QUAKERTOWN >> Carl DiGiorgio had earned an assortment of few District 1 wrestling medals but none of them were gold until Saturday.
The Central Bucks West senior capped his run through the District 1-3A East Tournament’s 215-pound bracket in decisive fashion, winning the weight’s championship final over Council Rock South’s Lucas Doyle with a 12-4 major decision.
“It means a lot to me actually,” DiGiorgio said. “It’s something I’ve never been able to do so I think it just shows I’m doing the right things and everything’s starting to come together and just keep going.”
While DiGiorgio was the lone Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media area wrestler to reach the top spot on the podium at Quakertown, six other local wrestlers – two each from North Penn, Pennridge and Abington – placed second while a total of 13 claimed top-four finishes to advance to the PIAA 3A South East Regional March 4-5 at Oxford.
“I like to look at it as just another day in the office,” said DiGiorgio, who was fifth in 215 at last year’s PIAA Championships. “I know these things can get overwhelming if you think of them as anything more than that. So I just like to look at every competition as just going out there, doing what I want to do and just putting up points.”
Host Quakertown secured the tournament’s team title with 219.0 points. The Panthers won five district finals, four by pin and another via major decision. Council Rock South took second with 205.5 points as three Golden Hawks won finals, including the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler Matt Colajezzi who claimed the 160 title.
Pennridge had the highest local team finish, the SOL Colonial champs coming in fifth with 122.0 points as four Rams qualified for regionals – Cole Coffin (113) and Talan Hogan (160) placing second, Sam Kuhns taking third at 113 while Colby Martinelli was fourth at 106.
DiGiorgio was one of three West wrestlers heading to regionals as Teague McCormack (106) and Patrick Kelly (113) both secured third in their respective weights. For DiGiorgio, the 215 gold was his fourth top-five district finish – taking fifth as a freshman at 195, third in 2020 at 195 then last year placing second at 215.
“I wouldn’t be able to get to this point now and get that medal last year without these tough matches in districts and regions and hitting everyone up the way,” DiGiorgio said.
DiGiorgio started his Saturday by pinning North Penn’s Amir Rose at 1:34 in the quarterfinals then beating Pennridge’s Chase Washington in the semis by 18-3 technical fall in 2:53.
In the final against Rock South’s Doyle – who he wrestled four times last season, winning all four – DiGiorgio grabbed a 4-1 lead after the first period then stretched the advantage to 10-3 by the end of the second.
“For me especially, it’s definitely a big confidence booster I think,” DiGiorgio said. “Just getting wins over guys like this, guys ranked in the state, ranked top 10 in the state, getting that good competition, getting wins over that competition it definitely feels good and it’s nice to know that I’m confident in my skill set now.”
North Penn senior Dylan Verwey, meanwhile, was competing at his first District 1 tournament and came away with silver at 172.
Two years ago, a concussion kept Verwey from postseason competition while as a junior he did not qualify with districts having a smaller field due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“It means a lot to me. My goal is to at least qualify for states. That’s my goal this year. Wanted to last year, they wrote me off cause of COVID so I didn’t even get to wrestle in districts. This is my first year actually wrestling in districts. Honestly, I’m happy with where I am now but my goal is just to qualify for states pretty much.
After pinning Pennsbury’s Shane McGurrin in the first round in 3:22, Verwey – seeded seventh – pulled off a pair of upsets, pinning No. 3 Anthony Cerulli of CR South in 2:52 then in the semis beating No. 3 Nils Updale of Central Bucks East by 6-2 decision.
In the final, Verwey was pinned by Quakertown’s Calvin Lachman at 1:03.
“I just went out there and I wrestled like I’m having fun,” Verwey said. I didn’t go out there getting in my head and thinking about everything else. I just went out there and wrestled like I’m having fun cause I mean, I haven’t been in the season that long cause I was out and injured in the beginning.”
William Morrow also finished second for North Penn after the senior lost the 152 final to CR South’s Bekhruz Sadriddinov 4-2. It was the second straight district silver for Morrow, who also placed eight at states in 145 last year.
Michael Cliver was the Knights’ third regional qualifier, taking third at 138.
Abington is sending a trio to regionals as junior Matthew McCaughey and senior Shane Kibler placed second at 126 and 145, respectively, while senior Joseph Bernstein was fourth at 215.
“Last year, my school got hit pretty hard with COVID and shut down so we had about one match before districts so that was pretty disappointing,” Kibler said. “But I’m coming into the postseason forgetting about that and don’t want anything less than that gold medal in March. Anything shy of that I won’t be happy with, I’m here to win it, the whole thing.”
McCaughey, who was pinned by Quakertown’s Todd McGann at 3:42 in the 126 final, claimed his third district medal after placing first in 113 as a freshman then taking second at 126 in 2021.
Kibler was edged 3-2 in ultimate tiebreak by CR South’s Shermuhammad Sadriddinov in the 145 final but the finish is the highest for Kibler at districts.
“Even though it’s my best kind of still a little salty losing that match,” said Kibler, who was fourth district at 145 in 2020 then third at 152 last year. “Still, another week of wrestling to go.”
Pennridge’s Coffin collected a second-straight silver as the sophomore fell to Council Rock North’s Tony Burke by a 3-2 decision in the 113 final. Rams freshman Hogan dropped the 160 championship match to Colajezzi by 15-0 tech fall in 5:38.
William Tennent’s Angelo Guzman and Lower Moreland’s Brian Hegedus also advanced to regionals – Guzman finishing fourth at 145 while Hegedus placed fourth at 285.
