Over the past 20 years, Council Rock South head coach Brad Silimperi has watched his program collect a cavalcade of individual and team honors.
As a result, the program is well respected in the greater Delaware Valley as well as the state.
With its success, the passage of the wrestlers and the awards have been a constant over time, as the program refreshes and retools itself each winter. This winter, the Golden Hawks already have earned their share of accolades.
Yet, Silimperi’s and the team’s mantra has remained the same – it is all about working toward postseason success.
“For the past 20 years, we have stressed about peaking for the postseason at the end of February and the beginning of March,” noted Silimperi. “It is nice to have individual honors and win team titles and other things, but we strive to see progress.
“We may go into the postseason with a lot of guys who don’t have glowing records. We just want them to get better every time they wrestle. It’s not all about winning titles.”
Silimperi cited the team’s recent 57-0 loss to Faith Christian, an opportunity he would welcome again.
“They shut us out,” Silimperi deadpanned. “They’re very good, and are probably one of the top 20 teams in the country. But it was a great experience, and we would do it all over again. We can learn a lot by wrestling great teams. That’s what we have worked to do.”
Council Rock South began the season with a fifth-place finish in the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic, and they followed it with wins over state and local powerhouses Pennridge and Quakertown.
The Golden Hawks realized they may have some maturing yet to happen with a 33rd-place finish at the prestigious Beast of the East, but they followed it with a seventh-place spot at the Bethlehem Holiday Classic, which also featured a stacked field.
CR South is in their own version of a transition, one in which the overall talent level doesn’t take a nosedive despite the exit of 12 seniors who graduated last year.
Sophomores Ben Brillhart (133) and Gavin Cole (152) have helped blaze the next chapter of the program with strong starts to their seasons. Brillhart has a 15-6 record and Cole has a 15-7 mark,one being taking the title at the Bethlehem tournament.
“They both have wrestled well to start the season,” said Silimperi. “You can see their progress in the room, and how they have become integral parts of this team.
“We’re very happy and proud of what they have done so far. They both have a very good chance to be on the podium at states.”
Silimperi also has looked to juniors Bekhruz Sadriddinov (16-4 at 172) and Connor Lenahan (14-5 at 107) for their leadership and experience. Sadriddinov was the Fargo National Freestyle champion this summer.
“Bek has really come along in the past two years,” said Silimperi. “ He has been a leader for us, and he knows what it takes. Lenahan is ranked high in the state. He is a scrappy, unorthodox kid who is hard to score on.
“They both have a good shot to be there in the end.”
Silimperi is excited to have junior 114-pounder Luke Reitter return to the lineup after a knee injury he suffered in the fall.
He also is enthralled to have his team host and participate in the Escape the Rock tournament, viewed as one of the top tournaments in the country.
It will be another weekend that will measure his team’s stance, but it is also another stop along the way to the postseason.
“Our guys will be up against the best in the country,” said Silimperi. “ But we have role players here who can help us become league and dual meet champions. We have a next-man-up mentality.
“We’ll all keep working for the best possible finish.”
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