This week’s wrestling notebook recaps the SOL’s team at District Duals and also highlights Wednesday’s action.
SOL Notebook
By Glenn Kaiser
DISTRICT DUALS: COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH & PENNSBURY ADVANCE TO ELITE 8
SOL National Conference teams Council Rock South and Pennsbury advanced to the District One Dual Championship Finals. Pennsbury, the #6 seed, will face #3 Downingtown East on Friday, Feb. 1, at Upper Dublin High School. CR South will battle #2 Spring-Ford in the quarterfinals at UD Friday, Feb. 1. Pennsbury, after receiving a first round bye, took on #11 Upper Darby at CB East for the second time this season. Although the final score was a bit closer, Pennsbury won again with a final score of 37-25. Council Rock South, the #7 seed, traveled to Methacton where the Golden Hawks defeated the host Warriors 36-25 in second round action. South was boosted by Nick Palmer’s :47 second fall at 106, followed by Methacton forfeits at 113 and 120. PJ Steinmetz opened the match up with a clean 15-0 tech fall over Methacton’s Tahar Ferradja to get the Golden Hawks the first points of the evening and a 5-0 team score lead.
The National Conference teams fared well in the Duals first round with #12 CR North defeating #21 Ridley at Methacton, and #14 Neshaminy handled #19 Upper Dublin with relative ease 42-21. Neshaminy got off to a strong start with falls by 285-pounder Bruce Graeber and Sam Rudolph at 113. Neshaminy won the first four bouts to open up a 21- point lead that was never really threatened. Upper Dublin’s Sam Jacobson remained undefeated as he beat the Redskins Cody Lupfer 4-3 in one of the night’s most exciting bouts at Wissahickon. Neshaminy, however, could not hold off Downingtown East in a highly contested dual. With the match all squared at 22-22 after the 170 pound bout, D-East ran off four straight wins to secure the win 40-22. D-East’s upper weights were too much for the Redskins, but Cody Lupfer did not disappoint with another exciting match at 182; however, he lost 13-8.
Council Rock North disposed of Ridley in round one and then had to face off with an extremely talented Boyertown team. CR North kept it close the second time around with Boyertown 36-28. Bonus points were the difference in this one as both teams won seven bouts, but Boyertown, led by Jordan Wood’s fall at 285, helped the Bears to secure four pins, one tech fall, and a major decision. Boyertown forfeited to CRN’s John Dutrow up at 152.
Norristown, seeded #8, could not move on to the Elite 8, as they lost to a hot team in #9 Downingtown West 43-33 after receiving a first round bye. Despite getting pins from the super trio of Zach Fuentes (120), Mike Springer (145), and Brett Harner (182), Norristown gave up five pins of its own and one forfeit.
The Continental Conference teams also did not fare as well in round one action. #20 Pennridge lost the closest dual meet of the first two rounds of the Duals, dropping a 32-31 decision to #13 Garnet Valley in round one. The Rams won as many bouts as GV (7), and fought back reeling off three consecutive wins to end the match after trailing 32-18. Despite Josh Stencler’s tremendous effort to pin GV’s Mark Morey at 182, he was only able to post a 13-3 major decision with the referee slapping the mat after the final buzzer sounded, ending the hopes of Pennridge advancing.
The battle of Central Bucks took place at Central Bucks East as #18 CB South crossed town to again do battle with #15 CB East. The Titans from South avenged an earlier season league loss by downing the Patriots 33-28. CB South won the coin toss, and that may have been the difference in this one as CBE was forced to forfeit to the Titans Mitchell Bain at 220 to close the match and seal the deal for CBS. South was no match for the #2 seeded Spring-Ford Rams, losing 45-16, as they were eliminated from the duals.
SOL League Wrap-up
Continental: Pennridge and Quakertown Take Charge
Quakertown remained the hottest team in the league as they knocked off CB East 35-32 Wednesday night. Tyler Seislove won the big bout of the night, as East’s Fransesco Fabozzi moved up to 138 to challenge Seislove. Seislove was the victor 6-5, and now only Quakertown and Pennridge are atop the conference standings with one loss each in league action.
Pennridge took care of business defeating Souderton handily 45-18 Wednesday night. Pennridge still must do battle with CB East and CB South while Quakertown has a bit of an easier schedule with Hatboro-Horsham and CB West remaining. Pennridge owns an earlier season victory over the Panthers.
National: CR South Edges Neshaminy
Ben Kenis at 220 pounds lifted CR South to victory Wednesday evening, pinning Neshaminy’s Jake Fox in just 20 seconds. Neshaminy’s loss to the Golden Hawks puts CRS back in the title hunt, but the Golden Hawks will need help from the Redskins when Neshaminy faces Pennsbury. Since Pennsbury owns a victory over South, Neshaminy will need to win to help South possibly grab a share of the title.
Neshaminy has been a narrow loser to several of D-1’s best teams this season as the Reddskins continue to wrestle well despite some inexperience in the upper weights. The experience gained at the Duals will only help them individually in the post-season.
Neshaminy is getting contributions from sophomores Justin Kramer and Dominic Stabilito and plenty of mileage out of standouts Sam Rudolph, Ryan O’Conner, Nate Russell, and Cody Lupfer. Neshaminy is back in action tomorrow as the Redskins host their own Redskin Duals. Quakertown and CB West will also wrestle in these duals.
American: Upper Dublin May Have To Settle For Second With Record On The Line
Upper Dublin, despite its gaudy 17-4 record, may have to take a backseat behind Norristown again this season. Nonetheless, a school single season win record of 18 is out there for the Cardinals. Upper Dublin dispatched Springfield Wednesday 58-17 and took care of Upper Moreland last week 48-22. Head Coach Dave Jones doesn’t want to talk about it, but they have two opportunities to break the mark of 17 dual meet victories at Upper Dublin. Coach Jones is more concerned about taking care of business with his two remaining league matches with Wissahickon and Plymouth Whitmarsh. If UD can win out and get some help from an improving Wissahickon team when they wrestle Norristown, a share of the league crown is a possibility.
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