of its return to LVC prominence. The Blue Eagles, coming off their first losing season since 1963, will wrestle Northampton on Wednesday with a shot at their third conference title in five years.

Perhaps that's why head coach Dave Crowell said he wasn't nervous all night -- not even when Noll lined up for his 30-second rideout period.

''This has been a great year,'' said Crowell, in his seventh year at Nazareth. ''I didn't feel any pressure here, because we were so far back in the pack last year. To come so far this year is pretty neat.''

Parkland led 24-23 with two bouts remaining when Noll took the mat to face Justin Heller. The Parkland junior took a 5-2 lead into the third period, but neither Crowell nor Noll was fazed.

''He's exactly the kind of guy you want in those situations,'' Crowell said. ''He says, 'I'll wrestle you until hopefully you drop, and we'll see who has the most points at the end.'''

Noll (20-7) cut Heller's lead to 5-4 with a takedown midway through the third period, then tied it 6-6 on another with 25 seconds remaining. The two wrestlers traded escapes in tiebreaker periods, but Heller seemed to have the advantage, getting his with 13 seconds remaining in the third overtime. Heller started the 30-second rideout period in the bottom position, needing to shake an exhausted Noll for the win. But Noll clung to Kistler's back and, in the process, an 8-7 victory.

''I couldn't see what I was doing for most of it,'' Noll said of the rideout. ''I just trusted in my workouts and focused on getting the job done.''

Noll's victory gave Nazareth a 26-24 lead, and Tyler Torcivia (23-5) clinched the team victory with a decision at 140 pounds.

But Parkland (17-1, 6-1) gave Nazareth everything it could handle, beginning with the tactical lineup moves of coach Ryan Nunamaker -- who, of course, won a state title wrestling for Nazareth. The Trojans blew out to a 13-0 lead, begun at 145 pounds by Mike Kistler, and got a win in the night's marquee bout at 152 pounds between Mike Ottinger and Ryan Krecker. Nazareth had only two takedowns through the first five bouts.

Still, the Trojans couldn't quite get the bonus points they needed to further their advantage. Credit Nazareth on that front. The Blue Eagles did not allow a pin, though several wrestlers squirmed on their backs for a few fleeting seconds.

Brandon Sutter avoided a pin against Parkland's Ian Evans at 103, and Eric Wolak held Parkland's Wade Rivera to a major decision at 171. Perhaps most important, Nazareth's Ethan Dilcherd rolled out of a potential third-period fall against Andy Moore at 160. Further, Dilcherd reversed Moore late in the period, limiting Moore to three team points in a 12-6 decision.

''That was the best team effort we've had all year against arguably the best team we've faced,'' Crowell said. ''[Parkland has] some pretty big hitters, and even our guys who lost did a good fighting for the team.''

Parkland's early run included a victory at 152, a bout that paired two of the area's best wrestlers. Ottinger, a returning state qualifier, scored an overtime takedown to edge Krecker, who placed fourth at states last year, 3-1.

The bout had its share of tense moments. Krecker (24-3) appeared to score bonus points late in the third period but was awarded none, leading to overtime. Thirty-five seconds in, Ottinger (24-3) turned Krecker for a takedown, just the fifth one Krecker has given up this season.

After victories by Moore and Rivera gave the Trojans a 13-point lead, Nazareth began its charge. Ben Bradley, who normally wrestles at 215, scored a takedown with 3 seconds left in the second period to beat Tarik Haddad 3-1. In that bout, Haddad had a potentially tying third-period takedown waved off.

The Blue Eagles then produced back-to-back pins from Aaron Bradley and D.J. King to take their first lead, 15-13. Parkland countered with wins from Evans, Mike Fake and Brandon Davis to regain a 24-15 advantage. The Blue Eagles then won the last four, with Franco Ferraina (125) and Zach Horan (130) leading to the Noll-Torcivia finish.

On Wednesday, Nazareth will host Northampton with a chance to win the LVC title. The Konkrete Kids (6-0 LVC) come in rejuvenated, having gone 3-0 at Saturday's Konkrete Duals, including a 32-30 victory over Council Rock South, the top seed in the District One duals.

''We get to enjoy this tonight,'' Crowell said. ''Then, here comes Northampton.''

NAZARETH 29, PARKLAND 24

Posted by Lou Rivera

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