OXFORD >> With no exact science for the seeding process, things tend to figure themselves out when the wrestlers actually wrestle.
Friday, on the first night of the District 1-3A West tournament at Oxford High, it was mostly chalk in the brackets, outside of the 4-5 matchups, and one significant upset at 170 pounds.
Eight No. 5 seeds defeated No. 4 seeds, but it was Downingtown West’s Mason Hale, who started at No. 7 and knocked off Garnet Valley’s No. 2 Dillon Conlon.
“I knew the tournament seeding wasn’t fully correct,” Hale said. “I came in and worked all week to get where I’m at.”
Downingtown West’s Mason Hale scores the winning takedown against No. 2 seed, Dillon Conlon of Garnet Valley, in a 3-1 win in the 170-pound quarterfinal. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Hale managed an escape late in the third period to send the match to sudden victory, where the Whippet freshman countered a shot and snuck around back for the winner.
He will take on No. 3 Mason Baldwin of West Chester Henderson in the semifinals, slated to start around 10 a.m., Saturday.
“I waited for (Conlon) to take his shot and capitalized on it,” Hale said.
Hale wasn’t the only Whippet to out-wrestle his seed. Earlier in the evening, No. 5 Ryan Note (106 pounds) took down No. 4 Connor Whitton of West Chester East, 5-4. West is currently fifth in the team standings with six semifinalists.
Downingtown West’s Ryan Note rides out West Chester East’s Connor Whitton in a 5-4 win in the 106-pound quarterfinals. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
It wasn’t all roses for West, though, as Avon Grove’s No. 5 Garrett Landon somehow worked his way off his back and decked No. 4 Dan Lilley in the first period.
“(Lilley) ended up getting a cradle and I knew I had to keep fighting and not stop wrestling until the whistle blows,” said the Avon Grove freshman. “His head was there and I hit the headlock.”
Landon will face top-seeded Alex Pratzner of West Chester Rustin, next.
Two No. 4 seeds from West Chester Henderson got upset, but Max Jackman (113) punched his ticket to the semis as the No. 5 seed, and will see West’s Dom Findora.
The Warriors lead the team standings with 80.5 points, with Downingtown East (74) and Garnet Valley (72) close behind. All three teams have seven in the semis, while Sun Valley also has six and Oxford pushed five through.
West Chester Henderson’s Carmen Cortese gets a knee in the chin from Oxford’s Cannon Hershey in the 106-pound quarterfinal, won by Hershey. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
The final Hornet to advance was Kelvin Figueroa (195), who used a late takedown to get by Rustin’s Anthony Meadows, 7-5. The pair squared off just over two weeks ago, and Figueroa won more comfortably, 8-2. The Oxford junior found his offense when he needed it, in the rematch.
He will get No. 1 Ryan Catka of Sun Valley.
“I’m trying to show everyone what Oxford wrestling is all about,” Figueroa said. “We have two of the best coaches around. I was 6-11 as a freshman and now I’m 23-6. We’re just hard-working people here.”
Oxford’s Kelvin Figueroa scores a takedown against West Chester Rustin’s Anthony Meadows to win the 195-pound quarterfinal, 7-5. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
There are some milestones on the table during Saturday’s action. Henderson’s Killian Delaney tied former Downingtown West state champion, Doug Zapf, for second in all-time wins in the Ches-Mont League, with 156.
Downingtown East junior, Keanu Manuel, is two wins from 100, as well.
The action will start up again at 9:30 a.m., with the first round of consolations, followed by the semifinals. The finals are penciled in at 4 p.m., but the plan is to start them when they’re ready to be started, if the rounds progress quicker than anticipated.
The top four finishers will advance to the Southeast Regional at Souderton High, next weekend.
Kennett’s Trent Kochersperger gets a leg before eventually pinning Chichester’s Mason McClure in the 132-pound quarterfinal. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
