Six Cardinal Wrestlers Advance Through Sectionals, Two Take Gold

The Upper Dublin wrestling team earned a solid 4^th place (109.0 pts) finish out of the 10 team field at the PIAA District 1, Section 3 wrestling tournament, hosted by Hatboro Horsham High School on Saturday, February 18^th. Norristown High School took home the team trophy with 192.5 pts.

Six Cardinals earned podium spots and advanced to the PIAA District 1 North tournament, to be held February 24^th and 25^th at Quakertown High School. Two wrestlers earned gold medals, Devon Dhoble at 195lbs (Sr. 30-1) and Steven Volovar at 132lbs (Sr.  31-2). Both student athletes captured their first sectional title and look to complete the run to the State Championships in Hershey, PA.

“It wasn’t easy” said Dhoble. “I knew it would come down to me and [Norristown's Larry] Gordon in the final, and I wasn’t going to lose again."

Gordon handed Dhoble his only defeat of the year on January 18th in a close 3-1 decision and was a 2011 PIAA Regional qualifier. Dhoble won the 195 lb final on Saturday by an 8-1 margin, avenging the loss and delivering perhaps his best performance of the season.

Jacob Haney (152 lbs) and Sam Jacobson (170 lbs) both made it to the championship match before earning silver medals. Both faced tough matches from top-ranked opponents, with Haney falling to Wissahickon's Brandon Weiss 14-1, and Jacobson losing by technical fall to Norristown's Shane Springer, 21-6

Reed Rapine (220 lbs) captured a 3^rd place medal bronze medal by pinning Methacton’s Tahar Ferradii at 3:36. Brian Carson (182 lbs) earned a respectable 4^th place, securing his spot to compete at the District 1 North tournament this weekend.