Wrestling: Upper Darby keeps its cool, takes down Garnet Valley

UPPER DARBY >> The energy with which Upper Darby wrestled Garnet Valley Wednesday night belied a trying week that saw the Royals endure physical and emotional strain. Over the weekend, they claimed fourth in the District One AAA Duals to earn the school’s first trip to the state tournament. They also watched as their coach Bob Martin, in his 35th season with Upper Darby, left Saturday’s match with Pennridge after passing out on the bench. A blowout defeat to state power Central Dauphin followed on Monday with Martin absent. So one could have expected the Jaguars to jump on a fatigued Royals team. Instead, the hosts won five of the first seven bouts, on their way to a 41-27 victory over Garnet Valley that all but clinched Upper Darby’s 14th Central League title and 11th under Martin.

“Our guys knew what was on the line,” Royals senior captain Pete Augustin said. “We just showed up and did what we had to do.”

That commitment showed in the 152-pound bout after Matt Mortimer (145) pinned Simranjeet Singh to spot the Jags a 6-0 lead. Upper Darby’s Max Livingston faced Paul Gartman of Garnet Valley with each wrestler sporting an identical 23-9 record. A battle of attrition ensued. Gartman earned the first point by peeling away from Livingston’s control in the second period. That 1-0 lead held until late in the third when Livingston did Gartman one better. He spun out of the junior’s grip and assumed back control to secure two crucial points. Livingston rode out the final seconds and the Royals were on their way.

Coltrane Mosley-Jones (182) and Brian Kennerly (195) produced back-to-back pins. Then, in a theme of the night, Dante Daniels (220) fought off a near-fall from the Jags’ Tommy Mahoney to prevent bonus points in a 4-3 decision. The loss, according to Martin, was really a win. Augustin followed with yet another dominant performance to push his season record to 31-1.

“I kind of like wrestling on my feet,” Augustin said of his bout with Ryan Rushton. “If I take him down early, I let him up. Then I go for a pin.”

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Garnet Valley’s Griffin Salus goes for the pin on Upper Darby’s Dante Daniels in the 220-pound bout Wednesday. Daniels and the Royals gained the upperhand for the Central League title with a 41-27 decision over the Jaguars.
(ANNE NEBORAK-DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA)