History of Easton Wrestling

Career Record: 93-21-1, 2x D11 Champ, State Champ

Tournament Championships: Easton Invitational

College:  North Carolina State

1981 – 119 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Runner-Up, State Champ (35-3)

1980 – 119 lbs.: District Champ  (21-4)

1979 – 112 lbs.: District Third, Regional Third (21-8)

1978 – 105 lbs.: (16-12-1)

Ascani was the anchor member of the “Magnificent 7” that led Easton to the 1981 state championship, the first official team title in program history. 

As a freshman, Ascani broke into the lineup at 112 pounds in December.  He made a name for himself in a valiant effort against state champ and NCAA All American Rich Santoro (Bethlehem Catholic), in a 3-2 dual meet loss.  Ascani cut to 105 for the postseason, where he lost to regional champ Rich Shoemaker (Parkland) in the D11 quarters, ending his freshman season. 

Ascani came back as a sophomore and immediately started the season 0-2 and not placing at the Easton Invitational.  But Ascani won 11 of 12 to end the regular season, only suffering a loss to Santoro, and established himself as a D11 contender.  At the D11 tournament, Ascani dropped a 5-3 match with Santoro in quarterfinals, but wrestled back to take third and advance to regionals.  That would be Santoro’s closest match of the postseason on his way to a state title.  At regionals, Ascani opened with a 7-3 win over Jim Wallace (Shikellamy) before getting pinned by Chris Dellsandro (Wyoming) in the third period of his semifinal.  He shutout Gary Smiga (Wyoming Valley West), then rode out returning regional finalist Mike Packer (Jersey Shore) to lock up the last berth in the state tournament at 112.  In his first trip to Hershey, Ascani was pinned by Dan Comfort (Springfield) in the second period. 

As a junior, Ascani rolled through an undefeated December before dropping the Easton Invitational final to 2A state champ Greg Stewart (Northwestern Lehigh), 4-4, 3-0 in overtime.  The only other blemish on his regular season record was a 13-12 loss to Frank Stillo (Phillipsburg).  Ascani won his first D11 championship, knocking off future state finalist Gary Kaschak (Hazleton), 6-5, in semifinals, then winning the title with a 2-1 win over Ken Stauffer (Saucon Valley).  However, at Northeast Regionals, after winning his first round match, Ascani lost a rematch with Mike Packer (Jersey Shore), who thumped Ascani 13-5.  In his consolation semifinal, Ascani got caught on his back and pinned by Stauffer, abruptly ending his season short of a return trip to the state tournament. 

As a senior, Ascani opened the season with four straight bonus point victories before suffering his first loss, a 13-3 setback to future state champ Mike Rudolph (Wilson West Lawn) in an out-of-conference dual.  Ascani got a third shot at rival Mike Packer in the Williamsport Top Hat finals, but dropped a 7-6 decision to fall to 1-2 against the Jersey Shore star.  He rebounded to win his first Easton Invitational title, capped by a second period pin of New York state medalist Barry Chase (Port Jervis) in the finals.  He opened the new year with a 7-3 win over future NCAA champion Scott Turner (Freedom), which kick-started a twenty match win streak for Ascani.  That was highlighted by a major in Easton’s 22-21 triumph in the de facto state dual title match against Shikellamy and a second period fall in the Rovers 34-29 win over Phillipsburg to cap a perfect regular season.  Ascani won his second straight D11 championship with two falls, a major, and a 3-1 win over Vince Stravino (Bethlehem Catholic) in the opening chapter of one of the greatest (and most controversial) three-weekend series in D11 history.  Stravino was a two-time state runner-up in 2A at Northwestern Lehigh before transferring to Bethlehem Catholic for his final season, and was one of the elite 119 pounders in the state.  At Northeast Regionals, Ascani posted a pair of major decisions to set up a second straight finals date with Stravino.  The pair battled to a 6-6 score at the end of regulation, then another 6-6 score after overtime.  The officials awarded the win to Ascani on the first criteria, as Stravino was penalized for unnecessary roughness.  However, Bethlehem Catholic filed a protest, arguing that unnecessary roughness is not one of the penalty points used for first criteria, and on the Tuesday following regionals, it was determined that Bethlehem Catholic was correct and Stravino was named the winner based on near-fall points (criteria #2), leading to a re-drawing of the state tournament bracket.  Ascani opened the state tournament with an 11-5 win over future NCAA official John Hnath (Mount Lebanon), then a 14-10 barn burner over Brent Wiley (Muhlenberg).  Saturday morning’s semifinals saw Ascani knock off Dean Soberdash (Connellsville) to earn a trip to the state finals against Stravino, who knocked off Mike Packer 3-2 in the other semifinal.  In the state final, Stravino and Ascani were deadlocked 4-4 in the final minute when Ascani hit a high-crotch and converted with 47 seconds left, then rode out Stravino to win a state title and clinch a 73-71 win for Easton over Chartiers Houston for their first official PIAA wrestling championship since they started scoring the state tournament in 1976.  Ascani majored four-time Michigan state champion Gary Silva (Montrose) at the Dapper Dan Classic the following week.  He went on to wrestle at North Carolina State.