QUAKERTOWN LEADS THE WAY FOR SOL
2023 PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships Underway
By Glenn Kaiser
Hershey, PA-Quakertown advanced three grapplers to the quarterfinal round of the 2023 PIAA (AAA) Individual Wrestling Championships, and the Panthers are in sixth-place in the team race with 19-points. Bethlehem Catholic leads all team scores with 36.5-points. As expected, Mason Zeigler (121-pounds), Collin Gaj (145) and Calvin Lachman (215) all won their preliminary bouts Thursday evening to remain in the championship bracket. All three will continue to search for gold here. Ziegler will see Mifflin County’s Hunter Johnson in the quarters, who has only wrestled 23 times this season, after his 8-love win over Jacob Layton (Connellsville). Gaj was a 5-1 winner over BECA’s Charlie Scanlan and continues his quest against Nico Taddy (West Allegheny). Lachman has the biggest battle in front of him in his quarterfinal with Nazareth’s Sammy Sasso in what will be one of the best bouts yet in this tournament.
Pennridge had two wrestlers reach the quarters, as light-weight Colby Martinelli (107) remained on fire, advancing with a fall, and Talon Hogan (172) scored a workman-like 5-2 decision over Avery Aurand (Mifflin County). Both will need to be on their A-games in the quarterfinals as Martnelli takes on Easton’s super-frosh Nicholas Salamone who ousted Central Dauphin’s Thunder Beard in perhaps the best match of the prelims in OT 8-7 (TB2). Hogan will battle undefeated Kevin Olavarria (35-0) from JP McCaskey in his quarterfinal match at 172-pounds.
Central Bucks West freshman Chris Dennis impressed with his first win in the Giant Center recording a 16-0 tech fall over Boiling Spring’s Drew Scherer. Dennis keeps rolling along as opponents cannot figure a way to score on him. He gets Erie McDowell senior Logan Sallot in the quarterfinals which kick-off at 2:15pm Friday. Council Rock South’s Bek Sadriddinov was a 5-2 winner over Easton’s Nolan Krazer and will face Michael Beers (CD) in his quarterfinal matchup.
On the down side, CR North’s Eren Sement suffered a first-round loss to West Scranton’s Michael Turi 9-8, ending his bid to be champ at 127-pounds in his sophomore season. Sement nearly came back to win in the third period after recovering from a 5-point toss in the first period. Other SOL wrestlers suffered the same fate, losing their initial bouts with some bouncing back with consolation wins, while others dropped down to the consi-bracket and will start again Friday. Some are done after losing two straight matches, doing the on-two barbeque in Chocolate Town, USA.
Quakertown, Pennridge and CR South have other wrestlers still alive. Quakertown has all six of their state qualifiers left in the tourney. Q-town’s Isaac Williams (114) will battle the ‘Ridge’s Cole Coffin down below, Gavin Carroll (139) and Zach Borzio (152) are both still in the hunt for precious metal and can add team points as the Panthers look to stay in the team race. Pennridge counters with Quinn McBride (121) and Coffin in the consis. And as always, the Golden Hawks have four of their five entered grapplers still competing, with three of them in the consolation bracket - Connor Lenahan (107), Luke Reitter (114) and Ben Brillhart (133).
Central Bucks wrestlers still banging are South’s Jake Neill at 139-pounds and East’s big, Joe Collins (285). Pennsbury’s Shane McGurrin lost his pigtail, but won his first consi-round match at 160 to continue on. Souderton’s Ben Beckett beat D1 foe Carson Pascoe (Perk Valley) 4-3 in his consi first-rounder. Pennridge’s Sam Kuhns was eliminated at 139-pounds with losses-straight losses after winning a Southeast Regional title.
There will be plenty of action and fireworks in the Giant Center Friday afternoon, stay tuned…
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