Connect with us

Wrestling

Methacton’s McNair clamps down first Southeast Regional wrestling title

Methacton’s Kibwe McNair has his arm raised following his championship finals win (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

FRANCONIA — The past two years, Methacton’s Kibwe McNair has been among the top wrestlers in District 1, qualifying for states each year. But to this point, a Southeast regional title had eluded him. The drought ended Saturday night at Souderton High School, when McNair won the 138-pound title, leading a contingent of 13 area wrestlers to punch their tickets to the PIAA Class AAA Championships in Hershey next week.

McNair reached the finals with three wins, including a 6-4 sudden victory nailbiter against Quakertown’s Domenic De Falco. McNair then faced Lower Merion’s Christian Hodges in the championship round.

McNair wasted little time in establishing the tone, scoring a quick takedown, and putting Hodges on his back for a pair of near fall in the process. In the second, McNair chose down, and broke loose for one. But Hodges took advantage of McNair being briefly out of position, and cut the lead to 5-2 with a takedown. 

McNair in control of Lower Merion’s Christian Hodges (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

Hodges opted to start neutral in the third, but McNair took a shot, driving Hodges to his back once again. This time, McNair made sure there would be no possibility of a comeback, getting the pin at 4:23.

“Last year I lost a close match to (eventual champ) Tyler Williams in the semis, so it feels pretty amazing to get my first regional title,” said McNair. “I think the way I’m wrestling right now, I’m wrestling well enough to go with the best guys in the state. I have a goal of coming home with a medal next week.”

McNair, a Kutztown University recruit, had a game plan for Hodges, who was coming off an exciting semifinal win where he edged North Penn’s William Morrow 3-1.

“My plan coming in to this weekend was to be the one to set the pace,” said McNair. “I knew if I came at guys with a fast pace and kept it for six minutes, no one was going to be able to stick with me. Once I got the lift and started driving on that second takedown, I knew I was getting a pin.”

McNair will be joined in Chocolatetown by teammate Roman Moser, who rebounded from a quarterfinal loss to come back through the wrestlebacks and place fourth.

For the Colonials, it is a pair of big men to punch their ticket to Chocolatetown, senior 220-pounder Paolo DiSanto and sophomore heavyweight Mike Miller.

Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Paolo DiSanto ties up with Pottsgrove’s Zach Van Horn in their 220-pound semi-final (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

DiSanto reached the semis with a pair of wins Friday night—a fall over Perkiomen Valley’s Eli Johnston, and then a 3-2 decision over Logan Flynn of Hatboro-Horsham. Saturday morning, DiSanto clinched a spot in the championship final with three takedowns in a 6-3 decision over Pottsgrove’s Zach Van Horn.

“I need to get a little tougher on top, but I think I’m wrestling pretty well right now,” said DiSanto. “It’s great that both me and Mike are moving on. We work each other hard in the room every day.”

In the final, DiSanto suffered his first defeat of the season, falling to Downingtown West’s Chase Melenik. Melenik notched three first period takedowns before getting a pin in 1:11.

Miller was in a doozy of a semi-final at 285 against Council Rock North’s Max Harar, tied 1-1 late when the Colonial shot in on a blast double, taking down Harar to his back, and getting the slap of the mat at the 5:20 mark. 

P-W’s Mike Miller gets the fall over Council Rock North’s Max Harar in the 285-pound semi-finals (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

“I’m just a sophomore, so I am really excited to know I am going to states,” said Miller. “It was close, but I noticed he kept standing up straight. So I just waited for him to do it again, and when he did, I just blasted right through him. Once I had him on his back, I knew there was no way he was getting of it.”

In the final, Miller ran into a buzzsaw in Sun Valley’s Hunter Catka, who is the top ranked 285-pounder in the country. Catka, 38-0 on the season, won by fall in 3:33.

It marks the first time since John Michael and Justin Staudenmeyer both qualified in 2011 years ago that the Colonials qualified two wrestlers for the state tourney.

“Those guys at the end of the line-up has been big for us all year,” said Coach David Luthy. “It is pretty mazing to have two going through, and hopefully they will help each other get over the hump and on the podium next week.”

William Tennant’s TJ England scrambles with Stath Haven’s Chase Barlow in their 132-pound semi-finals(BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

William Tennant’s TJ England earned a return trip to states at 138, after making a second period escape hold up as the difference in a 1-0 decision over Strath Haven’s Chase Barlow. England dropped his championship finals bout to Neshaminy’s Zac Martin, 6-0.

Winning consolation semi-final round bouts to guarantee a top four finish (the top five qualify for Hershey) were Hatboro-Horsham’s AJ Tamburrino (3rd at 152) and Logan Flynn (3rd at 220), North Penn’s Jarret Niedosik (4th at 170), Pennridge’s Logan Green (195), and Wissahickon’s Dan Keller ( 4th at 220).

Also moving on are fifth place finishers Morrow (North Penn 138), Abington’s Shane Kibler (145) and Central Buck’s West’s Carl DiGiorgio (195).

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

More in Wrestling

situs slot gacor provider terbaik agen toto slot terpercaya 2023 agen toto togel terpercaya 2023 situs toto togel pasaran resmi terbaik bandar toto macau pasaran resmi toto togel bandar toto slot gacor 4d 2023 bo togel online pasaran terlengkap sepanjang masa bo toto slot terlengkap sepanjang masa situs toto togel 2023 bet 100 perak daftar toto slot dan toto togel 2023 bermain toto togel dengan bet hanya 100 perak daftar toto slot bonus new member terpercaya bermain toto slot pelayanan 24 jam nonstop situs toto togel terpercaya situs toto togel online terbaik winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto unsurtoto unsurtoto unsurtoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto rasa4d rasa4d rasa4d gampangtoto gampangtoto gampangtoto winsortoto unsurtoto gampangtoto rasa4d bungtoto bandar toto togel terbesar hadiah 4d 10 juta daftar winsortoto situs toto terbaik winsortoto situs toto slot gacor dengan toto togel terbaik winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bet 100 perak winsortoto agen toto togel dan situs toto slot 4d winsortoto situs toto togel online deposit 10rb winsortoto situs toto togel online resmi hadiah 4d 10 juta winsortoto agen toto togel online terpercaya winsortoto agen toto slot dan situs toto togel resmi winsortoto situs toto togel 4d terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel dan toto slot winsortoto situs toto togel online resmi terbesar winsortoto situs toto togel dan agen toto slot terpercaya winsortoto situs toto terpercaya beragam bonus winsortoto situs toto terpercaya toto togel dan toto slot gacor winsortoto situs togel online dan slot online terpercaya winsortoto situs togel online hadiah terbesar winsortoto agen toto togel bonus harian terbesar winsortoto agen togel online terlengkap bet 100 perak winsortoto situs toto togel 4d dan toto slot 4d terbaik winsortoto situs toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel online terpercaya 2023 winsortoto agen toto togel 4d dan toto slot 4d winsortoto agen toto togel online banyak bonus terbesar winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bonus new member winsortoto situs togel online resmi terpercaya pasaran terlengkap winsortoto situs toto togel online 4d terpercaya situs toto togel deposit pulsa tanpa potongan winsortoto situs toto slot pasti slot gacor winsortoto situs toto slot dan toto togel hadiah terbaik winsortoto situs toto terpercaya permainan resmi dan terpercaya winsortoto situs toto resmi bonus new member 100rb tanpa potongan winsortoto toto slot gacor dan togel online resmi terpercaya winsortoto situs toto toge online terpercaya di Indonesia winsortoto toto togel online bonus new member terbesar winsortoto agen toto togel resmi hadiah 4d 10 juta terpercaya winsortoto toto togel online hadiah 4d 10 juta bet 100 winsortoto situs togel online terlengkap dan terpercaya winsortoto situs togel online resmi dan toto slot gacor winsortoto situs toto togel dan agen toto slot gacor winsortoto situs toto togel permainan toto togel dan toto slot winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bonus menarik winsortoto situs toto togel online terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya winsortoto situs toto togel online terlengkap dan terpercaya winsortoto situs toto togel online winsortoto situs toto terpercaya togel online dan slot online resmi winsortoto situs toto dengan permainan togel 4d dan slot 4d winsortoto situs toto terpercaya permainan togel online terlengkap winsortoto situs toto togel terpercaya permainan resmi winsortoto situs toto togel resmi bet 100 perak tanpa potongan winsortoto agen toto togel dan situs toto resmi winsortoto toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya dan terbaik winsortoto unsurtoto gampangtoto bungtoto rasa4d titi4d ltdtoto bobatoto bobatoto situs toto togel slot situs bandar toto togel slot terpercaya titi4d titi4d login titi4d daftar titi4d slot titi4d togel situs titi4d titi4d login titi4d daftar titi4d titi4d togel titi4d slot situs titi4d agen titi4d bandar titi4d