Champ Williams leads contingent of 10 area wrestlers headed to Hershey

SOUDERTON—Saving the best for last, the tournament directors at the PIAA, Class AAA Southeast Regional tournament, made the hometown Souderton crowd wait until the last match of the night to see 138 pounder Tyler Williams square off against Owen J Roberts’ Antonio Petrucelli in the night’s featured bout.

Williams made the wait worthwhile for the hometown faithful, cruising to his first regional title with a convincing 9-3 victory. Williams was the lone area champion, but leads a contingent of 10 locals to punch their ticket to Hershey next weekend for the PIAA Championships.

“This just feels amazing,” said Williams. “This is my first regional championship, and to win it in the last match I’ll ever wrestle in this gym in front of this crowd is incredible.”

Williams wasted little time getting out front, hitting a double for the opening takedown, then working a tilt for a couple near fall points and a 4-0 lead after one. After breaking loose for an escape and scrambling for another takedown, it was 7-0 Williams before Petrucelli finally got on the board with a reversal.

Petrucelli picked up an escape of his own to start the third to make it 5-3, but Williams just kept his foot on the gas, working his offense, scrambled for another takedown, and controlled the match the rest of the way for the 9-3 decision.

“This is a culmination of four years of hard work,” said Souderton Coach Tristan Boyd. “He puts in the time all year round and is the most coachable kid you’ll find. His success is not in any way by accident. And I think you’re going to see him step it up again next week.”

Williams and Petrucelli met a week ago in the East Sectional finals, and it was a whole different match, with Williams eking out a 3-2 nailbiter.

“I was just having fun out there tonight,” said Williams. “Petrucelli is tough as nails, so I knew I just had to keep pushing the whole way. I just came in with the mindset that if I was in regional finals in this gym, I was not going to lose.”

William Tennant’s AJ Tamburrino reached the 145 pound finals in another rematch of finals a week ago, against Council Rock North’s Cam Robinson. Tamburrino got out to the early lead with a pair of takedowns, but a Robinson escape and takedown in the second made it 4-4 headed to the third. Though Tamburrino escaped to start the third for a 6-5 lead, Robinson tied it when Tamburrino was penalized for stalling, and then fended off a Tamburrino shot, scooting behind for the winning takedown.

“Both guys wrestled well, I thought,” said Tennant coach Craig Shapiro “AJ was tough when he was aggressive, and that’s the way you’ve got to be against someone as talented as Cam. But AJ is still alive and wrestling next week, and that is nothing to sneeze at. It’s only a few kids that ever qualify for states, and if he wrestles the way he can, he can come home with a medal.”

At 220, Paolo DiSanto of Plymouth-Whitemarsh reached the championship finals, only run into defending state champ Hunter Catka of Sun Valley. Catko picked up the pin over DiSanto, his fourth first period fall of the tournament, good enough the earn himself the tournament’s Outstanding wrestler trophy.

Other area wrestlers to earn a trip to Hershey include a pair of third place finishers in Souderton’s Bruno Stolfi and Methacton’s Tonee Ellis. Ellis won by forfeit in the third place bout at 220, while Stolfi edged Pennridge’s Logan Green 2-1. Green also advances to states.

Fourth place finishers headed to states are Tj England (William Tennant, 113), Kibwe McNair (Methacton, 138) and Mark Thomspon (Wissahickon, 285). Thomspon’s teammate, Daniel Keller grabbed fifth place at 182 to earn his spot in Hershey.

Team scores:
1. Council Rock South 197.5 2. Council Rock North 114.5 3. Spring-Ford 103.5 4. Boyertown 90 5. Owen J Roberts 86.5

Championship Finals
106 Kyle Hauserman, Council Rock North, dec. Kyle Waterman, Council Rock South, 2-0
113 Maximino Mendez, Council Rock South, dec. Sam McMonagle, West Chester Henderson, 3-2
120 Shane Hanson-Ashworth, Council Rock South, dec. Killian Delaney, West Chester Henderson, 3-1
126 Braden Ricchini, Council Rock South, dec. Colton Jordan, Neshaminy, 3-1 OT SV1
132 Lukas Richie, Downingtown East, dec. Gunnar Fuss, Harry S. Truman, 6-4
138 Tyler Williams, Souderton, dec. Antonio Petrucelli, Owen J. Roberts, 9-3
145 Cameron Robinson, Council Rock North, dec. A.J. Tamburrino, William Tennent, 7-5
152 Dillon Sheehy, Council Rock North, dec. Jackson Erb, Neshaminy, 3-2 TB
160 John Crawford, Strath Haven, dec. Matt Colajezzi, Council Rock South, 2-0
170 Maximus Hale, Downingtown West, dec. James Lledo, Lower Merion, 13-9
182 Joey Milano, Spring-Ford, pinned Chase Mielnik, Downingtown West, 3:34
195 Jacob Miller, Boyertown, dec. Ethan Seeley, Great Valley, 3-1 SV1
220 Hunter Catka, Sun Valley, pinned Paolo DiSanto, Plymouth Whitemarsh, 0:46
285 Coltin Deery, Garnet Valley, maj. dec. Tom Bramwell, Ridley, 12-2
Third Place
106 Julien Maldonado, Boyertown, dec. Keanu Manuel, Downingtown East, 4-1
113 Nathan Lucier, Coatesville, dec. Shane Reynolds, Spring-Ford, 3-0
120 Luke Lucerne, Council Rock North, dec. T.J. England, William Tennent, 8-3
126 Corey Celenza, West Chester East, dec. Josh Viarengo, West Chester Rustin, 5-2
132 Domenic DeFalco, Quakertown, dec. L.J. Kahn, Council Rock South, 3-0
138 Jack McGill, Spring-Ford, dec. Kibwe McNair, Methacton, 4-2
145 Nick Barnhart, Avon Grove, dec. Brendon Stocku, Penncrest, 9-8
152 Daniel Mancini, Owen J. Roberts, won by forfeit over Cole Flanagan, Council Rock South
160 Connor Quinn, Owen J. Roberts, dec. Evan Mortimer, Boyertown, 5-0
170 Andrew DiBernardo, West Chester East, maj. dec. Chase Smith, Spring-Ford, 13-2
182 Tyler Mousaw, Unionville, won by tech. fall over Giani Gilch, Council Rock South, 18-3 3:49
195 Bruno Stolfi, Souderton, dec. Logan Green, Pennridge, 2-1
220 Tonee Ellis, Methacton, won by forfeit over Paul Pelham, Conestoga
285 John Klewin, Bensalem, dec. Mark Thompson, Wissahickon, 5-2
Fifth Place
106 Dominic Findora, Downingtown West, dec. Cannon Hershey, Oxford Area, 4-3
113 Keito Shaw, Upper Darby, dec. Christopher Wood, Garnet Valley, 8-3
120 Corey Cope, Quakertown, dec. Quinn Tobin, Spring-Ford, 1-0
126 Chase Barlow, Strath Haven, dec. P.J. Kakos, Perkiomen Valley, 5-0
132 Zachary Martin, Neshaminy, dec. Morgan Lofland, Conestoga, 8-1
138 Roberto Lesser, Harriton, dec. Gavin Hollingsworth, Garnet Valley, 5-4
145 Eric Woloshyn, Council Rock South, dec. Evan Widing, Pennridge, 4-2
152 Brett Breidor, Boyertown, won by tech. fall over Corey Showaker, Central Bucks South, 16-1 4:50
160 Patrick O’Neill, North Penn, won by tech. fall over Spencer Uggla, Downingtown East, 15-0 2:05
170 Ricky McCutchen, Owen J. Roberts, won by tech. fall over Gunner Spain, Neshaminy, 15-0 3:38
182 Daniel Keller, Wissahickon, dec. Frank Regalis, Harry S. Truman, 3-1
195 Max Russell, Quakertown, dec. Brian Fennell, Wissahickon, 6-1
220 Bill Brosko, Marple Newtown, pinned Terrance Averett, Glen Mills, 5:51 SV1
285 Sam Blevins, Oxford Area, pinned Collin Watson, Kennett, 2:30