WC Henderson eyes state qualification after staying alive, Friday

FORT WASHINGTON >> West Chester Henderson had high hopes of ending some dismal streaks, Friday night, and while one continued, the Warriors gave themselves a shot to break the other.

Against No. 3 Spring-Ford, in the District 1-3A Duals at Upper Dublin High, No. 6 Henderson took a thumping, 52-18, falling to 0-7, all-time, in the quarterfinal round. 

But the Warriors bounced back, to stay alive, with a 45-18 win over No. 10 Interboro in the first round of consolations. Saturday, at 1 p.m., Henderson will face No. 13 Garnet Valley in hopes of clinching the program’s first qualification to the PIAA Duals as a top-four finisher.

“They responded really well,” Henderson coach Rob Beighley said. “The first match we knew was an uphill battle. None of the swing matches went our way and the momentum went their way and we never got it back. We’re a momentum team with pins and such, but Spring-Ford shut that down.”

The Rams, who advanced to Saturday’s 3 p.m. finals against No. 1 Quakertown, jumped out to a 22-0 lead against the Warriors, through five bouts. 

Billy Wilson (120 pounds) finally got Henderson on the board with a major decision. Killian Delaney (126), who joined the 150-win club, Wednesday, and is up to 152 for his career, followed with a quick pin. Sammy McMonagle bumped up and knocked off District 1’s top-ranked 132-pounder (according to pa-wrestling.com), Quinn Tobin, 5-0. 

Palmer Delaney (138) then stuck Spring-Ford’s Alex Johns with a defensive pin as time expired. But 22-18 would be as close as it got, and the younger Delaney’s win would be Henderson’s last of the dual.

“Everyone got more hungry, in a sense,” said Henderson senior Mason Baldwin, of how his team reacted. “We wanted it more because we knew what was at stake.”

Last year, Henderson went 0-2 on Friday night, so just getting to Saturday was top priority for the veteran Warriors.

Interboro took a 3-0 lead in the consis, but Henderson wouldn’t dig itself into a major hole this time, thanks to pins from Ryan Caruso (285) and Carmen Cortese, who decked the No. 5 106-pounder in the district, Victor Quintiliana. 

In between major decisions from Wilson and Killian Delaney, Brett Patton made his season debut and registered a second-period fall at 126. Five straight wins, and seven out of the first nine, gave the Warriors a 35-9 lead.

“They just had to go out there and do their job,” Beighley said. “They had to do what they were asked to do, and nothing more. Now they have to respond in the big light.”

Garnet Valley has been the Cinderella of the tournament, upsetting No. 4 Council Rock North, 33-32, in the first round, last week, and then No. 5 Owen J. Roberts, 32-30, in the quarterfinals. The Jaguars got bounced by Quakertown, 53-9, and will tango with Henderson as they look for their first trip to states since 2014. 

At this point, seeds are just a number.

“We all need to show up,” Baldwin said. “It’s about that simple. We need to wrestle how we wrestle and do our job.”

Owen J. Roberts will wrestle No. 2 Council Rock South in the other consolation semifinal.

Spring-Ford 52, West Chester Henderson 18

195- Carbajal (SF) maj. dec. Artis, 14-6 (4-0)

220- Brogan (SF) pinned Hampton, 3:05 (10-0)

285- Kaputa (SF) pinned Caruso, :46 (16-0)

106- C. Smith (SF) dec. Cortese, 4-2 (19-0)

113- Q. Smith (SF) dec. Jackman, 5-0 (22-0)

120- Wilson (WCH) dec. Carfagno, 4-0 (22-3)

126- K. Delaney (WCH) pinned Phelan, :16 (22-9)

132- McMonagle (WCH) dec. Tobin, 5-0 (22-12)

138- P. Delaney (WCH) pinned Johns, 6:00 (22-18)

145- Needles (SF) pinned B. English, 1:20 (28-18)

152- McGill (SF) pinned Laws, :25 (34-18)

160- Cushman (SF) pinned Bauman, 2:21 (40-18)

170- Lepore (SF) pinned Baldwin, 1:01 (46-18)

182- Milano (SF) pinned McCarthy, 1:25 (52-18)

West Chester Henderson 46, Interboro 19

220- Thomas (INT) dec. Hampton, 5-2 (0-3)

285- Caruso (WCH) pinned MeCouch, :30 (6-3)

106- Cortese (WCH) pinned Quintiliana, 5:32 (12-3)

113- Shippey (INT) pinned Jackman, 4:43 (12-9) 

120- Wilson (WCH) maj. dec. Gallo, 15-2 (16-9)

126- Patton (WCH) pinned Oliva, 3:35 (22-9)

132- K. Delaney (WCH) maj. dec. Finley, 18-6 (26-9)

138- McMonagle (WCH) tech. fall McDevitt, 15-0 (31-9)

145- P. Delaney (WCH) maj. dec. Lajudice, 10-1 (35-9)

152- D’Agostino (INT) maj. dec. B. English, 16-6 (35-13)

160- Bauman (WCH) dec. Curran, 8-6 (38-13) 

170- Baldwin (WCH) maj. dec. Fusaro, 11-2 (42-13)

182- Artis (WCH) maj. dec. Stankiewicz, 15-4 (46-13)

195- Phillips (INT) pinned McCarthy, 2:26 (46-19)