CR North Wins South East Regional Title with Two Champs

Glenn Kaiser highlights the SOL's top performers at the Southeast Regional Championships. Photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko. Check back for a gallery of photos.

2020 AAA Southeast Regional Wrestling Championships

COUNCIL ROCK NORTH WINS REGIONAL TITLE WITH TWO CHAMPS

By Glenn Kaiser

Council Rock North will be well represented at the 2020 PIAA AAA Individual Wrestling Championships in Hershey, PA this coming week.   Action begins Thursday March 5, 2020 at 4 PM at the Giant Center.  The Indians advanced all seven grapplers they sent to regionals to the state tournament, a rather impressive feat.

CR North Will be a formidable team, with the most wrestlers advancing to Chocolate Town, USA, of any Southeast Regional team, vying for a team title.  The Indians posted 135.5 points, finishing well ahead of Spring Ford with 107 points and third place finisher Council Rock South with 96 points.  The Indians did it on the strength of two champions in Luke Lucerne and Cam Robinson, at 126 pounds and 152 pounds respectively.  Lucerne defeated CR South’s Kyle Waterman 14-8 in a rematch of last weekends’ District 1 East finals to win his first regional title.  Robinson downed Spring Ford’s Jack McGill 9-3 in the 152-pound final garnering his third straight regional crown.

Big points were recorded in the consolation bracket, as the Indians had three bronze medalists, Kyle Hauserman (120), Sammy Hayes (145) and Dillon Sheehy (160).  Additionally, in the blood round to qualify, Anthony Burke (106) and Max Harar (285) battled back, securing fifth place medals and moving on to Hershey.  Burke has had two outstanding weekends to make his way to Hershey. 

Although Hauserman did not win a regional crown, he advanced through the wrestle backs, and that is all you need to do at regionals, advance.  He will have to deal with his placement in the 126-bracket at states, as you must beat the best to be the best.  Hauserman and Hayes both scored bonus points in their bronze medal matches recording falls, and Harar did the same in his fifth-place bout with a pin.  Strength in numbers and bonus points were the difference in Council Rock North winning the team title over numerous contending squads from around the region.

As usual, North’s sister school Council Rock South made its presence felt at regionals, and will send five wrestlers out to Hershey, the second most, matching Spring Ford's total of five grapplers advancing.  Although the Golden Hawks had no champions they were in the mix, with runner-up Kyle Waterman (126), third-place finishers’ Cavan Kinne (106) and Giani Gilch (182), fourth place Joel Martsinovsky (152) and fifth place Matt Colajezzi (160).

Thirty SOL wrestlers in total will be wrestling on the Giant Center floor come late Thursday afternoon.  Neshaminy, Bensalem, Central Bucks East, Hatboro-Horsham, Plymouth-Whitemarsh and North Penn will be sending two grapplers apiece out to central Pennsylvania.

Neshaminy’s Zac Martin was one of three SOL champions, Martin downed T.J. England, William Tennent in the 132-pound title tilt.  Martin was once again successful over England, blanking him six to zero after last weekend’s sudden victory overtime win in the semis.  The ‘Skins’ Gunnar Spain came up just short of a title, dropping his second loss of the season to Downingtown East’s Matt Romanelli 7-2 at 170lbs.

Plymouth-Whitemarsh had two finalists, big men Paolo DiSanto (220) and Mike Miller (285).  Both went into their final matches undefeated, but neither could rise to the top of the podium.  DiSanto will be making his third straight trip to Hershey.  With a breakout season and a record of 32-1, Miller, just a sophomore, will make his first trip to states.  Bensalem’s Connor Eck will continue his junior season at 145 pounds as he stamped his ticket with a runner-up finish.  John Klewin (285) will join Eck for the Owls, as he won bronze as his reward for hard work in very heavy weight class.

Hatboro-Horsham had two bronze medalists, as both A.J. Tamburrino (152) and Logan Flynn (220) won their consolation brackets after dropping semifinal losses.  Flynn avenged his D1 East final loss to CB East’s Danny Eckley in the consolation semifinal, winning 4-3.  Flynn downed Wissahickon’s Dan Keller for the second time this season with a 3-2 win in the wrestle-backs.  Keller will make a second trip to Hershey, and Eckley will join him as he finished in fifth place at regionals.  Four SOL wrestlers will represent at 220 pounds in the state tourney, upping the odds for a medal at this weight class.

Pennridge’s Logan Green defeated the Patriots Quinn Collins in the 195-pound consolation final in overtime, with a sudden victory 5-3 win.  The 195lb weight class will be well represented in Hershey as three SOL grapplers moved on.  Carl DiGiorgio (CB West) downed SOL foe Davis Lee (Pennsbury) 8-1, placing fifth.  North Penn’s Jarret Niedosik rebounded from a poor tournament at districts to qualify in fourth place at 170 pounds.  Teammate William Morrow will join him, taking fifth at 138 pounds.

Quakertown, despite their District 1 East team title, will only advance one wrestler. That will be Dom DeFalco making his third straight trip to the Giant Center. DeFalco won the consolation final at 138 over Zach Rozanski from Upper Perk.  Abington Ghost Shane Kibler won his fifth place bout by pinning Jimmy Narnia of Marple Newtown to get his chocolate bar.

Finals Matchups/Results