Falcons fall short of placing in team state tournament
JOHNSTOWN — The team portion of Connellsville’s wrestling season ended Saturday morning inside 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial following a 33-24 setback to Nazareth in the consolation quarterfinals of the PIAA Class 3A dual meet tournament.
The Falcons (19-5) lost to Norwin, 29-26, on Friday night in the state quarterfinals.
In both dual meets, Connellsville had issues winning the close bouts, which proved costly.
“We knew going in we had to win the close matches, and we won zero of them,” said Connellsville coach Bill Swink following Friday’s dual meet. “That is something you can’t do.”
The Falcons enjoyed an individual accomplishment against Nazareth, as Zachary Franks earned a fall in 1:36 at 114 pounds for his 100th-career victory. Franks pinned his opponent from the Knights in 36 seconds.
Norwin, who is coached by Connellsville Area High School graduate Kyle Martin, defeated Council Rock South (16-5) in the semifinals before suffering a setback to Franklin Regional (22-0) in the final.
Three of Norwin’s four losses this season came to the Panthers, but Martin was quick to point out that the Knights’ performance this season in the state dual meet tournament was the best in program history.
“This is the first time for our program getting this far in the state team tournament and our kids are hungry,” Martin said.
Martin was pleased for his 285 pounder, Jonah Fierle, who clinched the dual meet against Connellsville with a 4-1 decision.
“We preach every day in practice that there are going to be opportunities to be a hero, and who is going to step up to the occasion,” said Martin. “It could be wrestling someone going out and only losing by a technical fall. It’s a freshman like Jonah Fierle, going out and getting a big win, Jack White bumping up and getting a tech, Riley Shaffer bumping up and getting up and getting a win, and Coleton Klipa wrestling a great guy and getting a win.”
In addition to Franks winning both of his bouts, the Falcons’ Nolan Rice and Kai Vielma earned a pair of victories.
The Falcons had an 18-0 after five bouts against the Blue Knights, as Jeremy Gray earned a 9-3 decision at 107, Franks won his match, Tommy Gretz recorded a fall in 2:51 at 121 and Rice decisioned Michael Good, 5-2, at 127.
After a scoreless first period, Rice rode out Good for the second before escaping and scored a takedown in the third for a 4-0 lead. Good cut the deficit to 4-2 with a reversal as 10 seconds remained on the clock. He let Rice escape but couldn’t get the matching-tying takedown.
Nazareth (20-2) began its comeback at 133, as Caleb Kosko earned a 10-3 decision for an 18-3 deficit. Cooper Wenrich followed with a 3-2 decision at 139 before Vielma stopped the run with a fall in 2:05 for a 24-6 Connellsville lead.
The Blue Knights won the last six bouts, which was clinched by falls from Brayden Zuercher (215) and Austin Christine (285).
Jack and Cade Campbell recorded back-to-back 4-1 decisions at 152 and 160 before Dominic Tunison’s 14-2 major decision at 172. Elijah Simak recorded a 2-5 technical fall in 4:36 at 189.
Nazareth went on to finish third with victories over Bethlehem Catholic, 37-21, and Boyertown, 52-7, after being stunned by Council Rock South, 33-32, in the quarterfinals on criteria, as CRS had a 7-6 edge in individual bouts won.
In the quarterfinals, the Knights and Falcons were neck-and-neck in the team score from 107 to 285.
Norwin started off on the right foot when Luca Butera earned a 13-7 decision at 107 for a 3-0 lead. Franks’ fall at 114 put Connellsville ahead, 6-3, before the Knights’ Landon Sidun won by fall in 24 seconds.
Sidun, a junior, has a season record of 37-0 and career mark of 110-2. He won a state championship as a freshman, but was forced out of the postseason as a sophomore due to injury. Sidun has committed to Penn State.
Martin realizes teams are going to move their lineup in dual meets against Sidun, but the instructions remain the same when the team is involved.
“Losing the flip hurts us there, and I feel bad for Cash Mitchell,” said Martin. “Cash Mitchell is a hero because he has been coming down and making weight with a hope for us to win a flip at some point, and were aren’t, but he has been busting his butt because we want to be able to move Landon, and we want somebody really good to fit that.
“Cash is a great wrestler, and he has been doing a great job with that. He, and every single guy in the room, is responsible for these wins.”
Coleton Klipa put Norwin ahead, 12-6, with a 1-0 decision over Gretz at 127 before Rice tied the dual meet for the Falcons with a fall in 2:40 at 133.
The Knights’ Brooks Blasko earned a 7-0 decision for a 15-12 lead with seven bouts remaining. Vielma earned a 19-3 technical fall in 4:24 at 145 to put Connellsville back on top at 17-15.
Noah Curren’s 5-3 decision at 152 changed the lead again, as Norwin held an 18-17 edge. The Falcons’ Jake Lilley earned a fall in 23 seconds at 160 for a 23-18 advantage.
White’s 15-0 technical fall in 4:00 at 172 tied the dual meet at 23-23 before Shaffer recorded a 5-1 decision at 189 for a 26-23 lead for the Knights.
Dylan Lytle tied the dual meet for Connellsville with a 8-1 decision at 215 before Fierle’s heroics at 285.