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By JOE PETRUCCI jpetrucci@leader.net
Tuesday, March 04, 2003 Page: 1B
HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING
WILKES-BARRE – Ted Yelland has had a difficult time dealing with school,
sports and discipline since his father, Joe, died after suffering a heart
attack in June of 2001.
That was still evident on Feb. 22 when Yelland, a GAR junior, stormed off
the mat during the 189-pound final at the District 2 Class 2A Wrestling
Tournament at Scranton Prep High School, where he was losing 11-5 to Nanticoke
Area’s Jason Mitkowski. Yelland lost by default.
Yelland (31-7) could have easily done the same thing during his 8-4
decision loss to Line Mountain senior Kenny Wert on Friday in the Northeast
Regional quarterfinals on Friday at Williamsport High School.
But Yelland isn’t walking away anymore.
Instead, Yelland roared back on Saturday in wrestlebacks and got into the
consolation final where he again met Wert. This time, Yelland won by a 6-1
decision to take third place and advance to the PIAA tournament at the Giant
Center in Hershey this weekend.
“He was able to get his focus back,” GAR coach Frank Castano said. “I’m
proud of that fact.”
Yelland (31-7) is the first Grenadier to advance to states since Jason
Hooper and Jason Lavelle got to Hershey in 1998. Yelland faces Southmoreland
junior Shane Datz (34-1), the Southwest Regional runner-up, in Thursday
morning’s preliminaries.
Yelland admits things have been rough since his father died after doing his
son’s paper route for him one morning.
“He was just depressed and in bad shape,” Castano said of Yelland. “He
kind of lost his focus. Things started to slip away from him.”
Namely, school and his budding wrestling career, which his father guided
and supported since elementary school. Castano said he remembered Yelland’s
father wearing his trademark YMCA jacket with Ted’s headgear attached to his
belt buckle at many offseason tournaments.
Last season, Yelland wrestled for part of the year but did not compete in
the postseason. He missed the first few weeks of this season, and that’s when
his mother stepped in.
“My mom told me to do it for my dad,” Yelland said.
Soon Yelland was back in the wrestling room, but not even he thought his
season could last this long.
“I never considered myself going to states,” said Yelland. “It’s a big
shock. I’m just happy to go down there.”
Yelland credited his father and coaches for helping him get through
wrestlebacks on Saturday. He said Castano talked to him last week about not
letting losing affect him adversely and to keep focused on the positive.
Before and during the rematch against Wert, Yelland said he thought about his
dad constantly.
“He was my biggest fan,” Yelland said. “We went to every tournament
together.”
Castano said that what Yelland may lack in technique or strength he makes
up for with hustle.
“I think what he has going for him is this year he really concentrated on
getting in shape,” Castano said. “He really pushed himself in the room to
get into the type of condition to get him to this level.”
Now that he’s made it to Hershey, Yelland thinks he’s ready. He feels he
has the skills to compete and more importantly, he’s in the right frame of
mind and is focused on just one thing.
“I’m just going to go there and have fun,” he said.
COMING TOMORROW: A look at the eight Wyoming Valley Conference wrestlers
competing in Class 2A at this weekend’s PIAA Wrestling Championships in
Hershey.