South East AAA Regional: Saving the Best for Last (By Glenn Kaiser)

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SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
2025 Southeast Regional Results

By Glenn Kaiser

Souderton, PA-It was a wonderful weekend for 27 Suburban One League wrestlers as they advanced to the Greatest Show on Earth in Chocolate Town, USA, this coming weekend in Hershey, PA at the Giant Center.  Council Rock South continued their dominance as a tournament team, winning the 2025 Southeast Regional team title at Souderton Area High School, posting 115.5 points and finishing just ahead of their sister school Council Rock North (92.5 points).  It was a tight race for the team title all weekend, but the Golden Hawks came out on top with the most state qualifiers in all of District One with six grapplers advancing.  CR North advanced four, Central Bucks West finished tied for 7^th (76-points) with three-qualifiers, Quakertown was 9^th (75.5-points) and Pennridge rounded out the top-10 with three grapplers advancing and 71-points.

The District One North Sectional was also a battle along the way, but I was saving the best article for last, knowing that the SOL would reign supreme.  Nine of the 13 weight-classes were won by SOL wrestlers, clearly indicating the dominance of both the SOL and D1 North.  SOL wrestlers made up for 42 percent (27 of 65) of all D1 wrestlers advancing to Hershey.  Eight different teams from the SOL had SE Region champions, with Quakertown having two in workout partners Gavin Carroll (152-pounds) and Colin Gaj (160).  Gaj will look for his second PIAA (AAA) title and second undefeated season (2023 49-0 and 2025 currently 40-0) this coming weekend in Hershey, PA, March 6-8, 2025, at the Giant Center.  There were plenty of fireworks and disappointment over the two days in Souderton’s gym, and only glory was granted to the top-five who now have access to the chance of greatness.  Both Gaj and Council Rock North’s Eren Sement won their fourth SE Regional titles to enter the D1 history books.

It was an all-SOL final at 107-pounds with Upper Dublin’s Dom Powell and Central Bucks East’s Chase Williams battling it out once again.  Williams downed Powell in overtime at the Wetzel Holiday Classic at Hatboro-Horsham back in December.  This time around with a regional title on the line, Williams used the edge of the mat and the sound of the buzzer to secure a late takedown for the come-from-behind win 8-6.   Four of the five qualifiers at 107 were from the SOL and included A.J. Kane (CRN) fourth and CRS’s John Segata, fifth. 

H-H’s Dom Morrison dominated the 114-pound weight class, winning over Radnor’s Jayden Lee by tech fall 19-3 as he moves closer to winning his second state title.  Morrison was surgical all weekend dismantling a solid 114-pound weight class also beating Perk Valley’s Max Tancini 9-4 in the semis.  Marco Loss from Council Rock North was the runner-up at 121 as he was edged by Kennett’s Brayden Sigle 3-2 with a late takedown.  But the SOL rebounded at 127lbs. with Pennridge’s Quinn McBride winning a major over Kennett’s Bryce Boyer 9-1. 

CR South’s Anthony Mutarelli impressed with a first-period pin-fall over Pennridge’s Colby Martinelli in the 133lb. title tilt.  Both will look to medal in Hershey, as this is Mutarelli’s first trip, while Martinelli will look for more, as he has garnered bronze here once before.  Four 133-pounders will represent the SOL at states with Central Bucks West’s freshman Daniel Dennis placing third and Pierce Kane, fifth, from CR North. 

Patrick Kelly won his second regional title for CB West at 139-pounds and will look to improve on his fourth place finish a year ago for the Bucks at the Giant Center.  Chris Dennis was the third Bucks qualifier as he placed third at 152, and will look to rebound with another medal this coming weekend, as he is already a two-time state place-winner.  The SOL is solid here in the middle-weight classes and cemented at 145 with Rock North’s Eren Sement, who looks to win gold in Hershey to add to his three bronze medals.  Sement tech-fall’d Kennent’s Kane Lengel in surgical fashion 19-4 in the finals.  Quakertown went back-to-back with Carroll (152) and Gaj (160).  North Penn’s Johnny O’Brien joins Carroll and Dennis at the big dance at 152, and CRS’s Ben Brillhart (4^th) and Neshaminy’s Bek Baiyshbekov (5^th) join Gaj at 160 boosting SOL wrestlers’ chances for precious metal.  Gavin Cole was the runner-up at 172, and he too looks to climb higher on the podium, he was 8^th last season.  Brillhart looks to get on the podium for the first time as a senior after he made two trips prior.

Pennsbury’s Walker Murray was honored by the Southeast Regional Wrestling Officials Association prior to winning his 215-pound title with the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.  Murray dominated Decker Bechtold, Owen J Roberts’ super-frosh with a major decision 10-0 as he will look for his first state medal.  Jeff Gessner was the Golden Hawks final qualifier, winning the consolation final at 285-points and adding to CRS’s team total, saving the best for last.  He has had a tremendous breakout season as a senior, going 36-15 and helping South throughout a rugged schedule that resulted in their SE Region team title.

Other state qualifiers out of the SOL include:  Souderton impressed qualifying Clayton Waltenbaugh (114-3rd) and Dominic Ramos (3^rd at 145), Pennsbury’s Kyle Von Schmidt (121-4^th), CRS’s Patrick Woloshyn (139-3^rd) and Pennridge’s Danny Metzler (145-4^th) who has had an outstanding run here in the postseason.

District One North Notes:  Six wrestlers achieved the 100-career win mark at Quakertown.  Sam Hunter (CB East), Jake Evans (Upper Dublin), Colby Martinelli (Pennridge), Chris Dennis (CB West), Bek Baiyshbekov (Neshaminy) & Cheltenham’s Arthur Gordon.

The PIAA brackets have been released and all results of the SE Region can be found at www.PA-Wrestling.com along with the PIAA brackets and match videos.  Look for my state preview/predictions later this week.  Best of luck to all SOL and D1 wrestlers this coming weekend. (Schedule and all brackets AA/AAA/Girls are posted on the www.piaa.org site.)

Outstanding Wrestler
285         Dean Bechtold                Owen J. Roberts

Championship Finals
107         Chase Williams, Central Bucks East, dec. Dom Powell, Upper Dublin, 8-6
114         Dominick Morrison, Hatboro-Horsham, won by tech. fall over Jayden Lee, Radnor, 4:19 (19-3)
121         Brayden Sigle, Downingtown West, dec. Marco Loss, Council Rock North, 3-2
127         Quinn McBride, Pennridge, maj. dec. Bryce Boyer, Kennett, 9-1
133         Anthony Mutarelli, Council Rock South, pinned Colby Martinelli, Pennridge, 1:08
139         Patrick Kelly, Central Bucks West, dec. Blake Boyer, Kennett, 1-0
145         Eren Sement, Council Rock North, won by tech. fall over Kane Lengel, Kennett, 3:37 (19-4)
152         Gavin Carroll, Quakertown, maj. dec. Luke Knox, Perkiomen Valley, 18-6
160         Collin Gaj, Quakertown, won by tech. fall over Jon Smith, Oxford Area, 3:18 (19-4)
172         Blake Hostetter, Oxford Area, dec. Gavin Cole, Council Rock South, 4-1
189         Brandon Carr, Sun Valley, dec. Carter Euker, Perkiomen Valley, 4-0
215         Walker Murray, Pennsbury, maj. dec. Decker Bechtold, Owen J. Roberts, 10-0
285         Dean Bechtold, Owen J. Roberts, won by tech. fall over Connor Hudak, Spring-Ford, 3:14 (20-4)

Third Place
107         Jacob Carr, Sun Valley, dec. A.J. Kane, Council Rock North, 11-8
114         Clayton Waltenbaugh, Souderton, dec. Max Tancini, Perkiomen Valley, 8-4
121         Brody Coleman, Boyertown, maj. dec. Kyle Von Schmidt, Pennsbury, 13-2
127         Sean Murray, Upper Perkiomen, dec. Chase Sigle, Downingtown West, 7-0
133         Daniel Dennis, Central Bucks West, dec. Brecken Strickland, Sun Valley, 10-4
139         Patrick Woloshyn, Council Rock South, dec. Beck Babb, Boyertown, 8-3
145         Dominic Ramos, Souderton, dec. Danny Metzler, Pennridge, 10-7
152         Chris Dennis, Central Bucks West, dec. Zack Jaffe, Kennett, 6-0
160         A.J. Corp, West Chester Rustin, won by inj. default over Ben Brillhart, Council Rock South, 1:53
172         Jack Weldon, Coatesville, dec. Matty Shumaker, Methacton, 4-1
189         Franco Latorre, Interboro, dec. Paxton Hunt, Garnet Valley, 4-2
215         Dylan Pachik, Methacton, dec. Brady Kelly, Unionville, 5-2
285         Jeff Gessner, Council Rock South, dec. Cameron Montgomery, Haverford High, 10-4

Fifth Place
107         John Segata, Council Rock South, dec. Shaefer Hoffman, Downingtown West, 2-0
114         Gus Smith, Spring-Ford, won by tech. fall over Brayden Laird, Ridley, 3:23 (15-0)
121         Andrij Szczesniuk, Coatesville, pinned Sam Howell, Oxford Area, 3:34
127         Steven Wiechecki, Conestoga, maj. dec. John Kaplan, Abington, 10-1
133         Pierce Kane, Council Rock North, pinned Alek Belfer, West Chester Henderson, 1:38
139         Cole Haines, Unionville, dec. Alex Brandt, Owen J. Roberts, 6-1
145         Ryan Hayes, Methacton, dec. Maxwell Hibsman, Quakertown, 4-1
152         Jonny O'Brien, North Penn, dec. Hunter Delaney, Sun Valley, 6-0
160         Beknazar Baiyshbekov, Neshaminy, dec. Jonny Beckett, Souderton, 9-2
172         J.D. Heiser, Boyertown, dec. Ryan Solomon, Abington, 15-9
189         Michael Spielman, Strath Haven, pinned Tamir Griffin, Lower Merion, 1:48
215         Rami Ayoub, Coatesville, pinned Luke Palladino, Ridley, 2:31
285         Jace McKinney, Oxford Area, pinned Justin Williams, West Chester East, 1:31

Tournament Placers

107 pounds

114 pounds

121 pounds

127 pounds

133 pounds

139 pounds

145 pounds

152 pounds

160 pounds

172 pounds

189 pounds

215 pounds

285 pounds