Studs from recent years have graduated from Quakertown, leaving big voids.
But if senior Logan Pfistner and junior David Clayton are right, the Panthers’ new leaders will take what they learned from the likes of Collin Gaj, Mason Ziegler and Calvin Lachman and continue the tradition.
“We’ve always had a pretty good room,” Pfistner said. “We’ve grown up with those guys. They pushed us to get better. It’s been a trend at Quakertown. You push the younger kids to want to be one of the best in the state.”
Quakertown is pushing to be one of the Suburban One League’s top programs again and win a 10th consecutive division title.
It will take development from a lot of wrestlers, including Pfistner and Clayton, to achieve that goal. Three freshmen and three sophomores will need to team with seven juniors and three seniors to form that cohesive group that was a staple of the Panthers under head coach Kurt Handel.
“It starts by getting the newer kids better,” Clayton said, “and stacking days and doing our best. We have to push each other when our heads are down, keep working.”
There will be a lot of new faces in the lineup and those with some experience are being asked to contribute more. The improvement of that group will go a long way in determining the Panthers’ dual-meet success.
Handel will be able to cover all the weight classes barring injuries, so it will be interesting to see how the upperclassmen and varsity newcomers, none of whom are 100-match winners or returning state qualifiers, mesh as the year goes on.
“Outside the room, we’re close to these guys,” Pfistner said. “We’ve built a family. We bring in kids from youth up to high school and show them how to work together as a team.
“I’m excited for this year. The coaches always push us. They see the kids who want to be better and invest in us. They put the effort back into them. They really want what’s best for us. The alumni come back in, too. It’s awesome. They help us to be more technical, understand levels and how to compete with top tier guys.”
The lineup
Sophomore Brad Exley is working to get down to 107 pounds after sitting out last season. Sophomore Cole Borzio is at 114 or 121 after a 28-21 record and a sectional fifth-place finish last season at 107.
“Cole put in a lot of work this offseason,” Clayton said. “He’s taken a step forward, really pushing himself.”
Freshmen Mason Gerstenberg and Jackson Caraballo could be at 114 or 121. Juniors Gunnar Jozefowski (18-16) and Julian Moonlight (12-12) are at 127.
Juniors Isaiah Williams (0-2) and Aldo Flores (2-10) are at 133. Junior returnee Dylan Gappa (20-18) will start at 139. Sophomore Max Crouse (8-27) is at 145, followed by senior Kyler Roesener (19-10) at 152.
“He’s a killer,” Pfistner said of Roesener. “He has those unexpected moves in his pocket and can make anything happen.”
Roesener has 30 career wins, 20 by pin. His brother, Kaden, had 52 career pins. Gaj is the program leader in pins (103) and wins (182).
Pfistner is at 160 after a 23-12 season and a sectional fourth-place finish last year at 139. He had 16 pins last season, but fell short at regionals by not scoring a point in either of his losses.
The senior feels like the bump in weight will be beneficial to him.
“I’ve always had a problem with weight,” Pfistner said. “I’ve been around [Gaj], so I’ve been sucking weight. I’m not cutting as much as in previous years. I am putting the right nutrients in my body, pushing myself in workouts to be the best I can be.
“Having the right mindset, getting good sleep, eating the right food, it all helps me push myself that day to get better.”
There is a question mark at 172, though junior Jacob Martinez could fill that slot. Clayton (34-9) is at 189. Senior Owen Richwine (3-24) is at 215 and freshman Colin Granger is at 285.
“Depth with experience is something we do not have,” Handel said. “We only have 24 rostered wrestlers. In years past, we averaged in the low 30s. Just like many other smaller programs, we are feeling the COVID fallout and our youth club went through some coaching changes five, six years ago, which saw our youth numbers drop off a bit.
“It is crazy how your youth organization truly is the bloodline to your program’s continued success.”
The schedule
(Dual meets at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Dec. 10: Pennridge
Dec. 17: at Souderton, 6:30
Dec. 20: Lower Merion tri-meet with Downingtown East, 9 a.m.
Dec. 28-29: Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic at Liberty
Jan. 3: Parkland Winter Duals
Jan. 7: at Plymouth Whitemarsh
Jan. 9-10: Mid-Winter Mayhem at IUP’s Kovalchick Convention Complex
Jan. 14: Hatboro-Horsham
Jan. 17: Saucon Valley, 11 a.m.
Jan. 21: Upper Dublin
Jan. 22: District 1 Class 3A duals
Jan. 24: Quakertown Duals
Jan. 28: at Wissahickon
Jan. 31: District 1 3A duals
Feb. 4: at Abington
Feb. 12: SOL Liberty Championships at Quakertown
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
https://www.mcall.com/2025/11/30/lehigh-valley-wrestling-quakertown-has-new-leaders-same-goals/
