OXFORD — It was an unfortunate scenario Spring-Ford High’s Ryan Hayes has seen too many times.
Reaching the 120-pound finals Saturday night at the PIAA Class AAA Southeast Regional Championships at Oxford Area High School, Hayes found himself staring across from Owen J. Roberts’ Derek Gulotta.
Hayes came into the match with a dreadful 1-8 lifetime record against Gulotta.
And it wouldn’t improve.
Hayes got an early takedown, but Gulotta rallied for an 8-4 victory and the regional title.
And while Hayes couldn’t improve on his personal log against his arch-nemesis, he could be content with the fact that he’ll be one of 14 local wrestlers who earned berths to next weekend’s PIAA Championships at Hershey’s Giant Center.
Hayes will be joined by six of his Rams teammates, while two wrestlers from North Penn and Norristown and one each from Methacton, Upper Dublin and Wissahickon will be making the trip west.
Hayes, however, will not be making the trip as a regional champ.
“It was a tough one,’ said the Rams senior, who earlier in the evening had been selected to receive the Southeast Regional Wrestling Officials’ Sportsmanship Award. “I guess it was his to win.
“I wasn’t on my A game, I tied up too much, which is what he wants.’
Hayes, while disappointed, was far from demoralized.
“I came here to get to states, so all I can do now is come back strong for the state tournament,’ he said.
Speaking of coming back strong, Methacton sophomore Bryce Reddington had to do a little regrouping after dropping his semifinal match in overtime to eventual 132-pound champ Josh Stillings of Pennridge.
But he did so in impressive fashion, first topping Sean Donohue of Sun Valley, then downing Upper Dublin’s Collin Devlin for the second time in as many days to place third and earn his first excursion to Chocolate Town.
“I wanted to win it, but I’m satisfied,’ Reddington said. “I made a mistake (in the semifinals), and (Stillings) did what good wrestlers do.
“I was mad, but I got over it, came back and did what I needed to do.’
North Penn 145-pounder Colin Shannon had a lot to do after finishing the 2013-14 season with a losing record.
He did all he needed to do, and more, over the summer and in the Knights practice room.
His reward was a solid regional weekend, highlighted by his non-stop motor and a fourth-place finish that earned him a state berth.
“I’m definitely happy,’ Shannon said. “To go from a losing record to states, it’s pretty exciting.
“I have to think it was all the work I did over the summer and all the time I spent working with our coaches.
“This year I felt more confident, and I tried to set the pace in all of my matches. There’s no sense in letting the other guy score first.’
If Shannon going from losing record to states was shocking, consider Wissahickon’s Josh Trunk’s road.
The Trojans senior did not wrestle a varsity match until this year.
Joining the team late in the year with his only experience coming from his time spent with the Greater Norristown youth club as a youngster, Trunk earned a state berth, sticking Pennsbury’s Luke Kowal in the 160-pound fifth-place match to become Wissahickon’s first state qualifier since 2004.
“My expectations were high,’ Trunk said. “I’ve been working so hard in practice this week, staying late and doing everything I could.’
When push came to shove, and trailing in the second period, Trunk went to the headlock for the match-clincher.
“That’s my back-pocket move,’ Trunk said with a smile. “I go to that when I need it.’
BACK POINTS: Former Spring-Ford wrestlers Matt Moley and Jason Shivak were among the eight inductees into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame in ceremonies prior to the finals. Shivak, a three-time sectional and district champion and two-time regional champ, was the state runner-up in 2001 and added 103 more wins and was a two-time All-American while wrestling at Delaware Valley College. Moley was a four-time sectional champ, a two-time district champ and earned three state place medals.
Class AAA Southeast Regional
Top 5 finishers qualify for states
Team scores: 1. Boyertown 112; 2. Pennridge 103; 3. Spring-Ford 101; 4. Owen J. Roberts 98; 5. Council Rock South 84.5; 6. Downingtown East 51; 7. Council Rock North 48; 7. (tie) Coatesville 48; 9. Quakertown 46; 10. Sun Valley 45; 11. Garnet Valley 44.5; 12. Upper Darby 41; 13. Bayard Rustin 37; 14. North Penn 36; 15. Upper Perkiomen 33; 16. Neshaminy 26; 17. Pennsbury 25; 18. Central Bucks East 23.5; 19. Harry S. Truman 23. 20. Norristown 21; 20. (tie) Pottstown 21; 22. Radnor 20; 22. (tie) Central Bucks West 20; 24. Upper Moreland 19; 25. Penncrest 18.5; 26. West Chester Henderson 18; 27. Interboro 16; 28. Avon Grove 15; 29. Methacton 14; 30. Upper Dublin 13; 31. Souderton 12; 32. Wissahickon 9; 33. Haverford 7; 33. (tie) Ridley 7; 35. Phoenixville 6; 36. Bensalem 3; 36. (tie) Central Bucks South 3; 36. (tie) Conestoga 3; 39. Plymouth Whitemarsh 2; 40. Unionville 1; 40. (tie) West Chester East 1; 42. Abington 0; 42. (tie) Cheltenham 0; 42. (tie) Chichester 0; 42. (tie) Downingtown West 0; 42. (tie) Glen Mills 0; 42. (tie) Great Valley); 42. (tie) Hatboro-Horsham 0; 42. (tie) Kennett 0; 42. (tie) Marple-Newtown 0; 42. (tie) Perkiomen Valley 0; 42. (tie) Pottsgrove 0; 42. (tie) Penn Wood 0; 42. (tie) Strath Haven 0.
Championship finals
106: Matt Parker (PR) dec. Aidan Burke (CRN), 3-0; 113: Dustin Steffenino (UP) dec. Kordell Rush, 2-0; 120: Derek Gulotta (OJR) dec. Ryan Hayes (S-F), 8-4; 126: Wade Cummings (DE) dec. Zack Trampe (CRS), 3-2; 132: Colin Cronin (UDa) maj. dec. Joshua Stillings (PR), 13-2; 138: Demetri D’Orseano (OJR) dec. Eric Thomas (I), 7-2; 145: Riley Barth (CBW) dec. Dominick Petrucelli (OJR), 5-3; 152: Dylan Schwartz (CRS) dec. James Meyer (DE), 2-1 (tiebreaker); 160: Josh Shalinsky (CRN) dec. Alex Elliott (SV), 5-2; 170: Kyle Gentile (PR) dec. Tom Meyers (R), 7-0; 182: Evan Wilson (CBE) dec. Gregg Harvey (Bo), 5-2; 195: Xavier Ferrizzi (OJR) dec. Ben Kenis (CRS), 3-2; 220: Jordan Wood (Bo) inj. def. Joshua Yeboah-Gyasi (UDa), 2:59; 285: Tommy Killoran (Bo) dec. Bruce Graeber (Ne), 4-3.
Consolation finals
106: Jakob Campbell (Bo) dec. Brett Kaliner (BR), 5-1; 113: Harrison Campbell (Q) dec. Ben Radner (CRS), 3-0; 120: Matt Marino (GaV) pinned Dylan Nuttall (HST), 2:07; 126: Lucas Miller (Bo) dec. Nick Puliti (GaV), 4-0; 132: Bryce Reddington (M) dec. Colin Devlin (UDu), 7-5; 138: Bryant Wise (Po) dec. Eric Miller (UP), 3-1; 145: Chase Stephens (Coa) pinned Colin Shannon (NP), 1:49; 152: Zach Dellicompagni (Coa) dec. Jon Cooper (S-F), 1-0; 160: Frankie Krauss (S-F) dec. Dom DeLaurentis (UMo), 10-3; 170: Steve Okoorian (SV) pinned Steve Rice (S-F), :36; 182: Joe Pyfer (PC) maj. dec. Phillip Stolfi (S), 16-4; 195: Wesley McGuire (Coa) dec. Brendan Zimmie (S-F), 7-5; 220: Ezra Outlaw (PR) dec. Billy McGinley (DE), 3-1; 285: Zachary Dorsey (S-F) dec. Shaheed Hill (No), 1-0.
Fifth-place bouts
106: Antonio Martoccio (PB) dec. Vince Tavani (H), 7-2; 113: Ryan Resnick (OJR) dec. David Campbell (Bo), 3-2 (tiebreaker); 120: Micah Visuwan (PR) dec. Kevin Edwards (AG), 3-1; 126: Sofiane Bensmail (NP) dec. Daniel Labus (BR), 7-6; 132: Sean Donohue (SV) dec. Joey Wilson (WCH), 3-2; 138: Matt Krieble (S-F) won by disqualification over Mikey O’Brien (NP), 1:45; 145: Dustin Stone (HST) pinned Hunter Vogels (Bo), 4:30; 152: Pat Rowe (GaV) dec. Dominic Stabilito (Ne), 11-5; 160: Josh Trunk (W) pinned Luke Kowal (PB), 2:56; 170: Joe Doyle (CRS) dec. Nick Bonomo (Q), 7-0; 182: Costas Hatzipavlides (BR) dec. Lawrence Alkins (R), 3-2; 195: Gavin Caroff (Q) dec. Patrick Walker (UMo), 6-3; 220: Isaiah Samuel (No) dec. Micah Jones (Q), 14-8; 285: James McDonald (WCH) dec. Joe Kracz (PR), 4-2 (OT).
Outstanding Wrestler: Evan Wilson, CB East
