FRANCONIA >> Needed: New catchy nickname for Boyertown’s contingent going to the state wrestling tournament.
Spring-Ford’s Hunter Mitch celebrates after beatin Garnet Valley’s Matt Marino, 3-2, in the 120-pound final. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
The “Fab Five” of the 2014-15 post-season was good in its time, but this year it has been supplanted by an even bigger pack of Bears coming out of the weekend’s Southeast AAA Regional tournament. Boyertown had nine grapplers qualify for a trip to Hershey this coming week, all of whom were instrumental in claiming a third straight team championship from two days of action at Souderton.
Inspired in no small measure by Tommy Killoran’s individual title at 285, the 13-man Bear crew amassed 151.5 points to distance itself from second-place Council Rock South (122), third-place Pennridge (100) and the other 45 teams in attendance. Just like the number of district qualifiers was a record, so too were the nine state-bound Bears new standards for both the program and the district.
“Our team as a whole is so great,” Killoran said after winning his weight class with a third-period pin of Neshaminy’s Bruce Graeber … the capper to a pin-fest that earned him the tourney’s Outstanding Wrestler award. The Boyertown senior (39-7) had previously pinned Council Rock South’s John Anderson and Avon Grove’s Vincent Walls before his decisive drop of Graeber (34-2), who had bested Killoran when they wrestled for fifth place at the 2015 PIAA Championships.
“I just went out and wrestled as hard as I could,” he said. “I wanted to be more aggressive, going hard and for the win.”
Their regional rematch — Killoran edged Graeber 4-3 in last year’s tournament at Oxford — saw the rivals go 1-1 through the first two periods. But 33 seconds into the third, Killoran threw Graeber to his back near the edge of the outer circle, then got the slap for a victory that got the Boyertown wrestlers and crowd erupting with joy.
“It was a double-arm, with a hip in,” he said of the winning move. “The opportunity was there, and I took it.”
Killoran ended up Boyertown’s lone individual champion. But the runner-up showings of Jakob Campbell (113), Lucas Miller (126) and Gregg Harvey (182) meshed with thirds by Matt Wilde (106), Garrett Mauger (132) and Elijah Jones (170) to lead the Bears’ charge toward a regional “threepeat.”
“We’ll enjoy it tonight,” head coach Pete Ventresca said, “but then we’ll start working tomorrow to get ready for states. We don’t have a lot of time.”
David Campbell (120) and J.T. Cooley (138) added fourths to complete the “nine.” Brody O’Connell followed with a sixth at 195, falling short of a top-four finish that established state qualification.
Methacton’s Bryce Reddington scores the winning takedown in overtime of the 145-pound final against Pottstown’s Bryant Wise. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
Spring-Ford ended up the only other Pioneer Athletic Conference member to have multiple state qualifiers. The Rams, fifth in the team standings with 68 points, had two regional champs in Brandon Meredith (106) and Hunter Mitch (120), with Steve Rice second at 170.
“I feel bad Steve didn’t get a regional title,” head coach Tim Seislove said. “He’s a great kid and a hard worker. Now we’ll go to Hershey and see what we can do.”
Meredith (34-7) swept through his bracket, the finishing touch a 7-1 decision of Souderton freshman Tyler Williams. The run took the sting out of a third-place showing at the District 1-AAA West tourney, where a 3-2 loss to Wilde dropped the Ram sophomore out of gold-medal contention.
“That left a bitter taste in my mouth,” he said. “I wanted to avenge the loss, but I knew I had to get into my offense.”
Mitch (35-7) maintained the roll he had going at districts, one that saw him answer a loss to David Campbell at the PAC-10 tourney with an OW performance on his home mat last weekend. He edged Garnet Valley freshman Garner Fuss by a 3-2 count to secure his first berth at states.
“I felt real great,” he said. “I went out in the right frame of mind.”
An all-PAC final at 145 saw Pottstown’s Bryant Wise and Methacton’s Bryce Reddington — their teams’ lone regional advancers — trade escapes in the second and third periods, respectively. Going into overtime, Reddington (28-4) scored a takedown with 10 seconds left,
“I lost to him in the finals at league,” Reddington recalled. “I know his strengths. In the regional final, I didn’t want to give up anything.”
Owen J. Roberts and Upper Perkiomen each had one wrestler qualify for states. Xavier Ferrizzi (13-3) established that for the Wildcats with a 7-0 decision of Upper Moreland’s Patrick Walker in the 195 third-place bout, and the Indians’ Mike Modugno (32-12) had a similar finish at 220 after scoring a 3-1 decision of West Chester Rustin’s Isaiah Spriggs,
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Matt Krieble saw his scholastic wrestling career end in the fifth-place round of the regional … but not before reaching a significant milestone.
The Spring-Ford senior reached the 100-win plateau Saturday morning, in the second round of consolations at 138. Krieble scored a 3-1 decision on Pottstown’s Logan Pennypacker to become his program’s 16th triple-digit winner.
“This year I saw it being a possibility,” Krieble said afterward. “I was out at the beginning of the season, and I knew it would take work to get there. Getting it at the regional … it’s a great feeling.”
Krieble (26-11) saw his hopes for state qualification ended in the consolation semifinal round by a 3-1 loss to Penn Wood’s Abraham Charles. But he came away with a fifth-place medal after scoring a 7-5 decision on Coatesville’s Brent Windle.
NOTES >> Area wrestlers winning fifth-place medals were Owen J’s Luke Resnick (106) and Nick Duliakas (182). … Prior to the medal round, the Southeast Regional Wrestling Hall of Fame honored its 2016 class. Added to the Hall were Thomas Corey (Upper Merion Class of ‘65), Michael J. Darcy (North Penn Class of ‘72), Daniel Geib (Pennridge Class of ‘04), Bruce Kennett (Haverford High Class of ‘69), Michael B. Ortman (Abington Class of ‘68), Mark Rappo (Council Rock Class of ‘08), Douglas Weidner (Pennridge Class of ‘04) and Timothy West (Upper Moreland Class of ‘67). … It was also announced the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will induct Joe Stabilito, a coach at various levels for more than 40 years, at its 216 induction banquet April 24 in Hershey. … The Southeast Pa. Officials Association presented its annual Outstanding Sportsmanship Award to Wayne Cummings of Downingtown East. … Pete Ventresca was named recipient of the District One Outstanding Coach Award, presented by the district coaches’ association.
