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By JOE PETRUCCI
jpetrucci@leader.net
Friday, March 07, 2003 Page: 3C
HERSHEY – When Steven Mytych stepped on the mat at the Giant Center in
Hershey on Thursday, he was significantly more prepared than he was last year
as a freshman representing Wyoming Valley West.
Mytych’s father, Steve, moved his family to the Pleasant Valley School
District (about 25 miles south of Wilkes-Barre) after he was not re-hired to
coach Valley West last spring despite leading the program from the brink of
disbanding to the District 2 team title.
Since then, Mytych, now a sophomore, has endured the rigors of a District
11 schedule. That has him much more battle-tested than last year, when he went
1-2 here.
“You’re wrestling kids who are top-notch day in and day out,” said
Mytych, who was seeded No. 1 for the D-11 tourney and took third. He lost in
the Northeast Regional final to Easton’s Seth Ciasulli last week.
“It’s grinding on your body. But it definitely prepares you for the state
tournament. You wrestle kids who should be here, but aren’t because we only
take three from regionals.”
Mytych (34-4) won his preliminary round bout 5-2 over Solanco’s Ryan
Finkbiner (33-7), the South Central third-place finisher.
Last year, Mytych was the runner-up to Crestwood’s Joe Kemmerer at both
districts and regionals. There was no one else in the district to seriously
challenge them.
“That was my good match for the year,” Mytych said.
Mytych noticed the difference between Districts 2 and 11 instantly.
Pleasant Valley’s season-opener was at perennial D-11 power Nazareth, and the
atmosphere was more postseason than early season.
“Waking into that gym was just as big as walking into Hershey and it
wasn’t even like that at the District 2 finals last year,” said Mytych.
“It’s a totally different atmosphere. It makes you want to go harder.”
In today’s quarterfinals, he’ll face Highlands senior Bill Spencer (33-0),
the Southwest champ.
IN THE NORTH: Three other District 2 wrestlers from the Lackawanna League
advanced to the 2A quarterfinals. Blue Ridge’s Chris Lewis (135), Lackawanna
Trail’s Keith Gavin (152) and Valley View’s Kyle Davis (215) won their
preliminary round bouts.
In 3A, West Scranton’s Dave Morgan (125), who took fourth here last year,
was shockingly eliminated Thursday night. After the three-time District 2
champ and lone Lackawanna 3A qualifier lost his preliminary round bout to
Reading’s Charles Griffin 18-8, he was pinned in his first-round consolation
bout by Upper Perkiomen junior Darren Kern (41-3), the Southeast champ.
THE HARDER THEY FELL: There were two major upsets in 2A action and another
close call.
Southeast fourth-place finisher Nick Stabile (36-6) of District 3’s Hamburg
won 2-2 via overtime rideout over Southwest champ Adam Whitestone of District
6’s Claysburg-Kimmel (30-4) in the 103-pound preliminaries.
Also, Forest Hills junior Jake Strayer (41-1), a champ here at 103 last
year, was pinned in the 112-pound preliminaries by Donegal senior Ryan Storm
(31-8), the fifth-place finisher from the Southeast.
Burrell’s Joe Makara (35-4), a defending state champ at 119 and the
Southwest gold medalist, avoided a 125-pound preliminary round upset with a
reversal at the buzzer in the second overtime to defeat Notre Dame of Green
Pond’s Jared Casciole (35-8) 3-1.
INDUCTING A TIGER: Thirty-one-year Tunkhannock coach Frank Wadas will be
inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame
tomorrow.
Wadas is the 42nd winningest coach in state history and 21st among active
coaches. Wadas’ teams have gone 317-236-1. A 1964 Dallas High School graduate
and a 1968 graduate of Mansfield University, Wadas guided the Tigers to 15
consecutive winning seasons from 1975-’89. Wadas serves as treasurer of the
PWCA.