There's something different about Emmaus wrestling this season and it became very apparent this past week when the Hornets picked up their first win over Northampton since 1979.

The wrestling program is enjoying some renewal under head coach Jeff Arbushites, who wasn't really surprised by the win over the Konkrete Kids or his team's fifth-place finish at the Zephyr Duals this past weekend.

"We're really going at teams this year and I'm proud of the work and the effort that all of our guys are putting in and it's paying," said Arbushites.

As it happens, two wrestlers who have provided the most pleasant surprises for Arbushites picked up big wins against Northampton and went a combined 5-2 at the Zephyr Duals.

"I knew Lucas Schaf was good, but how he moves and how he's progressed in six weeks has been a pleasant surprise," said Arbushites after the team's win over Northwestern at the Duals. "Mike Montgomery has also been a pleasant surprise, and just the way our team has come together has been great to see."

Against Northampton, Montgomery had to battle for a 6-3 decision over an opponent roughly 100 pounds heavier than he is and he found a way to come from behind to give Emmaus a much needed win. Schaf was up next and he picked up a major decision to give Emmaus a commanding lead with just two matches remaining and the Hornets were able to win at Northampton High School, making the win even sweeter.

At the Duals, Emmaus started off with a 62-12 win over Northwestern, but lost to Stroudsburg 38-28. After the loss, the Hornets bounced back with wins over Quakertown (56-20) and LaSalle College High School (41-28) to capture fifth place. Emmaus is now 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the LVC, with the only loss coming to powerhouse Easton.

Thanks to wrestlers shifting their weight classifications, the Hornets have filled some early holes that they had on their roster and are putting themselves in good shape for a postseason run. Arbushites sites his wrestler's work ethic and their desire to win as being the keys to the season so far.

"We don't really have kids at their normal weight, we have kids at the weight they need to be at for us to succeed," said Arbushites. "They're pretty non-assuming, they take on the role that we give them and they go out and wrestle and they meet it head on."

While there is still a good amount of wrestling to go, Emmaus has put itself in good shape, with remaining LVC battles against Whitehall, Allen and Dieruff at home and Parkland on the road. The Konkrete Kids Duals on January 26 will also provide another measure of just how far along the program has come.

"They're on the progression that I hoped they would take," said Arbushites of his wrestlers. "Usually you run into obstacles along the way that derail you, but for the most part, we have our kids getting better. Our holes are filling themselves with time in the practice room and our kids are fixing errors that they had been making in matches. It's all about getting ready for the postseason."