Wrestling: Upper Darby heavyweights finish the job

Upper Darby — Upper Darby senior Josh Yeboah-Gyasi replied with a sly grin when asked about the wrestlers who surround him at the heavy end of the Royals’ lineup. He offered a response that defied his soft-spoken nature and status as his team’s silent leader.

“I consider us death row,’ Yeboah-Gyasi said of the string of Royals from 182 to 285 pounds. “I like to think we put the nail in the coffin.’

Wednesday night against Haverford High, death row lived up to its name. Brian Kennerly earned a 9-7 decision over Matt Bloxton at 182 pounds. Madhat Fares followed with a major decision, 16-5 victory against Ibrahim Ammar at 195. From there, Yeboah-Gyasi and Pete Augustin provided the proverbial nail. The former pinned Justin Fornwalt in 33 seconds. The latter needed just 10 to drop Michael Newman and give Upper Darby a 49-10, home Central League win.

“I love when we start at 106,’ said Yeboah-Gyasi. “Even if we’re behind, we know we can come back. And tonight, we can finish them. That’s what we love.’

Despite the lopsided score, and the manner in which it ended, this was far from a blowout. The Fords’ effort suggested the famed Haverford-Upper Darby rivalry may be making its way back to the mat. Royals head coach Bob Martin said as much as his wrestlers cleared the gym.

“I told (Haverford coach Pat Crater) that the final was not indicative of the match,’ said Martin, who’s been at the helm of Upper Darby since 1980. “Haverford’s gotten better. They weren’t just going to fall down for us.’

Crater, in his first season with the Fords after guiding Marple Newtown, was a natural fit to restore his school’s program. He works at Haverford High. He lives three blocks from the campus.

“The kids are buying in. We’re working to establish a new tradition,’ Crater said. “I see (the wrestlers) in the hallway at school. It’s been a positive experience so far.’

Holdover assistants Shawn Fausey and Matt Wells have aided in the transition. The result has been a vibrancy in the Fords that had produced an 8-1 mark entering Wednesday’s meet. The loss did little to dim the mood.

“You have to find success in other ways,’ he said. “There were small things — even something as simple as a wrestler running back to the middle of the mat, or a guy going for the first takedown. You love to see that.’

Junior David Tustin turned in Haverford’s highlight of the night. Against Pat Kane, who was 10-3, Tustin delivered a 3-2, sudden-death victory in the 160-pound weight class.

And yet it’s clear the Royals still hold the upper hand in the decades-old struggle.

“Our goal is to beat Upper Darby every year,’ Crater said. “It’s been a while. We’ll want to do it next year.’

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