big east tournament

The plan Joe Stolfi had for the second day of the PIAA South East Class AAA Regional Tournament was a simple one.

"I just wanted to do my best today," the Souderton junior said. "I worked as hard as I could all week. I mean, I was looking at all my guys, knew I had a tough bracket and I just wanted to work up to it."

By the end of the action at Council Rock North Saturday, Stolfi's best was better than everyone else in the 215-pound class. The Big Red heavyweight claimed Souderton's first regional gold in three years with a 6-3 win over Oxford Nick Ruggear in the weight's championship final.

"I just knew I had to work hard to get it. I wanted to definitely be at top, that was my goal to get up to the top," Stolfi said. "I just knew I had to work for it, it wasn't going to be given to me."

A total of five local wrestlers qualified for states, including all three Methaton grapplers competing at Rock North. Juniors Rob D'Annunzio and Brandan Clark took third place at 103 and 215, respectively, while senior Dan Cox was fourth at 189. The three Warriors are each heading to Hershey for the first time.

"We came to qualify and we all did," D'Annunzio said.

Also making his first PIAA Tournament is Central Bucks West sophomore Seth Ehlo, who placed fourth at 135. Ehlo fell to Kyle Moran of Oxford in his opening match of the tournament Friday, but bounced back in consolation, clinching his state bid by winning the rematch with Moran 4-3.

"I was trying actually trying to not get tilted and wrestled a clean match," said Ehlo of his second meeting with Moran. "I knew it would be a lot better result and it was."

West senior Bubba McGinley's drive took make states all four years ended in the 119 consolation semifinals, as he fell to Nick Bongard of Monsignor Bonner by a 3-1 decision. McGinley was later honored with the regional's Outstanding Sportsmanship award.

Council Rock South won the meet with 111 points. LaSalle's total of 93 points earned the Explorers second, with Boyertown third with 84.5. Methacton had the area's highest finish, coming in eighth with 46.5 points.

The PIAA Wrestling Championships begin Thursday and go until Saturday at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Stolfi gave Souderton its first South East Regional title since Brian Tanen won at 152 in 1997. Last season at this tournament, Ruggear won a decision over Stolfi in the 189 consolation final, but this time the Indian grappler took control with a third-period reversal to go up 6-2.

"Nick is phenomenal on his feet," Stolfi said. "I wrestled him twice and I watched him wrestle a couple times today. I mean, he's really good on his feet. He has really quick, really good technique. And some things I had to watch with him on his feet.

"He got in on me a lot, tried to take advantage of some of his mistakes. I tried to do little things of my own, too."

Stolfi earlier clinched a spot at states for a second consecutive year when Scott Syrek of Owen J. Roberts injury defaulted in their semifinal match.

"I know his knee was banged up before, he had a kneepad on it," Stolfi said. "I just went in for a high crotch, either he planted on it or I twisted on it when I circled around. Something happened, I don't know."

D'Annunzio shrugged off a tough district performance that saw him drop his first two matches of the season to claim third at 103 with a 6-5 decision over North Catholic's Mike McCall. The Methacton junior made PIAAs by edging Dylan Steffenino of Upper Perkiomen 4-3 in the consolation semis.

"I was thinking about that, this kid (Steffenino) won District One North, but on a good day anything can happen," D'Annunzio said. "Yeah, I was pretty happy with that win. That was the one either him or me, one of us is going (to states), and I'm glad it was me."

Cox was pinned by Springfield-Delco's Andre Petroski in the 189 champ semifinals, but the senior Warrior came back to best P.J. Steinmetz of LaSalle in the consolation semis 5-3.

"I didn't wrestle my greatest match, but just winning was nice," Cox said.

In the third-place match, Cox fell to Boyertown's Zach Heffner 8-1.

Clark had a chance to face Stolfi again after falling to the Souderton wrestler in the district final. However, the Methacton 215-pounder could not get past Ruggear in the championship semis, falling 4-1. Clark claimed third after Syrek forfeited the consolation final.

PIAA South East Class AAA Regional

At Council Rock North

Satruday

Championship Semifinals

119: Matt Malfaro (Boyertown) dec. Bubba McGinley (CB West), 9-2.

160: John Staudenmayer (Plymouth Whitemarsh) tech fall Andre Watkins (Wissahickon), 19-4, 6:00.

189: Andre Petroski (Springfield (D)) pinned Dan Cox (Methacton), 5:52.

215: Joe Stolfi (Souderton) injury default Scott Syrek (Owen J. Roberts), 0:06; Nick Ruggeaer (Oxford) dec. Brandan Clark (Methacton), 4-1.

Championship Finals

215: Stolfi dec. Ruggear, 6-3

Consolation First Round

103: Rob D'Annunzio (Methacton) maj. dec. Aaron Moldoff (Marple Newtown) 12-4.

125: Ben Hartshorn (Conestoga) dec. Tyler Romano (North Penn), 6-4.

135: Seth Ehlo (CB West) dec. Greg Bacci (Conestoga), 2-1.

140: Rich Jasinski (Pennridge) pinned Greg Walker (Father Judge), 3:12.

160: Dominic Colangelo (North Penn) pinned Curis Loeb (Garnet Valley), 1:28.

189: Kyle Wood (West Chester Rustin) dec. Robert Smothers (Souderton), 3-2.

215: Ken Cenci (Phoenixville) dec. Brian Corliss (Wissahickon), 3-1.

Consolation Quarterfinals

103: D'Annunzio dec. Alex Wait (Downingtown East), 2-1.

135: Ehlo dec. Nick Dau (CB East), 10-7.

140: Vice Knowles (Interboro) dec. Jasinski, 6-0.

160: Colangelo dec. John Hoch (West Chester Rustin), 4-3.

Conslation Semifinals

103: D'Annunzio dec. Dylan Stefenino (Upper Perkiomen), 4-3.

119: Nick Bongard (Monsignor Bonner) dec. McGinley, 3-1.

135: Ehlo dec. Kyle Moran (Oxford), 4-3.

160: Matt Krueger (Spring-Ford) dec. Colangelo, 4-1.

189: Cox dec. P.J. Steinmetz (LaSalle), 5-3.

215: Clark tech fall Marcus Collins (Monsignor Bonner), 15-0, 4:28.

Consolation Finals

103: D'Annunzio dec. Mike McCall (North Catholic), 6-5.

135: Joe Mazzi (LaSalle) dec. Ehlo, 5-2.

189: Zach Heffner (Boyertown) dec. Cox, 8-1

215: Clark win by forfeit over Syrek.

Fifth Place

119: McGinley win by forfeit over Joe Bonaduce (Unionville)