Pittston Area’s Julian Everitt craddles Wyoming Area’s Araya Guilmette setting up the pin at 145 pounds.
Pittston Area’s Sal Biscotto struggles as Wyoming Area’s Anthony Evanitsky pushes his shoulders to the mat for the pin at 160 pounds.
Wyoming Area’s Johnny Stone picks up back points on Pittston Area’s Dominic Bernardi at 133 pounds.
Wyoming Area’s Garret Pocceshi craddles Pittston Area’s Jonathan Healey for the pin in the 121-pound bout.
Pittston Area’s Oscar Ciriaco wrestles Wyoming Area’s Shane Emsley in the 107-pound match. Ciriaco recorded a pin.
The wrestling teams became the latest from Pittston Area and Wyoming Area to compete for a trophy in their rivalry meeting.
Pittston Area defeated host Wyoming Area, 45-30, Tuesday night for the first Battle of the Bridge trophy.
The Patriots won by taking the maximum 24 points at the four heaviest weight classes.
Jimmy Spindler and Keegan Bucci had back-to-back, first-period pins at 172 and 189 pounds. Brody Spindler picked up a forfeit at 215 and David Sudo won by pin in the second period in 285.
Shawn Shimonis had a first-period pin for the Patriots at 127. Oscar Ciriaco, at 107, and Julian Everitt, at 145, also won by pin.
Jacob Aftewicz pulled out a 2-1 decision over Kendall Heck at 152.
Pittston Area improved to 6-3 with the win.
Connor Novakowski (114), Garret Pocceschi (121), Jonathan Stone (133), Jaden Pepe (139) and Anthony Evanitsky (160) came up with pins in each of Wyoming Area’s bout victories.
SCHOOL RECORD
Two-time state champion Pepe set a Wyoming Area school record with his 32-second pin against Pittston Area.
Pepe went 50-3 as a freshman when he finished third in the state. He went 19-1 in the COVID-shortened season and 45-0 last season. Pepe is off to a 12-0 start.
Andy Schutz, a 2013 graduate, had the previous record. The three-time District 2 champion finished seventh in the state as a senior.
WYOMING AREA RECAP
Wyoming Area is 6-6 overall, including winning three out of five Dec. 17 in the Dandy Mini Mart Duals at Towanda.
The Warriors defeated Hanover Area (53-24), Coudersport (39-30) and Williamson (41-36) along with losing to Montgomery (56-14) and Towanda (45-29).
Wyoming Area jumped to a 23-0 lead on Hanover Area with pins by Stone, Pep and Araya Guilmette at 133, 139 and 145, followed by an Evanitsky technical fall at 152.
Ethan Speece (285), Shane Emsley (107), Novakowski (114) and Pocceschi (121) strung together four straight pins to clinch the win.
Stone’s 33-second pin in the final bout at 133 decided the match with Coudersport. The Warriors trailed by 12 early, but rallied to carry a lead into Stone’s bout.
Wyoming Area and Williamson were tied going into the 152-pound bout, which Evanitsky won by technical fall, 21-4, in 4:30.
Pepe had a 17-second pin in the win.
