PLAINS TWP. — Pittston Area combined a dramatic championship by Brody Spindler with a key win by Noah Gruber and a little help from its neighbors to pull out a boys team title at the Wyoming Valley Conference Wrestling Tournament Saturday at Wilkes-Barre Area.
The Patriots trailed through most of the final round before defeating Crestwood, 159-158½.
Spindler broke a scoreless tie in the third period to defeat Lincoln Bibla from Crestwood 6-2 in the 215-pound final, cutting Crestwood’s lead from 4 ½ points to one-half point.
Moments later, Gruber won by pin in the 285-pound consolation final to put Pittston Area in the lead.
Crestwood still had a chance to reclaim the lead if it earned bonus points – a major decision, technical fall or pin – in the 285-pound final, the last of the day’s 244 bouts.
Instead, Wyoming Area’s Nate Obrzut kept things close in a 4-0 loss to Crestwood’s Kyle Draina.
Dominic Innamorati joined Spindler as champions for the Patriots. He won at 160 pounds.
Wyoming Area’s Connor Novakowski captured the 127-pound title.
Novakowski pinned Lake-Lehman’s Dave Dasilba in 1:25, Wyoming Valley West’s Joey Davis in 31 seconds in the quarterfinal and Pittston Area’s Jahiem Butler in 3:01 of the semifinals to get to the championship round. He decisioned Tyler Youngcourt from Hazleton Area 11-4 for the title.
The Patriots sent four wrestlers to the finals and three more to the consolation finals.
Wyoming Area finished seventh in the 12-team field with 95 points.
Tibor Toth from Pittston Area was second at 121, Chase Baron second at 152, Timothy Riefler third at 114 and Jahiem Butler was fourth at 127. Toth lost to Wilkes-Barre Area’s Carlo Salinas 15-7 in the final.
The Patriots still had three more wrestlers scheduled to hit the mat as of presstime for this edition.
Wyoming Area’s Chase Wilhelm, at 107 pounds, joined Nate Obrzut as second-place finishers.
Girls
Wyoming Area had two entrants and placed eighth of nine teams in the first WVC Girls Tournament.
Host Wilkes-Barre Area used a head-to-head win in the final bout to take the team title from Nanticoke 146-142½.
Wyoming Area’s Giovaonna Chapman was third at 170 pounds.
Chapman lost to eventual champion Sierra Ripka from Nanticoke in 47 seconds in the semifinal, but bounced back to win by pin in 23 and 20 seconds and take third.
Zeta Lord lost both her bouts at 106 and placed fourth.
