Kennett opens season with promising wins, Lucier picks up 100th

WESTTOWN >> Coatesville’s Nate Lucier won his 100th career bout, Saturday, tributing an impressive past, while a pair of team wins by Kennett highlighted a promising future.

Kennett and West Chester Rustin finally kicked off their wrestling seasons, going 2-0, with wins over Coatesville and West Chester East in Ches-Mont League crossover dual meets. 

The Blue Demons won both in convincing fashion, sprinting by East, 43-27, and then Coatesville, 42-18, and seem to be trending in the right direction, as a program.

“The kids know it,” Kennett coach Kevin Reigel said. “There’s an undercurrent of confidence. We know we’re a better team than last year and we were a better team last year than the year before.”

Kennett (2-0) won one dual in Reigel’s first season four years ago, jumping to four and then eight the past two seasons. Thanks to the Kraken wrestling club producing some talent, and a practice room that has gotten competitive, the Blue Demons appear poised to become contenders in the American Division sooner than later.

“I feel like we’re putting in a lot of work and we’re more focused,” Kennett sophomore, Josh Barlow said. “With the kids in the program, I think we’re going to surprise some people.”

The biggest detriment to Kennett, Saturday, was forfeiting two weights, but seven wrestlers — Joey Wuchter (113), Haylie Jaffe (120), Barlow (152), Josh Kochersperger (160), Darralle Barrett (172), John Pardo (215) and Bailey Shindle (285) — went 2-0. All seven are underclassmen.

“Our lightweights are young, but they’re coming on strong,” Barlow said. “The momentum we get from the lightweights transitions to the middle, which transitions to the heavies. We have a really good core in the middle.”

Ironically, Kennett’s two most-accomplished wrestlers from a year ago — Trent Kochersperger (138, state qualifier) and Paul James Pebly (145, regional qualifier) — combined to go 1-3, showing off some of the depth in the lineup.

Kochersperger got a good test in his second match of the year, dropping a 1-0 decision to Lucier after not being able to get out from bottom in the third period.

“Trent is a really good competitor and gives you some good looks,” Lucier said. “It prepares me for down the road and prepares himself, and it’s all about getting to the postseason, now.”

Lucier’s first win of the day, a technical fall against Nick Burdumy, put him in the Century Club.

“I think it’s really cool to be able to rep Coatesville and get my 100th win in a Coatesville singlet,” said Lucier, who is 101-25 for his career. “It’s part of me now and it means a lot.”

In a shortened season where getting better individual matches feels more important than winning team duals, Rustin found itself in a tight battle against crosstown rival, East.

The Golden Knights (2-0) got some tough bouts, including Jimmy King’s (126) 7-2 win over Max Parnis, and managed to erase a 21-point deficit by winning six of the final seven matches.

With a bit of a logjam in the middle weights, Rustin has had to bump some kids up to fill the upper weights, like Matt Griffith, who wrestled heavyweight despite being eligible for 189.

“I’m the heaviest kid on the team in the room, so (Saturday) was the first time I could test myself against much bigger kids,” Griffith said. “I felt good and it was very rewarding.”

Rustin defeated East, 33-27, and Coatesville, 42-14.

Griffith was joined by James Pizzi (106), King, Gavin Seaman (152), Ryan Corp (160), Chris Yanko (172) and Marek Seaman (189) as undefeated grapplers. 

For the first time, maybe ever, Rustin is being forced to forfeit three weights, and the loss of Josh Viarengo (Malvern Prep) and Anthony Meadows (opt out) reduces what could’ve been a pretty formidable squad. The return of Marek Seaman, who played basketball as a freshman after a stellar youth wrestling career, is certainly a plus.

“As a team, we’re really building energy,” Griffith said. “After quarantining, getting the team all together, it’s amazing and it feels great to be back.”

Andrew Luke (145) won both of his matches for East (2-3), by decision. After knocking off Pebly, 5-1, Luke scored a takedown in sudden victory to edge Rustin’s Charlie Baldesari, to move to 4-1 on the year.

“Andrew Luke had a great day,” East coach John Gallo said. “He beat a regional qualifier from Kennett and a solid Rustin kid in Baldesari, and that’s what we expect from a senior and a leader who’s always worked hard.”

Though there were four teams at Rustin, East saved its dual against Coatesville for this Wednesday, when the Vikings will celebrate Senior Night at home. Rustin will host Kennett, February 10.

Kennett 43, West Chester East 27

106- Whitton (WCE) won by forfeit (0-6)

113- Wuchter (KEN) pinned Hussein, :26 (6-6)

120- Jaffe (KEN) dec. Stipe, 5-0 (9-6)

126- M. Parnis (WCE) pinned Hayes, :45 (9-12)

132- S. Parnis (WCE) won by forfeit (9-18)

138- T. Kochersperger (KEN) pinned Wolov, :42 (15-18)

145- Luke (WCE) dec. Pebly, 5-1 (15-21)

152- Barlow (KEN) pinned Wanas, 3:36 (21-21)

160- J. Kochersperger (KEN) pinned Lamb, 4:45 (27-21)

172- Barrett (KEN) pinned Scott, 1:14 (33-21)

189- T. Sbur (WCE) pinned King, 5:55 (33-27)

215- Pardo (KEN) maj. dec. J. Sbur, 14-5 (37-27)

285- Shindle (KEN) pinned Arevalo, 4:45 (43-27)

West Chester Rustin 42, Coatesville 14

106- Pizzi (WCR) won by forfeit (6-0)

113- no match

120- no match

126- King (WCR) pinned Cook, 1:24 (12-0)

132- Lavalais (CV) won by forfeit (12-6)

138- Lucier (CV) tech. fall Burdumy, 16-1 (12-11)

145- Baldesari (WCR) pinned E. Seagreaves, 2:30 (18-11)

152- G. Seaman (WCR) pinned J. Seagreaves, 3:30 (24-11)

160- Corp (WCR) pinned McNeil, 2:13 (30-11)

172- Yanko (WCR) dec. Meyer, 3-1 (33-11)

189- M. Seaman (WCR) pinned Luton, 1:08 (39-11)

215- Fick (CV) dec. Brown, 3-0 (39-14)

285- Griffith (WCR) dec. McGuire, 5-1 (42-14)

Kennett 42, Coatesville 18

113- Wuchter (KEN) won by forfeit (6-0)

120- Hayes (KEN) won by forfeit (12-0)

126- Jaffe (KEN) dec. Cook, 9-3 (15-0)

132- Lavalais (CV) won by forfeit (15-6)

138- Lucier (CV) dec. T. Kochersperger, 1-0 (15-9)

145- E. Seagreaves (CV) dec. Pebly, 9-4 (15-12)

152- Barlow (KEN) pinned J. Seagreaves, 1:51 (21-12)

160- J. Kochersperger (KEN) pinned Windle, 3:35 (27-12)

172- Barrett (KEN) pinned Luton, 1:34 (33-12)

189- Meyer (CV) pinned King, 2:54 (33-18)

215- Pardo (KEN) dec. Fick, 8-2 (36-18)

285- Shindle (KEN) pinned McGuire, 5:23 (42-18)

106- no match (42-18)

West Chester Rustin 33, West Chester East 27

113- Whitton (WCE) won by forfeit (0-6)

120- Stipe (WCE) won by forfeit (0-12)

126- King (WCR) dec. M. Parnis, 7-2 (3-12)

132- S. Parnis (WCE) won by forfeit (3-18)

138- Wolov (WCE) dec. Wright, 10-9 (3-21)

145- Luke (WCE) dec. Baldesari, 3-1 SV (3-24)

152- G. Seaman (WCR) pinned Wanas, 5:35 (9-24)

160- Corp (WCR) dec. Lamb, 10-5 (12-24)

172- Yanko (WCR) dec. Scott, 5-1 (15-24)

189- M. Seaman (WCR) pinned T. Sbur, 1:15 (21-24)

215- J. Sbur (WCE) dec. Brown, 5-3 (21-27)

285- Griffith (WCR) pinned Arevalo, 3:54 (27-27)

106- Pizzi (WCR) pinned Hussein, 3:37 (33-27)