Abington Heights’ Dane Wheeler, top, competes against Bethlehem Catholic’s Grant Mulhern in the 285-pound weight class during a PIAA Class 3A duals first-round match Tuesday at Scranton High School. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Bethlehem Catholic’s Connor Gillahan competes against Abington Heights’ Ayden Kane in the 189-pound weight class during a PIAA Class 3A duals first-round match Tuesday at Scranton High School. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Frank Scialpi, top, competes against Bethlehem Catholic’s James Bozzi in the 215-pound weight class during a PIAA Class 3A duals first-round match Tuesday at Scranton High School. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Dane Wheeler competes against Bethlehem Catholic’s Grant Mulhern in the 285-pound weight class during a PIAA Class 3A duals first-round match Tuesday at Scranton High School. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Abington Heights’ Dane Wheeler, top, competes against Bethlehem Catholic’s Grant Mulhern in the 285-pound weight class during a PIAA Class 3A duals first-round match Tuesday at Scranton High School. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
SCRANTON — Frank Scialpi and Dane Wheeler gave Abington Heights an early boost, but the Comets couldn’t keep up with defending PIAA Class 3A wrestling duals champion Bethlehem Catholic.
The Golden Hawks won nine of the 13 bouts to defeat Abington Heights, 49-20, in the state first round Tuesday night at Scranton High School.
“I thought we did pretty good,” Bethlehem Catholic coach Mike Cole said. “We filled in with a couple guys. We had a couple guys out, and our regulars performed well. We did what we needed to do.”
Connor Gillahan, ranked No. 14 in the state at 189 according to PA Power Wrestling, pinned Ayden Kane in the second period to give Bethlehem Catholic a 6-0 lead.
Scialpi (No. 27 at 215) answered with a quick takedown and pin of James Bozzi at 1:08 to tie the match. At 285, Wheeler secured the early edge over Grant Mulhern with a first-period takedown. However, an illegal hold and Mulhern escape cut the lead to 3-2 at the end of the first. Wheeler chose neutral, and secured another takedown in the second period for a 6-2 edge. Mulhern escaped before the end of the period, and chose down to start the third. Wheeler ceded the point and put them in neutral before securing another takedown to put the match away and earn a 9-5 win.
“Those guys work well together,” Abington Heights coach Gregory Theony said of Scialpi and Wheeler. “They practice every day together. I think Frank definitely pushes him in the room to make him better. He’s gotten in very good shape this year. He doesn’t do a lot, but he stays in good position and you never know when you work your stuff sometimes it works out.”
The decision gave the Comets, ranked 27th in the state, their only lead of the match.
Abington Heights forfeited at 107, and Gino Bozzi rolled to a technical fall over Lucas Kareha to give the Golden Hawks, ranked second in the state, a 17-9 advantage. Kareha responded to Bozzi’s first takedown with a reversal, but Bozzi’s two seven-point moves in the second period put the match away.
Bethlehem Catholic’s Nico Emili (No. 6 at 121) took control against Dakota Sandy (15th at 114) with a seven-point move and four more back points in the first period. Sandy fought back in the second, turning Emili for four back points. However, Emili hit a reversal and pinned Sandy three seconds before the end of the second period to give Bethlehem Catholic a 23-9 lead.
Abington Heights’ Brady Full (10th at 127) took the early advantage in the next bout with a takedown, but A.J. Gomez (17th at 127) secured a reversal and pinned Full at 1:57 in the first.
In the third straight battle of state-ranked wrestlers, Abington Heights’ Mason Whitney (fourth at 133) and Reef Dillard (seventh at 133) traded escapes and headed to overtime. Dillard secured the sudden victory with a quick move for the winning takedown.
At 139, Andre Cerrato (No. 15 at 145) rolled to an 18-2 tech. fall over Braghan Pallis to give Bethlehem Catholic a 37-9 lead and put away the match with four bouts left.
Lucas Drake (No. 28 at 152) pinned Julian Augello for his 34th win of the season, and Jack Kotchick (160) secured a 17-1 tech. fall over Emil Sperling for Abington Heights to improve his record to 7-3.
“Jack struggled with sickness and injuries last year, and it struck him again at the beginning of the year, and until a couple weeks ago he hadn’t been on the mat in almost a year,” Theony said. “So, it’s nice to have him back. He’s a good guy to have in the room. He keeps it light, but he works hard, and he’s finally getting back into shape and hopefully now that the postseason’s here he can really make a run.”
Next up for Abington Heights is the District 2 Class 3A individual tournament, which is scheduled for Feb. 20-21 inside The Den at Wilkes-Barre Area.
Three-time state champion Keanu Dillard (No. 1 at 139) added a pin at 145 over Chace Berry, and Jack Papscy (172) pinned Coen Holland for the Golden Hawks’ other two wins.
Earlier in the night, Bethlehem Catholic defeated Owen J. Roberts, 56-18, in the preliminary round. Papcsy, Gillahan, Gino Bozzi, Gomez, Reef Dillard, Cerrato, Keanu Dillard and Sperling had pins for the Golden Hawks. Decker Bechtold (fourth at 215), defending state champion Dean Bechtold (first at 285) and Caleb Dreibelbis had pins for the Wildcats.
Bethlehem Catholic, the District 11 runner-up, will face District 1 champion Boyertown on Friday at 7 p.m. at 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown, where the Golden Hawks and coach Cole will try to capture their second straight state title.
Cole won the 126-pound Class 2A state title in 1984 wrestling for Montrose.
“Montrose started everything for me,” Cole said. “I love being out in the country. I loved growing up up there. We were in a great environment back when I grew up. We had a good team, so I enjoyed that. Coming back to Scranton, obviously there was a little bit of nostalgia. I do have a summer home up here on the river outside of Honesdale, so I spend my summers up here anyway. My wife and I love it up here. So yeah, we’re in Beach Lake. We’re here probably five months a year.”
189: Gillahan (BECA) pinned Kane, 3:08; 215: Scialpi (AH) pinned J. Bozzi, 1:08; 285: Wheeler (AH) dec. Mulhern, 9-5; 107: Nicosia (BECA) by forfeit; 114: G. Bozzi (BECA) tech. fall Kareha, 21-4; 121: Emili (BECA) pinned Sandy, 3:57; 127: Gomez (BECA) pinned Full, 1:57; 133: R. Dillard (BECA) dec. Whitney, 4-1 SV; 139: Cerrato (BECA) tech. fall Pallis, 18-2; 145: K. Dillard (BECA) pinned Berry, 1:19; 152: Drake (AH) pinned Augello, :54; 160: Kotchick (AH) tech. fall Sperling, 17-1; 172: Papcsy (BECA) pinned Holland, :58.
Preliminary round
Bethlehem Catholic 56, Owen J. Roberts 18
172: Papcsy (BECA) pinned D. Mamo, 1:10; 189: Gillahan (BECA) pinned A. Mamo, 1:37; 215: Decker Bechtold (OJR) pinned J. Bozzi, 3:20; 285: Dean Bechtold (OJR) pinned Mulhern, :13; 107: Nicosia (BECA) dec. Coryell, 8-5; 114: G. Bozzi (BECA) pinned Harris, 3:24; 121: Emili (BECA) tech. fall Maack, 17-2; 127: Gomez (BECA) pinned Lochmann, 1:24; 133: R. Dillard (BECA) pinned Soto, 4:56; 139: Cerrato (BECA) pinned Brandt, 3:50; 145: K. Dillard (BECA) pinned Sever, :45; 152: Dreibelbis (OJR) pinned Augello, :24; 160: Sperling (BECA) pinned Yannick, :58.
Class 2A
Nathan Schuman (107), Justin Scanlon (133) and Bobby MacDowell (285) each had a pin, as the District 2 champion Hornets lost to District 4 champion Montgomery, 37-26, in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A duals tournament Tuesday at Honesdale High School.
Duke Martin (189) added a tech. fall and Levi Landry (215) added a decision for Honesdale, ranked 27th in the state.
Two-time state champion Montgomery’s Brandt Harer (145) secured a tech. fall for his 200th career win. He joins Northern Lebanon graduate Aaron Seidel (206-4) as the only PIAA wrestlers to reach the milestone. Harer, a Red Raiders senior and Rutgers commit, is 200-2 in his career and stretched his win streak to 154.
Gabe Oberheim (114) and Josh Knoebel (160) each added a pin for Montgomery, ranked ninth in the state, which will face District 6 champion Bishop McCort in the quarterfinals Friday at 5 p.m. at 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown.
107: Schuman (HON) pinned Marquette, :32; 114: Oberheim (MONT) pinned Bronson, 2:33; 121: Seeley (MONT) tech. fall Walsh, 17-1; 127: Wagner (MONT) tech. fall Balsam, 17-2; 133: J. Scanlon (HON) pinned Finck, :43; 139: Kroft (MONT) dec. C. Scanlon, 6-5; 145: Harer (MONT) tech. fall Hook, 21-3; 152: Furman (MONT) tech. fall Wilcox, 16-1; 160: Knoebel (MONT) pinned Maciejewski, 3:04; 172: Felix (MONT) dec. Carnegie, 6-2; 189: Martin (HON) tech. fall Furman, 21-6; 215: Landry (HON) dec. Hugar, 6-1; 285: MacDowell (HON) pinned Clark, 1:56.
Delaware Valley 56, Pleasant Valley 14: At Pleasant Valley, Andrew Elliott (127), Xavier Sieber (145), Nick D’Ambola (160), Marley McAfee (172) and Michael Seltzer (285) each had a pin to lead the Warriors to a nonleague victory.
107: Lucarello (PV) tech. fall Kahmar, 26-10; 114: Colon (DV) by forfeit; 121: Cosentino (DV) by forfeit; 127: Elliott (DV) pinned Stipeck, :32; 133: Snyder (DV) by forfeit; 139: Chruchill (DV) tech. fall Jochen, 16-0; 145: Sieber (DV) pinned Langan, 2:13; 152: Decker (PV) dec. Eckert, 7-4; 160: D`Ambola (DV) pinned Cordle, 1:00; 172: McAfee (DV) pinned Jochen, 4:52; 189: Segal (DV) dec. Vukel, 3-0; 215: Gillespie (PV) pinned Capo, :37; 285: Seltzer (DV) pinned Merklin, 2:16.