FORT WASHINGTON >> Getting back to a championship match: Good deal.
Doing it against a team that’s been a thorn in your side: Priceless.
Spring-Ford had two reasons to be pleased with the proceedings from Friday’s resumption of the District 1 Class AAA Duals tournament. The Rams got a solid performance in its first-rounder with West Chester Henderson, rolling up a 52-18 victory. It followed that with another big effort in its semifinal with Council Rock South, topping the district’s two-time defending champ — in both instances depriving the Rams of the championship trophy — 34-26.
“It’s a good reward, beating Council Rock South in the semis,” head coach Tim Seislove said after watching his squad take six of the first eight weights to set the tone. “They’ve beaten us quite a few times over the years. It’s sweet to beat them.”
Third-seeded Spring-Ford will face top seed Quakertown in the 3 p.m. championship match, with a spot in next weekend’s PIAA Class AAA field secured.
Spring-Ford’s Louis Carbajal clings to Council Rock South’s Brendan Panchison in a 13-4 major decision at 220 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Spring-Ford’s Xavier Cushman takes West Chester Henderson’s Koh Bauman to the mat in a win by fall at 160 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
In the meantime, Owen J. Roberts will be working to get back in the state field out of wrestlebacks.
The Wildcats got off to a lackluster start in their opener with Garnet Valley. Falling behind by 32 points at the start, fifth-seeded OJR found itself on the short side of a 32-30 verdict with the 13th-seeded Jaguars and in danger of an early exit from districts.
Roberts got itself some wiggle room against Neshaminy, a 41-36 victory ultimately secured with three weights left to contest. It will now go against the Hawks in a bid to be one of the district’s four teams qualifying for states.
“I think we got down a bit … hung our heads, whined and complained instead of plowing through,” OJR head coach Steve DeRafelo explained. “We didn’t wrestle like we were out there competing.”
Against Council Rock South, the Rams (16-1) got off to their fast start behind decisions from Louis Carbajal (220) and Sean Brogan (285). Dominic Ortlip (113), Quinn Smith (120), Quinn Tobin (132) and Zach Needles (138) continued the early roll.
Jack McGill (152) and Joey Milano (182) added the finishing touches to keep Spring-Ford ahead of the Hawks.
“We started in a good spot and won the coin toss,” Seislove noted. “Louie got us a good start, and Brogan came through at heavyweight.”
Spring-Ford 52, West Chester Henderson 18 >> The Rams bookended the Warriors’ lone string of wins with two runs of their own in resumption of their latest foray in the District 1-AAA Duals.
Pins by Sean Brogan (220) and John Kaput (285) followed Louie Carbajal’s major decision at 195 to help Spring-Ford open an initial 22-point lead, with Cole and Quinn Smith adding decisions at 106 and 113, respectively. Zach Needles stemmed Henderson’s run, one that cut the Rams’ lead to 22-18 after 138, with a pin at 145.
Needles’ fall kicked off a flurry of pins by the Rams, continued by Jack McGill (152), Xavier Cushman (160), Jason Lepore (171) and Joey Milano (182).
Garnet Valley 32, Owen J. Roberts 30 >> A late charge by the Wildcats couldn’t make up for the Jaguars’ fast start in their district-duals opener.
Down by 32 points midway through the match, fifth-seeded Owen J. (16-4) stemmed GV’s run with David Forrest’s 8-4 decision at 132. Connor Leister added a 6-4 verdict at 138 before Antonio Petrucelli scored a 35-second fall at 145.
Cole Bechtel then posted a 17-5 major at 152, and Connor Quinn added a 1:31 pin at 160. Trailing by 10 (32-22) with two bouts left, Owen J. needed a pin and a technical fall to erase the deficit. But Austin Boaman got only an 8-3 decision at 171; and while Roberts picked up the fall at 182, it fell short of Garnet’s point total.
Owen J. Roberts 41, Neshaminy 37 >> The Wildcats’ rebound from an early deficit against the Skins also marked their recovery from an early loss to Garnet Valley.
Trailing Neshaminy 18-6 through 113, Roberts took six of the next seven weights to regain enough of a lead to send Neshaminy home from the tournament. Matthew Englehardt’s pin at 120 and a fall by David Forrest (132) covered some of the deficit prior to Connor Leister getting a forfeit at 138. Antonio Petrucelli followed with a technical fall at 145 before Cole Bechtel (152) and Connor Quinn (160) followed with match-clinching falls.
Roberts’ 41-21 lead withstood the Skins’ late run of two pins and a major decision from 170 to 195.
