WARRINGTON >> Central Bucks South’s Gabe Whittington was denied a chance to wrestle in last year’s postseason when he suffered a knee injury at the SOL Colonial Division Championships.
“The second your season’s over you just got to look ‘til next year, look right when that happens, you just got to deal with it,” the senior said. “Everybody finds a way to deal with it and I just looked forward to next year.”
Next year is now this year, the calendar flipping to February and Whittington is ranked sixth in the district at 133 in the latest poll by PA-Wrestling.com. Wednesday night in a division dual meet with visiting North Penn, Whittington picked up his 20th victory of the season with second-period pin at 139.
“I just went out there and did my job,” Whittington said. “Just went out there to have fun, wrestle.”
Central Bucks South’s Brian Schmidt works for a pin on North Penn’s Quinton Loughlin during their 172-pound match on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
Consecutive pins by Whittington then Jake Neill at 145 capped a run of five straight wins that gave the Titans a 34-6 advantage as they went on to claim a 46-22 victory over the Knights.
“We were all excited, pumped, ready to get after it,” Whittington said.
North Penn finished with four wins – three of those by fall, including Devon Pinkett using a dependable move to pull out a pin when he was trailing Collin Goetter in the third period of the night’s final match at 285.
“So that move is called a barrel roll or fat man roll,” Pinkett said. “I learned that move in fourth grade so I kind of knew it for a while.”
The NP senior’s familiar strategy led to a reversal and then eventually a fall at 5:14 for his 16th victory, matching the total from his junior campaign where he placed fifth at the District 1-3A East Tournament.
“Mat sense and also practicing that move a lot,” Pinkett said. “Weightlifting, some agility training too. Really, it’s all about high movement and watching how your opponent moves so I kind of waited for him to shift into me more so I could roll ‘em.”
North Penn’s Devon Pinkett looks for a pin after his reversal against Central Bucks South’s Collin Goetter during their 285-pound match on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
North Penn (9-10, 1-3 division) took a 6-0 lead after Daniel Mallitz earned a pin over Ved Rajish in 53 seconds in the opening bout at 106. Vincent Mokos, however, pulled South (9-7, 3-2) even with his win via fall over Dylan Long at 114.
A pair of forfeit victories at 121 and 133 sandwiched Cole Killough’s 13-0 major decision at 127 as the Titans went up 22-6.
Whittington won nine straight before falling 3-2 to Sun Valley’s Brecken Strickland – ranked second in the district at 133 – last Thursday as the Vanguards topped South in the District 1-3A Duals first round. But the CB South senior, who as a sophomore took fifth in 120 at the 2021 PIAA-3A South East Regional, got back on track by pinning Gabe Fletcher in 3:12.
“Ready to go after it,” Whittington said. “Every practice, just practicing hard, just giving it my all.”
Neill extended the Titans’ lead to 34-6 with a pin in 2:20 against Nate Schepian at 145.
“Bonus points,” Whittington said. “Just go out there and get a pin.”
Central Bucks South’s Skyler Speark looks to take down North Penn’s Sheamus Moloney during their 189-pound match on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
North Penn’s William Mayland stopped the South run by claiming a 13-2 major decision while Brayden Shannon gave the Knights back-to-back wins with his pin at 160 of Peter Carmody in 5:19 to make it 34-16.
Brian Schmidt, however, clinched the dual meet for the Titans with his 7-4 decision at 172.
South proceeded to win the following two matches – Skylar Speak with a 9-3 decision at 189 while Kieran Padgett pinned Christian Snell in 1:15 at 215 – for a 46-16 advantage before Pinkett found a fall late at 285.
“I don’t usually watch the team score because that can either boost you but if you know you’re losing then it kind of brings you down,” Pinkett said. “So instead, I focus more on myself and just don’t lose. I don’t even focus on winning, it’s just done lose, don’t get pinned.”
North Penn’s Brayden Shannon looks for a pin against Central Bucks South’s Peter Carmody during their 160-pound match on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
Central Bucks South wrestles at Cedar Crest’s Falcon Invitational Saturday then hosts Lower Moreland Wednesday. Both the Titans and Knights compete at the SOL Colonial Championships on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at North Penn.
“Just got to stay focused,” Whittington said. “Train hard and just keep my goals in mind, that’s all I got to do.”
