FORT WASHINGTON — The favorites to win the District 1 Class 3A Duals tournament did just that, but it was anything but easy for senior Ajay Bhatt and top-seeded Council Rock South.
Bhatt and the Golden Hawks wouldn’t have it any other way.
The senior scored an 11-0 major decision win over No. 2 Pennridge’s Anthony Granite at 139 pounds in the final bout of the championship match on Feb. 3 at Upper Dublin High School, punctuating a razor-thin, come-from-behind 26-25 victory.
“If you don’t have challenges, the reward isn’t nearly as sweet,” Bhatt said. “We stayed focused as a team and everyone did their job. We came together and wrestled a great match. It’s something we train for every day.”
South also survived No. 4 Quakertown in the semis, squeaking past the Panthers to clinch its bid to the PIAA team wrestling championship, which will begin for the Golden Hawks on Thursday, Feb. 8 in Hershey.
“(The close calls) motivate us,” Bhatt said. “Obviously we have more work to do in the room, myself included. This is awesome, but we can’t get too caught up in it. We have to stay focused on the next challenge at states.”
Pennridge went on a three match run courtesy victories from Colby Martinelli (114), Cole Coffin (121) and Quinn McBride (127) to build a 25-16 with two matches to go, but the top seeds had the goods late.
Sophomore Pat Woloshyn pinned in the first period at 133, leading up to Bhatt’s heroics.
Rock South and Pennridge earn automatic qualification to Hershey for next weekend’s PIAA Duals tournament.
They could be joined by the third- and fourth-place finishers from District 1, Boyertown and Quakertown. The Bears edged the Panthers 36-31 in the third-place match. Both teams will be in action on Monday as they host preliminary round PIAA tournament matches with a spot in Hershey on the line.
Boyertown’s Gavin Sheridan is the only Bears wrestler to ever compete at Hershey (he medaled at 133 pounds in the individual tournament as a junior), so having him on the mat with the opportunity to clinch third place for his team seemed fitting.
Then, Sheridan dropped a 4-3 stunner — just his third loss of the season, compared to 35 wins — setting the stage for junior Beck Babb to play the role of hero.
Babb (30-9) culminated a perfect 4-0 day by securing a critical 10-6 decision over Quakertown’s Kyler Roesener at 139 pounds to deliver a thrilling 36-31 win. Babb — who on the day also won a 6-5 decision over Alex Brandt of Owen J. Roberts, a 22-7 tech fall against Pennridge’s Granite and a 19-7 major decision versus Spring-Ford’s Christian Ruiz — outlasted Roesener by wrestling smart, calm and focused.
“I knew it was going to come down to me, so I just had to stay with what I know and wrestle to my ability,” Babb said. “We’re happy with (third place), it’s what we came here to do. We just needed to battle, and I know I’m a good wrestler, so I just had to use what I’ve got. I know I’m good enough to beat top-level guys.”
Boyertown’s Shane Stankina scrambles against Pennridge’s Brady McMahon in a 7-2 win at 145 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
The third-place finish punched Boyertown’s first state team bid since 2019, but the Bears aren’t Hershey-bound just yet. Boyertown will have to win one more match in Monday’s preliminary PIAA round against District 3’s Central Dauphin to make the trip to Hershey.
“It would mean a lot, a dream of all of ours to get there,” Babb said. “As a team I expect us to go out there Monday and wrestle hard. It’s at home and everybody is going to be there, so we’re all going to be excited. We’ll be ready to battle.”
Boyertown head coach Tony Haley shared after the match that Babb also came into the day a little under the weather, making his perfect performance even more impressive.
“He had a huge day for us,” Haley said. “He persevered and closed it out for us. That’s exactly what he does — he’s a grinder. He works super hard in the room, and it paid off out here today.”
It’s been a resurgent season for the Bears, who also recently swept their PAC slate for the first time since 2016, and the team is not taking the ride for granted.
“Our kids have done a fantastic job accomplishing our goals,” Haley said. “We get a really tough Central Dauphin team coming in that is one of the perennial powers in the state. Our kids are going to continue to battle.
“Every win we’ve had recently has been a step to get us back to where we were a handful of years ago. So, do I look at it like a win on Monday signifies our season? No, but a trip to Hershey would be big. Only one kid on our team has ever visited Hershey to wrestle, so to have a chance to take our whole team would be an accomplishment.”
Before Boyertown advanced to the third-place match against Quakertown, the Bears battled Owen J. Roberts in the second round of the consolation bracket. The two PAC rivals met here after Boyertown fell to Pennridge in the semis of the championship bracket and No. 8 OJR upset fifth-seeded Sun Valley in the consolation bracket’s opening round.
And while the Wildcats hoped to knock off Boyertown and get one step closer to qualifying for the state tournament, it wasn’t meant to be. Still, OJR did not let the Boyertown defeat and state elimination rain on its parade.
Owen J. Roberts’ Sam Gautreau fights to pin Sun Valley’s RJ Scharrer at 172 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“For me, it was a really positive thing,” OJR head coach Steve DeRafaelo said. “We gave ourselves opportunities to score and win some of these matches, and I was happy about that. We’re moving in a positive direction. We’ve got some inexperienced guys — two first-year kids and one second-year, and now they’re at district duals wrestling some of the best kids in Southeastern Pa. That’s asking a whole lot of them, and they were out there competing and doing the best they can do.”
OJR brothers Dillon (senior) and Dean Bechtold (sophomore) both went 3-0 on the day, with both securing three pins each, with all of them coming in dominant fashion. Five of the six pins came in less than a minute, and the longest any opponent lasted on the mat was Kaleb Dumin of Boyertown, who made it 1:26 before Dillon Bechtold put him away.
“They’re pretty special kids,” DeRafaelo said. “I just sit back and enjoy watching them wrestle. It’s an absolute joy to watch them compete because they wrestle the right way. For them, it’s almost like a chess game. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and they are two of the best that I’ve ever coached.”
Championship match
Council Rock South 26, Pennridge 25
145- Ben Brillhart (CRS) maj. dec. Brady McMahon (Pr), 12-4 (4-0)
152- Sam Kuhns (Pr) pinned Max Nepochatov (CRS), 5:14 (4-6)
160- Gavin Cole (CRS) dec. Ryan Gallagher (Pr), 5-2 (7-6)
172- Bekhruz Sadriddinov (CRS) dec. Talan Hogan (Pr), 9-3 (10-6)
189- Scott Linkewich (CRS) dec. Ryan Rowe (Pr), 5-3 (13-6)
215- Riley Cullen (Pr) pinned Aryn Valeriano (CRS), 0:59 (13-12)
285- Chase Washington (Pr) dec. Jeff Gessner (CRS), 9-7 (13-15)
107- Eddie Alvarez (CRS) dec. Kevin McFadden (Pr), 6-5 (16-15)
114- Colby Martinelli (Pr) dec. Connor Lenahan (CRS), 9-2 (16-18)
121- Cole Coffin (Pr) maj. dec. Christian Zimmerman, 14-4 (16-22)
127- Quinn McBride (Pr) dec. Luke Reitter (CRS), 6-4 (16-25)
133- Pat Woloshyn (CRS) pinned Danny Metzler, 0:54 (25-22)
139- Ajay Bhatt (CRS) maj. dec. Anthony Granite, 11-0 (26-25)
Third-place match
Boyertown 36, Quakertown 31
145- Gavin Carroll (Qt) pinned Shane Stankina (Bt), 3:59 (6-0)
152- Collin Gaj (Qt) pinned Owen Dykie (Bt), 0:31 (12-0)
160- J.D. Heiser (Bt) dec. Maxwell Hibsman (Qt), 7-12 (12-3)
172- Ryder Gehris (Bt) pinned Michael Socci (Qt), 3:29 (12-9)
189- Joshua Larrimore (Bt) pinned David Clayton (Qt), 1:04 (15-12)
215- Mike Kelleher (Bt) pinned Dylan Fenstermacher (Qt), 1:31 (21-12)
285- Calvin Lachman (Qt) pinned Casey Shaak (Bt), 0:35 (21-18)
107- Gunnar Jozefowski (Qt) maj. dec. Boden Waite, 10-2 (22-21)
114- Cole Fogle (Bt) pinned Julian Moonlight (Qt), 5:02 (27-22)
121- Brody Coleman (Bt) pinned Waylen Strzelski (Qt), 4:25 (33-22)
127- Isaiah Williams (Qt) pinned Andrew Myslinski (Bt), 3:31 (33-28)
133- Mason Ziegler (Qt) dec. Gavin Sheridan (Bt), 6-3 (33-31)
139- Beck Babb (Bt) dec. Kyler Roesener (Qt), 10-6 (36-31)
Championship semifinals
Pennridge 53, Boyertown 14
133- Gavin Sheridan (Bt) pinned Blaze Lewis (Pr), 0:52 (6-0)
139- Beck Babb (Bt) tech. fall Anthony Granite (Pr), 22-7 (11-0)
145- Shane Stankina (Bt) dec. Brady McMahon (Pr), 7-2 (14-0)
152- Sam Kuhns (Pr) maj. dec. Owen Dykie (Bt), 13-4 (14-4)
160- Ryan Gallagher (Pr) maj. dec. J.D. Heiser (Bt), 13-4 (14-8)
172- Talan Hogan (Pr) pinned Josh Larirmore (Bt), 0:21 (14-14)
189- Ryan Rowe (Pr) pinned Mike Kelleher (Bt), 1:44 (14-20)
215- Riley Cullen (Pr) pinned Kaleb Dumin (Bt), 0:34 (14-26)
285- Chase Washington (Pr) dec. Casey Shaak (Bt), 10-4 (14-29)
107- Kevin McFadden (Pr) pinned Connor Bush (Bt), 3:52 (14-35)
114- Colby Martinelli (Pr) pinned Hayden Brown (Bt), 2:44 (41-14)
121- Col Coffin (Pr) pinned Brody Coleman (Bt), 0:18 (47-14)
127- Quinn McBride (Pr) pinned Liam Diamond (Bt), 0:40 (53-14)
Consolation bracket, round 2
Boyertown 40, Owen J. Roberts 22
139- Beck Babb (Bt) dec. Alex Brandt (OJR), 6-5 (3-0)
145- Shane Stankina (Bt) dec. Brady Quinn (OJR), 6-1 (6-0)
152- Owen Dykie (Bt) dec. Michael Godri (OJR), 5-3 (9-0)
160- J.D. Heiser (Bt) pinned Logan Brower (OJR), 0:25 (15-0)
172- Sam Gautreau (OJR) pinned Ryder Gehris (Bt), 3:41 (15-6)
189- Dysen Neill (OJR) maj. dec. Josh Larrimore (Bt), 13-5 (15-10)
215- Dillon Bechtold (OJR) pinned Kaleb Dumin (Bt), 1:26 (16-15)
285- Dean Bechtold (OJR) pinned Casey Shaak (Bt), 0:47 (22-15)
107- Boden Waite (Bt) dec. Tyler Maack (OJR), 10-4 (22-18)
114- Cole Fogle (Bt) pinned Quinn Carr (OJR), 3:43 (24-22)
121- Brody Coleman (Bt) pinned Joaquin Fernandes, 1:47 (30-22)
127- Andrew Myslinski maj. dec. Daniel Randolph, 10-1 (34-22)
133- Gavin Sheridan (Bt) won by forfeit (40-22)
Consolation bracket, round 1
Owen J. Roberts 36, Sun Valley 29
133- Alex Brandt (OJR) pinned Gunnar Pedrick (SV), 3:50 (6-0)
139- Brecken Strickland (SV) dec. Blaine Schmoyer (OJR), 10-3 (6-3)
145- Brady Quinn (OJR) pinned Joshua Wothers (SV), 4:00 (12-3)
152- Hunter Delaney (SV) dec. Michael Godri (OJR), 8-2 (12-6)
160- Logan Brower (OJR) pinned William Cadden (SV), 0:52 (18-6)
172- Sam Gautreau (OJR) pinned R.J. Scharrer (SV), 1:00 (24-6)
189- Brandon Carr (SV) maj. dec. Dysen Neill (OJR), 11-3 (24-10)
215- Dillon Bechtold (OJR) pinned Peter Fox (SV), 0:29 (30-10)
285- Dean Bechtold (OJR) pinned Nick Zimmerman (SV), 0:13 (36-10)
107- Darren Minicozi (SV) dec. Tyler Maack (OJR), 8-2 (36-13)
114- John Deorio (SV) maj. dec. Quinn Carr (OJR), 13-2 (36-17)
121- Timothy Kearney (SV) pinned Joaquin Fernandes (OJR), 2:35 (36-23)
127- Dalton Pedrick (SV) pinned Daniel Randolph (OJR), 0:54 (36-29)
Championship quarterfinals
Boyertown 35, Spring-Ford 18
127- Andrew Myslinski (Bt) maj. dec. Jonathan Chapman (SF), 10-1 (4-0)
133- Gavin Sheridan (Bt) maj. dec. Brennan McGrann (SF), 14-2 (8-0)
139- Beck Babb (Bt) maj. dec. Christian Ruiz (SF), 19-7 (12-0)
145- Jamie Silva (SF) dec. Shane Stankina (Bt), 4-2 (12-3)
152- Owen Dykie (Bt) dec. Drew Dotterer (SF), 3-1 (15-3)
160- Ryder Gehris (Bt) maj. dec. James McGill (SF), 10-2 (19-3)
172- J.D. Heiser (Bt) maj. dec. Michael Stead (SF), 14-4 (23-3)
189- Mason Richards (SF) tech. fall Mike Kelleher (Bt), 5:21 16-1 (23-8)
215- Brody Ayres (Bt) pinned Daniel Borzillo (SF), 5:52 (29-8)
285- Connor Hudak (SF) dec. Michael Palmiero (Bt), 2-0 (29-11)
107- Brady Seislove (SF) dec. Boden Waite (Bt), 6-5 (29-14)
114- Gus Smith (SF) maj. dec. Cole Fogle (Bt), 11-0 (29-18)
121- Brody Coleman (Bt) pinned Angelo Calafati (SF), 1:05 (35-18)
Championship Quarterfinals
Council Rock South 49, Owen J. Roberts 15
127- Christian Zimmerman (CRS) pinned Daniel Randolph (OJR), 0:18 (6-0)
133- Pat Woloshyn (CRS) dec. Alex Brandt (OJR), 5-1 (9-0)
139- Ajay Bhatt (CRS) maj. dec. Blaine Schmoyer (OJR), 12-1 (13-0)
145- Ben Brillhart (CRS) tech. fall Brady Quinn (OJR), 18-2 (18-0)
152- Michael Godri (OJR) dec. Caleb Christian, 7-6 (18-3)
160- Gavin Cole (CRS) pinned Logan Brower (OJR), 0:45 (24-3)
172- Aidan Murray (CRS) pinned Will Lorenzi (OJR), 0:44 (30-3)
189- Bekhruz Sadriddinov (CRS) dec. Sam Gautreau (OJR), 3-0 (33-3)
215- Dillon Bechtold (OJR) pinned Aryn Valeriano, 0:33 (33-9)
285- Dean Bechtold (OJR) pinned Jeff Gessner, 0:22 (33-15)
107- Eddie Alvarez (CRS) maj. dec. Tyler Maack (OJR), 12-3 (37-15)
114- Connor Lenahan (CRS) pinned Quinn Carr (OJR), 3:38 (43-15)
121- Luke Reitter (CRS) pinned Joaquin Fernandes (OJR), 1:45 (49-15)
