FRANCONIA — Downingtown East’s Wade Cummings got what he came for at the Class AAA Southeast Regional tournament, Saturday, but it didn’t exactly look how he imagined it.
After dominating his way to the 126-pound finals, Cummings won by injury default over Boyertown’s Lucas Miller, who was nursing an injury. It was Cummings’ second straight regional title and he will head to the PIAA tournament next week for the third time.
Eleven other locals, including second-place finishers — Coatesville’s Chase Stephens (152 pounds) and Conestoga’s Dan Iredale (160) and Kade LaMarre (220) — clinched trips to Hershey at Souderton High with top-four finishes.
Cummings was the lone champ, and with his three wins he moved to No. 5 all-time in District 1 for career wins with 177.
“I accomplished my goal,” Cummings said. “I wanted to be a two-time regional champ this year. I was league champ, district champ and regional champ. Now I want to be state champ, so there’s one more to take down.”
In the morning session, Cummings steamrolled past Council Rock South’s Cary Palmer, 17-5, in the semifinals to set up a meeting with Miller, who Cummings beat twice last postseason on his way to a fourth-place medal.
The Cougars’ senior is the first two-time regional champ and three-time state qualifier in East’s history.
“I was more relaxed this year and wrestled my style,” Cummings said. “I had fun and didn’t have to worry as much. I felt more comfortable and confident.”
Coatesville’s Chase Stephens takes down Council Rock South’s Dylan Schwartz in a 4-3 loss in the 152-pound final. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
With the finals starting at 145 pounds, Stephens was the first local to take center stage. After an escape he took Council Rock South’s Dylan Schwartz down, but the Golden Hawk scored the final four points to win, 4-3. Stephens heads back to Hershey for a second straight year.
“I got sloppy on top and I should’ve held (Schwartz) down for the rest of the period,” Stephens said. “I felt like I was a lot stronger on my feet and could’ve let him up in the third and gone for the win, but I was sloppy and gave up the takedown.”
A pair of Pioneers reached states for the first time since 2011, and Iredale was a controversial call from maybe going as a champ.
Down 1-0 in the second, Iredale had a cradle locked up, but wasn’t granted the takedown on
Conestoga’s Dan Iredale tries to finish a takedown attempt in a 1-0 loss to Pennridge’s Josh Stillings in the 160-pound final. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
Pennridge’s Josh Stillings because he couldn’t unhook his leg. Iredale then chose down in the third and the Rams’ sophomore rode him out for a 1-0 win.
Iredale, who entered undefeated for the second regional tournament in a row, erased a disappointing 1-2 performance as a junior.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming into this tournament,” said Iredale, who beat Oxford’s David Cox in the semis. “I was a ranked wrestled last year and undefeated last year and for whatever reason I just didn’t have a good tournament. This year I was in the same position and I was working on staying calm and let it all out on the mat.”
LaMarre came out of nowhere somewhat this postseason and continued his streak to the finals. There, Quakertown’s Gavin Caroff used one of his big-move throws to deck LaMarre in the first period.
“It’s exciting and it means the world to me,” LaMarre said. “I’ve never been a part of anything like this in any sport.”
Of the 12 local qualifiers, only three ended their nights with wins. Other than Cummings, Cox (160) beat Downingtown East’s Alec Horne for the third straight week to take third, and Avon Grove’s Vince Walls (285) pinned Upper Darby’s Pete Augustin to win the consolation finals.
East finished fourth as a team, with James Strommer (fourth at 113) joining Cummings and Horne as Hershey-bound.
West Chester Rustin’s Costas Hatzipavlides (fourth at 182) is making a return trip to states and Isaiah Spriggs (fourth at 220) will join him for the first time.
Downingtown West’s Doug Zapf (106) and Cole Zapf (170) advanced with fourth-place finishes and became the first set of brothers from the Ches-Mont to qualify for states in the same season since Dan and Matt Kennett did it for West Chester Henderson in 1996.
“When I saw (Doug) get to the (consi) finals, it was awesome,” Cole said. “I didn’t want him to go without me.”
Taking fifth and serving as the first alternate in case of an injury or withdrawal are Henderson’s Jacob Reid (113) and Kyle Medrow (132), Oxford’s Brandon Sheffield (120), Kennett’s Drew
Massetti (126), Avon Grove’s Kevin Edwards (145) and Downingtown East’s Owen Morris (220).
Notes — Cummings was awarded the referee’s Sportsmanship Award prior to the finals. Former West Chester University wrestler and current head coach at Haverford School, Bruce Kennett, also father to the aforementioned Dan and Matt Kennett, was inducted to the District 1 Wrestling Hall of Fame in the pre-finals festivities.
Team Standings
1. Boyertown, 151.5; 2. Council Rock South, 122; 3. Pennridge, 100.5; 4. Downingtown East, 71.5; 5. Spring-Ford, 68; 6. Quakertown, 60; 7. Upper Darby, 59; 8. Owen J. Roberts, 50; 9. Council Rock North, 43; 9. North Penn, 43; 11. Conestoga, 37
Championship Finals
145- Reddington (Methacton) dec. Wise (Pottstown), 5-1 SV
152- Schwartz (Council Rock South) dec. Stephens (Coatesville), 4-3
160- Stillings (Pennridge) dec. Iredale (Conestoga), 1-0
170- Shalinsky (Council Rock North) dec. Rice (Spring-Ford), 4-2 SV
182- Gentile (Pennridge) dec. Harvey (Boyertown), 3-1
195- Doyle (Council Rock South) pinned Kennerly (Upper Darby), 1:00
220- Caroff (Quakertown) pinned LaMarre (Conestoga), 1:46
285- Killoran (Boyertown) pinned Graeber (Neshaminy), 4:33
106- Meredith (Spring-Ford) dec. Williams (Souderton), 7-1
113- Parker (Pennridge) dec. J. Campbell (Boyertown), 5-1
120- Mitch (Spring-Ford) dec. Marino (Garnet Valley), 3-2
126- Cummings (Downingtown East) inj. def. Miller (Boyertown), :01
132- Trampe (Council Rock South) dec. Vulakh (North Penn), 9-3
138- R. Palmer (Council Rock South) dec. Cronin (Upper Darby), 1-0
Consolation Finals
145- Martoccio (Council Rock South) dec. Stone (Harry S. Truman), 1-0
152- Shannon (North Penn) dec. Seislove (Quakertown), 5-2
160- Cox (Oxford) dec. A. Horne (Downingtown East), 7-1
170- Jones (Boyertown) dec. C. Zapf (Downingtown West), 3-0
182- Bonomo (Quakertown) pinned Hatzipavlides (Rustin), 1:26
195- Ferrizzi (Owen J. Roberts) dec. Walker (Upper Moreland), 7-0
220- Modugno (Upper Perk) dec. Spriggs (Rustin), 3-1
285- V. Walls (Avon Grove) pinned Augustin (Upper Darby), 4:19
106- Wilde (Boyertown) dec. D. Zapf (Downingtown West), 5-2
113- Burke (Council Rock North) dec. Strommer (Downingtown East), 3-0
120- Fuss (Harry S. Truman) dec. D. Campbell (Boyertown), 4-0
126- Rush (Pennridge) dec. C. Palmer (Council Rock South), 4-3
132- Mauger (Boyertown) maj. dec. Puliti (Garnet Valley), 8-0
138- Charles (Penn Wood) inj. def. Cooley (Boyertown), :01
