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By JOE PETRUCCI jpetrucci@leader.net
Saturday, March 08, 2003 Page: 1B
HERSHEY – The cold that has plagued Jason Mitkowski’s chest and sinuses since
the District 2 tournament forced him to find a remedy on the wrestling mat.
The Nanticoke Area senior 189-pounder looks to start aggressively and build
a lead, then hold off his opponent in the third period, when Mitkowski’s
sickness catches up with him.
The cold, nor either of his opponents on Friday, caught up with the Trojan
strong man in Class 2A action at the PIAA Wrestling Championships.
Mitkowski built sizable leads in the quarterfinals and semifinals and
stormed into the finals, as did the Meyers dynamic duo of Joe Rovelli (152)
and Carlo Mercadante (160).
“I just go at them from the start and try to score as much as I can,”
said Mitkowski, who was spitting blood after he cut his tongue during his
semifinal win. “Let them catch up. I’ll be coughing all day after I
wrestle.”
Lake-Lehman sophomore Matt Dragon, a favorite at 130 pounds, lost in the
semifinals and again in fourth-round consolations and will wrestle for fifth
place today. GAR’s Ted Yelland (189) made the seventh-place final.
Consolation finals are at 12:30 p.m., and the finals are slated for 2:30
p.m.
Lehman’s Andy Josuweit (125) and Willie Weber (160) and Meyers’ Wally
Geiger (103) lost twice and were eliminated.
Mitkowski took a 6-2 lead against Union City senior Shawn Adams (40-5), the
Northwest region runner-up, en route to an 8-5 decision. Mitkowski then jumped
out to a 9-2 lead against Lehighton senior Stevie Rimbey (31-5), the Southeast
runner-up, in the semis, before winning 11-4.
“As soon as I got the first takedown and he went to his back, that’s when
all the nerves went away,” said Mitkowski, who will face Wilson senior David
Iobst (36-5), the Southeast champ who was seventh here last year.
Mitkowski had a little reason to be nervous. After all, before this year,
he hasn’t wrestled since the eighth grade.
“It’s unbelievable,” Mitkowski said of being in the finals. “It’s more
than amazing.”
Rovelli (26-1) recorded his second first-period pin in the quarters when he
matted Smethport sophomore Mike Mitchell (10-3), the Northwest silver
medalist, in 1:59. In the semifinal against Jeanette sophomore A.J. Graves
(37-3), the Southwest champ, Rovelli built a 4-1 second-period lead via back
points off a tilt. A takedown with 30 seconds remaining in the bout sealed a
7-2 decision.
“I felt really strong during the match,” said Rovelli, who gets Northern
Lehigh senior Ryan Hluschak (41-1), the Southeast champ, in the final.
Hluschak lost in preliminaries last year, then won five consecutive bouts to
take third. “(The final) will definitely be a tough match.”
In what he called one of his toughest matches, Mercadante (35-0) scored
four points early in the third in the quarterfinals to take a 4-0 lead, then
held off Shady Side Academy senior Damian Johnson (37-2), the Southwest
runner-up, to win 4-3.
In the semis, Mercadante hit two takedowns in the second period with a
shrug and a slide-by for a 7-5 lead. He hit an early reversal in the third for
a 9-7 decision.
“I could have won more convincingly, but I was just trying to hit what was
open. I didn’t want to force anything,” said Mercadante, who meets another
unbeaten, West Branch senior Jared Ricotta (36-0), the Southwest champ, in the
final.
Mercadante was doubly pleased because he joined his close friend Rovelli in
the finals.
“I said last week we’re both going to make it,” said Mercadante. “But I
was kind of joking around.”
Dragon wasted little time in the quarterfinals, winning by technical fall
16-0 (2:18) over Ligonier Valley senior Mike Krisfalusi (30-6), the Southwest
third-place finisher. But in the semis, Delone Catholic senior Dana Gingerich
(39-3), the Southeast bronze medalist, worked hard on Dragon’s right arm.
Dragon’s shoulder clearly troubled him, and the sophomore suffered his first
loss of the season, 10-7.
In the fourth round of consolations, Dragon (41-2) met Bloomsburg’s Zach
Schnee, who lost to Dragon twice this season including in the regional final.
Schnee, however, scored a third-period reversal to win 3-2.
Dragon will wrestle for fifth place against Wilson senior Ed Labatch
(36-13), the Southeast fourth-place finisher.
Yelland (33-9) upset Beth-Center junior Jordan Sweany (39-5), the Southwest
champ, 5-4 in the second-round consolations, but lost by the same score to
Conrad Weiser senior Jeff Wanner (35-7), the Southeast fourth-place finisher.
Yelland will face Newport senior Travis Young (37-7), the Southeast
fifth-place finisher, in the seventh-place final.