Emmaus continued its strong start to the 2025-26 season by winning the team title at the Tom Best Memorial Top Hat tournament Saturday at Williamsport High School.
Cam Martinez (107 pounds) and Emilio Albanese (133) won individual championships, Logan Roth (285) was second and seven others earned top-8 finishes for coach Jim Best’s club. All 12 Green Hornets who entered won at least two matches.
Other Emmaus medalists were: Talan Springer (fifth at 114), Levi Max (sixth at 121), Teagan Caciolo (fourth at 127), Jackson Max (fifth at 139), Tommy Fallstich (eighth at 145); Xyler Sallit (fourth at 160) and Xayden Sallit (third at 172).
Emmaus (206 points) edged 2025 PIAA Class 3A third-place finisher Connellsville by two points for the team title. Saucon Valley, which previously won multiple Top Hat team titles, was seventh. Palisades was 21st.
The Green Hornets start this year’s Morning Call top-10 team rankings at No. 2 behind national No. 2 Faith Christian after their performance at the Top Hat as well as knocking off four-time defending PIAA Class 3A champion Bethlehem Catholic in the EPC’s opening dual meet.
Carter Chunko was Saucon Valley’s only Top Hat finalist. He lost to Line Mountain’s Brock Rothermel, ranked ninth nationally at 120 according to MatScouts, in the 127-pound final. Rothermel also beat Caciolo in the semifinals.
The other four Saucon Valley wrestlers who medaled: Gavin Chunko (fourth at 114), Mack Santoro (fourth at 145), Liam Stoneback (sixth at 215), Dominic D’Ambola (seventh at 107) and Taylor Rohn (seventh at 152).
Silas Day was Palisades’ only medalist with a fourth-place finish at 215.
Faith Christian’s next four events are tournaments in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and California.
Nazareth and Notre Dame-Green Pond are third and fourth, respectively, after 2-0 starts.
A lot of people are speculating that Bethlehem Catholic is down. The only thing that is known for sure is that coach Mike Cole’s Golden Hawks are young. Five competed in their first varsity dual meet against Emmaus.
It also is worth nothing that Bethlehem Catholic lost a January dual in the 2023-24 regular season only to rally to win District 11 and PIAA team gold medals in Cole’s first season.
Elsewhere last weekend
Easton was second and Pennridge was third at Saturday’s Brian Bealer Memorial Duals at Boyertown. The Red Rovers lost in the finals to the host Bears while the Rams rallied after a loss to fellow District 1 entry Pennsbury.
Easton did not have 215-pounder Kurtis Crossman, who is coming off a stellar football season for the District 11 champion Rovers. Nick Salamone, Noah Fenner and Justin Cosover all were 5-0.
Returning state medalist Quinn McBride was 5-0 with four pins and a technical fall for the Rams.
Bangor won the team title at the Battle on the Delaware tournament at Delaware Valley. Coach Richie Smith had five champions and two runners-up.
Tyler Mintz (107), Vinnie Ilardi (114), Carter Smith (139), Eziah Cartagena (160) and Kody Ward (215) won gold medals. Cole Smith (152) and Daniel Zheng (189) were second.
Bangor started its season with a third-place finish at Battle at Bethlehem Duals.
Freedom was second to Bangor in the team race. Anthony Crisafulli (145), Nick Lyden (152) and Daniel Schiffert (285) won individual titles. Lucas Ellis (127) was second.
Pen Argyl had eight medalists and was third in the team standings at the 23-team Pottstown Invitational. Collin Ramsay was second at 139, Luca Albanese third at 152 and Bo Yeakel fourth at 107.
Pocono Mountain East’s Kevin Gearheart was 6-0 at Pottsville’s Flynn-Case Duals. Palmerton’s Landon Eckhart and Thomas Pasquariello were 5-1.
Lehigh Valley area’s top 10 teams
(entering Tuesday)
1. Faith Christian (3-0): Avenged last year’s loss to Wyoming Seminary with a 31-27 comeback win; next four tournaments in four different states
2. Emmaus (1-0): Beat Bethlehem Catholic for first time since Dec. 8, 2004, then won team title at Tom Best Memorial Top Hat tournament
3. Nazareth (2-0): Beat Whitehall and Northampton; visits Easton on Wednesday in the 100th meeting
4. Notre Dame-Green Pond (2-0): Knocked off Southern Lehigh and Council Rock South to start the year
5. Bethlehem Catholic (0-1): Lost first dual meet in two seasons; visits Northampton on Wednesday before both head to Ironman
6. Easton (5-1): Was second at Brian Bealer Memorial Duals to last year’s PIAA 3A fourth-place finisher Boyertown
7. Northampton (1-1): Beat Parkland, lost to Nazareth; has Wednesday date with Bethlehem Catholic
8. Parkland (0-1): Lost to Northampton; visits Easton on Thursday
9. Saucon Valley (1-0): Finished seventh at Tom Best Memorial Top Hat tournament with one finalist
10. Whitehall (0-1): Lost to Nazareth in opener; headed to Beast of the East after dates with East Stroudsburg North and South
Honorable mention (listed alphabetically): Bangor (4-1); Freedom (2-1); Liberty (1-0); Northwestern Lehigh (0-0); Pen Argyl (0-0); Pennridge (4-1); Quakertown (0-0); Salisbury (1-0); Stroudsburg (3-1); Upper Perkiomen (1-0)
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
