Abington Heights’ Lucas Kareha pushes down on Pittston Area’s David Krantz in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Mason Whitney looks to the official while holding down Pittston Area’s Jaheim Butler during the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Chace Berry, left, wrestles Pittston Area’s Chase Baron in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s Ethan Aftewicz and Abington Heights’ Lucas Drake tumble in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Ayden Kane pins Pittston Area’s Anthony Marx-Alaimo in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Jack Kotchick, left, holds down Pittston Area’s Johanzel Mendez in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s Chase Baron, right, and Abington Heights’ Chace Berry wrestle in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s Noah Gruber picks up Abington Heights’ Dane Wheeler during the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Mason Whitney holds Pittston Area’s Jaheim Butler’s arm in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s Chase Baron, left, and Abington Heights’ Chace Berry tumble in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s Noah Gruber, left, wrestles with Abington Heights’ Dane Wheeler in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s David Krantz, left, wrestles Abington Heights’ Lucas Kareha in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s David Krantz, left, lunges into Abington Heights’ Lucas Kareha in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s Tibor Toth, left, pins Abington Heights’ J.J. Beck in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Pittston Area’s Brody Spindler, right, maneuvers around Abington Heights’ Frank Scialpi in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Lucas Drake, left, wrestles Pittston Area’s Ethan Aftewicz in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights celebrates after defeating Pittston Area in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Abington Heights’ Lucas Kareha pushes down on Pittston Area’s David Krantz in the District 2 Class 3A duals championship at Abington Heights on Saturday. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
S. ABINGTON TWP. — Lucas Drake was hit with a stall call in tiebreaker one that put him behind by one point.
However, the Abington Heights freshman didn’t panic. He rode out Pittston Area’s Ethan Aftewicz, ranked No. 24 in the state according to PA Power Wrestling, for the rest of tiebreaker one and escaped in tiebreaker two to force the ultimate tiebreaker.
Drake chose down for the 30-second period, pushed the pace and as he was about to escape, Aftewicz locked hands. The technical point resulted in Drake’s victory in the 152-pound match, and his teammates handled the rest as No. 3 Abington Heights defeated No. 5 Pittston Area, 44-21, to capture the District 2 Class 3A wrestling duals title Saturday at Abington Heights High School.
“It’s awesome,” Drake said. “Our hard work has finally paid off. Making it to states has been a goal for us. Every night, we always talk about it.”
Allowing a forfeit at 107 pounds and with Pittston Area stars Brody Spindler and Noah Gruber looming at 215 and 285 as the final two bouts, building a lead proved key for Abington Heights.
Much like his freshman counterpart Drake, Lucas Kareha faced a swing match at 114, with the Comets trailing, 6-0.
“I was just trying to focus on my technique, not trying to rush anything,” Kareha said.
Kareha secured the first takedown, but David Krantz rallied with an escape in the first period and a reversal in the second to tie the score at 3. Then, Kareha got a technical point on locked hands, added an escape in the third and didn’t allow the winning takedown for a 5-3 decision.
“Really what started us off was the match that we didn’t actually have us winning, and Lucas Kareha right off the bat wrestled his heart out, wrestled really tough, stayed in good position and pulled out a victory in that first match and that just set the course,” Abington Heights coach Gregory Theony said.
Dakota Sandy (121) needed just 38 seconds for a pin, and Brady Full (127) won by forfeit to give Abington Heights a 15-6 lead.
Tibor Toth (133) cut the deficit to 15-12 with a pin in 1:13 seconds, but Mason Whitney (139) answered with an 18-1 tech. fall to push the lead to 20-12.
Abington Heights’ Chace Berry (145) battled through almost getting pinned in the second period, to rolling through and almost pinning Chase Baron in a scramble. He tacked on a takedown in the third period for a 17-6 major decision and a 24-12 lead for the Comets.
That’s when Drake (152) put Abington Heights over the top. The freshman faced Aftewicz three times in eight days, winning in the ultimate tiebreaker Jan. 23 and losing, 4-1, on Jan. 24 at the Coal Cracker Invitational. They traded escapes in the second and third periods and went scoreless in overtime to force the tiebreaker. In tiebreaker one, the official ruled Drake for a second stall call.
“I stayed calm,” Drake said. “I knew I had another opportunity to get my point back and make up for it. It was just down to me to work to make up for it.”
In tiebreaker two, Drake flipped forward and escaped Aftewicz to push the match to the ultimate tiebreaker. Because Drake scored first in the match, he had the choice. He nodded and confidently pointed down. Once again, Drake somersaulted forward and was about to escape before Aftewicz locked hands for Drake’s 3-2 decision in the ultimate tiebreaker that gave the Comets a 27-12 advantage.
“Lucas just kept wrestling and kept moving, and (Aftewicz) made a mistake at the end,” Theony said. “It was a forced mistake because Lucas put him in that position to have to do that because he knew he couldn’t let him go.”
Abington Heights put the match away from there, as Coen Holland (160) won by forfeit, Jack Kotchick (172) rolled to a 22-6 tech. fall and Ayden Kane (189) secured the fastest pin of the day at 13 seconds to give the Comets a 44-12 lead with two bouts left.
“The freshmen class has been really good coming up,” Kareha said. “And we had Chace Berry and Jack Kotchick getting big wins for us.”
Brody Spindler (215) added a 4-1 decision, and Noah Gruber (285) tacked on a pin in 28 seconds for Pittston Area, who upset No. 4 Wilkes-Barre Area and No. 1 Hazleton Area to reach the final.
“Overall as coaches, I think I speak for everybody on the staff, we’re super proud of this team,” Pittston Area coach Dave Krantz said. “They’ve been working hard all year, and I just want them to enjoy this. I know it’s not the result we wanted, but I want them to enjoy it because it is a huge accomplishment for them and for the school.”
Abington Heights will host the first round of the PIAA Class 3A championships Tuesday at Scranton High School. The Comets will face either the District 11 runner-up or the District 1 fourth-placer, a match that also will be wrestled Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Scranton.
107: Mikel Roman (PA) by forfeit; 114: Lucas Kareha (AH) dec. David Krantz, 5-3; 121: Dakota Sandy (AH) pinned Riefler, :38; 127: Full (AH) by forfeit; 133: Tibor Toth (PA) pinned J.J. Beck, 1:13; 139: Mason Whitney (AH) tech. fall Jaheim Butler (PA), 18-1; 145: Chace Berry (AH) maj. dec. Chase Baron, 17-6; 152: Lucas Drake (AH) dec. Ethan Aftewicz, 3-2 UTB; 160: Coen Holland (AH) by forfeit; 172: Jack Kotchick (AH) tech. fall Johanzel Mendez, 22-6; 189: Ayden Kane (AH) pinned Anthony Marx-Alaimo, :14; 215: Brody Spindler (PA) dec. Frank Scialpi, 4-1; 285: Noah Gruber (PA) pinned Dane Wheeler, :28.