District previews: Quakertown's Borzio ready for last chance to wrestle in home gym
The reality that hits seniors in high school about how fast the time goes past has already struck Zach Borzio.
"I'm doing things now, as a senior, and then I realize it'll be something that I'll never get to do again," Borzio said.
"The four years have come and gone so quickly. I don't like to think about that heading into this weekend, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it a lot."
What the Quakertown senior will see come and go this Saturday is the PIAA District One-East Class 3A wrestling tournament, a competition that will be held in his home gym.
The same gym he has spent the last four seasons wrestling in and something he'll do for the last time in a couple of days.
"It's hard to believe because it seems just like yesterday that I was a freshman," said Borzio, who will take a 33-8 season mark into the tournament at 152 pounds.
"And even though we went through COVID, which seems like such a long time ago, everything just went by way too fast."
Veteran Quakertown head coach Kurt Handel has seen many wrestlers come and go in his two-plus decades leading the Panthers and likes nothing more than to see them succeed away from the mat once they graduate.
"Zach will wrestle at Williams College (in Massachusetts), but more importantly he's going to a really good school for academics and he's going to do well," Handel said. "He's way up near the top of his class academically and you couldn't ask for a better young man.
"I remember him as a freshman, and you could see the talent he had, but where he was weight-wise he couldn't crack the lineup. So he lost some weight and wrestled at 106 for us. He's just dedicated and did whatever he could to make that lineup."
Since then, Borzio has won 125 career matches, qualified for the state tournament as a sophomore, and is a team captain this season.
"We have a really good tournament team and we want to do well in the team standings at districts and next week at regionals," Borzio said. "Our guys will be ready to go and I know that I'll be."
While he'd love to win a district title in his home gym Saturday, Borzio also has loftier goals.
"I want to get on the podium (in Hershey)," Borzio said. "I know it won't be easy, and I'll have to wrestle as well as I can in every match, but that's what I'm shooting for."
Here is a capsule look at where area wrestlers will be competing this weekend:
PIAA District One-East Class 3A tournament
Where: Quakertown High School
When: Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Area teams competing: Abington, Bensalem, Central Bucks East, Central Bucks South, Central Bucks West, Council Rock North, Council Rock South, Harry S. Truman, Neshaminy, North Penn, Pennridge, Pennsbury, Quakertown, Upper Moreland, William Tennent.
How many move on: The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for next week's Southeast Regional tournament at Souderton High School.
Wrestlers to watch: Collin Gaj (Quakertown), Mason Ziegler (Quakertown), Bek Sadriddinov (Council Rock South), Eren Sement (Council Rock North), Joe Collins (Central Bucks East), Cole Coffin (Pennridge), Luke Reitter (Council Rock South).
PIAA District One-North Class 3A tournament
Where: Perkiomen Valley High School
When: Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Area teams competing: Souderton.
How many move on: The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for next week's Southeast Regional tournament at Souderton High School.
Wrestlers to watch: A.J. Stayton (Souderton), Dillon Bechtold (Owen J. Roberts), Sam Gautreau (Owen J. Roberts), Kelly Kakos (Perkiomen Valley), Max Tancini (Perkiomen Valley), Cole Smith (Spring-Ford).
PIAA District One-South Class 3A tournament
Where: Interboro High School
When: Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Area teams competing: Hatboro-Horsham.
How many move on: The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for next week's Southeast Regional tournament at Souderton High School.
Wrestlers to watch: Chris Staub (Hatboro-Horsham), Ben Farabaugh (Strath Haven), Cole McFarland (Haverford High), Mohammed Charabi (Plymouth Whitemarsh).
For subscribers:We rank the Courier/Intell area's top wrestlers heading into the postseason
PIAA District 12 Class 3A tournament
Where: Saint Joseph's Prep High School
When: Friday, beginning at 5 p.m.; Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.
Area teams competing: Archbishop Wood, La Salle.
How many move on: The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for next week's Northeast Regional tournament at Bethlehem Liberty High School.
Wrestlers to watch: Andrew Brennan (La Salle), Jackson Hersh (La Salle), Cormac Morrissey (La Salle), Matt Wiley (La Salle), Nick Rehfuss (Archbishop Ryan), Alex Pfeffer (Archbishop Ryan), Max Roy (Saint Joseph's Prep).
PIAA District One/12 Class 2A tournament
Where: Faith Christian High School
When: Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.
Area teams competing: Bristol, Conwell-Egan, Faith Christian, New Hope-Solebury.
How many move on: The top three finishers in each weight class qualify for next week's Southeast Regional tournament at Bethlehem Freedom High School.
Wrestlers to watch: Gauge Botero (Faith Christian), Cael Weidemoyer (Faith Christian), Adam Waters (Faith Christian), Steven Harris (Conwell-Egan), Charlie Robson (Conwell-Egan), Dante Burns (Conwell-Egan), Kyle Conlen (Archbishop Carroll).
For subscribers:Who wins? Our dream match between Montco and Bucks wrestling standouts
PIAA District 11 Class 2A tournament
Where: Bethlehem Freedom High School
When: Friday, beginning at 5 p.m.; Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.
Area teams competing: Palisades.
How many move on: The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for next week's Southeast Regional tournament at Bethlehem Freedom High School.
Wrestlers to watch: Dan Haubert (Palisades), John Haubert (Palisades), Jacob Jones (Saucon Valley), Holden Garcia (Notre Dame-Green Pond), Jacob Scheib (Tri Valley), Gavin Fehr (Catasauqua).
National Prep School tournament
Where: Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Md.)
When: Friday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.; Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Area teams competing: George School, Germantown Academy.
How many receive medals: The top eight finishers in each weight class earn medals.
Wrestlers to watch: Jack Baron (Germantown Academy), Arturo Perez (George School), Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.), Jack Consiglio (Malvern Prep), Elijah Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Billy Brosko (Haverford School).
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Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Quakertown's Borzio hoping for high finish at district wrestling
