9th Annual

Interscholastic League Championships

Varsity Wrestling Tournament
@ Benjamin Franklin High School (Rochester, NY)
Preliminaries & Quarters - Tuesday, April 14, 1931
Semis - Thursday, March 16, 1931
Finals - Monday, April 20, 1931

Final Results

Tech High Wrestlers Win Six of Nine Individual Scholastic Crowns
Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, NY
Tuesday, April 21, 1931
 

Full Text: Copyright © 1931 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Company Inc.

Tech High, traditional home of school wrestling supremecy, turned in another outstanding performance when its matmen won six of the nine city interscholastic individual championships in the finals of the three-day tournament yesterday afternoon at Benjamin Franklin High School. Entering 10 of 18 men in the finals as a result of winning their way through the preliminaries, the Shopmen lost only two bouts yesterday; two of the title bouts being all-Tech affairs.

Showing the results of excellent coaching under the veteran mentor Hobart Hoff, the Techmen exhibited a surprising skill at the grappling sport often to make their opponents appear almost amateurish by comparison despite the hard fights which they put up. Crowned interscholastic league champions for the ninth time in ten years this season, the Shopmen won more individual titles than any school for the tenth consecutive time yesterday.

Those who triumphed for Tech were: Harold Taylor, 112-pound class; Sam Polis, 118-pounds; Ernest Houle, 135 pounds; Francis Spronza, 147 pounds; Frank Reddy, 160 pounds; and Gerard (Jerry) DePrez, 175 pounds. Reddy and DePrez defended their interscholastic crowns of last season. Polis added the school title to his city amateur championship won in the Y.M.C.A. tourney two weeks ago. Spronza, brilliant wrestler who just missed the individual title the last two years, accomplished his big ambition yesterday after a smart performance.

Biddle, Eugene, DePrez Win

John DeFrancisco, 126-pounder of Monroe High, put on one of the earliest exhibitions of the tournament to defeat Mike Bulavinetz of Tech. Shorter than the rangy Bulavinetz by more than a foot, DeFrancisco made up for his lack of reach with an intelligent use of his stocky strength which had the Techman usually on the defense. DeFrancisco broke away from Bulavinetz on the first skirmish after the Monroe lad's turn to go down. DeFrancisco managed to keep standing the remainder of Bulavinetz's time and hung onto his man tenaciously during his awarded turn to get on top. DeFrancisco wrestled with bandaged ears throughout the tournament.

Milton Dibble, of the 105-pound division, another of Coach Von Hoef's Monroe boys, and Eugene DePrez, brother of Jerry, of the unlimited group, were the other men outside of Tech to win yesterday. Jerry defeated his brother in the finals of the 175-pound group last year, and they were even in their loop contests this season, but they decided not to oppose each other for the individual crowns and brought home a championship apiece.

A chance for another pair of brother victories was lost when Tom Polis of Tech, city amateur title-holder in the 135-pound class, lost out to Houle, his team-mate. Polis held the edge in the time reckoning and was attempting to break away from his opponent when Houle bent him up double and pinned his shoulders.

Lawrence Performs Well

Reddy, although he managed to throw Freddy Lawrence of East with only 12 seconds remaining in the 160-pound class, Lawrence, beautifully muscled youngster, battled the veteran Reddy all the way, but the experience of his opponent counted too much against him. Both men got up on their turns underneath, but Reddy pinned his man with a further arm and half-nelson hold.

The unlimited class furnished plenty of action, with Eugene DePrez gaining the closest time advantage of the nine matches over the heavier Schroeder of Tech, with 2 minutes, 11 seconds. Despite Schroeder's trick of riding his bulk on his opponent's shoulders, DePrez got away, but Schroeder again took the upper hand, only to lose it to the Westsider. Eugene held his man down throughout the four minutes on top.

Five schools, East, West, Monroe, Tech, Franklin, and Charlotte Highs, sent a total of 60 entrants to the tourney. The bouts were ten minutes in length.