SOUTH CANAAN – Wyoming Area coach Steve Mytych took a practical approach to the District 2 Class AA Dual Meet Wrestling Championships.

With advancing through Wednesday’s first two rounds unlikely, Mytych placed his emphasis on getting his top individuals ready for the District 2 Class AA Championships later this month.

Zach Briggs and Patrick Heck each went 2-0 on the night, but Wyoming Area was eliminated when it lost to host Western Wayne, 60-12, in the quarterfinals then to Valley View, 47-28, in the consolation quarterfinals.

Briggs had a first-period pin at 170 after bumping up to 182 and posting a pin in the Western Wayne match.

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Adam Buczynski also bumped up against Western Wayne, going to 195 pounds where he lost a 2-1 overtime decision to Dakota Swoyer after losing a lead at the regulation buzzer on a stalling call with which Mytych strongly disagreed. Buczynski returned to 182 and won a 45-second pin against Valley View.

“Zach Briggs wrestled well,” Mytych said. “I bumped him and Adam up to get good matches.”

The challenges that could help potential individual district contenders made more sense that chasing an unlikely team upset, according to Mytych.

“We’re a little too young for that right now,” he said. “But, I did expect a few more wins.”

Heck won a decision against Western Wayne and a technical fall against Valley View.

Kendrick Beyer also won a decision against Western Wayne, which earned the right to host by taking the Lackawanna League Division 2 title for the seventh straight year.

Nick Tomlinson (285) joined Briggs and Buczynski with pins against Valley View.

The Warriors qualified for the tournament as one of two wild-cards after the top three teams from both Division 2 of the Wyoming Valley Conference and Division 2 of the Lackawanna League earned automatic berths.

Wyoming Area made the tournament by going 2-3 in WVC Division 2 and 9-6 overall through Monday night.

Wyoming Area 60, GAR 15

Wyoming Area took advantage of seven forfeits in the final match of the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 season Monday night to break a tie for fourth place in the division and move on to the District 2 Class AA Duals with a 60-15 victory.

Kendrick Beyer (138) and Jaryn Polit-Moran (152) posted first-period pins and Nick Tomlinson (285) also won by pin for the Warriors.

Honesdale 49, Wyoming Area 19

Damon Barhight had a 48-second pin at 220 pounds, but Wyoming dropped its third straight, losing a non-league match to Honesdale, 49-19, Thursday to slip to 9-9 overall.

Patrick Heck (138) and Zach Briggs (182) each won major decisions

Team falls to Western Wayne, Valley View at D2 duals

By Tom Robinson

For Sunday Dispatch

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