All-Delco Wrestling: Four Sun Valley wrestlers are the vanguard of All-Delco contingent
In addition to Wrestler of the Year Curtis Nelson of Ridley, the All-Delco team includes:
Cole McFarland, Haverford: Three is McFarland’s magic number. The junior is a three-time All-Delco, three time PIAA Class 3A qualifier, and one-time medalist, and three-time Central League champion. McFarland went 25-7 this season wrestling in three weight classes. He was 16-4 at 114 pounds, 8-3 at 121 and 1-0 at 127. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Central League and District 1 South championships. McFarland has compiled a 76-18 record in three seasons for the Fords. He finished the season ranked second at 114 pounds in District 1 by pa-wrestling.com.
Hunter Delaney, Sun Valley: Just a sophomore, Delaney was a versatile member of the Vanguards’ Ches-Mont League championship squad that qualified for the District 1 Class 3A team tournament. A transfer from Henderson, he went 33-10 overall, 25-8 at 127 pounds and 8-2 at 133. He placed third at the District 1 West tournament and the Southeast Class 3A regional to earn a trip to Hershey for the PIAA championships. He finished the season ranked fourth at 127 in District 1 by pa-wrestling.com.
Jay McDonnell, Haverford School: The senior closed out his scholastic career with a 39-10 record, a fourth-place finish at the Pennsylvania Independent Schools tournament and was sixth at National Preps. McDonnell went 5-2 at National Preps with three of his wins coming by pin including a 2:12 fall of Coleman Nogle from Mount St. Joseph to reach the fifth-place match. He wrestled most of the season at 127 pounds but also saw action at 133 for the Fords.
Brecken Strickland, Sun Valley: Another versatile wrestler from the Ches-Mont League and District 1 West champion Vanguards. The sophomore compiled a 36-5 overall record, going 20-3 at 133, 15-2 at 139, 1-0 at 145. Strickland won the Ches-Mont League title at 133 pounds and finished second in that weight class at the District 1 West tournament to qualify for the Class 3A Southeast Regional. He has a 62-14 record over two seasons.
Brandon Carr, Sun Valley: Carr transferred to Sun Valley from Archmere, where he was a state runnerup at 126 pounds as a freshman. He promptly won his first 34 matches en route to a 42-5 overall record. Carr went 27-5 at 145 pounds and 15-0 at 152, winning the Ches-Mont League 145-pound crown and taking second at the District 1 West and Southeast Regional to earn his first trip to the PIAA Class 3A championships. Carr is 71-11 in two varsity seasons. He finished the season ranked third at 145 in District 1 by pa-wrestling.com.
Blake Bryant, Chichester: Bryant became the first Chi wrestler to qualify for the PIAA Class 3A championships since Bob Schievert in 2010. The senior did so with a 6-5 victory over Andrew Lindros of Council Rock South in the fifth-place match at 145 pounds at the Class 3A Southeast Regional. Bryant compiled a 36-8 overall record and placed third at the District 1 West tournament. He won 29 matches by major decision, tech fall and fall, recorded 101 takedowns and closed out his career with an 88-40 record. He was sixth in the final District 1 rankings at 145 by pa-wrestling.com.
Alexander Gamble-Williams, Sun Valley: Competed in three weight classes for the Ches-Mont League champion Vanguards. He went 33-9 overall as a senior, 23-5 at 152, 13-4 at 160, 3-0 at 172. Gamble-Williams won the District 1 Class 3A West 152-pound title for the second year in a row to qualify for the Southeast Regional for the second straight season. He also took second at the Ches-Mont League championships to start the season and finished his career with an 87-34 record.
David Rainey, Ridley: Rainey let out a yell when he pinned Strath Haven’s Andrew Reilly to win the District 1 South Class 3A title. He lost to Strath Haven All-Delco Kelton Brunner in that same spot a year earlier. The win earned him a trip to the Southeast Regional for the second straight year where he went 2-2. Rainey compiled a 33-4 overall record with 23 of his victories coming by fall. Three of his four losses came by a total of eight points. Rainey finished his career with an 82-27 record.
Sam Milligan, Strath Haven: Milligan is a two-time All-Delco in football and wrestling, and a key member of Strath Haven’s baseball team. More than anything, though, Milligan is a winner. He compiled a 42-9 record as a senior and a 74-12 mark over the last two seasons. He won the Central League and District 1 South 189-pound titles for the second year in a row, finished third at the Southeast Regional to qualify for the PIAA Championships for the second year in a row. Milligan was third in the final District 1 rankings at 189 by pa-wrestling.com. He will play football at Bucknell.
Anthony Crawford, Strath Haven: Strath Haven’s strength was in the three heaviest weight classes and Crawford was a key part of that trio that included Milligan and heavyweight Ben Farabaugh that guided the Panthers to a share of the Central League regular-season title and the District 1 South crown for the second year in a row. Crawford compiled a 30-11 record with 20 wins by fall as a senior. He was a two-time Central League and District 1 South champ, a two-time regional qualifier and also a first-team All-Delco selection in football.
Ben Farabaugh, Strath Haven: Farabaugh had one of the best seasons and careers in Strath Haven history. He compiled a 44-4 record as a senior with 27 wins by pin. Along the way he won the Central League and District 1 South 285 pound titles, helped the Panthers claim a share of the Central League regular-season crown and capture the District 1 South title for the second year in a row. He finished second at the Southeast Regional tournament to qualify for the PIAA championships for the second year in a row. For his career Farabaugh compiled a 112-27 record and was third at 285 in the final District 1 ranking by pa-wrestling.com. He also earned All-Delco honors in football.
Dylan Bledsoe, Garnet Valley: Burst onto the scene as a junior after spending his first two seasons on the JV team behind a pretty good 285-pounder: Nick Mahoney. Bledsoe compiled a 32-12 record, finished second at the Central League and District 1 West championships and fifth at the Southeast Regional to qualify for the PIAA championships for the first time in his career. He earned his spot in Hershey with a 3-1 victory over Lower Merion’s Temitayo Seyi-David despite battling a bloody nose. He ended in a tie for fourth place in the final District 1 rankings by pa-wrestling.com.
Bill Brosko, Haverford School: Brosko closed out one of the most storied careers in Haverford School history. He went 29-3 to finish his career with a 109-13 mark with the Fords and a 129-24 record overall that included a 20-9 mark as a freshman at Marple Newtown. A four-time All-Delco, Brosko won the PAISWT 285-pound title and finished second at National Preps for the second year in a row and was fourth at the Beast of the East. He also was a first-team All-Delco and Inter-Ac League co-MVP in football.
