Pine-Richland pins loss on Laurel Highlands
For want of a better descriptive term, this was another one of those times when it can be said in a literal sense that one team “pinned” a defeat on another. Pine-Richland won 10 bouts – nine via pins – to defeat host Laurel Highlands, 57-19, in their preliminary round battle Monday night, as the WPIAL team championships got under way.
With the pre-match draw setting 119 pounds as the starting battle, the first four bouts were split, then the Rams (10-4) won eight of the next 10, with strings of three and five, to wrap up the win and advance to the first round tonight against No. 1 seeded and unbeaten, Kiski Area.
In other action tonight, second-seeded Connellsville hosts either Butler or Fox Chapel, while Penn-Trafford meets Chartiers Valley, with both matches at Connellsville. The two winners will then meet to see who goes to the semifinals Thursday at Gateway.
Monday night’s match got underway with a point of controversy, in which Pine-Richland’s 103 pounder was disqualified after he was seen jumping rope by referee Bill Yagnich, in an apparent attempt to shed a few ounces before pre-match weigh-ins. However, under a wrestling rule instituted this year, once a wrestler reaches the scene of his competition, he is not permitted to do anything to lose weight. If he does, he is disqualified.
Pine-Richland Tom McGarity said, “I think my wrestlers were a little upset over the disqualification and that made them a little more aggressive. He (wrestler) had on a sweat suit and was jumping rope, and that is not permitted under scholastic wrestling rules. But there are still so many fine points that can kill a sport.
“Overall, we wrestled well, and I’m happy for them. My junior varsity 103-pounder did very well (pin), and what he did tonight compared to a month ago was like night and day. This is the first time we have qualified for the wrestleoffs since moving up to 3-A.”
Laurel Highlands coach Chris Pegg said, “I knew coming in that they were a strong team, and they came out very aggressive. I wish them a lot of luck against Kiski.”
Despite the loss, Pegg still felt, “That we had a good year overall (third place at 6-4 in 2-AAA). We got a taste of the playoffs this year and now the 11 juniors and three sophomores coming back will hopefully want more. We will build on this experience, but we have to learn to be more aggressive and wrestle for a full six minutes.”
Kevin Hughes (119) got the Rams started with a 1:42 pinning of Ryan Dicenzo, catching him in a scissors and pressing him down. Earl Moore (125) then put Laurel Highlands on the board with a 13-3 major decision over Luke Hoey. Moore was leading 4-1 into the third where he escaped to start and added three takedowns and back points around two Hoey escapes. Bryan Welsh (130) gave the Rams a 12-4 lead, pinning John Walters 16 seconds into the second period, rolling him over from the down position and into a clamp.
Nick Sible (135) then got one of the most unusual wins that will be seen on a mat, an extremely rare occasion where his opponent was working on a pin and in the process pinned himself. Sible led Nick Rivero 2-1 into the third where he was down to start. They traded reversals, Sible escaped, and Rivero took him down again with 43 seconds to go.
Rivero got the banana split locked, and was trying to pull Sible backwards to get his shoulders on the mat for the fall, but in the process he leaned too far back, got his own shoulders flat on the mat, and Sible was awarded the fall at 5:40.
Wrestling referee Ralph Bliss, who was on a “referee’s holiday” and sitting with this writer, explained, “That is what is called a defensive fall, and while it’s extremely rare, it does happen whereby the would-be pinner gets too far back and pins himself.”
Levi Harris (160) and Mike Kopacko (171) were the other Mustang winners, Harris 5-0 over Ryan Schleiden, and Kopacko by forfeit. Harris had a takedown in the first, another takedown from a neutral start in the second, and an escape in the third.
Tim Allen (145) had the fastest fall of the night for the Rams, taking Buster Langeri down and locking him up in 31 seconds. Joe Mall (140) had an 8-0 lead over Jarrett Bond when he winged him over from the right for the fall in 1:44, and Joe Malone (152) cradled Del Simpson in 3:07.
After Kopacko’s win, the Rams swept the rest of the card. Jim Fawcett (189) dumped Mike Capan, and rolled him over for the fall in 3:12; Kevin Sullivan (215) got Blake Faust down and into a headlock at 3:05 and Greg Conti (275) outlasted Bob Urban, 3-1.
Laurel Highlands’ Chris Belch (103) led Justin Kleckner, 6-4, into the second, then Kleckner took him down from a neutral start and winged him over from the right for a 2:53 win. Mike Fiore (112) wound up the card with a 2:57 stretching of Greg Hogan.