HOPEWELL TWP.  — With Hopewell Valley’s capable junior middleweights Sam Lowe and Isaac MIller lost for the season due to injuries, there was the thought the Allentown wrestling team might somehow at least come close against the Bulldogs on Wednesday night. It didn’t happen and you can give sophomore 106-pounder Said Jan Rahmani a lot of credit for it ending up being a romp as Hopewell team improved to 13-1 and won its 39th Colonial Valley Conference match in a row. Although Hopewell Valley already had the match locked up with three bouts to go thanks to Jon Trainor’s 2-1 decision at 215 and a Redbird forfeit at heavyweight,  Rahmani provided the fireworks by pinning Degan Semanchick in a time of 2:56. Not only was this an upset, but it came after Semanchick had built up what seemed to be an insurmountable 14-0 lead. Instead, Rahmani refused to give up and ended up with a fall in the biggest victory so far of his young career. Rahmani, you see, is a refugee from Afghanistan and had never been on a wrestling mat until moving to America in 2021. From there he first started wrestling with the encouragement of Trenton Youth Club coach Mark McLaughln before moving to the Hopewell school district along with a brother who is on the Hopewell JV team. Obviously, he is adjusting well after fleeing Afghanistan and taking up the sport of wrestling. “I thought I had lost, but I wasn’t going to give up and kept wrestling,” said Rahmani through an interpreter. And how was he able to record a stunning pin that set off an explosion in the Hopewell gym. “I felt him (Semanchick) drop his level and I got him with a cement mixer,” he said. “It feels great to also be able to do this for the team.” Hopewell Valley’s ultra successful coach Mario Harpel was not surprised by Rahman’s fighting spirit. “He’s a tough kid who hasn’t had it easy,” said Harpel in reference to growing up in a country with an abundance of problems before moving to the United States. “He’s very determined. He’s a really good kid.” As for the rest of the match, Dylan Hersh got Hopewell off to a solid start with a 14-4 major over Connor Urig at 126 and then Sebastian Soto, who is in a weight previously filled by Lowe, wrestled tough in a 7-5 loss to Anderson Du Brul. As is often the case with Hopewell Valley, those two bouts set the theme of the night.In other words, while Hopewell Valley piles up the bonus points, it is stingy when it comes to giving them up. Other pinners for Hopewell included Max Lawruszkiewicz (138) and the aggressive Jett Branagh (165). In addition, Konad Haugeto posted a solid 12-4 win over Tanner Wilson at 157 and Dean Meissner defeated Aiden Schwartz, 9-4, at 113. Luke Caldwell won by t-fall at 144 with a takedown clinic before tossing his opponent to his back for near fall points at the end of the bout. All in all it was pretty much business as usual for a Hopewell Valley team closing in on its 16th league title in 18n years, although doing it with a wrestler from Afghanistan is certainly a different twist. Hopewell Valley (13-1) 42, Allentown (8-4) 18 126: Dylan Hersh (HVH) over Connor Urig (ALLE) (MD 14-4) 132: Anderson Du Brul (ALLE) over Sebastian Soto (HVH) (Dec 7-5) 138: Max Lawruszkiewicz (HVH) over Matthew Guyfulin (ALLE) (Fall 4:44) 144: Luke Caldwell (HVH) over Jordan Rey (ALLE) (TF 18-3 5:16) 150: Nicholas Gaul (ALLE) over Max Pollara (HVH) (Dec 10-4) 157: Konrad Haugeto (HVH) over Tanner Wilson (ALLE) (MD 12-4) 165: Jett Branagh (HVH) over Chase Strydesky (ALLE) (Fall 0:38) 175: Nathaniel Geddis (ALLE) over Ethan Barker (HVH) (MD 14-3) 190: Kassidy Mazza (ALLE) over Gavin Barker (HVH) (Dec 4-2) 215: Jon Trainor (HVH) over Jack Cox (ALLE) (Dec 2-1) 285: Elliott Scherbekow (HVH) over (ALLE) (For.) 106: Said Jan Rahmani (HVH) over Degan Semanchick (ALLE) (Fall 2:56) 113: Dean Meissner (HVH) over Aiden Schwartz (ALLE) (Dec 9-4) 120: Charles Case (ALLE) over Thomas Davila (HVH) (TF 16-0 5:07 )(HVH unsportsmanlike conduct -1.0)