UWCHLAN >> At six feet five inches tall, and 280 pounds, Downingtown East’s Adham Abouraya was made to move people.
With his ability to do just that on the football field — move defensive lineman against their will — Abouraya has become a Division 1 prospect, but on the wrestling mat he’s learned it takes a little bit more than just being a human bulldozer.
Abouraya took some lumps figuring that out, but as he’s grown into his huge frame he’s gone from a winless freshman to someone who hopes to contend with the best District 1 has to offer.
“When he first came to us he struggled to do some simple things like change levels and even do a cartwheel,” East coach Joe Horvath said. “Now he’s one of our most athletic guys out there. He’s quick, he’s agile, he knows where his body is and he displays it, not only here, but on the football field.”
Downingtown East’s Adham Abouraya walking on his hands during warmups before practice, Tuesday. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Abouraya’s first chance at showcasing his progress is the District 1-3A West Sectional, which starts at 8:30 a.m., Saturday at Oxford High. The top four finishers from each of the 13 weight classes will advance to the Southeast Regional at Souderton, March 3 and 4.
The West is made up of the Ches-Mont League, minus Great Valley, plus Chichester, Marple Newtown, Penncrest and Garnet Valley.
Great Valley and Conestoga will compete at the North Sectional, at Perkiomen Valley High.
The 285-pound weight class is arguably the deepest class in the West, with five of the top nine wrestlers ranked in District 1, according to pa-wrestling.com.
With Kennett’s Bailey Shindle, a returning state qualifier, and West Chester Henderson’s Liam Keevil and Downingtown West’s Troy Mack, who have wins over Abouraya this season, the East junior won’t be the favorite, but he’ll have a chance to show why Horvath reached out to the family heading into his freshman year.
“I wasn’t even going to wrestle in ninth grade,” Abouraya said. “My mom came into my room one day, I was on the Playstation and she was like, “you’re gonna wrestle. The coach emailed me, you’re gonna just do it.” I was like, alright, whatever.”
Downingtown East’s Adham Abouraya drills with teammate, Felix Mason. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Playing sports was always in the cards for Abouraya. His father, Mohamed Abouraya, was a professional basketball player in Egypt before moving to the United States, where he met Adham’ mother, Samira Badawi, whose family is also from Egypt. Adham spent part of his early years in Egypt, on extended stays.
There was little chance Adham would end up small and/or frail, with two tall parents, but Adham’s freshman campaign showed him he needed to add some finesse to his physicality.
“I thought I was gonna go in and kill everybody, but I didn’t even win a single match,” Adham said. “The next season I was 20-15 so I saw I have the ability to if I really put my time in, to be successful.”
Adham’s first season was shortened due to COVID, so he only wrestled six bouts, but after getting pinned seven times in his first two seasons, he’s yet to be decked as a junior and is 19-4 on the season.
No doubt, starting two years at left tackle on a competitive football team and becoming more athletic in the wrestling room have paired nicely.
Downingtown East’s Adham Abouraya. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“I think wrestling makes a football player a better football player and I think playing football makes a wrestler a better wrestler,” Horvath said. “Those sports are married, when you really get down to the nitty gritty. They’re the most contact you can possibly have in high school sports. Especially for a lineman, a lot of the aspects are similar, everywhere from hand-fighting to body positioning to keeping your guy in front of you to finding angles, they’re the same. That’s definitely reflective in what Adham has become.”
History is on Adham’s side, as a two-sport athlete. In the 20 seasons of East wrestling, only two heavyweights have qualified for the state tournament — Mike Lukenda and Sean Snodgrass — and both were football players.
Downingtown East’s Adham Abouraya. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Shindle is the only 285-pounder in the bracket who doesn’t also play football, and Abouraya could see him in the quartefinals. First, Abouraya, the No. 4 seed, has to get by No. 5 Dylan Bledsoe of Garnet Valley, whom Abouraya defeated in the regular season, 4-1.
Much like the college football coaches, who are always excited to find out Adham wrestles, Adham is a fan of the big boy battles.
“I find the heavyweights to be more interesting than everyone else because they’re big kids who are really athletic like me, being able to move around,” Adham said. “It’s not just fat kids moving around. It’s actually good competition.”
A look at all 13 weight classes:
Downingtown West’s Brayden Sigle. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
107
Per usual, the lightest bracket is filled with mostly freshmen and sophomores and a pair of juniors. Sun Valley’s John Deorio is the only returning regional qualifier and he is the No. 2 seed, on the same side as No. 3 Zach McFarlane of West Chester East. Downingtown West’s Brayden Sigle is the top seed and has a win over Deorio in the finals at the Ches-Mont Championships. Oxford’s Sam Howell and Unionville’s Tommy Robinson are a pair of 23-match winners on the top half.
Downingtown West’s Chase Sigle takes Jimmy Falls of West Chester Henderson to the mat before pinning him at 114 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
114
Unionville’s Cole Haines was originally the No. 1 seed, but he’s been dealing with an injury for over a month and was forced to withdrawal. This means Sun Valley’s Timmy Kearney moves into the top spot and will likely have to get through West Chester Henderson’s Jack Overton to reach the finals. On the other side, West’s Chase Sigle is now the No. 2 seed and he’ll be looking to avenge a loss by fall to Kearney at Ches-Monts. Haines’ absence opens a spot for regionals, and Downingtown East’s Valen Piff, West Chester Rustin’s Brody Woodbridge and Oxford’s Logan McMillan hope to fill it.
Coatesville’s Andrij Szczesniuk. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
121
Coatesvilles’ Andrij Szczesniuk beat Kennett’s Zack Jaffe in the Ches-Monts finals and Jaffe has two wins over Avon Grove’s Christian Ford this year, but Ford beat Szczesniuk earlier in the month. Ford is the No. 2 seed and No. 3 Jaffe could meet again, in the semis, while Szczesniuk has a clearer path to the finals from the top half. Unionville’s Mason Coursey is also up top. Sun Valley’s Dalton Pedrick and Garnet Valley’s Nolan Carroll could throw themselves in the mix, on the bottom half.
Kennett’s Blake Boyer. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
127
While the Ches-Mont does not have some of the high-end star power of years past, there is some very promising young talent, especially in the light weights. A potential final here could showcase that. Kennett freshman, Blake Boyer, is the top seed with 29 wins. He has a win over the second seed, Sun Valley sophomore, Hunter Delaney, who transferred from Henderson prior to the season. While they’re the favorites to make the finals, there are others who hope to break out, including Henderson’s Alfie Overton, Oxford’s Jared Schaible, West’s Levi Richmond and West Chester Rustin’s Charlie Emmonds.
West Chester Henderson’s Carmen Cortese. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
133
Henderson’s Carmen Cortese is the most-accomplished wrestler in this tournament as a returning regional champ. As the current flag bearer for the Ches-Mont, Cortese has 96 career wins and is the top seed and favorite in what could be a fun bracket. Chasing him are No. 2 and 3 seeds, Sun Valley’s Brecken Strickland and Kennett’s Kane Lengel, respectively. Lengel will be looking for some revenge against Strickland, after getting pinned with a lead in the Ches-Monts finals and then dropping a 12-10 decision in a dual meet. On their side, West’s Kevin Bernhard and Rustin’s James Pizzi have upsets in mind, and Garnet Valley’s Ethan Bliss and Oxford’s Reiland Canaday add depth on the top half.
Oxford’s Austin McMillan. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
139
This bracket is bookended by a pair of seniors whose seasons ended at regionals a year ago. Oxford’s Austin McMillan finished sixth after getting injured in the semifinals and is the No. 1 seed. That injury is still something McMillan has to try to manage as he tries to navigate his way to Hershey. Second-seeded David Voghel of Sun Valley is always ready to mix it up and he’s the favorite on the bottom half. McMillan should see either West’s Jordan Barry or Henderson’s Angus Whittaker in the semis, and West Chester East’s Jefferson Cooper is looking for his first trip to regionals, as a senior.
West Chester East’s Max Parnis. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
145
Of all the weight classes, the eight seniors here are the most of any bracket. There are also zero freshmen, so expect some good battles. Sun Valley’s Brandon Carr is 35-1 and gets his first taste of the PIAA postseason after placing second in Delaware at Caravel Academy as a freshman. That got him the top seed, and Kennett’s Michael Pepe and Coatesville’s Evan Seagreaves are on his side. West Chester East’s Max Parnis is a returning state qualifier and he’s the No. 2 seed. He’s expected to reach the semis where he’ll likely face Chichester’s Blake Bryant, who is a 28-3 senior. Parnis has 96 career wins, so joining the century club could also be at stake in the finals, assuming the brackets stay as-is.
Avon Grove’s Garrett Landon. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
152
Sun Valley has eight top-two seeds, and returning state qualifier, Alexander Gamble-Williams, is tops here. Coatesville’s Jacob Ruttman has had an impressive year, but Garnet’s Matthew Mesaros could block him from seeing Gamble-Williams in the semis. On the lower half, Avon Grove’s Garrett Landon is the No. 2 seed and Kennett’s Tyler Maiers is No. 3. Maiers pinned Landon in their only matchup, but it was like watching snakes fight and should make for another exciting bout if they meet in semis.
Kennett’s Josh Barlow. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
160
Three experienced seniors hold the top seeds, starting with Kennett’s Josh Barlow, followed by Unionville’s Topher Tryon and Downingtown East’s Ryan Loraw. Barlow qualified for states as a junior and Tryon was a couple wins shy in his first postseason, last winter. Loraw hasn’t made regionals since he was a state qualifier as a freshman. West’s senior, Caleb Pate, has come on strong late in the season and could find his way to regionals, but Henderson’s Jackson McMonalge and Sun Valley’s Will Cadden will have something to say about it.
Avon Grove’s Andrew Spancake. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
172
This is the one weight where a non-Ches-Mont wrestler is favored. Marple Newtown’s Jimmy Hally is the top seed at 25-3, and is the only returning regional qualifier. He’s the man to beat and Unionville’s Ryan O’Leary and Oxford’s Nathan Vance are the only grapplers with winning records on his side. On the bottom half, Coatesville’s No. 3 Jack Weldon is looking to make a name for himself as a 26-7 sophomore. Avon Grove’s Andrew Spancake is a 20-match winner and is the No. 2 seed.
Oxford’s Jeremy McKinney pins Downingtown West’s Mason Hale. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
189
With Owen J. Roberts’ Dillon Bechtold deciding to go up to 215 pounds in the North, a few notable wrestlers decided to drop to 189, including West’s Mason Hale, the top seed, and Oxford’s No. 2 Jeremy McKinney. The two met at Ches-Monts, at 215, and McKinney pinned Hale, who’s a returning state qualifier. This is McKinney’s first postseason since his freshman season. A few underclassmen — Coatesville’s Matthew Luton, Unionville’s Jacob Julier and Avon Grove’s Jagger Vitelli — are ready to make names for themselves.
Kennett’s John Pardo. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
215
Top-seeded John Pardo of Kennett was a win away from a state medal as a sophomore and will enjoy a week as the favorite before a very potentially challenging regional bracket. On Pardo’s side of the bracket, Downingtown East’s Felix Mason and Chichester’s Montana Raymond should duke it out in quarters. Sun Valley’s Chase Thompson flirted with bumping to 285 but stayed down and is the No. 2 seed. Henderson’s Stephen Beatty is No. 3.
Kennett’s Bailey Shindle. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
285
There are only 11 wrestlers here, but five of them are ranked in the top eight on pa-wrestling.com. Kennett’s Bailey Shindle is the top seed as a returning state qualifier. Up top are also a pair of juniors — No. 4 Adham Abouraya of Downingtown East and No. 5 Dylan Bledsoe of Garnet Valley. Henderson’s Liam Keevill earned the No. 2 seed, but he may have a tough quarter against West’s Troy Mack, was seeded seventh after wrestling only 12 bouts this year. Sun Valley’s Anthony Laird is No. 3 and Dylan McGuire of Coatesville is also on the lower half.
