FRANCONIA >> The only thing that denied Souderton wrestling’s Tyler Geiger a second-period pin was the clock.
“I was really fighting for it,” he said. “I wanted that, we needed the six team points. Coach told me we needed bonus points so I was really trying to get that.”
With Geiger attempting to secure a pin on Central Bucks East’s Max Bean in the final seconds, the referee’s hand hit the mat but his call came just after the buzzer, sending the 132-pound match to the third period with the Indians senior leading 15-2.
“It’s just wrestling,” Geiger said. “I was a little disappointed but I was working for it and I knew I wanted to get in the third period.”
A takedown sealed Geiger’s 18-2 technical fall victory, giving Souderton an 8-0 lead two matches into its Suburban One League Colonial Division dual meet with the visiting Patriots Wednesday night.
A pin by Erick Dominguez at 138 gave Big Red a 14-0 advantage but East took control from there, winning the next six matches to go ahead 24-14 before two forfeits by each side in final four weights resulted in a 36-26 win for the Patriots.
“We just had a couple kids if they did their job, be it stay off their back, not give up bonus points or get that pin, get those bonus points, I mean that was the thing right there,” Souderton coach Chris Atkinson said. “And it was just like Pennridge (a 39-28 loss Jan. 19). It’s respectable, it’s a close match and you know it’s going to be.
“I love this league, we got great relationships with all the other teams and all the other coaches and I like having these nice, competitive matches. Win or lose it’s, again, we’re coming out of COVID, everything’s nice and competitive. It was a good night.”
Wednesday was the start of a busy week for both the Indians (5-7, 1-2 division) and CB East (9-4, 1-2). The teams wrestle Thursday in the first round of the District 1-3A duals tournament with Souderton, seeded 13th, taking on two-time defending champ No. 4 Spring-Ford 5:30 p.m. at Oxford while the No. 11 Patriots host No. 6 Boyertown at 5:30 p.m.
It will be Souderton’s second matchup with the Rams, having lost to the PAC power 53-22 in the quarterfinals of the Indians’ Big Red Duals Jan. 15.
“On paper it’s tough but we got to hope to try and do better than we did last time,” Atkinson said. “And that’s what we just had a conversation with the kids, we had said ‘You know if you got pinned last time don’t get pinned this time, if you gave up the major don’t give up the major this time. If you won by points last time try and get bonus points, expand that.’”
Saturday, Souderton and CB East compete at the SOL Colonial Division championships at Pennridge beginning at 9 a.m.
“It’s tough, we got a lot of weigh-ins this week but look on the bright side we’ve got next week and then we’ve got off and then we’re back into it,” Geiger said. “I think it’s better for me because it keeps my weight maintained whereas I’m not yo-yoing up and down. So it’s going to be tough but I’m going to push through it. It’ll only make districts easier.”
Geiger, who placed fifth at 132 last Saturday at Lehighton’s Coal Cracker Tournament, earned his 70th career victory with his tech fall over Bean.
Dropping down to 132 after wrestling at 138, Geiger is 17-6 this season and is looking to reach states for the first time after qualifying for regionals the previous two years.
“I think my work on bottom has definitely improved,” he said. “It’s something my coaches have been stressing with me everyday in practice. I got to work on my setups and I know where I need to be to get there in Hershey.”
Souderton’s AJ Stayton started Wednesday’s dual meet with a 4-0 decision over Andrew Oram at 126. After Geiger’s tech fall, Dominguez followed at 138 by pinning Mason Wertman in 1:21.
“We’re solid in the middle and even down light,” Atkinson said. “Our upper weights we’ve been struggling all year with upper weights. And they’re doing better. I was proud of our 215-pounder (Justin Morales) making it halfway through the second with Quinn (Collins).”
Luke Wilson got Central Bucks East on the scoreboard with a 10-5 decision over Andrew Hallman at 145, cutting Souderton’s lead to 14-3. At 152, the Patriots’ Tyler Tanner edged Emerson Goering 2-1 with an escape in the second tiebreak period.
Mason Stein, a 2021 PIAA qualifier at 160, made it three straight East decisions, defeating Ben Beckett 4-2 at 160. Maximus Gordon pinned Brayden Crawford in 2:52 at 172 to give the Patriots a 15-14 lead.
Nils Updale extended the visitors’ advantage to 18-14 by holding off Kole Lester for a 5-3 decision at 189. Collins, who placed sixth at last year’s states at 215, posted East’s second pin, besting Morales by fall at 2:59 at 215 for a 10-point Patriot lead.
After an East forfeit win at 285, Souderton took 106 and 113 via forfeit to make it 30-26 but another East win by forfeit at 120 sealed the Patriots’ third consecutive victory over the Indians.
Souderton’s Kayla Husti-Luca capped the night by pinning Macayla Needham in 1:46 in their exhibition match.
Central Bucks East 36, Souderton 26
126: AJ Stayton (S) dec. Andrew Oram (CBE) 4-0 (Souderton 3-0).
132: Tyler Geiger (S) tech fall Max Bean (CBE) 18-2, 4:25 (Souderton 8-0).
138: Erick Dominguez (S) pinned Mason Wertman (CBE) 1:21 (Souderton 14-0).
145: Luke Wilson (CBE) dec. Andrew Hallman (S) 10-5 (Souderton 14-3).
152: Tyler Tanner dec. Emerson Goering (S) 2-1 (TB) (Souderton 14-6).
160: Mason Stein (CBE) dec. Ben Beckett (S) 4-2 (Souderton (14-9).
172: Maximus Gordon (CBE) pinned Brayden Crawford (S) 2:52 (CB East 15-14).
189: Nils Updale (CBE) dec. Kole Lister 5-3 (CB East 18-14).
215: Quinn Collins (CBE) pinned Justin Morales (S) 2:59 (CB East 24-14).
285: Joe Collins (CBE) win by forfeit (CB East 30-14).
106: Luke Ragusa (S) win by forfeit (CB East 30-20).
113: Charlie Arobone (S) win by forfeit (CB East 30-26).
120: Ethan Bean (CBE) win by forfeit (CB East 36-26).
