Quakertown cops surprise wrestling win

Nobody was more surprised by Quakertown's 54-16 win over top-seeded Boyertown in the District 1 Class AAA team championship Saturday night than Panthers coach Kurt Handel.

"That was a big-time surprise," he said after the second-seeded Panthers won their first district championship. "Boyertown's a tough team."

In his pre-match calculations, Handel said he had the score very close.

"I told the kids going into the match that good was not enough, that they had to be great," he said.

Obviously they responded.

The victory puts Quakertown in a quarterfinal matchup tomorrow night at the Giant Center in Hershey. The Panthers will meet the winner of a second-round match between Blue Mountain, the District 11 runner-up, and Clearfield, the District 9 winner.

Handel said the time between the district title match and tomorrow night's state quarterfinal should benefit his team.

"We can use the break," Handel said. "We're a little banged up like every team."

The coach said he expected Blue Mountain to advance to the quarterfinals.

"At this level, everybody's good," he added.

La Salle coach Vic Stanley did not get to see his team win its first District 12 championship by shutting out Northeast, 74-0, Friday.

Instead, he spent the evening in the emergency room at Doylestown Hospital.

Stanley passed out while waiting for the bus to take his Catholic League champions to Northeast to face the Public League titleholder.

"I had an EKG, MRI and blood tests, but they showed no reason for me passing out," Stanley said.

"The doctor grounded me for a week. When you're young, you feel 10 feet tall and bulletproof, but I'm no kid any more."

A subsequent test of his carotid artery also was negative. It was the first time Stanley had missed a match since he was coaching at Council Rock more than 20 years ago.

Because he was grounded, he also missed the Explorers' 41-21 loss to District 1 runner-up Boyertown in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA team championship Tuesday night.

"Now we'll have to point to the individual championships," Stanley said. "It's the beginning of a new season."

Octorara's bid to advance to the second round of the PIAA Class AA team championship ended in 53-15 loss to Bermudian Springs, the District 3 runner-up.

It would appear the District 1 champion Braves were routed, but the score is deceiving. Octorara, which won four matches, forfeited two and lost two in which its wrestlers were leading.

"It was the pins that killed us," said Octorara coach Mark Durante.

The Eagles registered five pins to Octorara's one. They took an 18-0 lead after the first three matches on two pins and a forfeit.

Freshman Brandon Arnsberger and Josh Smith were bright spots for the Braves. Arnsberger scored a 2-1 decision at 112 pounds over Tanner Coyle, one of the state's top-ranked wrestlers at 103. Arnsberger is 23-5 and has not lost since Jan. 3, when he bowed to Sun Valley's Vinny Oristaglio, 6-3.

Smith pinned Preston Green in the first period of their 171-pound bout.

"Smith was really tested in December, but we haven't been getting the matchups we've wanted for him lately," Durante said.

Smith (26-3) finished fourth at states last season.