Wilkes-Barre Area avenged its most significant loss of the 2024-25 season Wednesday night when it defeated visiting Pittston Area 36-28 in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 wrestling match.
The Patriots won the division title last season when they finished tied for first place with the Wolfpack, but won their head-to-head meeting.
Wilkes-Barre Area outscored Pittston Area 18-3 in the lightest five weight classes.
Traytan Luton (1027), Teagan Butler (145) and Ethan Hooper (189) had pins for the Wolfpack.
Chase Baron (152), Brody Spinder (215) and Noah Gruber (285) had pins for the Patriots. Gruber won in 27 seconds.
Ethan Aftewicz added a major decision at 160 while Tim Riefler, at 121, and Jahiem Butler, at 139, won close decisions.
The Patriots fell to 1-1 in the division and 7-2 overall.
Dallas 36, Wyoming Area 36
Dallas won Wednesday’s WVC Division 2 match at Wyoming Area on tiebreaker criteria.
Wyoming Area outscored Dallas 24-0 from 107 through 139 with the help of first-period pins by Emerson Langdon and Evan Lark at 121 and 127.
Caden Reynolds also had a first-period pin at 285.
The match was the division opener for the Warriors.
Dandy Mini Mart Duals
Wyoming Area lost all six of its matches in the Dec. 13 invitational at Towanda.
The Warriors (3-10 overall) lost 60-16 to Bald Eagle Area, 51-24 to Jersey Shore, 70-6 to Montgomery, 70-4 to Wilkes-Barre Area, 60-18 to Towanda and 39-30 to North Penn-Liberty.
Tyler Randazzo and Chase Wilhelm each won four times in the two lightest weight classes. Randazzo had two pins, a major decision and a forfeit. Wilhelm received three forfeits and had a pin.
Riley Pierce posted two pins at 172, including one that gave the Warriors a 24-6 lead over North Penn-Liberty.
