Just a season ago Blake Dergham was one win away from reaching the state wrestling tournament as he tried to come back through a consolation bracket.

This year the Parkland senior stayed away from the consolations. He won his first three bouts at last weekend’s PIAA Class 3A Northeast Regional Championships at Liberty High School to secure his trip to Hershey and earn a place in the 121-pound championship match.

While the final was a loss by technical fall to defending state champ Keanu Dillard (Bethlehem Catholic), Dergham was more pleased to win his semifinal bout 3-2 to over Emmaus’ Teagan Caciolo. The win secured his place in this weekend’s state championships.

“I think the semis match was more important because that was my steppingstone to go to states,” said Dergham.

Dergham was one of five Parkland wrestlers to compete at districts and one of three to place, but the only one to reach advance to states.

Dergham opened regionals by pinning MD Azam (Central High) in 33 seconds. A 15-0 technical fall over Rickie Melendez (Father Judge) put him in the semis against Caciolo.

A second-period escape gave the Trojan a 1-0 lead over Caciolo, but the Hornet tied the score with an escape in the third. Dergham got a takedown with 46 seconds left in the bout. Caciolo escaped with 11 seconds left to cap the scoring.

Wrestling in regionals for the second time in his career, Dergham had more confidence than a season ago when he lost in semifinals and had to wrestle back for sixth place.

“The thing that gave me more confidence is I’ve been here before,” he said. “I just took it as another tournament, another day, more matches.”

Dergham also picked up his 100th career win in the quarterfinals against Azam.

“He works hard,” Parkland head coach Eddie Keichel said of Dergham. “He’s a product of the program. He’s wrestled for Parkland since he was in kindergarten or first grade.

“Quiet, hardworking kid who keeps his nose to the grindstone and never complains, never gripes about anything and does what he’s supposed to do.”

Dergham will meet Southwester Regional runner-up Tyler Kapusta (Franklin Regional). Kapusta, a senior who is 42-6 this year. He finished seventh in the state last year at 114 and fourth hat 106 as a sophomore. He is 117-32 for his career.

Dergham, who is 30-10 this season, will finish his varsity career on the biggest stage high school wrestling has to offer this weekend at the Giant Center in Hershey. He’s hoping it ends on the podium Saturday night.

“It’s very exciting to keep my season going,” he said. “Obvious goal is to place at states. I want to get top five.”

The top eight finishers earn state medals.

Parkland senior Michael Gavrilesku’s season came to an Saturday with a fifth-place finish at regionals.

Gavrilesku (285) lost his first-round regional bout to Javon James of Scranton, then won three straight matches to get to the semifinals, where he dropped a 3-2 decision to Northampton’s Gavin Grell.

Gavrilesku bounced back with a 7-3 win over Crestwood’s Kyle Draina in the fifth-place bout.

“He’s done well,” said Keichel. “He’s come a long way. He only started wrestling in eighth grade.”

Gavrilesku went 32-10 in his senior season, his second straight 32-win season as he was 32-11 as a junior and 70-30 in his three years of varsity competition.

Trojan freshman Matthew Velez also took fifth place at districts.

Velez pinned Thomas Reipic (St. Joseph’s Prep) in the first round and beat Nazareth’s Derek Fulmer 16-3 in the quarterfinals before a semifinal loss to eventual champ Nicholas Salmone of Easton, a returning state medalist.

After dropping his consolation final, Velez won the fifth-place bout by pinning Fulmer in 2:33.

Parkland junior Leo Kern won two matches at districts, both by fall. But he dropped a 4-2 decision to the eventual third-place finisher and lost 9-8 to Whitehall’s Trokon Kai, who finished fourth.

Trojan senior Julius Reyes, a third-year wrestlers who did some of the best wrestling of his career at districts just to qualify for regionals, went 0-2 last weekend at Liberty.

Here’s a look at Parkland wrestlers’ results from the tournament.

Matthew Velez (107)

Velez pinned Thomas Reipic (St. Joseph’s Prep) in :44

Velez major dec. Derek Fulmer (Nazareth), 16-3

Nicholas Salamone (Easton) dec. Velez, 7-4

Connor Lagior (West Scranton) major dec. Velez, 11-0

Fifth-place match: Velez pinned Fulmer (Nazareth) in 2:33

Blake Dergham (121)

Dergham pinned MD Azam (Central High) in :33

Dergham tech. fall Rickie Melendez (Father Judge), 15-0

Dergham dec. Teagan Cacioli (Emmaus), 3-2

Championship match: Keanu Dillard (Bethlehem Catholic) tech. fall Derghan, 24-8

Leo Kern (133)

Kern pinned Hassan Muhammad (Martin Luther King) in :44

Dom Moyer (Delaware Valley) dec. Kern, 4-2

Kern pinned Archil Paulin (Northeast High) in 3:59

Trokon Kai (Whitehall) dec. Kern, 9-8

Julius Reyes (189)

Robert Anderson (Hazleton) pinned Reyes in 1:52

Joe Johnson (Archbishop Wood) dec. Reyes, 7-4

Michael Gavrilesku (285)

Javon James (Scranton) pinned Gavrilesku in 1:52

Gavrilesku dec. Sean Broderick (Father Judge), 6-2

Gavrilesku dec. Daniel Schiffert (Freedom), 4-2

Gavin Grell (Northampton) dec. Gavrilesku, 3-2

Fifth-place match: Gavrilesku dec. Kyle Draina (Crestwood), 7-3