YATESVILLE – Pittston Area enjoyed a successful week on the wrestling mats.
The Patriots beat their arch rival Monday, surpassed their total of conference victories for the last three seasons combined Wednesday and got two wrestlers through to the second day of the demanding MyHouse X-Calibur Tournament with Friday’s performances. Pittston Area did not get a single wrestler through to the second day of the same event last year.
Pittston Area 45
Wyoming Area 33
James Spindler and C.J. Demark had consecutive pins late in the match Monday to rally Pittston Area past visiting Wyoming Area.
Pittston Area had won five of the previous six bouts to erase a 21-0 deficit and take a 33-27 lead when Spindler and Rocco Pizano went well into the second period at 145 locked in a scoreless tie.
Spindler then turned the momentum by pinning Pizano at 2:54.
Demark followed by clinching the victory with a 57-second pin of Tom Collins at 152. That bout broke a tie and, with Pittston Area getting a forfeit in the closing 160-pound bout, secured the win.
The Patriots won the first four bouts for the 21-0 lead.
A.J. Gorto handed Conor Wrobleski his first loss in 11 bouts this season with a 5-2 decision in the opener at 170 pounds.
Alex Anastasia then pinned Vincent Bowers in 21 seconds and the Patriots added consecutive forfeits.
Wyoming Area got on the scoreboard with a forfeit at 285, then won the next three bouts on the mat.
Jaden Pepe pinned Keegan Bucci in 31 seconds at 106. Garrett Pocceschi pinned Joii Phillips in 4:59 at 113. Zachary Sheridan decisioned Jose Ortiz, 6-3, at 120 to tie the match.
The teams traded forfeits before Wyoming Area went ahead at 138.
Kyle Emsley won by injury default in 2:15 of the 138-pound bout when Anthony Thomas had his two front teeth broken in half when he was inadvertently struck by Emsley’s knee.
Pittston Area 37
Crestwood 33
Pittston Area, which had gone winless in Division 1 of the Wyoming Valley Conference for two previous seasons before winning just once last season, improved to 2-1 in the division with Wednesday’s win at Crestwood.
Again, it was late consecutive pins that completed a comeback by the Patriots.
Dave Sudo and John Symons had first-period pins at 182 and 195 as Pittston Area won its third straight to improve to 5-2 and put the Patriots on path toward possibly posting their first winning season overall since 2013-14.
Keegan Bucci, at 106, and Joii Phillips, at 120, also won by pin.
C.J. Demark won by major decision at 152.
The Patriots added close decisions to their pins and one-sided victories. Jose Ortiz pulled out a one-point decision at 113; A.J. Gorto a two-pointer at 160 and Alex Anastasia won by four points at 170.
MyHouse X-Calibur Tournament
A.J. Gorto won twice at 160 pounds Friday to become the first Patriots semifinalist ever in the team’s six appearances in the two-day event at Wilkes University.
James Spindler also made it into Saturday’s competition by getting through the consolation bracket.
Their Saturday results were not available at presstime.
Gorto received a first-round bye, then was one of four Patriots to win in the second round, pinning Wilkes-Barre Area’s Raul Flores in 1:08. He got through the quarterfinals with a 6-1 decision of Pennridge’s Luke Wahlers.
Spindler went 4-1 on the day, winning three straight after being dropped into the bracket where wrestlers can work their way back to finish as high as third.
The 145-pounder opened with a pin of Wyoming Valley West’s Joe Rivas in 5:04.
Spindler then was pinned by Pocono Mountain East’s Steve Storm in 1:41. He came back to beat East Stroudsburg South’s Marcus McNeill in 1:36, decision Paramus Catholic’s Dean Boltze, 6-2, and pinned Princess Anne’s Matt Zelinsky in 2:46.
Keegan Bucci (106), Joii Phillips (113), C.J. Demark (152), Dave Sudo (182) and John Symons (195) all came within one win of advancing to Saturday. Demark was knocked out by a one-point decision, Bucci by a three-point loss and Sudo by a four-pointer.
Demark had won his first two bouts of the day by first-period pins.
