Joey Jones ’93
Career Record: 56-19-3, Regional Champ
College: Toledo (football)
1993 – HWT: District Runner-Up, Regional Champ (28-5)
1992 – HWT: District Fifth, (20-4-3)
1991 – HWT: (8-10)
Joey Jones was a football and wrestling star for the Red Rovers who became just the third Easton heavyweight ever to win a Northeast Regional title.
Jones cracked the Easton lineup as a sophomore, unseating returning starter Brian Birgfeld for the heavyweight spot at Manheim. Jones earned his first varsity win at the Reilly Duals by beating JO Stout (McGuffey). Jones earned his first P’burg win, capping Easton’s 41-11 win over the Stateliners with a 4-2 win over Len Moser. He also posted a District Duals win with a 7-6 decision over Paul Wickmann (Nazareth). Jones won his first D11 Tournament match with a 6-3 win over Jeff Angelo (Pottsville) before losing two straight to end his sophomore season.
As a junior, Jones got a late start to wrestling season after leading Easton to the PIAA Final Four in football as an All EPC left tackle. After missing the opening tournament at Crestwood, Jones returned with a win and two falls taking him into Manheim. After losing his opening match, Jones blitzed through the consolations to the bronze medal match, where he finished fourth. After pinning his way through early January, Jones beat Delaware bronze medalist Travis Ciriccio (St. Mark’s) and pinned Mario Cabrera (Warren Hills, NJ) at Reilly Duals. In the first bout of their rivalry, Jones wrestled Jason Grim (Northampton) to a 2-2 draw. He had another high profile draw with New Jersey regional champ Jarrod Spencer (Philipsburg). Jones had his career highlight in teh D11 Dual finals, where with Easton trailing 29-26, Jones took down Dennis Condomitti (Nazareth) three times as Easton upset the favored Blue Eagles to win District Duals on criteria (bouts won). It was Easton’s first D11 Duals title. At the D11 tournament, Jones won by fall and a 9-2 decision to make the D11 semifinals against Lehighton star Steve Hawk. Both wrestlers earned takedowns in regulation and went to OT tied 3-3. After a scoreless minute on their feet, Jones had choice and went underneath the massive Hawk with a chance to become the fourth Easton finalist of the tournament. But Jones could not get out from bottom, and Hawk survived with a 3-3 OTRO win. Jones then fell in his first wrestleback before beating Jeff Benckini (Parkland) for fifth. That left him one win short of regionals.
As a senior, Jones opened the season with seven straight pins before avenging a Manheim loss from his junior season with a 5-2 win over Vince Pellis (Greensburg-Salem). He lost in the Manheim final to Reynolds star Kevin Drew, who was the 2A state title favorite before losing his season to injury. Drew held on to beat Jones 3-2. Back in D11, Jones won six straight bouts to start January, setting up round 2 with Jason Grim. In the first year of regular season overtime, Jones escaped from Grim in rideout to take this iteration of the rivalry 2-1. Jones ran his winning streak to 14, including a 3-2 win over Howie Smith (North Schuylkill) with Easton trailing 26-23 in their dual to send the Rovers back to District Dual finals with a criteria win. There, Easton fell to Northampton and Jones gave up a pair of takedowns to lose 5-3 to Jason Grim. At the D11 tournament, Jones cruised into semifinals, where he met Jones for a fourth time. He scored his first takedown of their 1993 series to knock off the KKid star 3-2. In the finals, Jones faced Steve Hawk (Lehighton) and had another tight bout with the Indians star, but fell 3-2 in regulation. The following week at Northeast Regionals, Jones won by fall and a 3-2 decision to earn a rematch with Hawk in the Norhteast Regional final. In finals, Jones scored a second period takedown, which held up in a 3-2 victory over Hawk. In the state tournament, Jones built up an early lead on Marty Niebauer (Erie Tech) when he had his arm awkwardly extended, causing a serious shoulder injury that forced him to medically default out of the match. He also was forced to forfeit his wrestle-back, ending his wrestling career. Hawk went on to finish third in the state.
After Easton, Jones went to Toledo where he was a multi-year letter winner on their offensive line.
History of Easton Wrestling 