SOL Wrestling: Springfield Twp Holds Off Upper Moreland to Win Freedom Championship

SPRINGFIELD TWP HOLDS OFF UPPER MORELAND TO WIN SOL FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIP

SOL Conference Individual Championships Tuesday February 15, 2022

By Glenn Kaiser

WARMINSTER, PA-The Springfield Township Spartans capped off their SOL Freedom Division Championship by holding off a surging Upper Moreland Golden Bear squad at the 2022 SOL Freedom Individual Wrestling Championships at William Tennent H.S.  The Spartans posted 103.5 points, winning the team portion by 4.5 points over the Bears.  Springfield finished 4-0 in the dual portion of the season, and stands at 18-4 overall.  The PIAA AA team crowned only two champs, as Upper Moreland captured five golds, but it was enough to earn the overall division championship with combined victories in duals and the individual championships.

Roderick Porter (132-pounds) and Stojan Gradistanac (215) secured titles for Springfield to lead the team.  However, Springfield had six runners-up in this pooled tourney in Colin Pennington (113), Nick Caruso (120), Jaxon Weiss (145), William Horn (152), Jason Morrissy (172) and Owen Hussie (189) to account for a good portion of the team points to off-set Upper Moreland’s five champs. 

The Golden Bears were 3-1 in conference duals and stand at 20-6 overall and look to advance several wrestlers deep into the individual season.  Collin Evanson (120-pound champ) is 29-1 overall after his afternoon of wrestling at William Tennent, and Owen Dunleavy (189-pound champ) improved to 26-3 on the season.  Other champs for UM were 106-pounder Mark Delzingaro (21-5), Michael Muncer (21-4) and Charles Hogan (22-6).  Upper Moreland will compete in the District One AAA East Section at Quakertown on Feb, 26, 2022.  While Springfield will do battle in the D1 AA District 1 and 12 tourney at Archbishop Ryan.

Spartan senior Owen Hussie (189) is 25-3, fellow seniors Owen Porter (132) 23-4 and Stojan Gradistanac (215) 25-2 will make some noise as they follow their path towards the AA Southeast Regional at Bethlehem Freedom March 4-5, 2022.  Sophomore Nick Caruso is an outstanding 25-4 at 120-pounds, senior Jaxon Weiss 18-5 at 145-pounds, junior William Horn (152) 19-9 and Jason Morrissey (172) is 15-8 as all should have an opportunity to advance as the only public school team representing D1 at Districts.  Head Coach Corey McCaslin is optimistic with this senior laden team, and his outlook for the team over the next couple of years is promising with the younger wrestlers on a huge roster.

Host William Tennent crowned two champs in Angelo Guzman (25-4) at 145-pounds as he went 4-0 on the day, and fellow senior Nolan Cataldi (24-3) continued his impressive senior campaign with a title at 172-pounds.  Lower Moreland impressed with three champs in Alex Kebuz (138), Derek Mironenko (152) and Brian Hegedus (285).  Mironenko is 22-3 on the season and will contend for a spot at the AAA SE Region as Lower Moreland moves up to AAA this season.

Team Standings

(1) Springfield Township 103.5, (2) Upper Moreland 99.0, (3) Lower Moreland 74.0, (4) Cheltenham 64.0, (5) William Tennent 53.0

SOL Liberty Championships

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

at Quakertown HS (PA)

Quakertown crowned 11 champs at the SOL Liberty Individual Wrestling Championships in their own gym Tuesday afternoon into the early evening.  Quakertown, fresh off their state dual appearance, dominated the Liberty Division all season long, going 5-0 in duals and 16-3 overall. The Panthers ran away with the team title in the individual championships, amassing 263 points and finishing well ahead of all the rest.  The Panthers will look to contend for a D1 East title at home on 2/26/22.

Team Standings

(1) Quakertown 263.0, (2) Plymouth Whitemarsh 138.0, (3) Upper Dublin 117.0, (4) Hatboro-Horsham 77.5, (5) Abington 71.0, (6) Wissahickon 56.0

SOL Colonial Championships

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

at Pennridge HS (PA)

Team Standings

(1) Central Bucks East 160.0, (2) Pennridge 154.5, (3) North Penn 120.5, (4) Souderton 115.0, (5) Central Bucks South 75.0, (6) Central Bucks West 62.5

CB East kept their amazing season going with a team title in the 2022 SOL Colonial Individual Wrestling Championships.  They edged Pennridge with five champs.  Notable champs in this tourney included Teague McCormack from CB West, who made the surprising drop to 106-pounds, defeating Pennridge freshman Colby Martinelli 5-love in the finals, and Pennridge’s Cole Coffin downed CB West’s Patrick Kelly 8-2 to win the 113-pound title.  William Morrow continues to make his case for a 152-pound state title, downing East’s Mason Stein in dominant fashion, 11-4.  Pennridge freshman Talon Hogan took out Souderton’s Ben Beckett 7-4 to win the 160-pound title.  Souderton’s Erik Dominquez impressed with his 11-6 win over North Penn’s Michale Cliver in the 138-pound final.

Most of the Colonial teams will do battle at Q-town in the D1-East tourney and will have to contend with plenty of talent from the SOL Patriot teams that include CR South & North, Pennsbury and Neshaminy grapplers.  All in all, the D1-East section will be the toughest to advance thru, as the SOL looks to move as many wrestlers on to Hershey and the medal stand thru the Southeast Regional to be held at Oxford March 4-5, 2022.