SOUDERTON >> Prior to this weekend’s Southeast AAA Wrestling Regional Championships, Penn Wood coach Dan Madonna and his 138-pounder Abraham Charles watched the preview show on PA-Wrestling.com. The website was unfamiliar with Charles and unkind. It predicted the senior, who finished second at last week’s District One East Tournament, would go two-and-out at Souderton High School.
“They just looked at him and said he hasn’t wrestled anybody, there’s no competition,” recalled Madonna. “They just assumed because he’s from Penn Wood he wouldn’t do anything.”
Instead, Charles went on a sterling run that culminated in a third-place finish in a difficult weight class.
“I was happy just to be here,” said Charles. “I came out and my coaches inspired me.”
His weekend started off with back-to-back impressive wins. Charles defeated Spring-Ford’s Matt Kriegle 10-3 in the first round then followed that victory with a 4-2 decision over Upper Dublin’s Colin Devlin, the District 1 Central champ.
Now one win away from a trip to the PIAA State Tournament in Hershey, Charles was pinned by Upper Darby’s Colin Cronin in 1:07 in the semifinal. The loss set up a tricky rematch with Kriegle.
“It was harder the second time,” Charles said. “He came out more aggressive. I just had to wrestle harder. I came out with the victory.”
Charles led 4-3 after two periods against Kriegle then forced his opponent’s hand. Needing two points for a win, Kriegle allowed Charles to escape to make it 5-3. The Patriot survived.
“That’s what he’s been doing the past couple of years,” said Madonna. “He works in practice. He does all the extra stuff.”
The state berth was one of two milestones for Charles on the evening. When Boyertown’s JT Cooley forfeited the third-place match, it gave Charles his 100th career win.
“I’ve been trying all season to get there,” said Charles. “I didn’t know it was going to happen like this, but it happened.”
“Anytime you get 100 wins in this state, it’s a great accomplishment,” added Madonna.
Charles becomes just the second Penn Wood wrestler to reach the century mark after Karon Lucas-Tillery did so two years ago. Charles is also the first Patriot in Hershey since Lucas-Tillery, who finished second in the regional at 195 in 2014.
“(Karon) kept telling me you have to get there. You have to get there,” Charles said. “I didn’t even believe it myself, man. Those people kept telling me and I did it.”
Charles will be joined at states by five other Delco wrestlers (The top four in each weight class qualified).
Upper Darby’s Brian Kennerly got the contingent started in the 195-pound final against Council Rock South’s Joe Doyle. Kennerly earned a place in Hershey thanks to back-to-back decisions over Pennridge’s Andrew Reinhold (9-7) and Upper Moreland’s Patrick Walker (3-1).
Those close calls didn’t bode well for the championship bout with Doyle as Kennerly ran out of steam. Doyle made a move early and ended things at the 1:26 mark with a pin.
It wasn’t the ending Kennerly (39-4) wanted nor expected, but he called the experience a good one.
“I just have to prepare a little better,” he said, “train a little harder.”
Kennerly will look to build on the second-place finish next week at his first state tournament.
“It felt really good,” he said. “It’s just another chance to add onto my season a little bit.”
Kennerly’s Upper Darby teammate Pete Augustin (285) met a similar end in his third-place bout. He was pinned by Avon Grove’s Vincent Walls in 4:19. Augustin never led in the match.
“It’s disappointing getting fourth,” he said. “But I trained so hard to get to states. I can still be happy about that.”
The clinching win came in dramatic fashion. In the consolation semifinal, Augustin was locked in a 1-1 tie with Nick Cooper of Bensalem. Just as the clock was about to expire, Augustin made one final move. He caught Cooper and brought him to the mat to get two points for a 3-1 decision that booked his trip to Hershey.
Cronin joined his Royals teammates on the podium despite suffering his first loss of the season, falling 1-0 to Council Rock South’s Riley Palmer in the 138-pound final, failing to repeat as a regional champ.
Garnet Valley’s Matt Marino and Nick Puliti earned return trips to Hershey after battling through some unenviable starting positions. Marino finished a disappointing third at the districts, which gave him an extra match at the regional. He did well to reach the final, only to lose a narrow 3-2 decision to Hunter Mitch of Spring-Ford.
“I wrestled pretty well,” said Marino. “I just wish I could come out with a different outcome.”
Still, he and Puliti kept a promise alive by finishing second and fourth respectively.
“We made a pact at the beginning of this year that we’d both be back at state and on the podium,” Marino said. “We set our goals and we hope to achieve them.”
Last year Puliti finished third in sections, second in districts and fourth in regions. This season? Second, fourth, fourth.
He lost the fourth-place bout at 132 to Boyertown’s Garrett Mauger, 8-0.
Four other Delco wrestlers placed at Souderton in addition to those who are headed to state: Interboro’s Eric Thomas (6th, 145), Upper Darby’s Max Livingston (5th, 152), Penncrest’s Liam Frank (5th, 170) and Ridley’s Nate Brennan (6th, 182).
***
As a freshman, Archbishop Carroll’s Nick Polous just missed qualifying for the PIAA Class AA wrestling championships.
This time around Polous did not squander the opportunity.
Polous finished fourth at 126 pounds in the Class AA Southeast Regional at Wilson High School to earn a trip to Hershey for the state tournament next week. He was the lone Delco wrestler to make it out of the regional.
Polous dropped a 7-4 decision to Gabe Miller of Pequea Valley in the third-place match Saturday. It was his second loss to Miller. Polous fell to Miller, 8-4, in the quarterfinals, but bounced back with wins over Tristan Hanshaw of Boiling Springs (3-0), Jared Corriere from Wilson Area (3-2) and Quentin Bernhard of Northwestern Lehigh (6-4) to secure a trip to Hershey.
The tournament run raised Polous’ record to 29-5 this season and 66-11 in his career. Teammates Guillermo Murgueytio (113) Jack McQuaid (145) both went out in the second of consolations. Delco Christian’s Jacob Favino (145) and Caleb Madison (170) also were eliminated in the second round of consolations.
