Wrestling: Four from Delco claim district crowns

ROYERSFORD — Delaware County sent 71 athletes to Saturday’s Class AAA District One-West tournament, but not long after the competition began that number melted quicker than the massive piles of snow ringing the Spring-Ford High parking lot.

Twenty-three were gone by the end of the first round and another 26 had been relegated to the consolation bracket by the finish of the quarterfinal round.

As sobering as those numbers are, the area was represented in nine title bouts and wound up collecting four titles, with Garnet Valley teammates Michael Marino (120 pounds) and John Dambro (170) finishing atop the podium along with Pat Callaghan (126) of Marple Newtown and Penncrest’s Liam Frank (182).

In all, the Central League teams from the area had 15 wrestlers finish among the top three — good enough to qualify for next weekend’s Class AAA Southeast Regional at Pottstown.

Perhaps the best way to approach the anxiety-ridden event was explained by Frank, who had the unenviable task of facing Ridley’s Lawrence Alkins for the third time this season and the fourth time over the last two postseasons.

“Right now it’s just about having fun, wrestling hard and wrestling smart,’ the sophomore said. “Whatever happens, happens.”

Last season, Frank bested Alkins for the Central League title and then took their rematch in the regionals a couple weeks later. This season, Frank again swept their regular-season and league title matches before completing the treble Saturday night with a 7-3 decision.

So what was different this time?

“I tried to keep him moving,” Frank said. “Once I stand still, he gets a hold of me and is so strong that it’s hard for me to break out and do my own moves. I had to keep active and keep the pace high.”

Alkins is headed to regionals along with Ridley teammate Donte McCarthy, who fell to Garnet Valley’s Michael Marino, 7-3, in the 120 final.

“I lost to (Marino) last week in the Central League champs, so I figured I’m in the finals and I’m going out there to wrestle hard. I had nothing to lose. I’m hoping to make it to states, but I want to focus on what’s in front of me and work with a great teammate like Lawrence (Alkins),” McCarthy said.

Callaghan admitted he was a little sluggish when the day began, but the Marple Newtown senior picked up his intensity as the competition wore on, culminating with a 9-5 win over Boyertown’s Lucas Miller in the 126-pound final.

“I hadn’t been checking the brackets, I was just worrying about myself,” Callaghan said. “I’m glad that I got through to regionals, I think it’s good for the program, for the underclassmen on our team to see guys from our school at that level. Hopefully they see they can get there too.”

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Boyertown's Gregg Harvey gets a takedown and holds Radnor's Tom Meyers en route to a 11-4 win in the final at 160 at the District 1-AAA West Tournament Saturday at Spring-Ford. The loss was Meyers' first of the year. (John Strickle)