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By TIMOTHY J. RAUB Times Leader Sports Correspondent
Sunday, February 06, 2000 Page: 6C
LEHMAN TWP. – Phil Lipski has found the secret to success – pizza and
wings. The Lake-Lehman wrestling coach told his Black Knights that if they
could win both of their meets on Saturday, he would take them out for dinner.
Lehman defeated Tunkhannock, 33-27, earlier in the day, then went on to defeat
Berwick, 44-25, in Wyoming Valley Conference West division action. “I told
the kids that if we won both of our matches, that I would treat them to wings
and pizza,” said Lipski. “Now I guess I will have to pay up.” The
victories give the Black Knights (5-0) sole possession of first place in the
West, after giving the Tigers (3-1) their first loss of the season. Lehman
still has to face Wyoming Valley West, which is tied for second in the
division with Tunkhannock. Berwick (2-4) jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after
the 103-pound bout, but that would be its only lead of the night, as the Black
Knights pulled away 29-10 after the 140-pound match. Jason Wood and Jim
Higgins had falls for Lehman, and the Black Knights got forfeits at 112 and
130 during the stretch. Chris Luton-Cressman made it a 29-13 match with a 9-4
decision against Rich Maciejczak at 145, and both teams got six-point
victories in the next two bouts. But Lehman’s Rick Hislop dashed any hopes of
a comeback for Berwick with a 5-4 decision over Jon Lechleitner at 171.
Lechleitner got on the board first with a takedown early in the first period,
but Hislop took the lead in the second with an escape and a takedown to make
it a 3-2 match. Lechleitner tied the match and later took the lead with
escapes at the end of the second and beginning of the third period, but with
30 seconds left in the match, Hislop scored a late takedown to gain the 5-4
victory. Nick Yalch (125) and Carmen Malt (189) scored falls for the
Bulldogs, and Matt Kehler won by fall at 275 for Lehman. “Traditionally, we
have been a strong team late in the season each year,” said Lipski. “This
year, I did not think we would be in the driver’s seat in the division, but we
have come on strong, and we are getting a total team effort as of late.”
Coughlin 45 Crestwood 24
WRIGHT TWP. – Scott Emerick (103 pounds), Bob Capwell (112), Jim McCarroll
(130), Mike Kubicki (140), Steve Sedon (189) and Eli Phillips (275) had pins
as Coughlin defeated host Crestwood. Wyoming Valley West 32 Dallas 23
PLYMOUTH – Joe Danowski (140 pounds) and Drew Feldman (275) earned pins as
Wyoming Valley West defeated visiting Dallas. Lake-Lehman 44 Berwick 25
LEHMAN TWP. – Jason Wood (135 pounds), Jim Higgins (140) and Matt Kehler
(275) recorded pins as Lake-Lehman defeated Berwick.
Nick Yalch (125), Jeremiah Mensinger (160) and Carmen Malt (189) earned
pins for Berwick. GAR 77 Bishop Hoban 0
WILKES-BARRE – GAR picked up six pins en route to a victory over Bishop
Hoban.
Joel Harrison (125 pounds), Rick Simon (130), Mark Diliberto (140), Mike
Medvec (145), Jake Longfoot (171) and Chris Collis (189) recorded pins for the
Grenadiers. Meyers 45 Nanticoke Area 22
NANTICOKE – Carlos Mercadante (132 pounds), Kevin Behm (137) and Kevin
Doyle (275) had pins to lead Meyers past Nanticoke Area.
Ron Brusa (191) earned a pin for the Trojans.