Journey to Johnstown
Falcons top LaSalle College, Gettysburg to advance to state quarters
GETTYSBURG — Bill Swink wasn’t taking any chances.
Following Jake Lilley’s 12-2 major decision and Connellsville assuring itself a victory in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A dual meet tournament, the Falcons competed in one bout before forfeiting the last three weights in a 34-33 triumph over Gettysburg on Tuesday night at Gettysburg High School.
Lilley’s major decision in the 160-pound weight class extended Connellsville’s lead to 34-9 with four bouts remaining. There was a bout at 172, but following that match, the Falcons forfeited to Caden Shearer (189), Reid Whitmoyer (34-27) and Keegan McGrew (285) to get an early start on their three-hour trip back home.
“After Jake won, we knew it was over, and that’s why we decided to forfeit those last three weights,” said Swink, who is in his fifth season as head coach at his alma mater. “You don’t want to take a chance of losing a team point. At that point, we just wanted to go home. The name of the game is advancing to the next round, and whether you win by one or 60, it all counts the same.”
Connellsville (19-3) will turn its attention to the quarterfinals of the state dual meet tournament on Friday inside the 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown.
The Falcons will meet a WPIAL foe in Norwin (13-3) on Friday at 7 p.m. The Knights downed DuBois, 55-15, in the first round.
“We will go out and wrestle hard,” Swink said. “Hopefully, we will get the right matchups. We will be wrestling at a different venue for the third straight season, but we are just glad to be in the quarterfinals.”
Connellsville is in the elite eight for the third straight season. The Falcons placed third in the state last year.
Connellsville entered Tuesday’s dual meet having defeated Gettysburg, 41-20, on Jan. 10 in the Gettysburg Duals, but the Falcons were without Jeremy Gray at 107. Gray was injured when the teams met in January, but the freshman was ready to roll on Tuesday and earned a fall in 4:18.
“Jeremy is the only 107-pounder that we have, so it was good to get him back,” Swink said. “He was able to get a fall, which helped us to start off the match on the right foot.”
Connellsville senior Zachary Franks earned a 4-1 decision over Jayden Black at 114 for a 9-0 lead. Franks, who is two individual victories shy of 100 for his career, has started all four years, and looks forward to one last ride at the team state tournament.
“I wrestled in Johnstown in junior high, so I am familiar with the venue and the setting,” Franks said. “We wrestled at the Giant Center my sophomore year, and last year was at Altoona High School, but I am just glad to be going back to the state quarterfinals as a team. We were third last year and hope to go a little higher this year.”
Franks has worn a brace to help support his shoulder since he injured it against Black during the Gettysburg Duals. He has been able to push through the discomfort since that time.
“I really can’t do too much with my left shoulder, so I had to kind of refigure out everything and go to my right,” Franks said. “I am just trying to gut it out every match.”
Following Franks’ decision, Tommy Gretz (121) and Nolan Rice (127) recorded back-to-back falls for a 21-0 advantage before Williams Yordy earned a 6-3 triumph at 133 to get the Warriors (21-2) on the scoreboard. Teammate Isaiah Jackson (139) won by fall to cut the deficit to 21-9, but Kai Vielma (145) stopped Gettysburg’s run with a 14-4 major decision.
Luke Lilley (152) earned a technical fall, 19-3, in 3:40 to push the advantage to 30-9 before Jake Lilley recorded the dual-meet clinching victory.
The Falcons had an early start Tuesday before wrestling the Warriors, as they had to wrestle District 12 runner-up LaSalle College (11-6) in the preliminary round.
Connellsville took care of business with a 61-6 triumph.
Gray, Franks, Gretz, Rice, Vielma, Luke and Jake Lilley and won their first of two bouts. Teammate Landon Lynn won by fall at 133 in 1:01.
The Falcons’ Cooper Lembo (172) and Dylan Lytle (189) pinned their opponents, and teammate Ryan Brown earned a 13-6 major decision at 215.