FORT WASHINGTON >> Four Pioneer Athletic Conference teams entered the quarterfinals of the District 1-3A Duals, Saturday, but when the smoke finally cleared after a long, exhausting day of wrestling, only Spring-Ford still remained.
The Rams have mastered the art of peaking at the right time and out-working opponents, and in doing so, booked their sixth straight trip to the PIAA Duals.
Eighth-seed, Owen J. Roberts, had the win of the tournament, knocking off No. 1 Council Rock South in quarters, but that just ended up clearing a path for Spring-Ford to reach its fifth district final in six seasons.
There, No. 3 Pennridge won their first-ever district duals title with a 36-22 win over Spring-Ford, and both sets of Rams will compete in the first round of the PIAA Duals, Thursday, at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Spring-Ford’s James McGill works against Pennridge’s Brady McMahon, in a 3-1 win at 145 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“I’m so proud of the guys,” Spring-Ford coach Tim Seislove said. “From where we were in December, barely being able to put a lineup out there, the kids kept getting better and got healthy and now we’re state-bound. We knew we could do something special and we did it.”
Fifth-seeded Boyertown and No. 10 Perkiomen Valley were eliminated after going 0-2, while the Wildcats lost their last two on the day, a win away from states.
Spring-Ford (16-4) bettered the Bears, 36-24, in quarters and assumed a rematch with South, who beat the Rams, 54-15, in December. Instead, OJR presented another rematch opportunity.
Spring-Ford’s Gus Smith tries to get a cradle against Pennridge’s Colby Martinelli, in a 4-2 loss at 107 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“We lost to Council Rock earlier in the year and we knew it would be a hard one,” Spring-Ford senior Cole Smith said. “Owen J. surprisingly beat them and we beat (OJR) a few weeks ago so we were very confident that we could beat them again, and we did.”
The Wildcats (13-5) led 31-18, with three bouts to go, but Gus Smith (107 pounds) and Cole Smith (114) picked up first-period pins and Dominick Ferrizzi (121) got six to push the Rams into the final.
Cole Smith’s pin gave him 100 career wins, and he added another against Pennridge’s Cole Coffin, 2-0, in the final.
Spring-Ford fans help Cole Smith celebrate his 100th career victory, which he achieved against Owen J. Roberts’ Quinn Carr. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“It meant a lot,” Cole Smith said. “I’ve been working very hard the last four years and trying to get as many wins and place at as many tournaments as I can. Earlier in the year I saw my best friend and teammate, Quinn Smith, get 100 and that motivated me to keep pushing and get 100 wins, as well. We keep pushing each other so we can see each other on the podium at states.”
Against Pennridge, Spring-Ford lost eight of the first nine bouts, but closed out the contest with four straight wins and will face District 10 champ, Erie Cathedral Prep, Thursday night.
In pa-wrestling.com‘s December 15 rankings, Spring-Ford was tied for the eighth-highest Class 3A school, but nearly two months later, the Rams found their way back to the top.
Spring-Ford gathers with their second-place medals after a 36-22 loss to Pennridge in the District 1-3A Duals. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“It’s a culture that was established a long time ago, back to the 1970s,” Seislove said. “Spring-Ford always had a tradition of good wrestling and the kids come into the program and buy into it and want to do it. A lot of people, from the youth all the way up, make it work.”
Owen J. Roberts’ Cinderella run was short-lived, as the loss to Spring-Ford dropped them into a consolation semifinal matchup with No. 6 Quakertown. The Panthers claimed nine of 13 matches, but Dillon Bechtold (215) won one of the feature bouts of the day with a 5-1 win over Calvin Lachman.
Owen J. Roberts assistant coach, Mike Brilla, celebrates with the team after Christian Gregory’s pin at 285 pounds clinched a dual meet win over top-seeded Council Rock South. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“Win or lose, good or bad, it was a good experience for us,” OJR coach Steve DeRafelo said. “We wrestled three really good teams and we had some great matches. We had the opportunity to wrestle some good kids and we learned a few lessons, which is always the goal.”
Boyertown (13-8) bounced back from its loss to Spring-Ford and almost made South 0-2 against the PAC. The Bears got pins from Mike Kelleher (215) and Cooper Gardner (285) to garner a 27-22 lead, with three to go. The Golden Hawks won the last three, with the clincher, an 8-2 decision by South’s Pat Woloshyn over Luke Heimbach, in the finale.
Boyertown’s Gavin Sheridan works on a major decision against Jamie Silva of Spring-Ford at 139 pounds.(Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“Obviously we know we can compete, but they need to believe they can beat them and I think that’s the difference right now,” Boyertown Tony Haley said.
Perk Valley (15-7) was in its first district quarterfinal since 2000, but the Vikings were just a little out-manned, with a 42-19 loss to No. 2 Sun Valley and a 43-24 setback against Quakertown.
Senior Kelly Kakos (152) entered the day with 98 career wins, but he fell to Sun Valley’s Brandon Carr, 9-6, and Quakertown’s Collin Gaj, 11-5.
Perkiomen Valley’s Gavin Pascoe scores a takedown in sudden victory against Sun Valley’s Alexander Gamble-Williams at 160 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Gavin Pascoe (160) won two matches in sudden victory, taking down Sun Valley’s Alexander Gamble-Williams and Quakertown’s Zach Borzio.
“Gavin had two tough, quality wins,” Perk Valley coach Dave Thomas said. “Gavin, on our team, has had the toughest season, with beating kids and losing to kids who are ranked.”
