Dupont says Ptak, Bittinger ready for state competition
John Ptak and Jon Bittinger have yet to step on the mats at Hershey but already they have set an Albert Gallatin record in state wrestling. When state (PIAA) championship competition gets under way Thursday morning, Bittinger will make his first appearance at the state level, and will be competing in the very first bout of the Class AA, while Ptak will be making his third trip to Hershey.
But setting records is nothing new for Ptak. He has been doing that all season.
Along the way to winning Section 2-AAA honors, Ptak set a new Albert Gallatin career winning record and, then he became the first Colonial ever to reach 100 wins, and he ended regular season competition with a school record third consecutive section title. Now he is ready for his third trip to Hershey after finishing fourth in the WPIAL as a sophomore and second the last two years.
Ptak finished second (160) and Bittinger third (103) last weekend at Norwin to earn their trips to Hershey where they will compete for state honors – the first time Albert Gallatin has sent two wrestlers east.
Coach Duane Dupont said, “This is a record for us, these two being the most that our school has had reach the state finals, and they did it the hard way. Both wrestled very well at the WPIAL and I feel they are ready for the state competition. It’s going to be tough, but I feel they are ready.”
Ptak was pinned in the finale by Mickey Moran of Shaler in 1:46. He reached the finals with an 11-6 decision over Logan Downes of Valley, while Moran advanced with a 4-0 collaring of Kyle Deliere, of Canon-McMillan. Downes then beat Tommy Shultz (Latrobe), 3-1, in the consolations to earn the WPIAL’s third spot at Hershey.
Dupont said, “In the finals, John was going for a takedown and he made a bad shot, and Moran got him. When you are at this level, you can’t make even one little mistake for your opponent will jump on it. But John said he learned from this loss, and now he has put it behind him and is ready to go east. Overall, John wrestled a very strong bout; he wrestled like we expected him to do.
“In the semifinals, he beat Downes who had been last year’s Cadet National Free-Style champion, and he came from behind to do it. John was down 6-4 in the third, then he got a reversal to tie, added back points, then turned him again for more backs, and ended up with an 11-6 decision.”
Dupont felt that Bittinger “wrestled very well to finish where he did. He lost in the semifinals, but he came back and wrestled hard through the consolations to finish third and go to states.”
Bittinger’s first two bouts were “haven’t we met before affairs?” He met Adam Caldwell of Greensburg Salem, who he defeated 18-2 in the team wrestleoffs, and this time he won again by major decision, 9-1.
Dupont said, “Jon was well conditioned and he turned it on in the third to get the major decision.”
This moved Bittinger to the second round, where it was another “meeting before” matchup, this time with Jason Weslager of Belle Vernon, who he pinned in 1:34 to win the Section 2-AAA championship.
Dupont said of the matchup, “Weslager wrestled very strong and made Jon work for every point he got, but he still ended up with a 10-2 major decision.”
Bittinger’s next opponent was Chris Neidermeier of Waynesburg, and he lost 10-4. Dupont said, “Jon wrestled well, and the match was closer than the score indicates. But he made one mistake and got nailed. However, that’s how you learn, and he was determined to get to Hershey and he did come back in the consolations to finish third.”
Bittinger’s (29-6) first test will be with Northeastern champion Seth Ciasulli (39-1) of Easton, and that winner meets either Southeast champion Joe Radicione (29-7) of North Penn, or Matt Kyler (Northwest third, 23-8) of Clearfield.
Ptak (28-6) is also in the upper half of his bracket and will first meet Southeastern runner-up Dan Goetter (27-8) of Pennridge, and that winner meets either Northeast champion Zeke Lane (19-2), of William Allen, or Ryan Dunlap (31-13), Northwest-3) of General McLane.
For the tournament, Dupont said, “Overall, we did wrestle well, we were aggressive, and now we have to step it up still another notch at Hershey. I feel that now our program is headed in the right direction.”
East – toward Hershey.
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Waynesburg will have three representatives at Hershey, led by Coleman Scott who will seek his second state championship.
Scott (36-1) won last year at 103, and returns this year as the WPIAL 112-pound champion, clinched at Norwin with an 8-2 decision over Mike Goslicky, Thomas Jefferson. Scott is in the top half of the state bracket, and will first meet Eric Albright (31-3, South Central-3) from West York. The winner draws either Northeast champion Alex Krom (36-3) of Easton, or Nate Nauroth (34-5, Southeast-3) of Quakertown.
Chris Neidermeier (33-7) will represent the Raiders at 103, finishing second to WPIAL champion Bill Spencer, Highlands, in a close 2-1 battle. Neidermeier is paired first with Ryan Bosso (33-2), South-Central runner-up from Penn Manor. That winner will meet either Northwest champion Kyle Fluke (34-3) of State college, or Jake Bucha (35-8, Southeast-4) of Norristown.
Mark Throckmorton (18-6) finished third in the WPIAL and will get a first-round Hershey test from Chris Ramos (24-3, South-Central-2), with that winner then meeting either Northwest champion Mark Fisher of Bald Eagle Area, or Alex Bimes (30-8, Southeast-4) of Quakertown.