For some, the regional tournament is one final opportunity to validate a career or help cement a legacy.
For others, it’s a springboard for a promising career.
Wherever the 50 area wrestlers are coming from this weekend, the Class AAA Southeast Regional will test them, try to break them and make them earn every last inch of a trip to Hershey.
The two-day tournament begins Friday at Souderton High, with the preliminary round at 5:30 p.m., and the quarterfinals to follow. Saturday’s action starts at 9:30 a.m. with the first round of consolations, followed by the semifinals and the finals will begin at 6 p.m.
Three Church Farm wrestlers will compete in the Class AA Southeast Regional at Wilson (West Lawn), also beginning at 5:15 p.m.
There are storylines all over the brackets, which will send the top four to the PIAA tournament the following week.
There is the shot at redemption for Conestoga senior, Dan Iredale (160), who, like last year, enters undefeated and hopes to redeem a 1-2 performance last winter.
There are the seniors like West Chester East’s Noah Hankin (126) and West Chester Henderson’s Kyle Medrow (132) who have been so close multiple years.
There is Downingtown East’s Wade Cummings (126), who is looking to win his second regional title and reach states for a third time and Coatesville’s Chase Stephens (152) who hopes to head back to Hershey and earn his first medal.
There are the first-timers like West Chester East’s Andrew DiBernardo (152) and Oxford’s Brandon Sheffield (120).
And, there is Oxford junior David Cox (160), who missed his first two postseasons due to injury and Downingtown East’s James Strommer (113), who won districts a year ago but missed regionals with a concussion.
Strommer has 99 career wins and hopes he’ll add a few more to end his career at the Giant Center.
“I’m looking forward to getting my 100th win at regionals, hopefully,” said Strommer after districts. “I want to qualify for states just like everyone else.”
A look at each weight:
106
Downingtown West’s Doug Zapf is the top seed as one of only two returning regional qualifiers. He’ll likely get the other in the quarterfinals in Spring-Ford’s Brandon Meredith. A win there could setup a semifinal with Owen J. Roberts’ Luke Resnick, who is Octorara’s Seth Hoopes’ first opponent. Zapf was a 4-3 winner over Meredith early last season, but that’s ancient history at this point. A win would make Zapf’s path a lot easier. On the bottom half of the bracket, Downingtown East’s Lukas Richie has a winnable prelim to get to Boyertown’s Matt Wilde, who owns a 5-1 win over Richie this year. Wilde has beaten Meredith three of four times this year and Resnick twice, all within two points each bout. The PAC-10 trio appears to lead the way but there are no absolute hammers in the weight. The depth from the East is a bit of an unknown yet, also, with Souderton’s Tyler Williams setting the pace as the No. 2 seed.
113
Boyertown’s Jakob Campbell, Council Rock North’s Aidan Burke and Pennridge’s Matt Parker finished third, fourth and fifth in the state at 106 last year, respectively, and seemingly have three of the four spots to states booked already. The fight for fourth will be filled with a solid group of second-tier guys, including Strommer and Henderson’s Jacob Reid. Strommer will face either Souderton’s Harrison Andrade or Upper Darby’s Jacob Mejias in quarters, and Strommer has beaten both this year. Next up would likely be Parker. Reid has a winnable prelim to get to Burke. If Strommer makes semis and Reid makes quarters, there is a very distinct chance the two could meet in the consolation semis with a trip to states on the line. It would be a fitting end to a rivalry that’s had eight meetings. Strommer has won six, and all eight were decisions.
120
Sheffield picked the right time to finally beat West Chester Rustin’s Brett Kaliner, last week in the district semis. As a result, Sheffield is the No. 3 seed and will likely get Souderton’s Brandon Bach in quarters, which would be tough but winnable. Spring-Ford’s surprise district champ, Hunter Mitch, is also on Sheffield’s side, so if the freshman is on his game, he has a much better path to the finals than Kaliner. Mitch is good at slowing down a match and upset Garnet Valley’s Matt Marino last week, setting up a brutal prelim matchup of Kaliner and Marino. The winner gets Harry S. Truman freshman, Gunnar Fuss. Also on the top half of the bracket are Unionville’s Jake Taylor and Boyertown’s David Campbell. This bracket is wide open and hard to predict, but at least one and maybe even three locals could punch tickets to Hershey.
Downingtown East’s Wade Cummings is looking for his second regional title and third trip to states. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
126
There are three former state medalists here, but Cummings is the one to beat. He is the No. 1 seed and will get a fight in the semis by either star freshman Dan Mancini from OJR or an improving junior from Council Rock South, Cary Palmer. Hankin is on the lower half and winning his prelim would pit him against Boyertown’s Lucas Miller, a returning fifth-place medalist. Kennett’s Drew Massetti has a favorable prelim to get to Pennridge’s Kordell Rush, a fourth-place finisher in 2014. Losses by Hankin and Massetti could eventually get them a consi matchup, and a win there would setup a blood round bout versus the loser of Cummings’ semi. Hankin will have to hope his third trip to regionals gives him an edge in experience when everything is on the line.
132
Council Rock South’s Zack Trampe is the clear favorite here since Cummings, who is 3-1 against him, dropped for the postseason. OJR’s Ryan Resnick is picked to face Trampe in the semis, and the loser there will have a tough consi semi to advance. On the lower half, Henderson’s Kyle Medrow is the No. 2 seed. He will get either Garnet Valley’s Nick Puliti, who Medrow beat earlier this year, or Pennridge freshman Evan Widing. A win there would be huge, because even if Medrow would lose to Boyertown senior Garrett Mauger or North Penn freshman Ryan Vulakh in the semis, he would land on the more-favorable side of consis.
138
One of the highly-anticipated finals could happen here between Council Rock South’s Riley Palmer and Upper Darby’s undefeated Colin Cronin. Barring an upset, the race for the final two spots will be compelling. Downingtown East’s Nik Zimmerman is on the top half with Palmer and should get to the quarters to face Boyertown’s J. T. Cooley, who is talented but has been banged up. A win there sets him up for a good shot to win one of the next two to make states. A loss and he’d likely have to get through Upper Dublin’s Colin Devlin, who pinned Zimmerman in the district finals last week.
145
Avon Grove’s Kevin Edwards is stuck in a very tough 145-pound weight class. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
If any of the three locals — Avon Grove’s Kevin Edwards, Rustin’s Dan Labus and Coatesville’s Colin McBride — are to get out from this bracket, they will have earned it. Labus gets a very tough draw on the top half with Council Rock South’s Lucas Martoccio in the prelim. Also on Labus’ side are returning state qualifiers Dustin Stone from Truman and Bryce Reddington from Methacton. Edwards is the No. 3 seed but will probably get another state qualifier, Eric Thomas of Interboro, in quarters. McBride has to get by North Penn’s Mikey O’Brien just to get to two-time state qualifier Bryant Wise of Pottstown. All three locals have strong pin moves, and they might need them in such an experienced bracket.
152
Coatesville’s Chase Stephens has breezed through the postseason to this point but his road to Hershey doesn’t appear as light. In quarters, he should see North Penn’s Colin Shannon, who Stephens beat twice last postseason. A win there could set up a semi with Boyertown junior Hunter Vogels. Many expect Council Rock South’s Dylan Schwartz, a regional champ last season, to make the finals from the top half. It’s a very challenging, yet winnable bracket for Stephens. West Chester East’s Andrew DiBernardo is on Schwartz’s side and has a favorable prelim to get to Upper Perkiomen’s Mike Lockhoff, which isn’t the worst matchup for the East freshman. Downingtown East senior Jude McDowell has a tough prelim against Upper Darby’s Max Livingston, with Schwartz on deck.
160
Iredale and Cox are set for a meeting in the semis if they can win their quarters as the No.2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively. Iredale awaits the winner between Souderton’s Thomas Michaels and Octorara’s Scott Burridge. Cox should get Council Rock North’s Luke Ely. If any of the locals can get to the finals, most figure it’ll be Pennridge’s Josh Stillings from the top half. West Chester East’s Justin Cooper has had a good postseason and needs to win his prelim to face Stillings, and Downingtown East’s Alec Horne is up top, too. Horne can win his first bout to get to Upper Perk’s Michael Felix, who Horne beat this season. This could be a good weight for the locals, but they will have to prove they can win the tight matches on the big stage.
170
Council Rock North’s Josh Shalinsky and Spring-Ford’s Steve Rice are the top two seeds and the picks to make the finals. Shalinsky should get a tough quarter with Penncrest’s Liam Frank. West Chester East’s Caleb Subach is also up top and hopes to see Boyertown sophomore Elijah Jones in quarters. Downingtown West’s Cole Zapf is the No. 3 seed, on Rice’s side. Zapf would get a good test from Quakertown’s Noah Wood in quarters. If he gets past Wood, but can’t beat Rice, Zapf will probably have to beat either Frank or Shalinsky to move on.
182
Pennridge’s Kyle Gentile, a fifth-place medalist last year, and Boyertown’s Gregg Harvey, sixth, are the top two seeds. Rustin’s Costas Hatzipavlides is No. 3 will have to get through a tough Nick Bonomo from Quakertown to reach Harvey, who he lost to, 1-0, early in the season. A loss there could set up a local consi semi. Coatesville’s Sean McBride is on Harvey’s side and has a tough prelim with Council Rock South’s Tyler Gettman. Downingtown East’s Brent Czajkowski’s prelim is more manageable, but OJR’s Nick Duliakas would be a tough go in quarters, on Gentile’s side. There’s a chance Czajkowski and McBride could meet again for the right to face the loser of Hatzipavlides-Harvey.
195
It’ll be a tough task for any of the locals to escape at this weight. Council Rock South’s Joe Doyle is the favorite, and West Chester East’s Erik Gassenmeyer and Avon Grove’s Josh Walls are on his side. OJR’s Xavier Ferrizzi should be Gassenmeyer’s opponent in quarters, and if Ferrizzi is any healthier he will be tough for anyone in the bracket. The bottom half is led by Upper Darby’s Brian Kennerly, but Upper Moreland’s Patrick Walker is sneaky good and Pennridge’s Andrew Reinhold, Downingtown East’s Josh Wileczek’s first opponent, is a tough veteran.
West Chester Rustin’s Isaiah Spriggs is gunning for his first trip to Hershey at 220 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – Digital First Media)
220
Huge news out of District 1, and statewide, was Boyertown’s returning state champ Jordan Wood is out with an injury he sustained in last week’s district final against Conestoga’s Kade LaMarre. He was a lock to win this weight and now things are wide open. Quakertown’s Gavin Caroff takes his spot as the top seed and favorite to win, but the locals were big benefactors of the unfortunate injury. Rustin’s Isaiah Spriggs moves to the No. 2 seed with LaMarre at No. 3 on the same side. Spriggs may get Interboro’s Danny Mea, who’s a pin threat. Coatesville’s Jordan Wise and Bensalem’s Jasin Speer are in the prelim to get to LaMarre. Downingtown East’s Owen Morris is up top with Caroff. At least one local should advance.
285
Unlike some years, there is plenty of offense in this group. Top-seeded Bruce Graeber of Neshaminy and No. 2 Tommy Killoran of Boyertown took fifth and sixth in the state last year, respectively. Upper Darby’s Peter Augustin is also very talented, up top with Graeber, who awaits the winner between Downingtown West’s Chad Giles and Conestoga’s Michael Karas. Avon Grove’s Vince Walls is the No. 3 seed on Killoran’s side and he should get to semis, setting him up with a manageable path to Hershey.
