Historic high school wrestling rivalry marred by an absurd referee’s decision

D-11 Sports

In most states, High school wrestling it is largely an afterthought. But not in Pennsylvania, which is the number one wrestling state in the country thanks in large part to two areas: one outside Pittsburgh and the other in the Lehigh Valley, north of Philadelphia.

The latter is a high school student battles and hosts one of the most historic rivalries in sports history between Nazareth and Easton. The two schools are separated by just six miles and have produced countless sports stars. They have met 98 times, with Easton leading the streak 60-34-4. Although the Rovers only have one once from 2024.

On Wednesday night, they appeared to have their second win in that span as Kurtis Crossman earned a 19-4 technical fall victory over Nazareth’s Vincent Giacobbe at 215 pounds. But then things fell apart.

So here is the entire final sequence of the Easton/Nazareth match along with the unsportsmanlike conduct section of the regulation. I just don’t know if it is a mandatory unsportsmanlike and team point or if there is discretion allowed by the official. pic.twitter.com/YVxWdYZcnz

— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert) December 12, 2024

The win gave Easton a 28-27 lead and essentially the win after the final game. Crossman celebrated by letting out a roar and briefly tossing his clothes aside on the Easton bench.

That’s when referee Mark Getz, a Nazareth graduate who won a state championship for the Blue Eagles in 1994, decided to get involved. Getz ruled that Crossman had illegally “thrown” his tackle. This results in a team point deduction. That meant the match was tied at 27-27 and Nazareth won on a tiebreaker after winning several individual matches.

Fans couldn’t believe the decision. Not only did Getz overstep his bounds, he appears to have misapplied the rules.

This part is important. It states that throwing it in an intentional unsportsmanlike act is a penalty. It means upset that you lost or celebrating a win etc… throwing him to the bench or sideline is not considered a penalty. pic.twitter.com/QW5KKaHZg5

— Wrestling Camera (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) December 12, 2024

To his credit, legendary Easton coach Jody Karam remained calm throughout the situation. But Karam and his son Sage (and IndyCar driver) took to Twitter to express their disappointment.

“Pretty sure the rule was misapplied. Pretty sure the right decision will be made,” Jody he posted on Twitter.

“Unbelievable. Seems like a clear throw for a teammate if you ask me. He didn’t mock the child, the bank or the fans. Schools alum should not be allowed to refer their school,” Sage said.

Ultimately, it’s a black eye on a sport that doesn’t need negative publicity. And it’s a stain on one of the country’s great high school sports rivalries.