Those early struggles with a new sport, way back when, now just bring back good memories for Council Rock South junior Anthony Mutarelli.

"I was like 5 when I started wrestling," Mutarelli said. "And it took me a little while before I started to do OK.

"But I loved it right away. My dad (Jason) was a two-time ACC champion at Virginia, and he got me started with wrestling and I'm glad he did."

The younger Mutarelli's journey to the Golden Hawks lineup has been a circuitous one as he spent his first two seasons competing at Malvern Prep, one of the top programs in the country.

As a freshman for the Friars, Mutarelli won a National Prep School title, no easy feat, before a knee injury during last year's regular season kept him from trying for a repeat.

"Everyone at Malvern Prep was great and I learned so much," Mutarelli said. "But it was such a long drive every day.

"My parents drove me to school when I was a freshman, and I drove last year, but it was really a lot. And now I'm really glad I came back to South. I'm with all of my friends I grew up with and the team has been great."

He's been pretty good, too.

What a start for CR South's Mutarelli

Mutarelli sports a 27-3 record and is coming off winning the 127-pound title at the Escape The Rock tournament (in his home gym) where he beat Quakertown senior Mason Ziegler, 4-0. Ziegler was a PIAA Class 3A runner-up last season.

Mutarelli has lost just one match against a Pennsylvania wrestler this season, a 4-3 decision to Montgomery's undefeated Brandt Harer, a PIAA Class 2A runner-up last season.

"Winning that (ETR) was great for Anthony," first-year CR South head coach Trey Balasco said. "Not that he needed to validate anything because he's been as good as advertised in matches and in the wrestling room, but that's a really tough tournament to win."

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All about the regular season

Unfortunately for Mutarelli, he'll miss the postseason this year due to a PIAA rule that forces an athlete transferring after two years at one school to sit out the PIAA playoffs the following season.

"I knew when I came to South that missing the tournaments this year would be a possibility," Mutarelli said.

"So I've tried to focus on the regular season. I missed the tournaments last year with a meniscus tear and just have had a little bad luck."

But the chance to come back "home" has helped ease things.

"Honestly, Anthony has come into his own maturity wise," Balasco said. "Individually, he's exceeded all expectations and as a teammate he's helping all the kids around him, weight-wise, get better.

"To come from one of the top teams in the country, and fit in here so quickly, says a lot about him."

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Wrestling rankings in Bucks County, Montco

Here's our second individual rankings of the season as we head into the heart of the dual-meet campaign.

Most wrestlers aren't at their postseason tournament weights yet — the dropping down will come soon enough — so we'll rank them where they are for now.

Here we go:

107 pounds

1. Joey Bachmann (18-0), Faith Christian, freshman

2. Colby Martinelli (6-1), Pennridge, junior

3. Dominick Morrison (21-1), Hatboro-Horsham, freshman

4. Alexander Diaz (26-8), Council Rock North, senior

5. Jackson Hersh (22-7), La Salle High, junior

Notes: Martinelli was No. 1 in our first rankings at 114. ... Morrison's only loss came against Martinelli while Morrison has a win over Diaz.

114 pounds

1. (tie) Jack Baron (8-2), Germantown Academy, sophomore

(tie) Kole Davidheiser (5-7), Faith Christian, sophomore

(tie) Connor Lenahan (25-7), Council Rock South, senior

(tie) Marco Loss (18-9), Council Rock North, sophomore

5. Jeff Spofford (14-5), Conwell-Egan, junior

Notes: A little help here, please. ... Davidheiser has a win over Lenahan. Lenahan has wins over Baron, Spofford and Loss, but Loss beat Davidheiser. Oh, my. This weight class is going to take a while to figure out.

121 pounds

1. Gauge Botero (10-0), Faith Christian, junior

2. Kevin Bagnell (18-6), Conwell-Egan, senior

3. Cole Coffin11 (18-8), Pennridge, senior

4. Luke Reitter (22-7), Council Rock South, senior

Notes: Botero, who missed the start of the season due to injury, has returned in style. His Escape The Rock title win last week came over returning PIAA Class 3A champ Keanu Dillard of Bethlehem Catholic by an 11-4 score. The Faith Christian junior is two wins shy of 100 for his career.

127 pounds

1.Anthony Mutarelli (27-3), Council Rock South, junior

2.Mason Ziegler (23-3), Quakertown, junior

3.Quinn McBride (12-6), Pennridge, sophomore

4.John Luchansky (22-3), Pennsbury, senior

5.Pierce Kane (18-10), Council Rock North, sophomore

6.Colin Walther (21-8), Conwell-Egan, freshman

Notes: Mutarelli beat Ziegler, a PIAA Class 3A runner-up last season, 4-0 in the Escape The Rock finals last weekend.

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133 pounds

1.Eren Sement (24-6), Council Rock North, junior

2.Charlie Robson (17-2), Conwell-Egan, senior

3.Chris Dennis (18-2), Central Bucks West, sophomore

4.Pat Woloshyn (24-8), Council Rock South, sophomore

Notes: Robson picked up a pin over Dennis at the Escape The Rock.

139 pounds

1.Mason Wagner (11-7), Faith Christian, sophomore

2.Patrick Kelly (18-3), Central Bucks West, junior

3.Steven Harris (22-5), Conwell-Egan, senior

4.Jake Neill (16-5), Central Bucks South, senior

5.Jonny O'Brien (19-2), North Penn, sophomore

6.Ajay Bhatt (19-9), Council Rock South, senior

Notes: Kelly picked up a pin over Harris at the Escape The Rock. ... Keep an eye on O'Brien. His only losses have come against PIAA Class 3A place-winners from last season.

145 pounds

1.Chase Hontz (19-7), Faith Christian, junior

2.Gavin Carroll (19-6), Quakertown, junior

3.Christopher Staub (17-4), Hatboro-Horsham, senior

Notes: Hontz edged Carroll, 7-6, at the Escape The Rock.

152 pounds

1.Collin Gaj (19-4), Quakertown, junior

2.Max Stein (20-6), Faith Christian, junior

3.Sam Kuhns (20-4), Pennridge, senior

4.(tie) Beknazar Baiyshbekov (13-2), Neshaminy, junior, and Michael Cliver (14-7), North Penn, senior

Notes: Stein gave Gaj a battle at the Escape The Rock, falling 4-3.

160 pounds

1.Cael Weidemoyer (9-1), Faith Christian, sophomore

2.Luke Sugalski (17-10), Germantown Academy, junior

3.Daniel Haubert (21-3), Palisades, senior

4.Gavin Cole (24-6), Council Rock South, junior

5.Ryan Gallagher (14-8), Pennridge, senior

Notes: Weidemoyer, a PIAA Class 2A bronze medalist as a freshman, missed the early part of the season due to injury.

Here are the first individual rankings: Check out the first Bucks County area individual wrestling rankings

172 pounds

1.Adam Waters (22-4), Faith Christian, sophomore

2.Bek Sadriddinov (24-3), Council Rock South, senior

3.Talan Hogan (16-6), Pennridge, junior

4.Cormac Morrissey (27-5), La Salle High, senior

Notes: Morrissey is two wins shy of 100 for his career.

189 pounds

1.Dante Burns (16-4), Conwell-Egan, senior

2.Cody Wagner (13-7), Faith Christian, senior

3.Kole Lester (18-7), Souderton, senior

4.Dylan Clair (17-4), La Salle High, junior

5.Ben Primich (16-2), Pennsbury, senior

215 pounds

1.Jason Singer (20-7), Faith Christian, sophomore

2.Riley Cullen (14-5), Pennridge, senior

3.Reagan McCullough (15-3), Central Bucks East, senior

4.Michael McCormick (8-3), Souderton, sophomore

285 pounds

1.(tie) Joe Collins (16-1), Central Bucks East, senior, and Calvin Lachman (23-3), Quakertown, senior

3.Mark Effendian (20-8), Faith Christian, sophomore

4.Andrew Brennan (27-4), La Salle High, senior

5.Chase Washington (9-2), Pennridge, senior

Notes: Collins is five wins shy of 100 for his career, all at 285. ... Lachman edged Effendian, 3-2, at the Escape The Rock.

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Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: CR South's Mutarelli dominating; check out latest wrestling rankings