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Berks Catholic makes history by winning team title at the BCIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament

Marvin Armistead and his Berks Catholic teammates were the ultimate party crashers at the 23rd annual BCIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament.

In their first appearance in the county tournament, Armistead and the Saints walked out of Reading High’s Geigle Complex Saturday night with three individual titles and the team trophy.

“We work hard in the wrestling room week in and week out,” said Armistead, who won the 132-pound title in one of the most entertaining bouts of the finals. “We have so much building to do as a team together.”

The Saints have built quite a bit in just their third season as a varsity team and only second in the BCIAA. Last year during Berks Catholic’s initial season in the Berks Wrestling League, the BCIAA Individual Tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

That put the debut of Armistead and his teammates on hold for a year. They made the most of the wait Friday and Saturday night.

“This was our first time ever in the individual tournament,” said Berks Catholic coach Derek Sola. “Two years ago we probably would have been in last place.”

But this year the Saints were first with Armistead, Brody Kline (215) and Mason Iswalt (285) winning individual titles.

Berks Catholic’s Brody Kline holds down Twin Valley’s Ean Winchester during the 215 pound championship match. 2022 BCIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Geigle Complex. Saturday, January 15, 2022. (CHRIS SPONAGLE – SPECIAL TO THE READING EAGLE)

Berks Catholic finished with 237 points to 204 points for runner-up Wilson, which also had three champions.

Armistead defeated Wilson’s Aiden Dojan 8-7 to become the first Saint to win a BCIAA title. Armistead trailed 4-0 after the first period but kept battling back and scored the winning points on a takedown with 27 seconds left.

“My coaches kept me confident,” Armistead said. “They told me I had to keep battling and I didn’t give up.”

Kline and Iswalt also won competitive matches in the championship round. Kline edged Twin Valley’s Ean Winchester 3-2 before Iswalt defeated Wyomissing’s Caleb Brewer 9-3 in overtime in the final bout.

Wilson’s three champions included James Garcia (113), Dominic Jurado (138) and Henry Flite (145).

Garcia was in control from start to finish in a 7-1 decision over Berks Catholic’s Brayden Hartranft.

Jurado dominated 2020 champion Brett Marchiano of Daniel Boone in a 15-3 major decision. Flite defeated Conrad Weiser’s Branden Manderbach 4-1 after trailing 1-0 heading into the third period.

But it wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs to overcome the team balance of Berks Catholic, which had 14 wrestlers place in the top six.

Wilson had six wrestlers in the finals, the most of any team.

“We’ve got a really young team,” said Wilson coach Jason Gibble. “We just need to keep working and getting better every day.”

Daniel Boone finished third and had four individual champions.

Senior 120-pounder Gavin Richard won his third individual title by scoring a technical fall over Brandywine’s Jacob Deysher. Richard, who was prevented from becoming a rare four-time champion because of last year’s cancellation, racked up a 17-2 lead in 5:54.

Daniel Boon’es Gavin Richard takes down Brandywine’s Jacob Deysher during the 120 pound championship match. 2022 BCIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Geigle Complex. Saturday, January 15, 2022. (CHRIS SPONAGLE – SPECIAL TO THE READING EAGLE)

Also winning titles for the Blazers were Dean Houser (106) and brothers J.T. Hogan (152) and Tucker Hogan (172).

Houser scored a first-period fall over Oley Valley’s Chase Parisan.

J.T. Hogan won an 8-1 decision over Wilson’s Blaise Eidle. Tucker Hogan pinned Gov. Mifflin’s Cole Lang in 1:32, the quickest fall of the finals.

Exeter’s Nick Nettleton and Johnny Miller captured their second titles. Nettleton scored a 25-10 technical fall in 4:48 over Wilson’s Matteo Garcia at 160. Miller pinned Muhlenberg’s Tucker Bellanca with one second left in the first period.

Twin Valley’s Jacob Grzybek won the 126-pound title with the biggest comeback of the night. Trailing Brandywine Heights’ Dillon Reinert 5-0 after two periods, Grzybek battled back to take the lead and scored a fall in 5:26, the third time he had Reinert on his back in the final period.


Source: Berkshire mont

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