Team Saucon Powers Through 2019 District XI Individual Wrestling Tourney (Brought to You by Spirk Brothers Inc.)

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After a hard-fought match, Saucon junior Braydyn Lugardo joins four of his Panther brothers as a 2019 District XI champ.

Ten Saucon Valley Panther wrestlers have survived the 2019 District XI wrestling tournament and now move on to Regionals. A top-6 finish in the PIAA Regional tournament starting March 1st at Wilson West Lawn High School, brings a trip to Hershey and an opportunity for a PIAA State title. As a team, the Panthers paced the pack and earned the 232 total points to claim District XI’s Individual Tournament Team Title.

Jarrett Hirschbeck (170) and team manager, Emma Rohn, showing off the 2019 District XI Team award.

2019 District XI 2A Wrestling Championships Final Team Scores (Top 5)

Saucon Valley 232
Notre Dame 202
Wilson Area 177
Tamaqua 113
Jim Thorpe 93

Josh Jones won his third District XI title with a first period pin.

With their top-4 District XI finish, Cael Markle (106), Chris Arciuolo (113), Josh Jones (132), Thomas Spirk (138), Nick Rosengrant (145), Ty Csencsits (152), Matt Arciuolo (160), Braydyn Lugardo (182), Dane Csencsits (195) and Nick Warnke (285) have all qualified to advance to Regionals. Jones, Spirk, Matt Arciuolo and Braydyn Lugardo all earned themselves a District XI championship this past weekend. It is the third District title for Jones, a senior, who was a state runner-up last season in the 2018 PIAA Championships. Spirk, Arciuolo and Lugardo are all juniors.

Junior Thomas Spirk held off Wilson’s Marckis Branford to secure his first District XI championship.

Dane Csencsits, also a junior, battled but lost in the 195-pound championship final to Colin Fegley (35-1) from Mahanoy Area. Fegley’s only loss on the year is to Wyoming Seminary’s Kyle Costello.

Panther Results in Championship Final

132 #1 Josh Jones, SV pinned #3 Lorenzo Reto, Pen Argyl, 1:27.

138 #1 Thomas Spirk, SV decision #3 Marckis Branford, Wilson, 9-8.

160 #1 Matt Arciuolo, SV decision #2 Derek Berlitz, Notre Dame Green Pond, 7-3.

182 #3 Braydyn Lugardo, SV decision #5 Alec Snyder, Wilson, 4-2.

195 #1 Colin Fegley, Mahanoy maj-dec #2 Dane Csencsits, SV, 12-1.

SV junior Dane Csencsits was on the attack, but could not quite break through in the 2019 District XI championship match.

Markle, Chris Arciuolo, Rosengrant and Ty Csencists all wrestled back in the consolations to finish 3rd for the Panthers and will join their teammates at the Southeast Regional tournament. Markle, Arciuolo and Csencsits are freshmen while Rosengrant is a senior. Warnke, a junior also fought his way back through the consolation bracket to finish 4th.

Saucon Valley Freshman Chris Arciuolo boldly battled his way to a third-place finish.

Junior Kevin Dyer (120) came into the District XI tournament as the 6-seed and held on for a sixth-place finish. Dyer, did not advance to Regionals, but had a good tourney nonetheless.

Other Panthers on the Podium

Third/Fourth Place
- 106 Cael Markle, SV pinned William Schwartz, Jim Thorpe, 1:55.
- 113 Chris Arciuolo, SV decision Danny Grigas, North Schuylkill, 4-1.
- 145 Nick Rosengrant, SV decision Chris Whiteman, Lehighton, 7-2.
- 152 Ty Csencsits, SV decision Anthony Micci, Wilson, 3-2.
- 285 Derek Hunter, Jim Thorpe pinned Nick Warnke, SV, 4:37.
Fifth/Sixth Place
- 120 Preston Bauer, Northern Lehigh pinned Kevin Dyer, SV, 1:37.

Up Next: The 2019 PIAA Southeast Regional Tournament at Wilson West Lawn High School on Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2. Friday’s wrestling action is scheduled for a 5:15 p.m. start.

Good luck Panthers, the Source is with you!