RIDLEY TWP. — Penncrest’s Nikko Partsanakis had a goal when he arrived at Ridley High School for the Central League wrestling championships Saturday.
As a senior, he wanted to go out a champion.
“That’s really what drove me, knowing this is my last chance to get it,” Partsanakis said. “I wanted to go home with a gold medal.”
Partsanakis accomplished that feat and more, named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
“I always got to see the best wrestlers out there receive this and I looked up to them,” Partsanakis said “I wanted one for myself, and here I am.”
Partsanakis came into the meet seeded third at 152 pounds. He claimed his second league title and first OW award in dramatic fashion, winning all three of his bouts by fall to raise his season record to 22-5. Partsanakis pinned sixth-seeded Matt Boye of Conestoga in the quarterfinals (4:55) and then decked second-seeded Kyle Bell of Haverford in 4:39 to reach the finals.
The win over Bell, though, almost proved costly. He injured an ankle that put his appearance in the final against Strath Haven’s Kelton Brunner briefly in doubt.
“My coaches were telling me I had no other choice (but to wrestle),” said Partsanakis, who won the 126-pound title as a sophomore and fell to Garnet Valley’s Daniel Husain in the 146-pound final last year. “I knew there was no other choice. I guess it’s a good thing that I stuck it out and wrestled that match.”
The final was against a familiar foe in Brunner, who Partsanakis defeated in a dual meet this season by a 6-3 score and against whom he held a 3-0 career record. Partsanakis took care of business quickly, pinning Brunner in 1:20 to claim the crown.
“I thought I could get the job done,” Partsanakis said.
• • •
Strath Haven All-Delco Chase Barlow achieved a pair of impressive milestones, especially in the era of COVID.
Strath Haven’s Chase Barlow, left, squares off against Garnet Valley’s Shane Olinger in the 160-pound final at the Central League Championships Saturday. Barlow pinned Olinger in 50 seconds for his fourth Central League title. (MediaNews Group Photo)
Barlow picked up the 100th win of his career in the quarterfinals and went on to win his fourth league title with a 50-second pin of Garnet Valley’s Shane Olinger in the 160-pound final.
Barlow had a tough time choosing which meant more.
“I don’t know,” said Barlow, who improved his season record to 13-1 and his career mark to 102-24 said. “They’re both good accomplishments. For me, I would say four league titles because it sounds better.”
The pandemic has prevented many wrestlers from reaching the 100-win plateau due to reduced schedules last season. Barlow reached the century mark with a 41-second pin of Lower Merion’s Yannick Segal in the quarterfinals, then decked Haverford’s Eddie Davis in the semis before putting Olinger on his back for another title.
“You only have four opportunities to win a league title,” Barlow said. “You can win 100 matches, but also lose 50 so I just think winning four league titles is better in my opinion.”
Barlow was one of two Strath Haven champions and seven top-3 finishers as the Panthers took second place in the team competition. Sam Milligan (15-0) won the 189-pound title. Bunner was second at 152. Ben Milligan (113), Sam Harrington (126), Anthony Crawford (215) and Ben Farabaugh (285) all finished third.
• • •
After Garnet Valley’s run to the PIAA Class 6A semifinals in football, it took Matt Ricci, C.J. Wood, Sam DiTrolio and the other wrestling football players a little time to make the transition from the gridiron.
“The first week we had five or six guys right out of football,” said Ricci, a defensive back. “It’s tough to get your lungs back, but we’re looking good now.”
Ricci picked up his third league title with an 11-4 victory over Conestoga’s Miles Warkentine in the 126-pound final. DiTrolio, the Jaguars’ center, pinned Radnor’s Anton Skvortsov in 1:37 to win the 215-pound crown, his second straight league title. Wood, a running back/defensive back, defeated Ridley’s Rocco Hartfuss, 4-1, in the 145-pound final.
Daniel Husain beat Conestoga’s Mitch Baker, 5-3, at 138 for his second straight league title.
Olinger (160), Ethan Bliss (113), Nolan Carroll (120) and Nicholas Mahoney (285), another football player, all recorded runner-up finishes to help the Jaguars win the team title with 220.5 points and claim at least a share of the league title.
“It’s special,” DiTrolio said of winning his second league title. “It’s a tough environment. There are a lot of tough teams and tough wrestlers here, a lot of people who want to win, so I’m glad I was able to come out and compete and win a title.”
• • •
Upper Darby All-Delco Julien Laventure is another wrestler who made the transition from football. And if you haven’t seen him since football season, you may not recognize him.
Laventure has cut his weight from 275-280 pounds for football to 240-245 for wrestling.
“I like being lighter because I move faster,” Laventure said. “I’m a little more nimble, a little more agile. The only thing I give up when I lose the weight is that on-top, beat-on-the-head strength.”
The dramatic drop seems to be working. Laventure recorded two pins and a 6-0 decision over Mahoney in the 285-pound final to improve his record to 24-0 and claim his third straight league title.
“It’s nice to come here and keep the streak going,” Laventure said. “I did it for Upper Darby and for my teammates.”
Laventure wasn’t the only Royal to come away a champion. Sam Kimmel won the 132-pound title to raise his record to 23-1.
• • •
Notes >> Haverford All-Delco Cole McFarland picked up his second league title, this time at 113 pounds, when he pinned Bliss in 1:22. McFarland won the 106-pound title last year as a freshman. … Radnor’s Zach Fluck beat Carroll, 8-6, to capture the 120-pund crown. … Lower Merion’s Jack Lledo beat Marple Newtown’s Jim Hally, 13-4, in the 172-pound final to capture his second straight league title.
• • •
At the Quakertown Duals:
Eli Harvey’s pin at 189 gave Chichester a winning finish, leading them to a 36-33 win over William Tennent.
Chichester fell to the host (67-6), North Penn (66-12), East Stroudsburg North (42-30) and Wilson Area (51-24).
Luke Trefz won by fall at 160 pounds for the only points against Quakertown. Trefz went 4-1 on the day with all four wins via fall. Blake Bryant notched pinfall victories over Wilson at 145 and ES North at 152. Chi’s 215-pounder Montana Raymond picked up two wins by fall and two by forfeit. Eli Harvey (189) won two matches by fall and one by forfeit.
