HERSHEY - Chris Kummerer wanted nothing more than to be the spark plug.
"I was hoping I was like the start of something, and I could pump up the team somehow, but it didn't happen as I was thinking," the 132-pound Hamburg senior said after top-seeded Boiling Springs fulfilled its billing with a 47-15 victory over the Hawks in the District 3 Class AA Team Wrestling Championship on Saturday at Milton Hershey School's Spartan Center.
"We definitely found our weaknesses and we're going to work on them, hopefully tomorrow, considering we only have tomorrow," Kummerer said, looking ahead to Monday's opening round of the PIAA Class AA Team Tournament.
The Hawks (18-3) will host District 6 runner-up West Branch on Monday in Hamburg's first-ever appearance in the PIAA team event.
"That's what is going to get our minds set, the first state match that we're going to be wrestling," Kummerer said. "That pumps me up, so I hope that it will pump the rest of the team up."
Hamburg's enthusiasm at the start of Saturday's district final took a hit as Boiling Springs won eight of the first nine bouts to build a 35-6 lead. Beginning at 113 pounds, the Bubblers won the first three bouts, surrendered Kummerer's fall at 132, and then won five in a row.
"They're a tough team. They've been a tough team for a long time,"
Hamburg head coach Derek Sola said of Boiling Springs. "There's not much you can say, really."
Hamburg was limited to three victories. In addition to Kummerer, who decked Boiling Springs sophomore Cory Calaman, Hamburg gained a pin from Cody Miller at 182 and a 5-0 decision from Austin Bashore at 195.
Miller's fall, achieved with a three-quarter nelson of the Bubblers' Dylan McCoy at 1:12, stalled Boiling Springs' team win and cut the deficit to 35-12 with four bouts remaining.
However, as Hamburg needed four more falls to win, Boiling Springs' Nate Gouhin battled Hamburg's Austin Bashore through two scoreless periods before Bashore gained a reversal and near fall to win a 5-0 decision, clinching the Bubblers' crown.
Sola felt his squad, which collected runner-up medals, had good chances to win three other bouts - 113, 285 and 106 - but lost all of them.
At 113, Boiling Springs' Devin Crum used two takedowns and two penalty points for locked hands to beat Hamburg's Mike Eicher 8-2.
Boiling Springs' Korbin Myers then improved to 24-2 with six takedowns in a 14-6 major decision over Hamburg's 30-bout winner, Sean Stanish at 120. The lead grew to 11-0 when A.J. Kostyak had four near falls in a 14-0 major win over the Hawks' Kerry Mega at 126.
Kummerer then scored an 8-0 lead before pinning Calaman to cut the lead to 11-6.
But Boiling Springs then took control with five straight victories, four with bonus points.
At 138, Boiling Springs' Kyle Shoop won by at 17-0 technical fall over Nick Oswald. John Vaughn recorded a pin of Hamburg's Matt James at 145.
At 152, Boiling Springs' Tyler Kauffman used a third-period near fall to take a 3-1 win over Andrew Kochel. At 160, Boiling Springs' Connor Murphy pinned Ronnie Lavigne with an armbar in 1:58.
At 170, Travis Wickard finished the run with an 18-4 major decision over Tyler Herber.
After Miller's and Bashore's wins, the Bubblers closed the meet with three victories.
At 220, Boiling Springs' Kyle Taylor pinned Hamburg's Logan Lackey in 5:04. At 285, Noah Davis edged Hamburg's Blake Roberts 5-4, and Boiling Springs' Jonathan Day won a 15-11 decision over Romeo Eaddy at 106. Match Summary
District 3 Class AA
Team Tournament
Championship
At Milton Hershey
Boiling Springs 47, Hamburg 15
113 - Crum (BS) dec. Eicher, 8-2; 120 - Myers (BS) maj. dec. Stanish, 14-6; 126 - Kostyak (BS) maj. dec. Mega, 14-0; 132 - Kummerer (H) pinned Calaman, 1:57; 138 - Shoop (BS) tech. fall Oswald, 17-0, 4:27; 145 - Vaughn (BS) pinned James, 2:54; 152 - Kauffman (BS) dec. Kochel, 3-1; 160 - Murphy (BS) pinned Lavigne, 1:58; 170 - Wickard (BS) maj. dec. Herber, 18-4; 182 - Miller (H) pinned McCoy, 1:12; 195 - Bashore (H) dec. Gouhin, 5-0; 220 - Taylor (BS) pinned Lackey, 5:04; 285 - Davis (BS) dec. Roberts, 5-4; 106 - Day (BS) dec. Eaddy, 15-11