WRESTLING: Pennridge has 3 advance to semifinals, CB West, Souderton, Quakertown all have 2 reach at PIAA South East 3A Regional

Three Pennridge wrestlers advanced to their respective championship semifinals while Central Bucks West, Quakertown and Souderton all had a pair reach the round Friday at the PIAA South East 3A Regional Tournament at Souderton.

Quinn McBride at 127 pounds, Colby Martinelli at 133 and Danny Metzler at 145 each went 2-0 to help the Rams post 28 points to sit 11th in the team standings.

CB West, which had Daniel Dennis (133) and Patrick Kelly (139) make the semis, is eighth with 32 points while Quakertown – led by Gavin Carroll (152) and Collin Gaj (160) earning two wins – is 10th at 28.5 points. Souderton’s Clayton Waltenbaugh (114) and Dominic Ramos (145) reaching the semis have the host Indians 13th at 20.5 points.

Council Rock South had six semifinalists and is in first place with 61.0 points. Boyertown is second at 44.5 points and Sun Valley third at 41.

The tournament continues Saturday at Souderton with finals scheduled for 6 p.m. Top five wrestlers from each weight advance to the PIAA 3A Championships March 6-8 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Hatboro-Horsham sophomore Dominick Morrison, who won the state title at 107 last season, advanced to the 114 regional semis with a technical fall over Garnet Valley’s Caleb Ayala 20-3 in 53 seconds in the first round then pinned Ridley’s Brayden Laird in the quarterfinals in 1:31.

In the semis, Morrison (40-1) faces Perkiomen Valley junior Max Tancini – a two-time PIAA medalist – in a rematch of last year’s 107 regional final Morrison won 2-0 in sudden victory.

Waltenbaugh, a sophomore who wrestled at Faith Christian last season, earned his spot in the 114 final four with a 16-1 tech fall over Central Bucks South’s Alex Su in 4:39 then an 11-1 major decision over Zach McFarlane of West Chester East. Waltenbaugh next faces Radnor’s Jayden Lee – the two met in last Saturday’s District 1-3A Central final with Waltenbaugh winning by tech fall 22-6.

Upper Dublin sophomore Dom Powell and Central Bucks East freshman Chase Williams both reached the 107 semis.

Powell pinned Spring-Ford’s Crew Jackson at 2:30 then earned an 11-0 major decision over Council Rock North’s AJ Kane. Williams opened by winning by fall in 23 seconds against West Chester Henderson’s Charlie Ball then in the quarters edging Downingtown West’s Shaefer Hoffman 5-4.

Methacton senior Matty Shumaker advanced to the 172 semifinals by pinning Garnet Valley’s Wyatt Panarello in 1:21 then beating Coatesville’s Jack Weldon 2-1.

North Penn’s Jonny O’Brien reached the 152 semis where the senior faces Quakertown’s Carroll.

O’Brien began Friday with a 16-0 tech fall over Neshaminy’s Ryan Hinze in 2:18 then earned a 13-1 major decision over Sun Valley’s Hunter Delaney. Carroll, a senior, pinned Upper Dublin’s Isaac Caldwell in 2:22 in the first round then bested Boyertown’s Owen Dykie by a 7-0 decision.

Gaj is two wins away from his fourth regional title after a 19-3 tech fall over Conestoga’s Teddy McKenzie in the 160 first round then pinning Interboro’s Ryan Rossiter in 55 seconds. Gaj is 38-0 heading into Saturday’s semifinal against West Chester East’s AJ Corp.

Pennridge Martinelli, a two-time regional champ – winning at 107 in 2023 then at 114 last season – reached the 133 semis with pins over Oxford’s Dylan Heffner (1:10) and Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Jacob Plant (1:23). Martinelli faces Sun Valley’s Brecken Strickland for a spot in the final.

In the other 133 semifinal, CB West freshman Dennis takes on Council Rock South’s Anthony Mutarelli. Friday, Dennis beat Henderson’s Alex Belfer by 10-0 major decision then got past Haverford’s Nathan Messano by 4-3 decision.

At 145, Ramos made the semis by pinning Neshaminy’s Amir Meskhi in 4:39 with the Souderton sophomore then earning a 5-3 decision over Upper Darby’s Nathan O’Donnell. Pennridge senior Metzler defeated West Chester Rustin’s Colin Baldesari by 11-5 decision then won a 13-12 decision over District 1-3A Central champ Shane Stankina of Boyertown.

Pennridge junior McBride, who has finished second at regionals the past two seasons – 121 in 2023 and then last year at 127 – posted two tech fall wins Friday. He beat Council Rock North’s Chase Mancini 15-0 in 2:00 then topped Upper Merion’s Nikito Hansell 19-1 in 4:22.

Kelly, the defending 139 regional champ, reached the weight’s semifinals with a 15-0 tech fall over Conestoga’s Abijah Hines in 2:07 then a pin against Hatboro-Horsham’s Ryan Allgeier in 3:19. The CB West senior faces Council Rock South’s Patrick Woloshyn in a rematch of last Saturday’s District 1-3A North final Kelly won 10-3.