Hazleton Area’s Charles Everdale, Jake Marnell, Bryce Molinaro and Seth Hunsinger all advanced to states in Class 3A, the most by a single WVC school since 1985.
                                 Dave Rosengrant | For Times Leader

Hazleton Area’s Charles Everdale, Jake Marnell, Bryce Molinaro and Seth Hunsinger all advanced to states in Class 3A, the most by a single WVC school since 1985.

Dave Rosengrant | For Times Leader

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BETHLEHEM — At the beginning of Saturday, Hazleton Area wrestlers had a daunting task ahead with all but one taking part in the consolation brackets of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament.

That meant those athletes all had to win three times in the wrestlebacks to advance to the state tournament.

After Bryce Molinaro won his semifinal bout to secure a berth in the state tournament, Cougar wrestlers started to fall out of contention.

Then, in a span of about 10 minutes, the Cougars made history when Charles Everdale, Jake Marnell and Seth Hunsinger all won their consolation semifinal bouts to join Molinaro and advance to the PIAA Championships. The four state qualifiers from one team is the most from the Wyoming Valley Conference since Meyers sent five in 1985, and ties the record for the most in Class 3A when the Mohawks qualified four in 1978.

“It’s great because we all work together in the room. We’re all drill buddies and for all of us to make it together is different than going by yourself,” Everdale said. “I’m glad I can be there and be a part of this history.”

The four from Hazleton Area are joined by Dallas’ Taylor Bolesta and Wyoming Valley West’s Cadden Kucek in the Class 3A state tournament, which starts on Thursday at Giant Center in Hershey.

Molinaro, a sophomore, became the first to qualify for states when he won his 160-pound semifinal against Bethlehem Catholic’s Jamir Jiminez 4-1. Later in the day, Molinaro placed second after losing by major decision to Nazareth’s Conner Herceg, who defended his regional title and was eighth in the state last year.

“It’s amazing. After losing last year in the blood round, I just wanted redemption and come back here and do my best,” Molinaro said.

Like Molinaro, Bolesta was also a finalist. The senior 285-pounder clinched a berth at states when he knocked off Riley Craft from Southern Lehigh 6-4 in the semis. Bolesta then lost to Karam Chakif from Dieruff 5-2 in the final after giving up a pair of third-period takedowns. When he qualified, he extended Dallas’ streak of having at least one state qualifier to seven straight years and eight of the last nine.

“I definitely could have wrestled better in my last match. I gave up a takedown really late in the third, which is uncharacteristic of me,” Bolesta said. “It’s disappointing. I really wanted to win this tournament. It was slight (error). All I have to blame is myself.

“I just gotta ground myself and stick to what I know and what I’m good at on the mat and prepare the next couple of days that I have so I don’t have another outcome like this.”

Kucek, a 120-pound senior fell in his semifinal bout but needed to win just once in the wrestlebacks. He did that when he knocked off Archbishop Ryan’s Nick Marchesano 10-6 to advance to the third-place match and secure his state berth.

In the evening session, Kucek dropped his third-place bout and will head into the state tournament as the No. 4 seed. Still, he had a drastic improvement at the tournament after not winning a match in two previous appearances, and accomplished the goal of getting to states.

“I wasn’t able to win a match down here before and it feels nice to win three times down here and get to states,” Kucek said. “I felt like since it was my last year I had to give it my all. I couldn’t slack off this year. Like, this really is it. So gotta wrestle to the fullest.”

It took a while for another WVC wrestler to punch his ticket to Hershey as two fell in the blood round in Valley West’s J.J. White and Wilkes-Barre Area’s Jamie Pahler.

But Hazleton Area was about to make up for it. Everdale was the first to win for the Cougars in the state-qualifying round when he won by major decision 11-0 over Northampton’s Colby Judge in the 152-pound bracket. In the evening session, Everdale won the third-place match to enter states as the three seed.

Everdale is a two-time district champion with close to 150 career wins and will be making his state debut next weekend.

“After losing last year, I put in the work all summer and it paid off. It’s great to finally get there after three years,” Everdale said.

Hunsinger, a 195-pounder, was next to qualify when he ousted Nazareth’s Sonny Sasso by tech fall in the round. Sasso is the freshman brother of Sammy Sasso, who was a two-time state champion. But Hunsinger wasn’t fazed and carried it into a third-place finish.

“I just went out there and I didn’t think he would have the mental toughness I do,” said Hunsinger, who was district runner-up last weekend. “Everybody was hyping him up and it didn’t affect me. All I heard was Sasso this, Sasso that. But in Sasso-Hunsinger, Hunsinger came out with the win.”

Marnell was the last qualifier from the WVC but was in the most dramatic qualifying bout. When he defeated Liberty’s Kevin Hennessy 2-1 in the state-qualifying match, he needed a late, third-period reversal then had to hold down his opponent for the last 20 seconds to advance.

Marnell, a two-time District 2 champion with 131 career wins finally has his berth to states with a fourth-place finish at regionals.

“It shows that if you put in the work, eventually it’s going to pay off. For the longest time, I’ve been putting in the work and haven’t seen the results and it’s nice to see that come together,” Marnell said. “To finally get past the mental aspect of it and push forward and make it to states.”

White placed fifth at the regional tournament bouncing back after losing in the blood round. If there are no scratches from the state tournament, he will miss the event. But he wraps up his career as a four-time district champion, never losing a match to a District 2 opponent, and 140 wins which is second all-time in school history.

“Regardless of this regional tournament he still had one of the best careers Valley West has ever seen,” Kucek said about his buddy. “He’s only (five) wins away from the school record of all-time wins. So that’s something to live with.”

Also qualifying for the state tournament from District 2 Class 3A were Delaware Valley’s Jason Henderson (first place, 195 pounds) and Abington Heights’ Gavin Drake (third, 220).