Pennridge puts eight into District One East Finals

INTERBORO — Aside from the wrestlers at Interboro battling for their life on Saturday, you could watch some dedicated coaches play musical chairs on the four mats set up for the District One East Tournament. When the music stopped, some teams had no chair to sit and no wrestler to watch. Others, like Council Rock South and Pennridge watched their wrestlers climb up the podium and into next week’s regionals.

Before regionals can cross the Rams mind, the top team (156 points) will travel back to Interboro on Monday night to go after a district championship. Originally slated to complete the tournament all on Saturday, snow stopped the show in its tracks.

Norley called out direction to his senior Will O’Shea and before the final second came off the clock of the 7-4 decision, he onto the next chair to watch junior Kyle Gentile go after a championship. O’Shea will return Monday to try and win one more match in the consolation bracket and earn a spot in regionals, which will be held at Oxford High.

“I spent a lot of time watching other coaches run around and I wondered what it felt like,’ Norley said. “It is my turn now and I am glad to do it. It’s part of the job.’

There was little coaching for Gentile match, which was over in 31 seconds. The Rams 170-pounder will face familiar foe Quakertown’s Nick Bonomo is the championship match. Joining Gentile in championship matches are seven other Rams. There is seniors Joe Kracz and Ezra Outlaw, juniors Andrew Reinhold and Kordell Rush, sophomore Matt Parker, and freshmen Micah Visuwaun and Josh Stillings.

While Visuwaun worked his way out of the middle of bracket, with a decision over Pennsbury’s Connor Joyce and first round pin fall in the next round, Stillings started at the top of the bracket, a rare spot for a freshman to be. But Stillings welcomes the recognition and is ready to live up to top billing. The 132-pounder will once again see Central Bucks East Ryan Chalifoux. Then he will start mentally preparing for states and beyond.

“I wrestled well so it was a good day,’ Stillings said. “Being the top seed gets rid of my freshman jitters. It feels to be recognized. My goal is to place at states and I am going to do that.’

Many wrestlers have to worry about Monday, not just for medal-sake, but season-sake. A miscue could end their season. Though teams such as Hatboro-Horsham and Souderton are just happy to still be kicking. The Indians have three in consolations and Philip Stolfi wrestling for a championship on Monday night. The Hatters have two left to represent in Brendan Wawrzyniak and Kyle Beck.

“We were hoping Matt Chapman and Nick Schuck would be in this group too,’ Hatters coach Glenn Kaiser said. “Matt got caught against that kid from Truman (Brandon Wiley). For the most part, it is what we expected.’

Maybe the biggest shock of Saturday came out of the 145-pound bracket. While it is no shock to see Central Bucks West’s undefeated Riley Barth in the finals, North Penn’s Colin Shannon took out two impressive wrestlers on his way to the championship match. He majored Interboro’s Jeff Finley and took down Council Rock South’s Lucas Martoccio 9-3 in the semifinals. Shannon would have loved to carry that momentum into a match they same day, but the snow will give all wrestlers a two-pound allowance and a day to rest the aches and pains of a long season.

“We are winning the team race and setting a lot of records this season,’ Stillings said. “Regionals is going to have a lot more tough kids. We have to be ready for harder competition.’

District One East Championship Matches

106: Matt Parker (Pennridge) vs. Aidan Burke (C.R. North)

113: Kordell Rush (Pennridge) vs. Ben Radner (C.R. South)

120: Micah Visuwaun (Pennridge) vs. Dylan Nutall (Truman)

126: Sofiane Bensmail (North Penn) vs. Zack Trampe (C.R. South)

132: Josh Stillings (Pennridge) vs. Ryan Chalifoux (C.B. East)

138: Eric Thomas (Interboro) vs. Eric Mongiello (Pennsbury)

145: Riley Barth (C.B. West) vs. Colin Shannon (North Penn)

152: Dylan Schwartz (C.R. South) vs. Dominic Stabilito (Neshaminy)

160: Luke Kowal (Pennsbury) vs. Josh Shalinsky (C.R. North)

170: Kyle Gentile (Pennridge) vs. Nick Bonomo (Quakertown)

182: Phil Stolfi (Souderton) vs. Evan Wilson (C.B. East)

189: Andrew Reinhold (Pennridge) vs. Ben Kenis (C.R. South)

220: Ezra Outlaw (Pennridge) vs. Kyle Thorpe (C.R. North)

285: Joe Kracz (Pennridge) vs. Bruce Graeber (Neshaminy)