Hornets pin Wildcats 50-21

By TED WADDELL
Posted 2/10/21

HONESDALE, PA — The grapplers of Honesdale High School are off to a pretty good start this season. They dominated their opponents in the first two matches of the year in the Lackawanna …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Hornets pin Wildcats 50-21

Posted

HONESDALE, PA — The grapplers of Honesdale High School are off to a pretty good start this season. They dominated their opponents in the first two matches of the year in the Lackawanna League’s Division 2.

On Friday, January 29, the Hornets defeated their cross-county rivals, the Western Wayne Wildcats 50-21 before a hometown crowd in the middle school gym.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the matches were divided between two mats, three bouts per match, and then switched to an adjacent mat, while the first was thoroughly sanitized. Masks for all were the order of the evening.

The next day, the Hornets’ matmen traveled to Scranton Preparatory, where they pinned the Cavaliers 48-21, posting an early-season 2-0 lead.

This year’s squad of Honesdale wrestlers is coached by Ryan Chulada, assisted by Joe Arnone, Chris Carroll, Mike Ondich and Kyle Olver.

The varsity team is made up of nine seniors (Tristyn Bodie, wrestling at 113 pounds), Pete West (128), Ben Swartz (138), Brady Hanson (138), Shane Castellano (145), Patrick Salvatorello (152), John Charpentier (160), Tim Dailey (189) and Jake Orrick (189). Rounding out the roster are three juniors, 12 sophomores and a freshman.

In 2017-2018 the Hornets posted a 21-7 overall record (7-1 league); 2018-2019 overall 20-6 (4-2 league); 2019-2020 overall 13-11 (3-3 league).

Results of the Friday match (Honesdale winners) are as follows: Tristyn Bodie (113) fall, Drew Howell (120) fall, Brandon McLaughlin (126) fall, Max Mickel (145) fall, Shane Castellano (152) won by forfeit, Paul Renner (171) fall, Tim Dailey (189) 11-7 decision, Zack Wilken (215) fall and Arron Phillips (285) fall.

In exhibitions, John Charpentier, Josh Young and TJ Martin defeated their opponents.

Results of the Saturday match (Honesdale victors) are as follows: Tristyn Bodie (113) fall, Drew Howell (120) fall, Brandon McLaughlin (126) fall, TJ Martin (132) won by forfeit, Max Mickel (145) won by forfeit, Paul Renner (171) fall, Tim Dailey (189) won by forfeit and Zack Wilken (215) won by forfeit.

In exhibition bouts, the Hornets went 3-0 with wins by Josh Young, Jake Mundy and John Charpentier.

A chat with Tim Dailey

Hornets grappler Tim Dailey pins his hopes for the future on the mat. After graduating, he plans to put the discipline and spirit of teamwork learned in wrestling to good use by enlisting in the National Guard.

Looking ahead to serving in the military, Dailey said, “Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to give back to my country... the stuff they did for us.”

And then, looking back a few years to what got him started in the sport, the 17-year-old senior at Honesdale High added, “My brother, Bret, was wrestling varsity when I was a little kid, and he and my parents pushed me to do it.

“He did pretty good [sic] in his senior year until he tore [his] ACL, right before the districts,” said Dailey of his older sibling, who, as an upperclassman, wrestled on the 2013-2014 team in the 195- and 220-pound weight bracket.

Daily got involved in the local high school wrestling program as an eighth-grader and, by his sophomore year, had worked his way up to the varsity level.

Asked about his most memorable bout to date, he said it was during his first season on the varsity team: During a second district duals match-up against a grappler from Delaware Valley, he won a 6-4 decision over an opponent who had pinned him earlier in the season.

What does he take away from the mat?

“The coaching is really good, and they really push us, and discipline gives you satisfaction in hard work,” replied Dailey.

On Friday, January 29, the Honesdale Hornets took on the Wildcats of Western Wayne, and near the end of the meet, Dailey faced off against Kasen Taylor, a senior bumped up from the 171-pound class to grapple with Dailey in the 189-pound bracket.

In what turned out to be a hold-on-to-your seat bout, the final call went down to the wire as Dailey won an 11-7 decision over his determined opponent, while the crowd chanted, “Go Timmy, go Timmy!”

What’s it like to be a wrestler, and how do you gear up for a match?

“A lot of time when I go out there, I zone out everything. It’s just me and him,” said Dailey, adding that before a bout, he likes to “pace around and... push other thoughts out of my head.”

In wrestling, as in life, a bit of divine guidance helps.

“I’m religious, so I always like to say a little prayer,” said Dailey. “I ask God to help the team, make sure no one gets hurt, and make sure it’s a good match.”

hornets, wrestling

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here