HS Wrestling: Eagles Woll, Renninger qualify for states
Blue Mountain's Bradley Renninger, head coach Alex Gosch and Owen Woll, from left, celebrate after Renninger and Woll clinched spots in the state tournament by winning bouts Saturday at the Class 3A Northeast Regional Wrestling Championships at Bethlehem Liberty High School. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
BETHLEHEM — Blue Mountain brought two wrestlers to the Class 3A Northeast Regional Wrestling Championships.
Both of them are headed to states.
With sledgehammers and pitfalls everywhere in every bracket, junior Owen Woll and senior Bradley Renninger traversed their way to punching their tickets during the morning session Saturday at Bethlehem Liberty High School’s Memorial Gym.
“They’re just feeding off each other, I think,” Blue Mountain coach Alex Gosch said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie, a lot of energy between the two. … We just focused on one match at a time. These kids are out here to make a statement, and they did so.”
After storming into the semifinals with a pair of pins Friday, Woll notched his third fall of the tournament to reach the finals at 152 pounds. The third seed out of District 11, Woll stopped Northampton junior Chase Grabfelder, the District 11 runner-up, in 5:37.
Meanwhile, Renninger battled his way back through the consolations, earning three straight victories to reach the bronze-medal bout at 189.
Those results assured both Eagles at least a top-four finish.
The top five placewinners in each weight class advance to the PIAA Wrestling Championships on March 6-8 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
In the semifinals, the momentum in the match shifted several times before Woll cinched in tight on top for the pin. Woll scored the first takedown, but Grabfelder rallied with a reversal and a takedown with one second left in the first period for a 5-4 lead. Grabfelder used three back points to extend his lead to 8-4 midway through the second period, but Woll answered with a reversal and four near-fall points to grab a 10-8 advantage heading to the final period. Grabfelder escaped to cut the deficit to one. Woll kept attacking, hitting a low single-leg shot and converting by trapping both ankles. Woll saw the opening for the fall and capitalized.
“He faced adversity and overcame it, and that’s what postseason wrestling is all about,” Gosch said. “You’ve got to keep your head in the match. When something doesn’t go your way, keep calm, trust in your abilities and get it done. That’s exactly what he did. I’m very proud of him.”
Added Woll: “That’s been the goal we’ve been working on all year.(Helped by) great people, great support system. … I think my faith plays a big role. I know I’m just out there to have fun, and whatever happens out there happens. I’m very grateful.”
In the finals, Woll (41-7) dropped a 7-2 decision to Nazareth’s Cade Campbell.
Renninger went 1-1 Friday night, knocking off District 2 champion Mason Marolo of Hazleton Area before falling to Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Dominic Sumpolec in the quarterfinals.
That meant Renninger needed three victories to clinch a trip to states. He started the day by shutting out Shikellamy’s Christian Boetsch 5-0 and built momentum from there. Renninger next punched a deep power half and turned Williamsport’s Jackson Raker for the fall in 2:04.
That set up a meeting with Wallenpaupack’s Conan Kier, with the winner qualifying for states. Renninger dominated on top, turning Kier twice for eight near-fall points and added a late takedown in a 12-1 major decision.
In the third-place match, Renninger (42-10), got pinned by Easton’s Shae Linegar in 2:16.
“Honestly, it was hard to envision it because of how hard our district is,” Renninger said of qualifying for states. “I’m just really glad that in my final season I came through and made it to Hershey for the first time.
“When I turned (Kier) on his back it was a big relief, because four back points is huge in this points system,” Renninger added. “I was tired, but I knew I had to give it everything I had because it was now or never.”
