Wyoming Area’s Austin Muniz attempts to break the hold of the Patriots’ Matteo Carabetta at 172 pounds. Carabetta won the match on points 10-5.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Patriots take final three matches to clinch wrestling victory over Wyoming Area
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Patiort Julian Everitt controls Wyoming Area’s Turstin Johnson at 160 pounds Wednesday evening. Everitt pinned Johnson at 2.39.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Connor Novakowski is in contol of Pittston Area’s Dominic Bernardi at the 133-pound weight class Wednesday night. Novakowski took the match, 11-3.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PIAA official wresting official Dwight Barbacc, takes a peek as he’s ready to call a Pittston Area pin for Oscar Ciriaco over Wyoming Area’s Shane Emsley at 2:54.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
At 225 pounds, Pittston Area’s Brody Spindler lifts Wyoming Area opponent Caden Reynolds on his way to a 54-second pin for the Patriots.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PITTSTON — In a room full of past Pittston Area wrestling greats, the Patriots downed their fiercest rival and showed that the present is strong for this program.
The Patriots won the final three matches of the evening by pinfall to lock up a 45-28 win over Wyoming Area in the second Battle of the Bridge, keeping the Bridge trophy on the Pittston side of the river for another year.
Wednesday night’s meet doubled as Alumni Night for the Patriots, with over 50 wrestlers returning to be recognized for their contributions to the program.
“It was a great night tonight for Pittston Area’s program,” said head coach Dave Krantz, one of the alumni honored before the match. “It was really fun for our wrestlers to see those older guys come in, it really made the night.”
The Patriots won five matches by pinfall, one by decision and benefited from two forfeit victories. The trio of Oscar Ciriaco, Tibor Toth and Jahiem Butler swung the score in Pittston’s favor with three pinfalls to end the match, after Wyoming Area had taken a 28-27 lead.
“It was a tight match, we knew we had three good guys there,” Krantz said.
True to the nature of the rivalry, Wyoming Area came in and competed hard despite being a little undermanned.
Connor Novakowski put the Warriors ahead in the first match of the evening, winning an 11-3 major decision over Dominic Bernardi at 133 pounds.
The next three weight classes were all won via forfeit; Wyoming Area’s John Chiampi picked up six points at the 139 class before Dominic Innamorati (145) and Jake Aftewicz (152) put Pittston Area ahead 12-10 with forfeit victories.
The Patriots gave themselves some cushion through the next few bouts, with a pinfall win from Julian Everitt at 160 pounds and a 10-5 decision win for Matteo Carabetta at 172 pounds to make it a 21-10 Pittston lead.
Wyoming Area wasn’t going away, though, picking up three pinfall wins over the next four matches. Brody Spindler had the lone Pittston win in that four-match stretch, also by pin, but the Warriors took a 28-27 lead after freshman Chase Wilhelm pinned Caleb Shea in the 107-pound bout.
“We’re still young and we’re still learning,” said Wyoming Area coach Steve Mytych. “Once our guys get down to the weights they should be at, they should be fine.”
That one-point Warrior lead wouldn’t hold for long, as Ciriaco went out and put Pittston ahead 33-28 with a pin at 114 pounds, fighting off a strong effort from Shane Emsley to get the pin in the third period.
Toth put the match out of reach with a second-period pin, and Butler brought it all home in a hard-fought match at 127 pounds, pinning Wyoming Area’s Caiden Swartwood with time running out in the final period.
“These kids as a whole have been working their tails off,” Krantz said. “I’m super proud of the way they wrestled tonight.”
The Patriots will be back in action next weekend at the Neil Turner Memorial Holiday Classic at Conestoga Valley High School.
Wyoming Area will take on Lake-Lehman in a league match their next time out, on Jan. 3.
GIRLS
Hanover Area 60, Berwick 6
Kaidence Ankner (124), Chloe Griffith (136) and Britney Vergara all scored pins to lead Hanover Area past Berwick.
Genesis Mayorga (148) had a pin for Berwick.
BOYS
Pittston Area 45, Wyoming Area 28
107 — Chase Wilhelm (WA) pinned Caleb Shea, 1:10; 114 — Oscar Ciriaco (PA) pinned Shane Emsley, 2:54; 121 — Tibor Toth (PA) pinned Michael Appel, 1:23; 127 — Jahiem Butler (PA) pinned Caiden Swartwood, 4:29; 133 — Connor Novakowski (WA) maj. dec. over Dominic Bernardi, 11-3; 139 — John Chiampi (WA) won by forfeit; 145 — Dominic Innamorati (PA) won by forfeit; 152 — Jake Aftewicz (PA) won by forfeit; 160 — Julian Everitt (PA) pinned Trustin Johnson, 2:39; 172 — Matteo Carabetta (PA) dec. over Austin Muniz, 10-5; 189 — Ben Gravine (WA) pinned Kevin Hower, 0:44; 215 — Brody Spindler (PA) pinned Caden Reynolds, 0:54; 285 — Nate Obrzut (WA) pinned Sam Hankey, 3:10.
Match started at 133 pounds
GIRLS
Hanover Area 60, Berwick 6
100 – Claire Gyle (HA) forfiet; 106 – Santina Saraka (HA) forfiet; 112 – Morgan Osburn (HA) forfiet; 118 – Kelianet Hernandez De La Cruz (HA) forfiet; 124 – Kaidence Ankner (HA) pin Savannah Wisneski, 1:30; (BAH) 130 – Aibreann Mullin (HA) forfiet; 136 – Chloe Griffith (HA) pin Isabelle May, 4:22; 142 – Kianna Sura (HA) forfiet; 148 – Genesis Mayorga (Ber) pin Kailey Remish, 3:55; 155 – Lekayla Constantine (HA) forfiet; 170 – Britney Vergara (HA) pin Kaley Palmer, 0:57; 190 – Double forfeit; 235 – Double forfeit.