UPPER DUBLIN >> Upper Darby moved one step closer to the PIAA AAA State Wrestling Tournament Friday night. The Royals, seeded fourth in District One Duals, went 1-1 at Upper Dublin High School, defeating No. 12 West Chester Rustin 35-30 before falling to No. 1 Boyertown 68-9.
As anticlimactic as the match-up with the Bears proved to be, the battle against the Knights produced theater of the highest drama.
Upper Darby’s Max Livingston cradles up West Chester Rustin’s Collin Hurley for the winning pin at 152 pounds Friday night as the Royals edged the Golden Knights in a district duals quarterfinal round match. (Digital First Media/Nate Heckenberger)
Like last week against West Chester East, the Royals started slowly. Rustin won four of the first five matches to take a 18-6 lead. The lone early contribution for Upper Darby came from a reliable source. Brian Kennerly, at 195 pounds, got the Royals on the board with a pin of Nick Harris in 37 seconds.
“When things start breaking down, guys start disbelieving. You just have to stay in the match,” said Kennerly, who pushed his season record to 28-3 by later beating Boyertown’s Brody O’Connell, 9-5. “You can’t just tell everyone to go out there and score points. You have to lead out there and show that you’ll score points so they can follow you.”
His method worked. By the time the match reached the 138-pound weight class, Upper Darby had narrowed the gap to 30-21.
At that point, with three bouts to go, Royals head coach Bob Martin needed to make a decision. He knew he had stalwarts Colin Cronin, who typically wrestles at 138, and Max Livingston, a 152-pounder, in tow. What he didn’t know was how Simranjeet Singh would handle Daniel Labus at 145. A loss of any kind would have sent the Royals to the consolation bracket. So Martin gambled. Singh and Cronin switched weight classes.
“That was real tough for (Singh). He knew he had to go out there and win,” Livingston said. “Sim really showed himself tonight.”
Singh delivered a 7-1 decision that included a near fall. And after Cronin took care of Labus 17-2 to bring Upper Darby within one, the stage was set for Livingston, who had been anxiously waiting all night.
Anthony Logiurato of Upper Darby, top, works on Rustin’s Jeffrey Ficther in a 14-7 win at 106 pounds Friday. (Digital First Media/Nate Heckenberger)
“I’m not a fan of it,” Livingston said of having the last bout. “If it’s there, I’m going to carry my team with it and do whatever I can to help my team win. My guys fought hard for me.”
Martin echoed his junior’s sentiment a little more bluntly.
“Max doesn’t like to be the last one wrestling,” he said.
Livingston, displeased, decided to end things early. He pinned Collin Hurley in 36 seconds.
“He really extended himself when I took a double and took him down,” Livingston said. “He left himself open and that’s when I took it.”
“It” would be a cradle, a move Livingston calls his own. Martin suggested that when “Max gets you in a cradle, you don’t get out.”
Livingston yelled as the bout ended. His forearms pulsed. At the same time, Martin jumped off his chair and let out a shout reminiscent of fellow wrestling icon, Ric Flair.
“I tell ya, it was exciting. And that’s what makes the sport so good,” Martin said. “When I lose that, then that’s when I leave.”
It was a far cry from how he felt last Thursday.
“My twin brother called me on Friday: ‘Are you in the hospital?’” recalled Martin. “Am I in the hospital? What are you talking about?”
“I’ve coached for 35 years. I’ve missed three matches in 35 years,” he continued. “I missed three last week. I was going to do nothing but make them sick (by showing up).”
Martin was all smiles after the Rustin win. His Royals (20-3) bought themselves a shot at a trip to Hershey — one more victory clinches a spot in the state playoffs.
Of course, they were always going to struggle to get it against Boyertown, a team that remains undefeated at 18-0.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out we were going to need some miracles,” Martin said. “But a loss is only a loss if you don’t learn from it. Hopefully, we’ve got some kids who learned from their mistakes.”
Kennerly and Cronin were the only two Upper Darby wrestlers to score points against the Bears. Cronin pinned Christian Fox in 1:30.
The Royals will head back to Upper Dublin Saturday afternoon to take on No. 6 Pennridge in the consolation semis. The top four teams in the district advance to states. Martin’s presence could make the difference for Upper Darby.
“Last week we were a little less disciplined, a little more laid back,” Kennerly said. “This week we knew the stakes. We want to go to states as a team. Coach Martin there inspires us and pushes us.”
In the Inter-Ac League:
Haverford School 54, Episcopal Academy 18 >> The Fords scored three first-period pins and took advantage of five forfeits to roll past the Churchmen.
Richard Souders had the fastest pin with a 48-second win at 195 pounds. Michael Clymer (126) dropped his man in 1:15 and Chris Hervada (163) needed 1:37 to win by fall.
Dallas Taylor had a pin at 285 to lead Episcopal. Sam Stickley (132) also won by fall for the Churchmen.
