Hogan, Martinelli earn golds as Pennridge takes first at District 1-3A East tournament

QUAKERTOWN >> Talan Hogan saw his chance to add to his slim one-point and the Pennridge wrestling sophomore was going to make the most of it.

“I thought that 1-0 is an easy way to tie up but 3-0, if I have an opportunity with a short amount of time I have to go all in for it,” he said.

Hogan earned a takedown on the edge of the mat late in the second period of the 172-pound final with Pennsbury’s Mason Keller Saturday at the District 1-3A Section East Tournament. Hogan followed by riding out Keller over the final two minutes to secure a 3-0 victory and claim his first career district title.

“When I got on top is when I put all my energy out and I’m like this is where it matters the most,” Hogan said. “I ride him out here, I’m a district champ.”

Hogan doubled Pennridge’s gold medal count at Quakertown after fellow sophomore Colby Martinelli won at 107, the pair among the squad’s five finalists and the 10 placing in the top four to advance to the South East 3A Regionals as the Rams took first place in the team standings with 242.0 points.

“It’s so exciting for this group,” Pennridge coach Brian Kuhns said. “Obviously really pumped. We win the team districts, this has been something that I feel like been hanging over us for a while – a lot of people don’t think we’re a good tournament team. We haven’t performed well in tournaments over the last few years so to do it here at one of the highest levels was just awesome to see.

“This was full-team effort, up and down the lineup, everybody stepped up, everybody wrestled great matches. We still have some stuff to clean up heading into regionals but this is a whole confidence boost for the program.”

Council Rock South placed second with 195.5 points, the Golden Hawks matching Pennridge district champs at two – Benn Brillhart at 1333 and Bekhruz Sadriddinov at 160 – while qualifying nine for regionals.

Host Quakertown was third at 175.0 points, the Panthers having six reach regionals and a tournament-high four first-place finishes, including Most Outstanding Wrestler Collin Gaj, the sophomore improving to 41-0 by pinning Neshaminy’s Beknazar Baiyshbekov at 1:16 in the 145 final.

“I feel like a lot of us came in here fairly not calm but collected,” said Quakertown senior Zach Borzio, who won gold at 152. “And I feel like we’re going to keep it that way. We trained so hard during the week, we go out and trust our training.”

The South East 3A Regional is Friday and Saturday at Souderton with the top five finishes advancing to the PIAA Championships March 9-11 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Borzio earned his second district title – he won at 126 as a sophomore in 2021 – with points in the late moments of the 152 final to best CR South’s Gavin Cole for the third time this season with a 5-2 decision.

“Definitely didn’t want it to come down to that,” Borzio said. “It is what it is, never stopped wrestling.”

Quakertown junior Mason Ziegler won his third district championship with a 17-3 major decision over Rock South’s Pat Woloshyn. Gaj and junior Calvin Lachman – who won the 215 final over Pennridge’s Riley Cullen by 17-6 major decision – each earned their second straight district title.

Martinelli began the championship finals giving Pennridge its first gold, the sophomore holding a 4-1 lead on CR South’s Connor Lenahan after the first period of the 107 final and holding on for a 6-4 decision.

“I felt really good on my feet,” said Martinelli, who won by pin in his first two matches Saturday. “I kept on getting my shots and I didn’t finish all of them but I finished most of them. And my first period, I came out strong and that put me in a good position for the next two periods.”

At 114, Central Bucks West’s Chris Dennis was the lone freshman to win a district title after he defeated Cole Coffin of Pennridge 5-0 in the final.

Dennis started the day with a 17-0 technical fall over Central Bucks South John Shields in the quarterfinals then in the semis topped CR South’s Luke Reitter by 8-0 major decision.

“I like to be dominant in my matches and score a lot of points and not keep it close,” Dennis said. “Because I think I do better when I start scoring more and I’m just trying to score as much as I can in the match, working my tilts and everything. I don’t really like to give up points.”

Dennis was one of two West wrestlers advancing to regionals as sophomore Patrick Kelly was second at 127 after losing to Council Rock North’s Eren Sement by 19-7 major decision in the final.

Hogan reached the 172 final with a pin of Rock South’s Aidan Murray in 1:19 in the quarters then an 18-3 tech fall win in 4:31 over CB South’s Brian Schmidt in the semis.

“I feel like I wrestled well,” Hogan said. “I know that there’s a lot I can do to improve on in that match and my neutral is where I should’ve been better but I’m happy I came through and got the win.”

Along with Coffin and Cullen, freshman Ryan Rowe took second for Pennridge – Rowe falling in the 189 final to Pennsbury’s Walker Murray 7-2. The Rams’ Quinn McBride (121), Sam Kuhns (139), Ryan Gallagher (160) and Chase Washington (285) all placed third.

“I’m really proud of how we all wrestled today,” Hogan said. “Last year we sent four and we had two finalists, no champs. This year we have 10 going and two champs so a big improvement for Pennridge wrestling this year.”

Central Bucks South, which placed four in the team standings at 127.5 points, had five regional qualifiers led by Jake Neill, who took first at 139 by edging Quakertown’s Gavin Carroll 3-2. Gabe Whittington (133) and Collin Goetter (285) both earned silver for the Titans.

Central Bucks East’s Joe Collins claimed gold at 285, defeating Goetter for the third time this season in the final by a 7-0 decision. Regan McCullough’s third-place finish at 215 gave East two regional qualifiers.

Upper Moreland seniors Charles Hogan (third at 133) and Collin Evanson (fourth at 127) secured spots at regionals as did Abington’s John Wright with his fourth-place finish at 285.