Greg Shoemaker

Greg Shoemaker ’75

Career Record: 85-12-1, 2x D11 Champ, Regional Champ, 2x Medalist, State Finalist

Tournament Championships: 3x Easton Invitational

College: East Stroudsburg (3x NCAA Qualifier)

1975 (Sr.): 25-3; District Runner-Up, Regional Runner-Up, State Runner-Up

1974 (Jr.): 23-4; District Champ, Regional Champ, State Fourth

1973 (So.): 20-2; District Champ, Regional Runner-Up

1972 (Fr.): 17-3-1; District Champ (exhibition weight)

Spectacular lightweight for the Red Rovers who set the program wins record and was an anchor for the excellent Easton teams of the early 1970s.

Broke into the lineup as a freshman for the regular season at 98 pounds to help lead Easton to an EPC championship. Won his first three EPC duals before a 1-1 draw with eventual D11 runner-up Rich Rike (Freedom). Went 10-2-1 as the Rovers opener before returning state champion Rocky Creazzo cut down to 98 pounds for the Phillipsburg dual, boxing Shoemaker out of the lineup. He returned for the season finale against Pennsbury while Creazzo rested, but Shoemaker sat out of the lineup as Creazzo rolled back to the state semifinals at 98 pounds. Shoemaker won the exhibition weight of 88 pounds at the D11 tournament.

As a sophomore, Creazzo went back up to 105 pounds permanently, leaving Shoemaker then spot as the Rovers 98 pounder. He exploded to an undefeated regular season, winning the Easton Invitational, pinning six opponents, and beating New Jersey state finalist Mike Rossetti (Phillipsburg) as the Rovers downed the Stateliners in their regular season finale. Shoemaker and Creazzo combined to be the best opening pair of wrestlers in Pennsylvania. At the D11 tournament, Shoemaker flexed his muscles with an 8-0 decision, a fall, and an 8-4 triumph over undefeated Dave Hoffman (North Schuylkill) for his first official D11 title and the Rovers romped to the D11 title by nearly 30 points over Freedom. At Northeast Regionals, Shoemaker beat Doug Kyle (Lackawanna Trail) in the semifinals, running his win streak to 20-0. He finally met defeat in the Regional final, with a 9-5 loss to Jack Roberts (South Williamsport). However, 1973 was the first year where Regional runner-ups advanced to an eight man state tournament bracket. Shoemaker’s season would conclude in Harrisburg with a 6-3 loss to John Malles (Hempfield Area).

Shoemaker started his junior season up at 112 pounds where his District 11 dominance continued. Shoemaker was part of one of the most explosive lineups in Red Rover history, as one of four returning D11 champs along with Russ Snyder, Darwin Brodt, and Lee Guzzo, plus the return of the electric Curt Stanley following a knee injury. After four December wins at 112, Shoemaker dropped to 105 for the Easton Invitational where he won his second straight title, beating Dan Blakinger (Manheim Township) in the final. Back at 112, he stretched his local record to 29 before locking horns with returning state finalist Mike Zito (Freedom) and dropping a 9-3 decision at 112. Shoemaker posted six straight regular season wins after the Zito loss, including a superior decision in the legendary dual with Lock Haven to decide the best dual team in the state, and a win over archrival Phillipsburg. Shoemaker dropped the final match of the regular season, a 5-3 upset to Dexter Derr (Neshaminy) which solidified his decision to move down to 105 from 112 in the postseason. At the D11 tournament, Shoemaker ripped through the field, pinning his first two opponents before majoring PCIAA champion George Mascasevich (Bethlehem Catholic) in the Catholic school’s first year in the PIAA. In the D11 final, he put an exclamation point on an excellent weekend with a third period pin of future D11 and Northeast Regional champ Rusty Chunko (Saucon Valley). Shoemaker followed up his D11 title by blitzing the field at Northeast Regionals with two falls and an injury default win over Keith Springman (Williamsport) as Shoemaker was one of five Regional champions for the Red Rovers. Under the new qualifying structure (top three from each region), Shoemaker was one of a record seven state qualifiers for Easton. Shoemaker won his first state tournament match with a 12-2 major of Jerry Staverosky (Pottstown), then knocked off future state finalist Tim Bainey (Phillipsburg-Osceola) with a 6-1 decision. In the state semifinals, Shoemaker fell to eventual runner-up Kevin Nellis (Shaler) by 6-3 decision. In the medal match, Shoemaker lost 10-6 to Tom Scotton (Bensalem) to finish fourth, one of four medals for the Rovers, who won the mythical state championship.

As a senior, Shoemaker rolled to a 17-0 regular season at 112 and 119, joining Chico Lutes as the only three-time Easton Invitational champions. In the D11 tournament, Shoemaker outscored his opponents 27-3 on the way to his third straight D11 final (four counting his exhibition championship as a freshman), but in a battle of two-time D11 champs, he was finally stopped by Mike Zito (Freedom), the last D11 wrestler to beat him got him for a second time with a 5-3 finals win. The following week at Northeast Regionals, Shoemaker again stormed to finals for a rematch with Zito, but the Patriot senior posted his third career win over Shoemaker, this time by a narrow 4-3 margin. Shoemaker was sharp at Rec Hall for the state tournament. He opened with an 11-5 win over Mike Boughman (Radnor) then pulled a rabbit out of his hat with a 4-2 triumph over Bob Ortenzio (Cedar Cliff), reversing Ortenzio to his back in the final ten seconds for all of his points. Mike Zito won a pair of decisions on the other half of the bracket to put both D11 wrestlers in semis at 112. Shoemaker held up his end of the bargain with a 5-4 win over George Wagner (Carlisle), but Zito, after taking an early 3-0 lead, was pinned by returning state champ Mike DeAugustino (North Allegheny), who defeated Nellis the previous year at 105. Shoemaker gave DeAugustino everything he could handle, but gave up a first period takedown that ultimately held up for the Tiger star, earning 2-1 win.

Shoemaker went on to wrestle at East Stroudsburg, where was a two-time EIWA champion and three-time NCAA Division I qualifier for the Warriors. He returned to the Lehigh Valley as a teacher and assistant coach, where served under legends Steve Powell at Easton and Ray Nunamaker at Nazareth.