FRANCONIA — The regional tournament isn’t supposed to be a cozy place for freshmen, but after day one, three of the four local first-timers are one win away from Chocolatetown.
Fifteen locals reached the semifinals of the Class AAA Southeast Regional tournament at Souderton High, Friday, with freshmen Lukas Richie (106 pounds) of Downingtown East, Oxford’s Brandon Sheffield (120) and West Chester East’s Andrew DiBernardo (152) highlighting the night.
Action picks up at 9:30 a.m. with the first round of consolations, followed by the semifinals. Finals are slated for 6 p.m., with the top four finishers advancing to the PIAA tournament in Hershey.
Richie landed in the semis with some flair, decking the favorite in the weight, Boyertown’s Matt Wilde, in the third period. Richie led early after a takedown, but with the match tied, he lured the junior in and took him to his back to set up a meeting with Souderton freshman Tyler Williams.
“I knew he was getting tired,” said Richie. “He got in on a leg and I kind of made it seem like I was giving it up and I turned against him and got him on his back and stuck him.”
Richie set the tone for the Cougars, who have four in the semis and are sitting in fourth place in the team standings.
Downingtown East’s James Strommer won his 100th career bout, Friday. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
East’s James Strommer (113) followed his teammate up on the same mat and got a 3-1 win over Souderton’s Harrison Andrade to win his 100th career bout as a three-year starter.
“It’s been a goal of mine all season,” said Strommer, who will face Pennridge’s Matt Parker in semis. “Now I can check it off my list and get after it (today) and try to get a spot to Hershey.”
Sheffield was next to put himself in position to win one of the next two matches to move on. Sheffield hushed the home crowd with a five-point move early in the first and coasted to a 5-1 decision over Souderton’s Brandon Bach. The Oxford frosh will get Spring-Ford’s Hunter Mitch.
DiBernardo came from behind in both his matches, pinning Interboro’s Jeff Finley in the preliminary round and then using two sets of near-fall points in the third period to sneak by Upper Perkiomen senior Mike Lockhoff.
“At the beginning of the year I would have to say I didn’t think I’d even make it to regionals,” DiBernardo said. “I thought I could make it to districts but that was about it. I think this shows heavier freshmen, 145 or 152 and up, can do it.”
Conestoga, Oxford and West Chester Rustin followed Downingtown East with two semifinalists, each.
Kade LaMarre of Conestoga used a second-period fall to set up a matchup with Rustin’s Isaiah Spriggs in the 220-pound bracket, now devoid of Boyertown’s state champ, Jordan Wood, who’s out with an injury.
Conestoga’s Dan Iredale moved to the semifinals with a 9-3 win over Souderton’s Thomas Michaels. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
Conestoga’s Dan Iredale will also have a local foe in the semis in Oxford’s David Cox. Iredale eased by
Souderton’s Thomas Michaels, 9-3, while Cox overcame Council Rock North’s Luke Ely, 6-1.
Downingtown East’s Alec Horne is in the other semi at 160, facing Pennridge’s Josh Stillings. Wade Cummings (126) is the fourth semifinalist for the Cougars and will take on Council Rock South’s Cary Palmer.
Costas Hatzipavlides (182) was a 6-3 winner over Quakertown’s Nick Bonomo and he’ll get Boyertown’s Gregg Harvey next.
West Chester Henderson’s Kyle Medrow (132) blanked Pennridge’s Evan Widing, 6-0 and faces North Penn’s Ryan Vulakh next, while Coatesville’s Chase Stephens (152) was a 9-6 winner over North Penn’s Colin Shannon to set up a bout with Quakertown’s Tanner Seislove.
Downingtown West’s Cole Zapf (170) topped Pottstown’s Isaiah Mayes, 6-1, and has Spring-Ford’s Steve Rice today, while Avon Grove’s Vince Walls (285) pinned Ridley’s John Sheldon in the first to get to Boyertown’s Tommy Killoran.
Team Standings
1. Boyertown, 44; 1. Council Rock South, 44; 3. Owen J. Roberts 38; 4. Downingtown East, 33.5; 5. Pennridge, 33; 6. Upper Darby, 19; 7. Spring-Ford, 18; 8. Quakertown, 16; 9. North Penn, 15; 9. West Chester East, 15; 11. Conestoga, 14; 14. West Chester Rustin, 12; 17. Oxford, 10; 18. Avon Grove, 9; 18. West Chester Henderson, 9; 23. Downingtown West, 7; 26. Coatesville, 5; 28. Octorara, 4; 31. Unionville, 3.5
Quarterfinal Results
106- Meredith (Spring-Ford) dec. D. Zapf (Downingtown West), 5-1; L. Resnick (Owen J. Roberts) maj. dec. Stahl (Quakertown), 11-0; Richie (Downingtown East) pinned Wilde (Boyertown), 5:21; Williams (Souderton) dec. Kuhn (Upper Perk), 7-1
113- J. Campbell (Boyertown) dec. Calderaio (C. B. South), 7-1; Burke (Council Rock North) dec. Reid (Henderson), 4-1; Strommer (Downingtown East) dec. Andrade (Souderton), 3-1; Parker (Pennridge) tech. fall Babauta (Octorara), 5:35
120- Marino (Garnet Valley) dec. Fuss (Harry S. Truman), 10-4; D. Campbell (Boyertown) won by inj. def. Taylor (Unionville), 1:24; Sheffield (Oxford) dec. Bach (Souderton), 5-1; Mitch (Spring-Ford) dec. Erb (Neshaminy), 6-2
126- Cummings (Downingtown East) pinned Starkey (Lower Merion), 1:33; C. Palmer (Council Rock South) dec. Mancini (Owen J. Roberts), 3-1; Miller (Boyertown) dec. Hankin (W. C. East), 4-3; Rush (Pennridge) dec. Frantz (Strath Haven), 10-4
132- Trampe (Council Rock South) maj. dec. Henry (Methacton), 14-6; R. Resnick (Owen J. Roberts) dec. Fuentes (Norristown), 3-2; Vulakh (North Penn) dec. Mauger (Boyertown), 6-1; Medrow (Henderson) dec. Widing (Pennridge), 6-0
138- R. Palmer (Council Rock South) dec. L. Pennypacker (Pottstown), 7-3; Cooley (Boyertown) pinned Zimmerman (Downingtown East), :46; Charles (Penn Wood) dec. Devlin (Upper Dublin), 4-2 ; Cronin (Upper Darby) pinned Murta (Downingtown West), 1:35
145- Reddington (Methacton) dec. Stone (Harry S. Truman), 3-2; Martoccio (Council Rock South) pinned Folk (Upper Perk), 3:54; Thomas (Interboro) dec. Edwards (Avon Grove), 9-4; Wise (Pottstown) dec. O’Brien (North Penn), 9-5
152- Schwartz (Council Rock South) maj. dec. Livingston (Upper Darby), 12-4; DiBernardo (W. C. East) dec. Lockhoff (Upper Perk), 7-4; Stephens (Coatesville) dec. Shannon (North Penn), 9-6; Seislove (Quakertown) dec. Vogels (Boyertown), 5-4
160- Stillings (Pennridge) tech. fall Marion (Methacton), 4:18; Horne (Downingtown East) dec. Felix (Upper Perk), 5-3; Cox (Oxford) dec. Ely (Council Rock North), 6-1; Iredale (Conestoga) dec. Michaels (Souderton), 9-3
170- Shalinsky (Council Rock North) dec. Frank (Penncrest), 6-4; Jones (Boyertown) dec. Subach (W. C. East), 3-0; C. Zapf (Downingtown West) dec. Mayes (Pottstown), 6-1; Rice (Spring-Ford) maj. dec. Blanchard (Pennridge), 13-3
182- Gentile (Pennridge) pinned Peck (Avon Grove), 3:01; Duliakas (Owen J. Roberts) tech. fall Czajkowski (Downingtown East), 5:34; Hatzipavlides (Rustin) dec. Bonomo (Quakertown), 6-3; Harvey (Boyertown) maj. dec. Gettman (Council Rock South), 10-2
195- Doyle (Council Rock South) pinned O’Connell (Boyertown), 1:37; Ferrizzi (Owen J. Roberts) pinned Gassenmeyer (W. C. East), 2:39; Kennerly (Upper Darby) dec. Reinhold (Pennridge), 9-7; Walker (Upper Moreland) dec. Brower (Upper Perk), 5-2
220- Caroff (Quakertown) dec. Williams (Radnor), 5-1; Modugno (Upper Perk) dec. Morris (Downingtown East), 5-3; LaMarre (Conestoga) pinned Speer (Bensalem), 3:54; Spriggs (Rustin) pinned Mea (Interboro), 3:22
285- Graeber (Neshaminy) pinned Karas (Conestoga), :35; Augustin (Upper Darby) dec. Williams (Plymouth Whitemarsh), 5-4; V. Walls (Avon Grove) pinned Sheldon (Ridley), :42; Killoran (Boyertown) pinned Anderson (Council Rock South), 1:28
