In a highly contested battle at 120 pounds, Pittston Area’s Dominic Bernardi, top, scored a decision over the Warriors’ Zachary Sheridan, 12-10.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area’s Connor Wrobleski (green) flips Pittston Area’s Kevin Hower to pin him in 16 seconds of the first period at 189 pounds.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Patriots’ Jonathan Healey, top, got Pittston Area on the scoreboard by pinning Wyoming Area’s John Chiampi at 113 pounds.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
At 215 pounds Wyoming Area’s Rich Hyzinski, right, pinned the Patriots’ Xavier Blackshear with 9.7 seconds left in the first period.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Aaron Crossley of Wyoming Area, right, attempts to lift Pittston Area’s Jake Mills off the mat at 285 pounds. Crossley pinned Mills with 21.3 seconds left in the first period. Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
YATESVILLE – Wyoming Area was perfect through four bouts Wednesday night at Pittston Area, then managed to expand its lead from there on the way to a 51-21, non-league victory in a wrestling match between the rivals.
The win completes a season sweep by the Warriors, who also defeated the Patriots, 39-36, in the season-opening Gary Woodruff Memorial Duals at Wyalusing Valley where Pittston Area still wound up as champion.
“We were missing a few guys,” Warriors coach Steve Mytych Sr. said, explaining the difference.
Aaron Crossley, who was not in the lineup in the first meeting, was part of the four straight pins for a 24-0 lead.
Connor Wrobleski got things started at 189 pounds with a 16-second pin of Kevin Hower.
Richie Hyzinski also won in the first period, pinning Xavier Blackshear in 1:20 at 215.
Crossley pinned Jake Mills at 2:39 at 285, followed by Connor Novakowski’s pin of Oscar Ciriaco in 1:06 at 106.
Pittston Area won three of the next four bouts before Wyoming Area won three straight.
Jonathan Stone decisioned Jake Aftewicz, 4-1, at 138, then Anthony Evanitsky clinched the victory by pinning Dominic Innamorati in 3:24 at 145 for a 39-15 lead.
Cooper Price followed with a 57-second pin of Sean Murphy at 152 to push the lead to 30.
Pittston Area’s James Spindler pinned Rocco Pizano in 27 seconds at 160 before Wyoming Area’s Brayden Crossley received a forfeit in the closing 171-pound bout.
The best stretch for the Patriots was from 113 through 132.
Jonathan Healey started it with a pin in 2:59 against John Chiampi.
Dominic Berardi then worked out a 12-10 decision over Zachary Sheridan in a 120-pound bout that was tied four times and had three lead changes. After a tying reversal in the third period, Berardi won with two back points.
Defending state champion Jaden Pepe pinned Pittston Area’s Kevin Roby in 1:29.
Julian Everitt then pinned Jayden Reedy in 20 seconds for Pittston Area.
The win improved Wyoming Area’s overall record to 9-4.
Wyoming Area, already a potent tournament team because of its veteran top end talent, has improved as a dual meet team each of the last three seasons. The Warriors went 5-19 in 2018-19, 6-14 in 2019-20 and 5-3 last season.
“We had some junior high kids come up that really helped us out, especially down low,” Mytych said. “I didn’t know if we were going to have anybody down low.
“ … They’re working hard every day in practice and that’s what’s getting us to where we need to be.”
