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By JOE PETRUCCI
jpetrucci@leader.net
Sunday, March 02, 2003 Page: 5C
BETHLEHEM – For only the third time in the past eight years, the Wyoming
Valley Conference did not produce a champion at the Class 3A Northeast
Regional Wrestling Tournament.
However, for the second consecutive year, three WVC boys lost in the
championship finals and six advanced to next weekend’s PIAA tournament at the
Giant Center in Hershey.
Crestwood’s Jason Reilly (171), Pittston Area’s John Laboranti (189) and
Berwick’s Mike Viti (215) lost in the championship finals, Bulldog Jeremy
Griffith knocked off Crestwood’s Joe Kemmerer in the 112-pound third-place
match and Berwick’s Nick Yalch (130) and Coughlin’s Ryan Kittrick (275) also
took third.
Berwick’s Roland Singletary (103), Dallas’ John Hettes (125) and Perry
Coolbaugh (160) and Coughlin’s Ed Kenzakoski (171) all lost in third-place
matches. The top three placewinners in each weight class qualified for states.
Berwick finished fifth (60.5 points) in the team title race. Easton won
with 192 points, followed by Northampton (135), Pleasant Valley (68) and
Parkland (66.5).
Reilly, the senior sixth seed and D2 runner-up, was down 4-1 in his
semifinal before upsetting second seed Ryan Nowicki of Northampton with a pin
in 3:13.
Reilly’s opponent in the final, fourth-seeded Nick Guida, hit a five-point
move early on and led 7-3 after two periods. But Reilly chose top for the
third and earned two back points at the 1:35 mark. Guida hit a reversal but
Reilly countered with one of his own to draw within 9-7. Reilly, however,
couldn’t get anything else going the final 45 seconds.
“I’m not too upset. … I still made my ultimate goal,” said Reilly,
referring to his first trip to states. “When he hit that early five points it
was tough to come back.”
Laboranti could only manage a first-period escape in an 8-1 loss to
top-seeded Josh Haines. Laboranti, the junior second seed, has not beaten
Haines in five tries.
“I could’ve done more offensively but he’s a good wrestler and he’s tough
to score on,” said Laboranti, the D2 champ who suffered his first loss of the
season.
Viti, the junior second seed, advanced to the final with an impressive 7-1
win over Easton’s Marcus Millen. Down just 2-1 late in the bout, Millen
glanced up at the scoreboard clock to see how much time remained. Viti
immediately pounced on him and scored a takedown and three back points as time
expired.
“That was the best I wrestled all year,” said Viti. “I felt like
everything he did, I saw before he did it.”
In the final against Northampton No. 1 seed Jon Oplinger, Viti gave up two
slick takedowns in the third period and fell 6-2.
Kemmerer had beaten Griffith twice this season, including a 2-1 decision in
last week’s D2 final.
After a scoreless first period, Griffith escaped with 37 seconds left in
the second for a 1-0 lead. Kemmerer tied it with an escape 10 seconds into
third. In overtime, Griffith nearly scored a takedown with only a few seconds
left in the one-minute extra session but Kemmerer pulled out of it and went
out of bounds. Griffith had choice of position for the second overtime and
chose top.
“If I chose bottom I know he’d throw a leg and it would be impossible to
get up,” said, Griffith, who took third here in 2002 and eighth at states
last year.
Griffith successfully rode Kemmerer for about 50 seconds but Kemmerer was
able to get decent position with about 10 seconds left and nearly worked a
reversal. But the Crestwood two-time district titlist and defending regional
champ didn’t get the call as time expired.
After losing in the quarterfinals on Friday, the second-seeded Yalch had to
wrestle all the way back, winning four matches on Saturday in convincing
fashion. He scored takedowns in the first and second periods against Nazareth
seventh-seed Joe Caramanica and won 7-3.
Kittrick, the top seed at 275, also wrestled all the way back after losing
in the quarterfinals on Friday and also earned his first trip to states.
After two pins wrapped around a 14-2 major decision over Nazareth’s Rocky
Schoenenberger, who pinned Kittrick here last year, Kittrick faced
Selinsgrove’s Jay O’Hora, the fourth seed, in the third-place final. The two
big men tied up for awhile and Kittrick worked a front headlock that the
258-pound Crusader suddenly dropped O’Hora with. If anyone didn’t see it, rest
assured they heard it.
“I guess when you throw 260 pounds it’s going to be loud,” said Kittrick.
“People in the top of the stands said they heard it.”
He got the pin called almost immediately in :38.
“I decided to go for it,” said Kittrick, who took third in a bracket that
included six other heavyweights ranked among the top 18 in the state. “My
heart’s still pounding. This is the most exciting moment of my life.”