Can't Miss Potential Matches at 2025 Escape the Rock
Can't Miss Potential Matches at 2025 Escape the Rock
The Escape the Rock wrestling tournament goes down this weekend. Here we highlight some incredible matchups that could happen at the 2025 Escape the Rock!
The 2025 Escape The Rock wrestling tournament will be underway January 18-19 at Council Rock South High School. This year’s field features 52 ranked wrestlers and will have plenty of nationally relevant matchups. Here we showcase some of the high-level matchups that could potentially go down this weekend at the 2025 Escape The Rock!
107 lbs - #3 Justin Farnsworth, Malvern Prep vs. #4 Jojo Burke, St. Joseph Regional
These two were in the same Powerade bracket but did not hit as Farnsworth lost to Chase Karenbauer in the semifinals and came back for third and Burke lost to Karenbauer in the finals to finish second. Farnsworth was an Ironman runner-up and Beast of the East champion while Burke is having a very strong freshman campaign. There is no guarantee we will see this matchup as both guys will have tough roads to make the finals, especially Farnsworth who will likely get the winner of #5 Sean Kenny and #19 Nico Emili in the semifinals. Farnsworth defeated Emili in the Beast of the East finals 12-1 and bested Kenny in the consolation semifinals of Powerade 5-0.
121 lbs - #8 Paul Kenny, Christian Brothers Academy vs. #8 (at 126) Gauge Botero, Faith Christian Academy
This one is very interesting to me as Kenny is coming off a strong performance at Powerade where he finished runner-up to Landon Sidun in a match that came down to the wire in tiebreakers, while this is the first time we will see Botero down at 121 this season against this level of competition with him and Joe Bachmann flipping weights. Botero has taken some losses up at 126/127 this year so it will be a great test to see if this is his best weight and the best lineup option for Faith Christian Academy as we head closer to the postseason. Botero is the top seed and will likely see #10 Lukas Littleton Mascaro in the semifinals, who was 5th at Ironman, 3rd at Beast of the East, and 4th at Powerade. U17 World Champion Paul Kenny will likely see #9 Ethan Timar in the semifinals which is a rematch from the Powerade semifinals that Kenny won 4-0.
127 lbs - #4 Keanu Dillard, Bethlehem Catholic vs. #5 (at 120) Joe Bachmann, Faith Christian Academy
Another great matchup here at 127 pounds between two returning PIAA champions and another test for the Faith Christian Academy lineup. Dillard, a U17 World bronze medalist, is having a strong season so far after runner-up finishes at both Ironman and Beast of the East. Bachmann is a U17 World medalist as well for Puerto Rico, but is making the jump up to 127 pounds for the first major tournament this season. This will be a great test for Bachmann after picking up his second Ironman title and a runner-up finish at Beast of the East down at 120 pounds. This bracket is loaded and both guys will be tested along the way. Dillard is the top seed and will likely see #6 Matthew O’Neill in the semifinals while Bachmann is the 2 seed and will likely see #5 Karson Brown in the semifinals.
139 lbs - #7 Caedyn Ricciardi, St. Peter’s Prep vs. #9 Jayce Paridon, Lake Highland Prep
These two were in the same Beast of the East bracket but did not hit as Paridon fell in the semifinals to #8 Carson Walsh in sudden victory 7-4 and came back for third while Ricciardi defeated Walsh by fall in the finals. Paridon is coming off an impressive run at Powerade where he won the title at 139 pounds with wins over #10 Sam Herring and #16 Drake Hooiman along the way. Ricciardi had an incredible Beast and dominated his way to the title and really was not tested so I am interested to see if Paridon can make the finals and test Ricciardi.
Watch Ricciardi dominate in the Beast of the East finals
145 lbs - #11 Eren Sement, Council Rock North vs. #13 Tyler Traves, Mountain View
These two met in the semifinals of the Beast of the East and it was a razor-thin match that was tied 1-1 with under 30 seconds left in the third period before Sement was able to win late with a four-point turn to take the match 5-1. Sement went on to finish runner-up at Beast while Traves came back for third. I am interested in the adjustments both guys will make after that match and if Traves will take neutral this time if these two meet in the finals.
Watch Sement defeat Traves in the Beast of the East semifinals
152 lbs - #8 Zeno Moore, Lake Highland Prep vs. #11 Chase Van Hoven, Brooke Point
Both of these guys had strong runs to Beast of the East titles with Moore defeating #15 Max Stein and #10 Sonny Amato to win the 150-pound title, while Van Hoven took out #12 Maddox Shaw and #17 Chase Hontz to win the 157-pound title. Moore has been so solid to start the season as he was third at Ironman, first at Beast of the East, and second at Powerade. Moore would likely have to defeat Stein again in the semifinals to get this match in the finals and that was a very tight match at Beast that Moore came out on top of 2-1. Both of these guys have unorthodox styles and we could see some awesome exchanges in this one.
Watch Moore win his 150 lb Beast of the East title
Watch Van Hoven win his 157 lb Beast of the East title
172 lbs - #3 Ryan Burton, St. Joseph Regional vs. #5 Asher Cunningham, State College
This was one of the most anticipated matches going into Powerade between two of the absolute best in the country. Both were coming off losses to #2 William Henckel with Cunningham falling to Henckel in a wild Ironman final while Burton fell to Henckel in the Beast of the East finals. Both Burton and Cunningham dominated their way to the finals but it was all Burton in the finals as he was leading 11-4 before picking up the fall in the third period. This was sort of a strange performance for Cunningham as he is probably most known for his scrambling ability and Burton was clearly prepared for it and got to his quick finishes. Both guys will be tested along the way with #5 Claudio Torres, #13 Shane Mcfillin, #15 Tyrel Miller, and #18 Nicholas Singer also in this bracket but I expect the final to come down to these two. I am interested to see the adjustments Cunningham is able to make and what this rematch will look like.
189 lbs - #6 Robert Kucharczk, Lake Highland Prep vs. #7 Jarrel Miller, St. Edward
These two met in the quarterfinals of Ironman and it was Miller who came away with the 12-6 victory. Miller went on to lose to #3 Adam Waters by tech fall in the semifinals before forfeiting to sixth place while Kucharczk came back for fourth. Miller went out to a huge lead in that match before Kucharczk seemingly started to figure it out and tried to claw his way back. I’m interested to see the adjustments made in this one that we will likely see in the semifinals with the winner likely getting a shot at #3 Waters in the finals.
Watch Miller defeat Kucharczk in the Ironman quarterfinals
285 lbs - #7 Jacob Levy, Lake Highland Prep vs. #8 Mark Effendian, Faith Christian Academy
These two have split matches this year with Effendian taking the Ironman semifinal 4-1 while Levy won the rematch in the Beast of the East semifinals 7-3. The rubber match could go down in the 285-pound finals but there is no guarantee as #14 Christian Alvarez, #15 James Bechter, and #20 Lukas Zalota will also be in the field. Levy has really impressed me this season after taking that loss to Effendian as he dominated his way back for third at Ironman, got his revenge at Beast before winning the 285-pound title, and then was pretty dominant on his way to a Powerade title. The winner of this match could also have huge implications on the team race as well.
Watch Effendian defeat Levy in the Ironman semifinals
Watch Levy get his revenge in the Beast of the East semifinals
Tune in LIVE on FloWrestling this weekend to check out all of these potential matchups and all of the other action at the 2025 Escape The Rock!