Originally published in the Feb. 24, 2012 edition of The Mercury.


Upper Perkiomen's Dylan Steffenino, right, will be joined by his brothers, Dante and Dustin, in competing at the District 1-AAA North Tournament at Quakertown this weekend. (Photo by John Strickler/The Mercury)

A few years ago, actually twentysome, Bob Fieo may have thought about selling his heating and air conditioning business and starting up a dry wall business. He sure hung enough new walls, or patched up enough holes in the existing ones, during his sons’ wrestling careers at Spring-Ford. Seems as though the kids – George and Robert – didn’t only bring homework home, but enough energy to wage a few evening workouts of their own. Give them a room, any room, even a hallway, upstairs or downstairs, it didn’t matter ... they sure went at one another.

Kind of makes you wonder what may go on in a few other households throughout the wrestling neighborhood.

Especially up in the Red Hill area with the Steffeninos – all three of them.

In all likelihood, Dustin and twin brothers Dante and Dylan have been rolling around on the mats and everywhere in the house since soon after taking their first steps. Even if they haven’t cost mom and dad a buck or two for house repairs, they sure have forced them to dig into their pockets to fill up the gas tank for trips to all those youth tournaments (and now to all their high school matches).

“They are a great family that is very tight,” said Upper Perkiomen head coach Tom Hontz.

Mike and Rita Steffenino won’t need a full tank to steer their way up Route 663 to Quakertown for tonight’s opening round of the District 1-AAA North Tournament, but it may be a one-of-a-kind cruise for them.

Looking back through the record book, or history book, there doesn’t seem to be a year in which three brothers qualified for or wrestled in a District 1 tournament – North or South (or Central during the three-year, three-district format). There have been countless twosomes. There have even been some so-called “close others,” where three or even more wrestled their way into the spotlight – just not all together at the same time.

The most famous threesome, of course, would be North Penn’s Kwortniks – state champion Jim, Jeff and three-time state champion Chris. There was also Methacton’s Fab Four Mosers – Rick (the program’s first district champion), Billy (the program’s first regional champion), Jon (the program’s first state champion), and Eric (the youngest brother). And then there’s the Royal Ring of Rappos, all five of them – Rick, Mike, Mark, Matt and Billy (the favorite in Dustin Steffenino’s 106-pound bracket this weekend). All the Rappos have done is won a combined 13 district titles (so far), 10 Southeast Regional titles (so far), and five state titles (so far) ... not to mention a mind-boggling 699 career wins going into Billy’s opener tonight.

But again, it doesn’t appear anywhere in the record books that an area family had three brothers lined up together for a single district tournament.

Dustin Steffenino was in and out of the lineup during the regular season this winter, sharing time at 106 with Eric Miller. Dante, because he was only 90 pounds (soaking wet) as a freshman, spent ninth grade on the junior high school team and has collected 60 wins in his two seasons with the Indians. Dylan, the heavier of the twins two years ago, is in his third season and needs just four wins to reach the coveted 100-win career mark.

“Dylan and Dante definitely feed off one another,” Hontz said. “They are competitive with one another, too. I’m pretty sure Dante was bummed when Dylan made it to states last year after coming up one point shy of joining him (in Hershey). I’m certain Dylan was equally bummed that Dante didn’t make it to states with him, too. They’re very supportive when one or the other is on the mat. Both of them are really, really supportive of little brother Dustin as well.

“It is really something when the three of them can all be successful, like they were last weekend (at the Section Two Tournament), and share in each of their accomplishments. Likewise, it can be tough when one of them loses a tough match, or on that super rare occasion when all three lose. The whole family shares in any setbacks.”

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There will actually three sets of brothers in this weekend’s District 1-AAA South Tournament – Boyertown’s Dylan and Jordan Wertz at 106 and 195, and Gray and Chase Garber at 170 and 182, and Spring-Ford’s Adam and Jason Dombrosky at 132 and 145. ... Perkiomen Valley’s Luke and Anthony DiElsi would’ve likely been together up North tonight, too. Anthony, a senior, will be at 182. Luke, a sophomore, had his season cut short by injuries after going 11-1.

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Upper Perkiomen’s Wolfgang McStravick and Pottsgrove’s Danny Michaels are both within reach of the 100-win career mark. McStravick, the top seed at 132 pounds, is at 99. The junior has won his last 16 bouts and is 28-1 overall, his lone loss coming to three-time North Carolina prep school state champion Chris Caton of Northside Christian (who recently committed to Air Force). Michaels, seeded second at 160, needs three to become just the fifth Falcon to hit the milestone and seven to tie older brother Ryan (104). ... Others, in addition to Dylan Steffenino (96) who could get to the 100-win mark by season’s end include Pottstown’s Trent Clifford (92), Spring-Ford’s Chase Brown (92), and Upper Perkiomen’s Dalton Fleming (89). ... Up North, Plymouth-Whitemarsh’s Justin Staudenmayer, a junior, is at 97. In the South, unbeaten Dave Forte of Interboro, a senior, is also at 97. Ironically, both could meet up next week at regionals being they’re both at 145 pounds.

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Owen J. Roberts has more district qualifiers (11) than anyone – North or South – and will be looking for its second straight district team title. The Wildcats, who went a perfect 10-for-10 in last Saturday’s Section Four finals, would be the eight straight South team champion from Section Four if they can repeat. Over the last 25 years, 19 of the District 1-AAA South (and Central) team champions have come out of Section Four. The remaining six are split evenly among Section Five and Section Six. ... Upper Perkiomen (three times) is the only non-Suburban One Conference team to win a District 1-AAA North team title in the past 10 years.

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Pottstown and Pope John Paul II will end their two-week layoff when they join 16 other teams in the District 1-AA showdown Saturday in Strom Gymnasium at Pottstown High School.

The host Trojans have four of the seven defending champions back – Clifford (132), Jasheel Brown (145), Darien Hain (152) and Rashaad Lighty (182) – and along with District 1-AA Duals champion Lower Moreland are expected to contend for the team title. Clifford (32-2), Hain (17-5) and Lighty (29-3) are all top seeds in their brackets, while Brown (17-13) is a third seed.

Pope John Paul II, somewhat surprisingly, didn’t draw a first, second or third seed. Head coach Sheldon Staples’ group is led by Nick Foreman (17-12) at 106, John Cherneskie (17-12) at 152, his son Connor Staples (14-13) at 160, and Jared Robbins (20-9) at 170.

Lower Moreland is the defending team champion. Pottstown swept back-to-back titles in 2006-07.