Pennridge’s Parker runs to victory on Day 1 of PIAA Championships

HERSHEY >> Run, run, run.

It’s what Matt Parker does after every match.

So after Thursday’s opening-round victory at the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships at Hershey’s Giant Center, there he was, sprinting like a demon in the hallway adjacent to the mat area.

Pennridge’s Parker eased past Luke Werner of Liberty, 10-1, using two first-period takedowns and two sets of three back points in the third to complete the task.

Then it was time to run.

“I always run, win or lose,” the Rams junior said. “I just do it to keep up my conditioning.”

Conditioning was not a problem for Parker in the match. He went up, 4-1, after one, then after spending the second period on bottom, exploded in the third by turning Werner twice for the kill shots.

“I have to keep being aggressive,” Parker said, “keep putting points up there.”

As for the scoreless second period, Parker said he was a little frustrated not being able to get out, but that he learned some things that could help him in the future.

His immediate future will bring him face-to-face with North Hills’ unbeaten Gage Curry, who moved to 40-0 with a win over Brandon Loperfido of Hempfield.

“I’ve never wrestled him,” Parker said of Curry, “but I know I’m going to have to beat the best to be the best.

“That’s why I’ve trained so hard all year. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be on my ‘A’ game.”

While Parker had opening-round success, the same good fortune did not pat Souderton freshman 106-pounder Tyler Williams on the head. Williams fell to Job Chishko of Penn Trafford in the opening round, 7-0.

Elsewhere, Pennridge’s Kordell Rush dropped a 3-0 decision to Shippensburg’s Chandler Olson.

Things were equally tough for North Penn freshman Ryan Vulakh, who fell to Central Dauphin’s Andrew Wert at 132 pounds. Vulakh’s normally reliable aggressive style of offense was blunted by Wert, who earned an 8-1 decision.
At 145, Methacton junior Bryce Reddington was toppled by Solanco’s Wyatt Jennings, 5-3, in a match that featured a disputed call in favor of Jennings.

With the match knotted at 3, Jennings lifted Reddington up off the mat, at which time the official blew his whistle. Action continued and Reddington was deposited onto the mat by Jennings, who was then awarded two points for a takedown.

Those points were the difference in the match.

“I don’t know, said Warriors head coach AJ Maida when asked what happened. “The official said he stopped the match because he was worried about Bryce’s safety.”

Then why award a takedown?

“I don’t know,” Maida said. “But that’s not why (Reddington) lost. It came down to not finishing takedowns.”

Not unexpectedly, North Penn’s Colin Shannon lost to one of the favorites at 152 pounds, Mifflin County’s once-beaten Hayden Hidlay.

At 160, Pennridge’s Josh Stillings battled through sickness and a stomach ache to outlast Jonah Barley of Penn Manor, 9-6.

Stillings led, 9-1, then had to hang on when Barley cut his deficit to 9-6 late in the match.

“It was my fault,” Stillings said, dismissing his illness. “I just didn’t stay with it.”

Pennridge’s Kyle Gentile only needed to stay with it for about 31 seconds, the time it took for him to stick Todd Frick of Wallenpaupack, and advance to the quarters.

If there was a surprise among the locals, it was the day enjoyed by La Salle sophomore Garrett Zobel, who advanced to the first round proper by blanking Muhamed Alic of Carlisle, then shocked Quakertown’s Southeast Regional champ Gavin Caroff, 5-2, to earn a quarterfinal berth.

“I just approached this tournament by saying, “let it fly,’ let it loose,’” the Explorers upper weight said. “My goal at the beginning of the year was to get up here. Now that I have I just wanted to have some fun, and give it my all.

“And if lose, I’ll know I gave it my all.”

Zobel used a second-period takedown to take the lead, then another in the third to lock it up.

“When I wrestled him before, I lost, but I wrestled a sloppy match,” Zobel said. “This time I wanted to be a little more careful and score when I could.”

OVERTIME >> Pennridge’s Parker, Stillings and Gentile, along with La Salle’s Zobel are the lone locals to reach the quarters, although Souderton’s Williams lost in the consolation round and was eliminated from the tournament. North Penn’s Vulakh bounced back to win his consolation match at 132, as did Pennridge’s Rush at 126.