Wrestling

Barrett’s bumpy road earns him Sr. Night spotlight as Kennett gets past Oxford

by
Nate Heckenberger
February 9, 2022

KENNETT SQUARE >> Darrale Barrett was Kennett’s only senior on Senior Night, but that didn’t limit the appreciation.

Those who knew where Barrett started took a lot of pride, Wednesday night, seeing what he has become.

Whether it be his rise from a youth wrestler who rarely won to dependable winner at Kennett, or a 106-pound freshman to a 172-pound senior, or a kid who couldn’t get out of sectionals his first two seasons to making the regional finals and qualifying for states as a junior, Barrett has taken the long road to where he’s gotten, and embraced the bumps along the road.

Kennett’s Darrale Barrett stands with his family on senior night. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

“This was nice,” Barrett said. “I’ve given a lot of blood and sweat and I thought about quitting a bunch of times, so it means a lot to celebrate with the people that helped get me here.”

Barrett was one of seven wins for Kennett, who topped Oxford, 41-36, in a Ches-Mont American Division dual meet that had nine pins, one technical fall and three forfeits.

After going 1-4 in the division in Barrett’s freshman year, Kennett was 4-1 this season, behind only Sun Valley.

Kennett’s Darrale Barrett gets a handshake from head coach, Kevin Reigel. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

“(Barrett’s) story mirrors Kennett’s story, in some ways,” Kennett coach Kevin Reigel said. “As a youth wrestler, it was a little rough for Darrale, and now everyone knows his accolades. The Kennett program is kind of in the same transition as him, towards the positive.”

Barrett’s first two seasons, he went a combined 47-30, going 1-2 at sectionals as a freshman and finishing one win shy of regionals as a sophomore. Last winter, Barrett was the eighth and final seed selected for the 172-pound sectional bracket, where he won his last three matches to finish third. The following week, he navigated his way to the regional final, qualifying for states as a result.

This season, Barrett is 20-4, bringing his career win total to 77.

Kennett’s Darrale Barrett smiles after pinning Oxford’s Armani Carrasco on senior night. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

“He’s one of the hardest workers I know,” Kennett junior, Josh Barlow said. “He goes from this practice to an extra practice almost every day. He has a great personality and always brings the team up. We’ll be down and we’ll rally behind him.”

Along with a technical fall from Kane Lengel (120 pounds), Michael Pepe (145), Josh Kochersperger (152), Barlow (160) and John Pardo (215) joined Barrett as pinners against Oxford.

Kennett’s John Pardo takes down Oxford’s Nathan Steinmetz before pinning him at 215 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

That group has the Blue Demons on the rise, and as Reigel mentioned, the paralleling improvements between Kennett and Barrett have a lot to do with the youth program, run by Barrett’s uncle, John Boyer.

The more time Barrett put in, the better he got, and the more he began to like the sport.

“I started seeing some success and winning a little bit,” Barrett said. “The bond with the team made me love it though. We grew into a family and it made me love wrestling even more, with the bond we have.”

Kennett’s Josh Barlow. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Kennett has one more competition before the District 1-3A West Sectional kicks off the postseason on February 26. Wednesday was Barrett’s first action since a loss to Pennsbury in the second round of the District 1-3A Duals, in which Barrett was ejected after losing his cool. He was suspended two competitions, including the Ches-Mont Championships, making it one more poignant lesson learned leading into the final month of his high school career.

“It was one of those bumps in the road and reminded me that I need to stay calm and keep my emotions to myself,” Barrett said. “I’m blessed to be able to compete. Almost losing my postseason showed me a lot to be grateful for, being able to compete.”

Kennett’s Kane Lengel rolls around with Oxford’s Jordan Schaible in a win by technical fall at 120 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

The Hornets finished 2-3 in the division, good for fourth, and they will finish our their regular season with a pair of duals tournaments next week. With junior, Jeremy McKinney, out of the season with a leg injury, Oxford’s lightweights will give the Hornets their best shot at reaching Hershey.

“We have to get better each day,” Oxford coach Tony Fabri said. “We have to have the right attitude and know there’s always room for growth. We have to bust our butts and improve.”