All-Delco Wrestling: Royal quartet rounds out Upper Darby’s special season
In addition to Wrestler of the Year Colin Cronin, the rest of the All-Delco team includes:
Blair Orr, Episcopal Academy: The Churchman enjoyed a second straight 30-win campaign (34-10) as a 106-pound sophomore. Orr won the Radnor Holiday Tournament and Delco Christian Invitational. He finished second at the prestigious Prep Slam in Atlanta. Orr reached the final 12 at Prep Nationals.
Jake Mejias, Upper Darby: An All-Delco a season ago, Mejias repeated as Central League Champion at 113 pounds. The senior went on to collect a silver medal at the always-difficult District One West Meet. Mejias took advantage of his natural quickness as well as a wealth of experience in putting together a 28-12 record, including 13 pins.
Matt Marino, Garnet Valley: After reaching the state tournament for the second consecutive season, Marino returns to the All-Delco team as a junior. The 120-pounder won 38 matches on the season, narrowly missing out on the podium in Hershey. Marino’s finest achievement may have been a fifth-place finish at the Beast of the East tournament.
Nick Poulos, Archbishop Carroll: With a fourth-place finish at the Southeast AA Regional Championship, the sophomore became the first Patriot in school history to reach the state tournament. The 126-pounder collected a Catholic League and District 12 title along the way. Poulos, with 67 wins in two seasons, is well on his way to 100 for his career.
Nick Puliti, Garnet Valley: No wrestler on this team carried more losses than Puliti’s 18. On the other hand, no one did more to qualify for Hershey than the 132-pounder. Puliti finished second in the Central League, then fourth in the districts and regionals. Each time the junior wrestled through difficult matches to keep advancing. Puliti closed the season with 28 wins. The two-time All-Delco has 82 in his career
Abraham Charles, Penn Wood: Win number 100 was a special one for Charles — clinching third place at the Southeast AAA Regionals. Charles added another victory at states before bowing out. He sported a 34-6 senior season record that the 138-pounder built off his superb athleticism and uncanny timing.
Eric Thomas, Interboro: Thomas fell just short of his bid to qualify for his second consecutive state tournament, but the 145-pound senior still won 28 matches despite battling nagging injuries. A three-time All-Delco and four-time Del Val League Champion, Thomas closes his high school career with 131 victories.
Max Livingston, Upper Darby: Livingston won his first Central League title before enduring a grueling postseason. The 152-pound junior finished third in the district, then just missed out on a trip to Hershey by losing at the buzzer in the consolation semifinals at regionals. Livingston was part of the historic Royals team that went undefeated in the league and qualified for team states. His cradle against West Chester Rustin in the District One AAA Duals was the highlight of the campaign.
David Moore, Strath Haven: A tireless worker and superb leader, Moore was the key figure in the Panthers’ ongoing rebuild. The 160-pound senior finished second to Conestoga’s Dan Iredale, who went undefeated through districts, at the Central League Championships. However, Moore couldn’t fight off a leg injury to keep his postseason hopes alive at districts. He still finished with a 28-7 record and 17 pins.
Liam Frank, Penncrest: Frank missed the entirety of the 2015 season with a torn ACL, but made up for it in a big way. The 170-pound senior won his third Central League championship and placed fifth in regionals. Frank, at 36-4, was the most consistent performer in the Lions’ solid 9-5 season.
Nate Brennan, Ridley: Few people, if any, expected to see the 182-pound senior standing on the podium at the Southeast AAA Regionals. But there he was with a sixth place medal around his neck. After a good-not-great regular season, he finished second in the Central League and third in Districts to help stretch his record to 24-15. Not bad for a kid who wrestled just eight varsity matches as a sophomore.
Brian Kennerly, Upper Darby: He went 2-3 as a freshman and 22-14 as a sophomore who didn’t place in districts. In that context, no one’s 2016 campaign was more surprising than Kennerly’s. The 195-pound junior dominated the District One AAA West Tournament to walk off with a golf medal. Kennerly, 40-6 on the season, followed up that performance with silver at regionals. Although he’s a natural athlete, Kennerly still has plenty of unlocked potential as a wrestler. Don’t be surprised to see him standing on the podium next year in Hershey.
Mickey Kober, Haverford School: Counting a broken back as a freshman and a knee injury as a sophomore, Kober fought through adversity to make a name for himself for the Fords. He finished seventh at Prep Nationals and went 32-8 to close his career. The national finish was one better than he placed a season ago as a junior. Polite off the mat, few wrestlers could match the 220-pound Kober’s strength and intensity on it.
Peter Augustin, Upper Darby: Like teammate Kennerly, Augustin’s excellent season came as a bit of a surprise. He worked tirelessly in the summer to continue his ascent up the District One ladder. The 285-pound senior was ranked as high as one in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and lived up to that standing for much of the year. He reached his first state tournament with a 38-6 record and provided outstanding leadership for the dominant Royals.
