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HERSHEY — Historic.
That’s the best way to describe the performance for the Wyoming Valley Conference on Friday in the PIAA Class 2A Championships.
Wyoming Area’s Jaden Pepe and Tunkhannock’s Dave Evans and Gavin D’Amato all made history in the event.
D’Amato became the first state finalist in school history.
When he and his teammate won their quarterfinals, they became the first set of teammates to ever medal in the same tournament for their school, and were the first teammates from the WVC to reach the state semis since two for Berwick did so in 2008.
Meanwhile, Pepe became the first freshman from the conference to earn a medal at the state tournament since Wyoming Valley West’s John Brennan in 1976.
“I think it shows how we dedicate ourselves to the sport, and I think it’s really gonna pay off when we stand on that podium,” D’Amato said.
D’Amato (47-3) advanced to the 145-pound state final when he defeated Forest Hills’ Erik Gibson 9-4 in Friday night’s semifinal at Giant Center. He will try to become the first state champion for Tunkhannock when he faces Bald Eagle Area’s Gage McClenahan (38-2) in the finals, which are set for 2 p.m.
“I don’t care who your name is. I don’t care what he looks like, who he beat, how he beat, whatever he beat,” D’Amato said. “I’m gonna go in there and I’m gonna wrestle just like I did some random kid from Towanda.”
In the semifinal, D’Amato went down 2-1 after the first period, but that didn’t faze him. In the second period, he hit a lateral drop from neutral for a five-point move to go in front. The Tigers’ senior nearly had the pin. Still, it excited a roar from the packed crowd in the arena. He hit the move again later in the period but didn’t get any back points.
“That was the best feeling I ever heard. I sweared to God in my head that I wasn’t gonna let him up. I was gonna stick ‘em right there,” D’Amato said. “It shows the support we get there at Tunkhannock. Everybody coming out to watch me and Dave. And to hear them all scream when I got him on his back, it’s the greatest feeling in the entire world.”
When Evans and D’Amato won their quarterfinals they also broke the longest school drought of state medalists in the WVC. Prior to this year, the last – and only – state medalist in school history was Chris Thatcher, who grabbed two medals in 1988 and 1989.
“Me and Gavin have been in the room every single day just working and it’s good for our senior year. He’s a good friend of mine so it’s a good way to end our season right now,” Evans said.
Evans wrestled Ryan Crookham from Notre Dame Green Pond in the semifinals. Crookham, a defending state champion and top-ranked wrestler in the country at the weight, got a pair of takedowns and a reversal to defeat Evans 6-3 in his closest match of the tournament.
Evans dropped into the consolations and faced Noah Frack from Brandywine Heights and got a fall in 56 seconds. He will wrestle for third place this afternoon.
“Dave’s been wrestling the best I’ve ever seen. The spot he gets on the podium isn’t gonna show the type of wrestler he is because he belongs at the top,” D’Amato said. “He works hard and he wrestles like it.”
Pepe marked his historic achievement after losing his quarterfinal bout to Evan Maag from Notre Dame Green Pond then rebounded to eliminate Nathan Pelesky from North Star, 8-2 in the blood round to secure the medal.
When he came back and competed Friday night in the consolations, he defeated Ethan Kolb from Benton in the fourth round of consolations then beat Cayden Walter from Brookville 7-4 and will wrestle for third this afternoon.
The best finish ever for a Wyoming Area wrestler was Don Morgan’s third-place showing in 1996.
“I felt like I was in awe,” Pepe said when asked about the feeling of knowing he’s a state medalist. “It felt amazing. It’s makin’ history.
“Just gotta wrestle. Go all out (today). It’s my last match of the season.”
Evans became the first state semifinalist for the Tigers since Thatcher in 1989 when he knocked off Tyler Cymmerman from Derry Area by major decision 17-8 by piling up five takedowns, five back points and a reversal. Cymmerman was fourth-place medalist a year ago, but Evans wrestled on top of his game while in neutral to reach the semis.
“I”m not taking stupid shots anymore. This is the state tournament so you have to make the most of your shots and every shot I take I like to get in deep,” Evans said.
About a half hour later, D’Amato took the mat against Noah Korenski from Westmont Hilltop and won 9-2 to mark the historic feat. In the match, the Tigers’ 145-pounder did most of his heavy work in the second period. That’s when he picked up a pair of takedowns and three for a nearfall to take a 8-1 lead into the third period.
Lake-Lehman’s Josh Bonomo saw his first state tournament conclude on Friday when he lost his only bout of the day, 7-0 to Mercer’s Alex Chess. The junior ends his season with 28 wins.