Sean Murray brushed away any thoughts of fear or disappointment following his semifinal-round loss. The Upper Perkiomen sophomore was determined to avoid the

Sean Murray on the medal stand at Soud- erton High School.

path that cost him a spot in the PIAA Wrestling Championships last season.

            Last weekend, Murray's resolve carried him to a third-place finish at the Class 3A Southeast Regional tournament at 127 pounds. He won his last two matches, not allowing a point.  "It was time to get the job done," Murray said.

            A technical fall victory in the consolation semifinals on Saturday, March 1 clinched his spot in Hershey. Murray tossed another shutout against a returning state qualifier in the third-place match.

            Benjamin Godshall (133 pounds) and Zane Saeger (152) suffered season-ending defeats Saturday at Souderton Area Senior High School. Each won one bout. Godshall, who posted a team-high 20 pins, ended his season nine wins short of 100 for his career.

            Murray (36-6) responded to a 12-2 loss to Quinn McBride -- a junior from Pennridge, the top seed and a returning state medalist -- by outscoring his final two opponents 22-0, According to head coach Steve Adam, his wrestler displayed laser focus.

            "I knew I was one of the best wrestlers there," Murray said. "I knew I could punch my ticket to States."

            The strong finish allowed Murray to avoid the fifth-place bout that ended his freshman season in the same tournament. A 7-3 loss to Quakertown's Isaac Williams kept him out of States.

            "I wasn't ready to win last season," Murray said. "I wasn't properly prepared for the match. There was some doubt."

            He qualified for states by overwhelming John Kaplan, a senior from Abington, in the consolation semis. Murray delivered a 15-0 victory 44 seconds into the second period.  "Sean was on fire," Adam wrote in a text message.

            In the third-place bout, Murray tossed another shutout against a returning state qualifier. He defeated Chase Sigle, a senior from Downingtown West, 7-0.

            Murray (36-6) opened his tournament on Friday, Feb. 28 with a first-period fall against Brayden Giovinco, a sophomore from Methacton.

            In his initial match on Saturday, the No. 4 seed scored an overtime victory. He advanced to the semifinals by pinning Steven Wiechecki, a junior from Conestoga, 37 seconds into the extra period.

            In the semifinal, McBride, a junior from Pennridge, the top seed and a returning state medalist dominated the match. According to Adam, McBride's hand speed limited Murray's scoring opportunities.

            Godshall (33-11) suffered an 11-0 loss to Carter Soto, a ninth-grader from Owen J. Roberts, in his first match.

            Godshall won his first match on Saturday. He defeated Declan McDowell, a junior from Downingtown East, 1-0.

            However, Nathan Messano ended his season. The Haverford junior posted a 4-2 victory.

            "Ben wrestled well," Adam said of Godshall, who moved one class from the weight he competed at for most of the season. "When you get to this caliber, size can be the determining factor. It becomes more difficult to get takedowns."

            Saeger (26-12) lost his opening match Friday. Chris Dennis, a junior from Central Bucks West and a two-time returning state medalist, scored a technical fall win midway through the first period. He won his initial consolation round bout, defeating Andrew Bostwick, a Penncrest junior, 6-5.

            However, the Tribe junior lost his next bout. Hunter Delaney, a senior from Sun Valley, needed 44 seconds to score a pin and end Saeger's season.

            Murray will open the state tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Giant Center against Gabriel Ballard (36-10), a sophomore from Northampton. Ballard finished fourth at states as a ninth grader. He finished second at the North East Regional last weekend after winning the District 11 title.

            With a win over Ballard, Murray would likely face a two-time returning state medalist. Santino Sloboda (46-0), a junior from Butler, won the West Regional title last weekend. He finished fourth in the state at 107 pounds as a ninth-grader, and sixth at 114 last season.