WARMINSTER >> Upper Moreland went into the Suburban One League Freedom Division Championship trailing Cheltenham by 10 points in the standings. The Golden Bears made up those 10 points and then some, winning six individual championships and finishing second in three others to win the second league title in program history Wednesday at William Tennent High School.
“Ecstatic,” Upper Moreland senior Collin Evanson, who was on the Golden Bears other league championship team in 2021, said was the feeling coming into the championship. “(The regular season match against Cheltenham) was a devastating loss earlier in the year, but we redeemed it at a duals tournament and then here we came in down 10 and came out up (32). Huge, crushing day. We killed it.”
Maximus Stevenson (114), Michael Muncer (121), Evanson (127), Charlie Hogan (133), Nicholas Ley (152) and John Baker (215) won individual championships for Upper Moreland.
Evanson went 5-0 on the day and his final win, a forfeit, was the 100th of his career. He pinned his opponents in the first four matches to claim his second individual SOL Freedom championship in as many years.
“I’ve been working for it since I was in first grade,” Evanson said. “Just wrestling, getting my (butt) kicked until middle school when I started building, started getting better. Once high school started it clicked. I couldn’t be happier, couldn’t be more proud. It’s disappointing it was a forfeit the last one, I would’ve loved a match. It was heartbreaking, but I’ll get more.”
Upper Moreland’s Collin Evanson, left, poses with his brother, Ryan.
Contrary to Evanson, who’s been wrestling for more than a decade, Baker is in his first season wrestling. He joined the wrestling team to improve his football skills and ended up rolling to a league championship. In his three matches he pinned his opponents in 20 seconds, 52 seconds and 89 seconds.
“I’m pretty new with this whole wrestling world,” Baker, who wants to play fullback in college, said. “I just started, this is my first year. I’m just in love with it, practicing every day and putting in the work with all of my teammates. I wouldn’t be anywhere without my teammates. We all come in and put in the work every day and make each other better and it’s showing in the tournament now.
“My headlock is my go-to move. It’s my first year, I don’t have much, but they said find one move, perfect it and that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Upper Moreland’s John Baker
Muncer’s win at 121 was a back-and-forth match with Cheltenham’s Rah’Mier Sanders. Muncer held a 4-2 lead after the first period and expanded it to 12-4 at the end of the second. Sanders rallied to within 15-12 with less than 20 seconds left, but the match needed to be stopped for a medical timeout for Muncer. The Upper Moreland junior was able to complete the match and close out the win, 16-12.
Stevenson went 2-0 in the three-man 114-pound tournament. He pinned William Tennent’s Travis Donovan late in the second period before beating Cheltenham’s Nathan Homa by major decision, 9-1.
Hogan had four pins – in 3:05, 1:51, 2:13 and 3:01 – and a major decision, 19-8, to win the 133-pound title.
Ley pinned all five of his opponents in the 152-pound round robin. He won in 1:37, 3:06, :26, 1:32 and 1:31.
Marky Delzingaro (107), Jonathon Hester (145) and Thomas Leahy (285) finished second in their weight classes for Upper Moreland.
Cheltenham finished second in the league – 32 points behind Upper Moreland. Connor Stegeman (107), Corey Bradley (172), Qadir Heyward (189) and Kurt Scheuerman (285) won individual titles for the Panthers, who went 5-0 in SOL Freedom duals during the regular season.
Lower Moreland’s Alex Kebuz (139) and Joshua Simon (145) and Springfield Township’s William Horn (160) also won individual championships.
SOL FREEDOM STANDINGS
Upper Moreland
Cheltenham
William Tennent
Springfield Township
Lower Moreland
New Hope-Solebury
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
107: 1. Connor Stegeman (Chel); 2. Marky Delzingaro (UM); 3. Asadbek Murodov (WT)
114: 1. Maximus Stevenson (UM); 2. Nathan Homa (Chel); 3. Travis Donovan (WT)
121: 1. Michael Muncer (UM); 2. Rah’Mier Sanders (Chel); 3. Brock Rudy (WT)
127: 1. Collin Evanson (UM); 2. Maxim Borisov (Chel); 3. Cameron Small (WT)
133: 1. Charlie Hogan (UM); 2. Quinn Bridge (NHS); 3. Shakrizo Pulatov (LM)
139: 1. Alex Kebuz (LM); 2. Donovan Leone (NHS); 3. Connor Cleary (UM)
145: 1. Joshua Simon (LM); Jonathon Hester (UM); Cole Stegeman (Chel)
152: 1. Nicholas Ley (UM); 2. Joel Andrewsky (WT); 3. Kenneth Cordon-Aceve (SP)
160: 1. William Horn (SP); 2. Arthur Gordon (Chel); 3. Davlat Astrorov (UM)
172: 1. Corey Bradley (Chel); Jason Morrissy (SP); Viktor Purshaha (WT)
189: 1. Qadir Hayward (Chel); 2. Sean Halett (WT); 3. Aaron Kauffman (SP)
215: 1. John Baker (UM); 2. Felix Boccella (SP); 3. Julio Mattos (WT)
285: 1. Kurt Scheuerman (Chel); 2. Thomas Leahy (UM); 3. Matteo Fiocca (LM)
