Conwell-Egan returned to the top of the Philadelphia Catholic League wrestling world on Jan. 28, decisively defeating host St. Joseph’s Prep, 37-27, to claim their fourth championship in five years.
“It’s always a great feeling winning,” 10th-year coach Chucky Connors said. “It was especially rewarding because the competition this year was so strong. In the last few years it’s mostly been us and La Salle. This year, La Salle, Father Judge, and St. Joe’s were all excellent teams and really pushed us.”
The Eagles set the tone early. Sophomores Hunter Webster (114 lbs.), Toby McIntyre (121 lbs.), Tommy Boyce (127 lbs.), and senior Lukas Grodzki (133 lbs.) all earned victories in the opening rounds, giving Conwell-Egan momentum against a St. Joe’s squad eager for its first league title since 2000.
“We knew we had to jump out to a lead because their heavier weights were so strong,” Connors said. “We actually didn’t get a few bonus points I expected early, but when our (senior) Jaiden Goffman won a hard-fought match at 160, we knew the match was clinched at that point.”
Additional wins from sophomore MJ Gorrell (145 lbs.), junior Colin Walther (152 lbs., forfeit), Goffman, and senior Jacob Stout (189 lbs.) pushed Conwell-Egan past St. Joe’s, even as Keegan Swift (172 lbs.), John Boggs (215 lbs.), and Colton Anderson (285 lbs.) recorded pins for the Hawks.
The final tally cemented the Eagles’ dominance and returned the PCL trophy to Conwell-Egan.
For Connors, the victory stirred memories of the program’s earliest championship years.
“Absolutely,” he said, reflecting on the hunger of this year’s team. “I think the team was a little complacent last year and just expected to win because we had four straight championships. It’s definitely much harder staying on top than getting there, so I expect next year to be even tougher.”
The roster blended four seniors and 11 underclassmen.
“I’ve been lucky to have some really great teams over the last six or seven years,” said Connors, now in his 10th year. “This year’s team was a lot of fun. I’ll remember this team most for bringing the PCL title back to Egan.”
Individual honors await at the PCL individual championships on Feb. 14 at La Salle College High School, but the focus remains on the collective achievement that brought the Eagles back to the top.
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Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘X’ @johnknebels.
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