Sure, there was plenty of frustration for Pennsbury senior Jackson Kean over the years.

And why not?

A lifelong wrestler, Kean couldn't crack the Falcons varsity roster as a freshman, sophomore or junior.

Every match he wrestled for Pennsbury had come on the junior varsity.

"That's the thing with Jackson," Pennsbury head coach Phil Kealy said. "He's a very talented wrestler, but every year he had somebody in front of him that was better at his weight class.

"But he stuck to it, didn't complain, and just kept working so that when his opportunity came, he would be ready."

That opportunity has come this season and Kean has been ready.

A roaring start for Jackson Kean at Pennsbury

He's already eclipsed 20 varsity wins (Kean is 22-8 through last Wednesday) at 160 pounds and has gotten used to the varsity experience.

"My first match on varsity, I was kind of nervous," Kean said. "There's definitely a difference between wrestling JV and varsity.

"But once you start wrestling, you just have to concentrate on what you're trying to do and give everything you have."

It's that perseverance, especially in a day where many others would have walked away instead of toiling on the junior varsity for three years, that truly impresses Kealy.

The tradition continues for Bucks County family

"He stayed with it and didn't put his head down," Kealy said. "Not a lot of kids would have done what he's done.

"But one major thing that helped him is that he's a Kean. The Kean family is a pretty famous local wrestling family, and the sport is just a part of Jackson.

"His dad and his dad's brothers all wrestled in the area and they have many cousins that also wrested and were very successful. That's just what they do."

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And they're still doing it.

"I have a brother, Brennan, who's a sophomore on the team," Kean said. "And a couple of cousins, Brett Kean, John Luchansky and Eddie Wright that are all teammates. It's really kind of cool."

It's the dedication to the sport itself that helped keep him going.

"Yeah, it was a little rough being behind a couple of studs and not being able to wrestle varsity," Kean said. "But sticking with it was the best part of it and I'm really happy that I did.

"If I didn't stay with it, and just slacked off, it wouldn't have felt right. I've been wrestling since I was 5 years old and it's always been my life. I have a passion for it and always tried to be ready to step in if I was needed."

He's needed now on what is another solid Pennsbury lineup.

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"You could always see his potential," Kealy said. "He has prepared himself for this season and the success he's having is due to hard work and dedication to the sport of wrestling."

Eyes on States in Hershey

Kean, who only lost a handful of matches in three seasons on the junior varsity, has kept an open mind about his chances once the post-season rolls around.

"I didn't really have any expectations coming into the season," Kean said.

"I wanted to try to keep getting better and I would love to get to states. My cousin (former Pennsbury standout) Shane McGurrin made it to states last year when he was a senior and I went to Hershey with him and got to experience the whole thing.

"I'd love to make it there and get a chance to wrestle. But, for right now, I'm just glad I'm able to help the team out."

Team rankings

Our top five teams in the dual-meet rankings have stayed the same since our last look.

Some tests are coming for all of them, but, for now, the status quo remains the status quo.

Let's take a look:

1. Faith Christian (6-4)

Not that they needed any help, but the Lions recently benefited from the return of defending PIAA Class 2A champion Gauge Botero to the lineup after a knee injury. And all Botero's done since coming back is go 16-0 with an Escape The Rock title to boot. Faith Christian finished second as a team in the ETR behind powerhouse Malvern Prep.

2. Council Rock South (8-1)

The Golden Hawks, under first-year head coach and alum Trey Balasco, are rolling to yet another Suburban One League Patriot Division title. A win over Harry S. Truman on Wednesday would seal the championship. Council Rock South's only loss came against Faith Christian.

3. Pennridge (13-3) 

The defending PIAA District One Class 3A dual-meet champs are quietly putting together another strong season and making a run at the SOL Colonial Division crown. The Rams' only loss against a District One foe came against Council Rock South in early December.

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4. Quakertown (6-2)

The Panthers have won six straight dual meets and seem on their way to capturing a Suburban One League Liberty Division title. Quakertown's only dual-meet losses have come against Council Rock South and Pennridge, both in December.

5. Conwell-Egan (8-0)

The Eagles are going to be tough for any Philadelphia Catholic League foe to knock off considering they've scored at least 41 points in all of their dual meets. A balanced lineup full of experience will do that for a team and Conwell-Egan has just that.

Others to watch (listed alphabetically): Council Rock North, La Salle High, Neshaminy, Pennsbury.

Worth noting: The Philadelphia Catholic League title rematch between Conwell-Egan and La Salle High (Tuesday, 6 p.m., at La Salle High) should be a good one. Both teams are unbeaten in the PCL and unbeaten in dual meets overall (C-E is 8-0 and La Salle High is 12-0) and the Explorers' gym will be jumpin'. The Eagles, who beat Father Judge 48-18 in the semis, beat La Salle High 41-30 for the PCL crown in 2023. The Explorers reached the final by knocking off Saint Joe's Prep 38-26 in the other semi. ... The PIAA District One Class 2A and 3A duals wrap up on Saturday at Upper Dublin with wrestling beginning at 8:30 a.m. Faith Christian, seeking its sixth straight district duals title, will take on Bristol in the Class 2A final (1 p.m.). The Class 3A finalists will be determined Saturday morning with the finals tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m. ... The top four finishers in Class 3A advance to the PIAA dual-meet tournament while only the Class 2A champion moves on to the state meet. Last year, Faith Christian defeated Fort LeBoeuf (District 10) 54-12 in the Class 2A title match.

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Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Pennsbury's Kean truly dedicated; also see wrestling team rankings