QUAKERTOWN >> Will Morrow does not mind feeling a bit anxious before getting out and competing on the mat.
“I think it just helps me prepare for my match,” he said. “Little bit nervous, kind of moving around a little bit, I think it just helps propel me into my match.”
There was no unease in the North Penn sophomore’s performance at Saturday in the District 1-3A East Tournament. Morrow came away from Quakertown Community High School as the top wrestler at 135 pounds after a 12-7 decision over Central Bucks South’s Dominic Stoughton in the weight class’s championship final.
“I just went out and wrestled my match,” Morrow said. “I haven’t wrestled him before, had no idea what he was going to do but just went out and wrestled my match and got done what I needed to get done.”
Morrow improved on his fifth place finish at districts a year ago to be one of three Knights to earn a top four finish and advance to the PIAA Class 3A South East Regional Feb. 28-29 at Souderton.
“I felt pretty good,” said Morrow, who beat Quakertown’s Domenic DeFalco 11-5 in the semifinals. “I was definitely nervous cause I wanted to do better, I wanted to go to regionals. I mean the ultimate goal is to get to states.”
Abington freshman Matt McCaughey claimed the Galloping Ghosts’ first district title in 11 years when he edged Quakertown’s Todd McGann 6-5 in the 113 final.
“I just wrestled the same way I always do,” McCaughey said. “Just try and score points. Keep working, don’t stop, keep the pace going, push the match.”
Pennridge’s Logan Green (195) and Hatboro-Horsham’s duo of A.J. Tamburrino (152) and Logan Flynn (220) all finished with silver in their respective classes. Abington, Central Bucks West and Hatboro-Horsham all had three wrestlers qualify for regionals with the Ghosts posting the top team finish at sixth with 115.5 points. North Penn was eighth at 97 points.
Host Quakertown won the tournament’s team title with 218.0 points with the Panthers’ Jeremy McGuigan taking Most Outstanding Wrestler after he took first at 285 pounds with a pin of Bensalem’s John Klewin at 5:58.
Council Rock South was second with 206.0 points while Council Rock North placed third with 171.5. Both the Golden Hawks and Indians had three wrestlers win gold.
Green was Pennridge’s lone regional qualifier, the senior coming up a win short of his second district title after a 2-1 loss to Pennsbury’s Davis Lee in the 195 final.
Joining Morrow at regionals for North Penn are seniors Jarret Niedosik and Nolan Verespy. Niedosik took third at 170 with a 3-1 sudden victory win over Abington’s Robert Glemser. Verespy placed fourth at 132 after getting pinned by Pennsbury’s Elijah Slaughter in 2:54 but clinched his place at Souderton with a 4-0 decision over CR South’s Brandon Berghaier in the consolation semis.
“Anybody can be beaten on any given day, it’s kind of like North Penn’s motto,” Morrow said. “So it’s going out and wrestling.”
McCaughey, who pinned Central Bucks East’s Andrew Oram at 3:35 in the 113 semifinals, is Abington’s first district winner since current Ghosts’ head coach David Osei won 285 at the 2009 District 1-3A South tournament.
“I’ve just been wrestling my whole life, which is like a second nature to me ever since I was four,” McCaughey said.
Abington also had pair earn fourth in their weights – Glemser at 170 and Shane Kibler at 145. Kibler lost his third-place match to CR South’s Cole Flanagan by a 14-6 major decision.
HH’s Tamburrino lost in the 152 final to CR North’s Cameron Robinson 5-1. Both of Tamburrino’s two losses this season have come against Robinson. Tamburrino pinned CB East’s Marcus Chernyshev in 37 seconds in the semifinals.
Flynn took second at 220 after losing a 10-7 decision to Danny Eckley of CB East. The Hatter senior made the final by pinning CR South’s Brandon Berghaier in 1:10.
Also for Hatboro-Horsham, senior C.J. Grier finished fourth at 182 – pinning Upper Moreland’s Nasir Thomas in 239 in the consolation semis before losing the third-place match with Bensalem’s Emilio Hartman-Velez by forfeit.
Central Bucks West had a trio of third-place finishes. Sophomore Teague McCormack earned bronze at 106 with a 14-8 decision over Quakertown’s Zach Borzio. Junior Chris Cleland was third at 120 after besting Neshaminy’s Calvin Lederer 10-3 while Bucks sophomore Carl DiGiorgio won the consolation final at 195 with an 8-5 decision over CB East’s Quinn Collins.
William Tennent senior T.J. England qualified for regional by placing third at 132 with a 6-0 decision over Pennsbury’s Rocky Moretti.
