Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

LEHMAN TWP. — A year ago, J.J. White watched a teammate make history at the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament.

On Saturday, that same teammate watched White do the same.

White, Wyoming Valley West’s 126-pounder, joined an elite club of four-time WVC Tournament titlists, joining just one other member, former teammate David Krokowski, who accomplished the feat last year and watched from the bleachers at Lake-Lehman High School before celebrating the occasion together once the event ended.

“It’s a pretty awesome thing for him to be able to come back and watch me do the same thing that he did the previous year,” White said. “It’s definitely not easy (to win four times). It’s something you have to work for. It’s not given to you. It’s a grind.”

White didn’t have much problem en route to history. He only had to wrestle two matches in the tourney with both being on Saturday. After pinning Crestwood’s Justin Sterling in the semifinals, White earned the history-making victory with a technical fall over Hazleton Area’s Jorven Rodriguez.

Still, there was pressure on the Spartan senior throughout the day. It got more tense when it was announced that the 126-pound final would be the last of the tournament.

“It’s all eyes on you. Everyone is waiting for that last match waiting to get out of here, but it’s amazing,” White added. “I went in wanting to pin the kid. But it doesn’t always work out that way and I got the tech fall.”

Six other wrestlers joined White as multiple-time champions of the event. Hazleton Area’ Johnny Corra (113 pounds), Bryce Molinaro (170), Jake Marnell (182) and Seth Hunsinger (195), and Tunkhannock’s Dave Evans (132) and Gavin D’Amato (145) won the tournament for the second time. Wyoming Area freshman Jaden Pepe (106), Valley West’s Cadden Kucek (120), Wilkes-Barre Area’s Matthew Chase (138), Lake-Lehman’s Josh Bonomo (152), Hazleton Area’s Charles Everdale (160), Tunkhannock’s Nick Marabell (220) and Dallas’ Taylor Bolesta (285) rounded out Saturday’s champions.

Molinaro, a sophomore who may someday join White and Krokowski, earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award. Molinaro won the 170-pound bracket, which consisted of a pair of defending district champions in Wyoming Area’s Connor Wrobleski and Lake-Lehman’s Nick Zaboski, and all-state football player Lenny Kelley from Dallas. Molinaro pinned Zaboski in the semifinals before winning by major decision over Kelley – who won by decision over Wrobleski in the semis – in the final.

“If you talk to anybody here, the toughest weight class was 170 and I thought he wrestled as best as I’ve seen him wrestle,” Cougars coach Keith Maurer said. “He’s capable of doing this on a daily basis. He’s got all the tools. When he decides to go, he’s a tough out.”

When Molinaro and Marnell won their matches, which were held simultaneously, they helped clinch the second straight team title for the Cougars. Hazleton Area trailed Tunkhannock by three points at the start of the finals. The Cougars’ seven finalists with five titlists were too much to overcome as they tallied 213.5 points to the Tigers’ 208.5. Wilkes-Barre Area ended third with 161 points.

“It’s exciting and I’m proud of everyone on the team,” said Marnell, a senior. “It’s not just me and it’s not just our upperweights that are having all the wins. It’s everyone who’s getting wins and bonus points. It really is a team effort. If we didn’t have one of those guys, we wouldn’t be able to do what we did today.”

The Wolfpack had a history-making event as Chase became the first-ever tournament champion for the team when he defeated Tunkhannock’s Ethan Munley by major decision to claim his first tournament crown. He started the bracket as the No. 4 seed, but took out No. 1 seed Nick Yule from Berwick in the semis before topping No. 2 seed Munley in the final.

“It’s very cool. It’s a lot on my shoulders now to keep the pace up. But I think it’s pretty cool overall,” said Chase, a sophomore who missed the majority of last season for Coughlin with a shoulder injury. “It makes it feel great (coming back from the injury) because it shows I’m working hard in the room and it’s paying off.”

Pepe, a freshman who is ranked No. 1 in the state and may someday join the elite club of four-time titlists, also knocked off the No. 1 and 2 seeds in his bracket. First, he defeated Tunkhannock’s Owen Woods by two points in the semis before pinning Wilkes-Barre Area’s Josh Warman in the final.

The most thrilling final was at 113 pounds when Corra defeated Valley West’s Ian Ratchford 15-12 for the 113-pound gold.

The final at 120 was a battle between a pair of two-time second-place finishers as Kucek defeated Hanover Area’s returning state qualifier Joey Rowley 6-2 to pick up his first tournament title.

Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament

Outstanding Wrestler: Bryce Molinaro, Hazleton Area

Team Scores: 1. Hazleton Area (Haz) 213.5; 2. Tunkhannock (Tun) 208.5; 3. Wilkes-Barre Area (WBA) 161; 4. Wyoming Valley West (WVW) 134.; 5. Pittston Area (PA) 124; 6. Dallas (Dal) 108.5; 7. Crestwood (Cre) 104.5; 8. Lake-Lehman (LL) 93; 9. Nanticoke Area (Nan) 89; 10. Hanover Area (Han) 82.5; 11. Wyoming Area (WA) 81; 12. Berwick (Ber) 52.5

Finals

106: Jaden Pepe (WA) pinned Josh Warman (WBA) 3:10

113: Johnny Corra (Haz) dec Ian Ratchford (WVW) 15-12

120: Cadden Kucek (WVW) dec Joey Rowley (Han) 6-2

126: JJ White (WVW) tech fall Jorven Rodriguez (Haz) 18-2, 5:28

132: Dave Evans (Tun) pinned Nino Cinti (WBA) 3:44

138: Matthew Chase (WBA) maj dec Ethan Munley (Tun) 14-4

145: Gavin D’Amato (Tun) default via injury Garrett Swank (Cre) 2:50

152: Josh Bonomo (LL) maj dec Thaddeus Mead (Dal) 15-6

160: Charles Everdale (Haz) pinned AJ Gorto (PA) 1:31

170: Bryce Molinaro (Haz) maj dec Lenny Kelley (Dal) 14-2

182: Jake Marnell (Haz) maj dec Adam Eckhart (Nan) 9-1

195: Seth Hunsinger (Haz) dec Isaiah Johnson (Nan) 8-4

220: Nick Marabell (Tun) dec Dante Matarella (Haz) 6-3

285: Taylor Bolesta (Dal) pinned Seth Pelton (Nan) 1:22

Third Place

106: Owen Woods (Tun) pinned Keegan Bucci (PA) :46

113: Mason Konigus (LL) dec Cael Davis (Han) 5-4

120: Kevin Roby (PA) pinned Brandon Ritinski (LL) 4:58

126: Justin Sterling (Cre) dec Matt Rosentel (Tun) 4-0

132: Trey Zabroski (Cre) dec Beck Hutchison (Haz) 6-3

138: Nick Yule (Ber) pinned Rocco Pizano (WA) 2:51

145: Jimmy Spindler (PA) dec Christian Kislan (Haz) 3-1

152: Jamie Pahler (WBA) dec CJ Demark (PA) 5-1

160: Michael Gavin (Cre) dec Luke Carpenter (Tun) 4-2

170: Nick Zaboski (LL) dec Connor Wrobleski (WA) 2-1, OT

182: Hunter Karpovich (Han) tech fall Tyler Dezinski (Dal) 16-1, 3:34

195: Nick Heimbach (Ber) maj dec Frankie Scranta (Tun) 9-0

220: Connor Lee (WBA) pinned Jeremy Buzak (Cre) :49

285: Brett Sickler (Tun) dec Noah Taylor (WBA) 9-4

Fifth Place

106: Dorian Hoffman (WVW) dec Zach Capie (Nan) 6-3

113: Isaiah Parker (WBA) forfeit Joii Phillips (PA)

120: Edo Rodriguez (Haz) forfeit Justin Benscoter (Dal)

126: Jacob Granahan (PA) maj dec Sawyer Christman (Dal) 12-0

132: Zander Remakus (WVW) dec Jake Gizenski (LL) 14-9

138: Ben Yanchick (Dal) maj dec Nick Solano (PA) 17-4

145: Caleb Burns (WBA) maj dec Christian Torres (Han) 10-2

152: Matt Giza (WVW) pinned Trystan English (Ber) 2:47

160: Matt Raczkowski (LL) dec Rafael Olmedo (WBA) 6-5

170: Collin Kudrako-Kashatus (Nan) pinned Warren Faust (WBA) 3:08

182: Jeff Meader (Tun) pinned Jaden Swainbank (WVW) 2:22

195: Alex Romanoski (Cre) dec Vinny Bowers (WA) 6-2

220: Adrian Colon (PA) pinned Nasir Condry (WA) 2:06

285: Tavon Hines (Han) pinned Ethan Speece (WA) 4:52

Semifinals

106: Pepe (WA) dec Woods (Tun) 8-6; Warman (WBA) pinned Bucci (PA) 2:52

113: Corra (Haz) pinned Phillips (PA) 3:14; Ratchford (WVW) pinned Konigus (LL) 3:49

120: Rowley (Han) pinned Roby (PA) 1:19; Kucek (WVW) forfeit Benscoter (Dal)

126: White (WVW) pinned Sterling (Cre) 1:27; Rodriguez (Haz) pinned Rosentel (Tun) 4:31

132: Evans (Tun) pinned Zabroski (Cre) 3:00; Cinti (WBA) dec Hutchison (Haz) 6-2

138: Chase (WBA) dec Yule (Ber) 10-4; Munley (Tun) maj dec Yanchick (Dal) 9-1

145: D’Amato (Tun) tech fall Spindler (PA) 19-4, 5:56; Swank (Cre) tech fall Burns (WBA) 15-0, 5:40

152: Bonomo (LL) dec Demark (PA) 8-3; Mead (Dal) dec Pahler (WBA) 5-2

160: Everdale (Haz) tech fall Gavin (Cre) 18-1, 5:24; Gorto (PA) pinned Carpenter (Tun) 2:49

170: Kelley (Dal) dec Wrobleski (WA) 5-2; Molinaro (Haz) dec Zaboski (LL) 6-3

182: Marnell (Haz) pinned Karpovich (Han) 1:10; Eckhart (Nan) maj dec Swainbank (WVW) 16-3

195: Hunsinger (Haz) pinned Heimbach (Ber) 2:27; Johnson (Nan) pinned Bowers (WA) :51

220: Marabell (Tun) pinned Buzak (Cre) 3:13; Matarella (Haz) dec Lee (WBA) 8-6

285: Pelton (Nan) pinned Sickler (Tun) 3:26; Bolesta (Dal) pinned Taylor (WBA) :42

Tunkhannock’s Dave Evans rolls up Wilkes-Barre Area’s Nino Cinti on his way to a pin in the 132-pound final Saturday of the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_wvc4_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgTunkhannock’s Dave Evans rolls up Wilkes-Barre Area’s Nino Cinti on his way to a pin in the 132-pound final Saturday of the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

J.J White from Wyoming Valley West takes down Hazelton Area’s Jorven Rodriguez during the 126-pound finals on Saturday at Lake-Lehman High School.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_wvc2_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgJ.J White from Wyoming Valley West takes down Hazelton Area’s Jorven Rodriguez during the 126-pound finals on Saturday at Lake-Lehman High School. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Hazleton Area’s Charles Everdale (bottom) rolls Pittston Area’s AJ Gorto to set up a pin to win the 160-pound championships in Saturday’s WVC Tournament. It was one of five individual crowns for the Cougars, who edged Tunkhannock for the team title.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_wvc5_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgHazleton Area’s Charles Everdale (bottom) rolls Pittston Area’s AJ Gorto to set up a pin to win the 160-pound championships in Saturday’s WVC Tournament. It was one of five individual crowns for the Cougars, who edged Tunkhannock for the team title. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Ian Ratchford (top) from Wyoming Valley West works on a reversal on Hazelton Area’s Johnny Corra during the 113- pound title bout. Corra earned the win by a 15-12 decision.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_wvc3_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgIan Ratchford (top) from Wyoming Valley West works on a reversal on Hazelton Area’s Johnny Corra during the 113- pound title bout. Corra earned the win by a 15-12 decision. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Wyoming Valley West senior J.J. White celebrates his fourth consecutive Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament championship on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_wvc1_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Valley West senior J.J. White celebrates his fourth consecutive Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament championship on Saturday. Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Valley West senior wins rare fourth straight WVC wrestling tourney title

By Dave Rosengrant

For Times Leader