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OXFORD — The drama began Friday for the Delaware County contingent at the District 1 Class 3A Southeast Regional at Oxford High School, continued Saturday and resumes next week at the PIAA state tournament in Hershey.
Six Delco wrestlers punched their tickets to Hershey for the three-day competition that begins Thursday at the Giant Center. That’s down from eight wrestlers last year and 16 two years ago. The class of 2024 includes Michael Spielman (Strath Haven), Jayden Lee (Radnor), Curtis Nelson (Ridley), Brecken Strickland, Hunter Delaney and Brandon Carr (all of Sun Valley).
The relatively unheralded Spielman was the only wrestler from the lengthy group of Delaware County wrestlers to win gold, the sophomore securing the 189-pound title, elevating his record this season to 38-1.
“It feels nice,” said Spielman, who beat highly regarded Carter Euker of Perkiomen Valley, 4-2 in the title bout. “I still want more. I’ve got to show up next week, too. When I stepped outside this morning and looked at the grass, I just knew it was my day. I knew I was ready.”
That was fairly routine compared to the stories that will be told of this regional in the years to come. The craziness began Friday when three-time All-Delco and perennial states qualifier Cole McFarland of Haverford forfeited after failing to make the 121-pound weight. The senior was a couple of pounds over the max, ending his prep career. He finished fifth in the state at 106 pounds in 2021-22. Shocking as that was, it paled in comparison to what happened at 114 pounds.
Lee earned a shocking defensive pin over the Nelson, the only Delco grappler to medal at states last year. Nelson had his opponent in a Merkl hold and was winning convincingly until inadvertently rolling on to his back. Faster than you could say pin, Nelson was in a most bizarre state that took a while to process. The referee’s sudden slap of the mat signalling the verdict surprised both wrestlers and the coaches. Nelson walked toward the parking lot figuring out how to reset.
“I thought I was getting back points,” Nelson said. “And (the official) said, ‘No. You got pinned.’ I ran outside, had a long talk with my dad. It was a case of it’s over. There’s nothing you can do. You’ve got to get over it and just worry about states.”
Nelson got over it, and so did Lee as both will be angling for medals at the state tournament, Lee as the second-place finisher from the region at 114 pounds, Nelson as the third-place guy.
It was a banner day for Sun Valley, the only Delco school to send multiple wrestlers to Hershey. Strickland (133), Delaney (139) and Carr (172) all are headed up the turnpike for the Vanguards, the most participants for the school since 2013.
Coach Tom Ellis, who will stack his Vanguards program up against any in Delco in terms of performance over the past five years, is eager to watch the medals ceremony next week.
“We hope to bring back plenty,” Ellis said. “The program has just kind of taken off. It’s never a rebuild. It’s more of a reload.”
Speaking of reloading, at 114 pounds, Lee made a compelling case for himself by wrestling hard after his good fortune. He pinned Jake Evans of Upper Dublin in 1:19 to open the regional, and after being awarded the pin over Nelson, Lee decisioned Chase Sigle of Downingtown West, 12-10, to clinch a berth in the championship bout.
In the finals, Lee lost by fall to Colby Martinelli of Pennsbury, who finished third at 107 pounds last year in states.
Lee is the first Radnor wrestler to reach Hershey since heavyweight Daetrel Jerome in 2021, and the first to reach the regional finals since Tommy Meyers in 2015.
“Last year didn’t go so well for me in districts and I’m happy, I’m very excited to go to states,” Lee said. “Thanks to all my coaches. They helped me out throughout my whole wrestling career. They got me here.”
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Strath Haven’s Michael Spielman has his hand raised after winning the 189-pound title at District 1 Class 3A Southeast Regional at Oxford Saturday. (Bill Rudick/For Media News Group)
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