GOLDEN HAWKS ON AN EARLY SEASON ROLL
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 32-QUAKERTOWN 26
by Glenn Kaiser
Under the spotlight in Quakertown’s gym, with a spirited crowd, two wrestling giants battled, and in the end Council Rock South (3-0) was victorious 32-26 over Quakertown (0-1) in a SOL non-conference dual meet. There was much anticipation for this match, as the Quakertown Panthers’ wrestling team had not stepped on the mat yet this season. They jumped right in against a talented CR South squad that had already established themselves early in the 2022-23 season. The match lived up to the hype as both teams dug in and left all they had on the mat during this furious tussle.
The Panthers led thru nine matches after the 172-pound match, holding a narrow 20-17 edge over the Golden Hawks. Q-town’s Mason Ziegler posted a 27-11 tech fall at 133-pounds over South’s A.J. Bhatt to push the Panther lead to 11-4. Isaac Williams (Q-town) posted the first points on the board at 114-pounds, downing Christian Zimmerman (CRS) by a score of 6-4. Rock South counterpunched with Pat Woloshyn majoring at 121, and you could tell it was all-hands on deck for both teams.
Top guns in the region were on display in the ring, and they did not disappoint. Pinfalls were recorded by CR South’s Ben Brillhart (139) and Bek Sadriddinov (who moved all the way up to 189-pounds), putting the Golden Hawks in the lead 23-20 after trailing most of the night. Quakertown gladiators Colin Gaj (145) and Calvin Lachman (215) also notched pins in the contest, setting up a decisive match at 285-pounds. However, the war may have been won by Golden Hawks’ Andrew Lindros (152) and Aiden Murray’s (172) wins, which sandwiched around Panther Zach Borzio’s hard fought victory over South’s Gavin Cole 6-4. Murray added a bonus point with his 12-1 major decision over Michael Socci.
At 285-pounds, Golden Hawk Aidan Queppet, a first-year senior, defeated the Panthers’ Drew Tibbits 3-1, knotting the team score at 26-all. The epic battle ended with Quakertown forfeiting to CR South’s stalwart light-weight Connor Lenahan, which notched the Golden Hawks third straight dual victory over three of District One’s best teams. South took down Pennridge to open their dual meet season and dismantled a depleted Spring-Ford team 54-15 this past Saturday. The Golden Hawks have put themselves at the top of D1 as a dual team as they move on in their quest towards Hershey in the postseason.
It is early in the season, which is a long grind with a schedule the Golden Hawks have mapped out, nonetheless, take note they are a force to be reckoned with. Surely, both teams will look a bit different as the season progresses and lineups tighten up, but for now the Golden Hawks hold bragging rights in this rivalry. It is not unlikely that these two will meet again down the road when the PIAA Team Championships begin with the district duals. Both teams have aspirations of a D1 team title. CRS travels to Delaware to compete in the prestigious Beast of the East tourney this weekend, and Quakertown heads to Wilkes University to do battle at X-Calibur.
In other SOL action Wednesday night, Pennridge was victorious over Neshaminy 41-28. Chase Washington returned to the Rams’ lineup at heavyweight, notching a fall to put the match away for Pennridge. Neshaminy (4-2), in somewhat of a rebuild year, impressed winning five bouts in the dual against a powerful Pennridge squad who stand at 5-2.
With most teams having at least one dual meet under their belts in non-league or non-conference matches, here are the team rankings:
TOP SOL TEAMS:
1. Council Rock South (3-0)
2. Quakertown (0-1)
3. Pennridge (5-2)
4. Pennsbury (5-0)
5. Central Bucks South (0-0)
HM-Upper Dublin (2-0)
Colonial
1. Pennridge (5-2)
2. CB South (0-0)
3. Souderton (2-3)
Freedom
1. Springfield (0-0)
2. Upper Moreland (2-1)
3. Lower Moreland (2-2)
Liberty
1. Quakertown (0-1)
2. Upper Dublin (2-0)
3. Plymouth-Whitmarsh (3-0)
Patriot
1. Council Rock South (3-0)
2. Pennsbury (5-0/SOL 1-0)
3. Neshaminy (4-2)
- Log in to post comments
