Pennridge's Brian Kuhns is our Wrestling Coach of the Year
When Brian Kuhns took over a struggling Pennridge wrestling program two years ago, few would have seen what was coming.
The Rams hadn't had a winning season since 2016-17 and their once vaunted lineup of studs was close to running dry.
Sure, Kuhns was well respected as a youth coach in the area, and nobody had a bad word to say about him, but turning around a public-school wrestling program in a short time was much easier said than done. Especially one pretty much void of standouts and short on upperclassmen, too.
However, none of that bothered Kuhns, whose team put together 12-5 mark a year ago and seemed primed for a breakout year this season.
But the injury bug nailed the Rams and they never quite had everything going at once early on in the season.
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If they could just get to full strength, with their injuries healed, the Rams knew they'd be on to something.
And that happened right as the PIAA District One Class 3A team duals hit on the schedule and Pennridge put its full lineup on display.
That lineup, seeded third, hammered its way to the team title, beating Spring-Ford 36-22 in the title match to give the Rams their first district dual-meet crown. They would finish the season an impressive 22-2.
A few weeks later, Pennridge, with just one senior on its roster, won the team title at the PIAA District One-East Class 3A tournament, too.
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It all adds up to Kuhns being named the Courier Times/Intelligencer Coach of the Year.
And, let's not forget, this Pennridge team sent five wrestlers to Hershey for the PIAA championships with sophomores Colby Martinelli and Talan Hogan placing third and sixth, respectively.
That's called turning things around in a hurry.
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For subscribers:Where do Bucks/Montco wrestlers rank after the PIAA championships?
Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Wrestling Coach of the Year honors go to Pennridge's Brian Kuhns.
