Big group of Bucks County wrestlers punch ticket to PIAA state tournament in Hershey
OXFORD — If anyone could take winning a PIAA District One Class 3A Southeast Regional title for granted, it would be Quakertown junior Collin Gaj.
Gaj, who picked up regional title No. 3 on Saturday at Oxford High School at 152 pounds to go along with three District One East crowns and an undefeated PIAA title last season, does just the opposite.
"Last week at districts (in his home gym), Max Hibsman, a really good friend of mine, injured his knee pretty badly in a match and his season was over," Gaj said.
"We all felt so bad for him because he works really hard and just like that, he couldn't wrestle anymore. That can happen to anyone.
"It's a tough lesson, a really tough one, but it just shows you that you have to appreciate every tournament and every chance that you get to wrestle."
Gaj, a perfect 49-0 last season, roared through his bracket here with three pins and then a technical fall win over Pennridge senior Sam Kuhns in a rematch from last Saturday's District One East final.
"All of these tournaments help you build up for states and I'm ready to go," he said. "My goal is to win another state title and I'm going to give everything I have to do it next week."
Big day at districts: Top Bucks County area wrestlers soar at PIAA district tournament
Bucks County wrestlers soar
All told, a whopping nine area wrestlers captured titles led by Quakertown senior Mason Ziegler (121), Council Rock North junior Eren Sement (127), Gaj (152) and Council Rock South senior Bek Sadriddinov (172), who all won their third regional crowns.
Other local champions included Hatboro-Horsham freshman Dom Morrison (107), who was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, Pennridge junior Colby Martinelli (114), Central Bucks West junior Patrick Kelly (139), Quakertown junior Gavin Carroll (145) and Council Rock South junior Gavin Cole (160).
The top five finishers in each weight class advanced to the PIAA Class 3A championship, with begins Thursday and runs through Saturday at the Giant Center in Hershey. The top eight finishers in each weight class next week earn PIAA medals.
Pennridge, which had three finalists and one champion in Martinelli, captured the team title with 143.5 points while Quakertown was second with 123.5 followed by Council Rock South with 119 points. Council Rock North was sixth in the team standings (69.5 points).
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Hatboro-Horsham's Morrison impresses
"This was one of my goals and it feels really good," said Morrison, who improved to 45-3, is the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state in Class 3A and is the first Hatter freshman to capture a regional title.
"Now, I want to go to states and win it and show that I'm deserving of the ranking. I know I'll have to wrestle my best in every match."
For Sement, another regional title sets him up nicely seeding wise to also make a run at the top step of the PIAA podium.
"These tournaments help you get ready and I'm looking forward to going back to states," said Sement, who has two third-place finishes already in his two trips to Hershey.
"There area couple of really tough guys in my weight class that I'm looking forward to wrestling next week."
CR North's Sement ready to make run: CR North standout set to take big PIAA wrestling step; see our Bucks County team rankings
CB West's Kelly pumped to go to Hershey
At 139, Kelly, sixth at regionals a year ago (and one place shy of earning a trip to states), made sure he'd go to Hershey by edging Kennett's Blake Boyer 3-1 in the final.
"I was nervous before my semifinal because I needed to win that one to guarantee I would qualify for states," said Kelly, who dedicated himself to year-round wrestling after last season's near miss to states.
"And to win just feels great. I'm just so happy that I made it to states."
Council Rock North's Sadriddinov battling injuries
It wasn't enough that Sadriddinov has to battle with an injured left knee (he wears a brace on it when he wrestles), but a nagging left shoulder injury popped up while he was gutting out a 1-0 win over Sam Gautrea of Owen J. Roberts in the final.
"I had surgery last summer for a torn labrum and he was really putting pressure on my shoulder," Sadriddinov said. "I just tried to hang in there and was doing all I could not to default."
He knows, though, that the injuries won't get much better with the state tournament being only a few days away.
"I'm just going to try and give everything that I have and hope for the best," Sadriddinov said. "My goal is still to win a state title and that's what I'm shooting for."
Pennridge, Council Rock have inductees into SE PA HOF
The Southeast Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame inducted its class of 2024 before the finals and four wrestlers/coaches from the area were enshrined.
Scott Parker, a 2014 Pennridge graduate, and his younger brother, Matt, a 2017 Pennridge grad, were inducted as were long-time Council Rock South head coach Brad Silimperi and his long-time assistant coach Trap McCormack.
Both Parker brothers won three PIAA medals and both were also PIAA runners-up in their illustrious careers.
Silimperi and McCormack both started at CR South when the school opened in 2002 and Silimperi remained the head coach until stepping down after last season. McCormack is still an assistant for the Golden Hawks.
In their 21 seasons leading CR South, the Silimperi/McCormack combination won 17 Suburban One League team titles and six PIAA Southeast Regional team titles. Their 2005 team also captured the PIAA Class 3A team title.
Individually, they coached nine PIAA champions.
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They found gold: Gold standard: Here are all of the Bucks County area PIAA wrestling champions
PIAA Class 3A Southeast Regional
Championship finals
(top five finishers qualify for PIAA tournament)
Team scores: 1. Pennridge, 143.5 points; 2. Quakertown, 123.5; 3. Council Rock South, 119; 4. Kennett, 89; 5. Owen J. Roberts, 82.5; 6. Council Rock North, 69.5; 7. Sun Valley, 66; 8. Boyertown, 63.5; 9. Perkiomen Valley, 56.5; 10. Hatboro-Horsham, 53.
107 pounds: Dom Morrison (Hatboro-Horsham) dec. Max Tancini (Perkiomen Valley), 2-0 (OT);
114: Colby Martinelli (Pennridge) pinned Jayden Lee (Radnor), :41;
121: Mason Ziegler (Quakertown) maj. dec. Luke Reitter (Council Rock South), 16-6;
127: Eren Sement (Council Rock North) tech. fall Quinn McBride (Pennridge), 17-0 (3:04);
133: Branden Rozanski (Upper Perkiomen) dec. Gavin Sheridan (Boyertown), 4-2 (OT);
139: Patrick Kelly (Central Bucks West) dec. Blake Boyer (Kennett), 3-1;
145: Gavin Carroll (Quakertown) maj. dec. Chris Staub (Hatboro-Horsham), 13-0;
152: Collin Gaj (Quakertown) tech. fall Sam Kuhns (Pennridge), 21-6 (5:30);
160: Gavin Cole (Council Rock South) won by inj. def. over Jon Smith (Oxford), 1:09;
172: Bek Sadriddinov (Council Rock South) dec. Sam Gautreau (Owen J. Roberts), 1-0;
189: Mike Spielman (Strath Haven) dec. Carter Euker (Perkiomen Valley), 4-2;
215: Dillon Bechtold (Owen J. Roberts) pinned Felix Mason (Downingtown East), 1:00;
285: Dean Bechtold (Owen J. Roberts) dec. Calvin Lachman (Quakertown), 3-2.
Consolation finals
107 pounds: Alexander Diaz (Council Rock North) tech. fall Dom Powell (Upper Dublin), 18-3 (4:55);
114: Curtis Nelson (Ridley) inj. def. Kyle Von Schmidt (Pennsbury), 1:34;
121: Cole Coffin (Pennridge) dec. Pierce Kane (Council Rock North), 4-0;
127: Miles Warkentine (Conestoga) dec. Zack Jaffe (Kennett), 5-2;
133: Chris Dennis (Central Bucks West) maj. dec. Christian Ford (Avon Grove), 14-1;
139: Hunter Delaney (Sun Valley) pinned Ajay Bhatt (Council Rock South), 4:34;
145: Ben Brillhart (Council Rock South) dec. Jordan Barry (Downingtown West), 5-1;
152: Nadav Nafshi (Harriton) dec. Beknazar Baiyshbekov (Neshaminy), 7-5;
160: Ryan Gallagher (Pennridge) dec. Ernazar Baiyshbekov (Neshaminy), 6-3;
172: Brandon Carr (Sun Valley) dec. Talan Hogan (Pennridge), 12-7;
189: Mason Richards (Spring-Ford) pinned Kole Lester (Souderton), 0:57;
215: Reagan McCullough (Central Bucks East) pinned Brady Kelly (Unionville), 4:04;
285: John Pardo (Kennett) pinned Adham Abouraya (Downingtown East), 0:46;
Fifth-place consolations
107 pounds: Bryce Boyer (Kennett) dec. Kevin McFadden (Pennridge), 4-2 (sudden victory);
114: Connor Lenahan (Council Rock South) maj. dec. Chase Sigle (Downingtown West), 9-0;
121: Andrij Szczesniuk (Coatesville) dec. Brody Coleman (Boyertown), 8-5;
127: Isaac Williams (Quakertown) dec. Sean Murray (Upper Perkiomen), 7-3;
133: Brecken Strickland (Sun Valley) dec. Levi Richmond (Downingtown West), 8-3;
139: Luke Knox (Perkiomen Valley) dec. Jonny O'Brien (North Penn), 5-4;
145: Kane Lengel (Kennett) dec. Jamie Silva (Spring-Ford), 3-0;
152: Ty Borkowski (Plymouth Whitemarsh) pinned Owen Dykie (Boyertown), 4:27;
160: Michael Pepe (Kennett) dec. Paxton Hunt (Garnet Valley), 8-1;
172: Corey Bradley (Cheltenham) dec. Joshua Larrimore (Boyertown), 10-4;
189: Jagger Vitelli (Avon Grove) dec. Dylan Kiesling (Abington), 4-2 (sudden victory);
215: Troy Mack (Downingtown West) maj. dec. John Wright (Abington), 11-2;
285: Joe Collins (Central Bucks East) dec. Dylan Bledsoe (Garnet Valley), 3-2.
Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Next stop Hershey: Bucks County's best wrestlers headed to states
