Copyright © 1999, Calkins Newspapers, Inc.

Three champs help Neshaminy win district title NEWTOWN - The postseason continues to be kind to the Neshaminy high school wrestling team. One week after winning the Section One championship, the Redskins last night ran away with the District One North title. Michael Pirozzola, Jeff Rotunno and Neal Oberto won individual championships to lead Neshaminy to the district crown. Those three will be joined at next week's Southeast Regional at Norristown by teammates Mike O'Neill and Dan Winter. The top three finishers at the regional will advance to the PIAA Class AAA championships, March 11-13 in Hershey. "We wrestled super," said Neshaminy coach Vic Stanley, adding that the intensity has been high in the practice room the last few weeks. Neshaminy scored 126 team points to easily outdistance surprise runner-up Plymouth-Whitemarsh, which totaled 105.5 points. The victory marked the successful return to Council Rock for Stanley, a former longtime coach for the Indians. Council Rock had two champions - Rocky Mantella and Tony Milone - and finished fifth. Three other Indians (Sean Collins, Gregg Osbeck and Brian Wilson) qualified for regionals. Harry S Truman, which finished seventh, will send three wrestlers to the regional. Mike Moore and Champey were runners-up at 189 and 275 pounds, respectively. Teammate Jon Denny placed third at 103. Pennsbury will have just one wrestler at regionals. Defending state qualifier Keith Jones took third at 130. No wrestlers from William Tennent or Bensalem won bouts. Pirozzola (140), a junior, won his third district title. He pinned all three of his opponents in the first period. He's looking to win another regional championship, having placed first as a freshman before losing in last year's final. "I was a lot more intense this week," Pirozzola said. "I wanted to pin people." Rotunno (152) used a fireman's carry to put Plymouth-Whitemarsh's Jarod Sugalski in a cradle and pinned him in 47 seconds. Rotunno will make a return trip to regionals. Last year he failed to advance out of the tough 145 pound weight class. "Hopefully this year will be the year for me," Rotunno said. Oberto (189) avenged a loss in last week's sectional final by decisioning Moore, 10-6. Oberto scored a five-point move in the first 15 seconds and held on for the victory. It was the first district championship for Oberto, a senior. He had twice finished second. Oberto will be trying to make it to states again. Last year he qualified at 171. "If I place I will be happy," Oberto said of the regional. "I'd love to win it. That's what my goal is." Mantella (135) edged Upper Perkiomen's Bobby Fieger, 5-4 in the final. Mantella, a sophomore, just missed going to states last year. He lost in the consolation finals. "I'm hoping to win it next week," Mantella said. "My toughest match will probably be Fieger. He'll probably make the finals." Milone (275) won a 9-1 major decision over Champey. It's the second week in a row that Milone has beaten Champey by that score. Milone will likely face West Chester East's Steve Kovach at the regional. Kovach is ranked first in the state, while Milone is sixth. Kovach beat Milone 8-5 in the Council Rock Holiday Invitational. Milone is hoping to reverse that loss. "We have a game plan," Milone said.   Sunday, February 28, 1999