HS Boys’ Wrestling: Tri-Valley places 2nd at District Duals, qualifies for states
BETHLEHEM — Tri-Valley has earned a trip to the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships.
By defeating No. 7 seed Mahanoy Area 50-19 and No. 3 Northwestern Lehigh 45-27, the second-seeded Bulldogs advanced to the finals of the District 11 Team Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Bethlehem Freedom High School.
In the Class AA title match, Saucon Valley overwhelmed Tri-Valley 52-21. The Panthers (15-3) won their second straight District Duals crown and seventh overall.
The Dawgs (15-4) managed four wins against Saucon Valley. Owen Wolfgang (107) pinned Dominic D’Ambola in 56 seconds, and Hunter Updegrave (172) flattened Noah Torres in 2:51. Max Masser (189) racked up a technical fall, 20-5 in 5:56, over Brittian Ash; Jaxson Bruso (139) majored Zachary Rygiel 9-0.
Saucon Valley advanced by holding off No. 4 North Schuylkill 35-33 in the semifinals.
Since the top two placewinners in each class advance to states, Tri-Valley will be part of the 20-team state bracket.
Tri-Valley qualified for the state team tournament for the first time. The Bulldogs will open states against the District 12 champion Tuesday at a site and time to be announced.
No. 1 Nazareth posted a 36-26 victory over No. 3 Bethlehem Catholic in the Class 3A final. The Blue Eagles (16-1) won their fifth District Duals title, their first since 2020. Bethlehem Catholic (11-2) saw its five-year run of district team titles come to an end.
The Bulldogs opened the day with a romp over Schuylkill League rival Mahanoy Area.
Wolfgang, Garett Leitzel (121) and Landon Horoschak (139) scored pins for the Dawgs. Updegrave added a technical fall and Masser gained an 8-5 decision over Stanley Boris as Tri-Valley won 9-of-13 weights.
Rory Dixon (152) and Kyler Quick (215) had pins for Mahanoy Area (6-5). Nick Manley (127) took a major decision, and Ben Lagaza (285) decisioned Donovan Keeth 12-7.
In the semifinals, a strong start and a strong finish lifted Tri-Valley over Northwestern Lehigh (11-4).
Easton Moore hung a 20-5 technical fall on Mackenzie Case in the opener at 114. Garett Leitzel (121) followed by pinning Luke Breidinger in 24 seconds for a quick 11-0 Tri-Valley lead.
Weston Killar (127) got Northwestern on the board with a pin, but the Dawgs went on a four-bout run to build a 33-6 lead. Bruso, Horoschak and Robert Schwartz (152) scored pins, and Liam Yourey (145) earned a 17-9 major decision over Liam Scanlon.
Tri-Valley needed all of those points because the Tigers took the next four bouts, three by fall, to cut the deficit to 33-27 with two matches left.
Keeth then clinched the dual by pinning Ian Zettlemoyer in 1:48, setting off a big celebration on the Tri-Valley bench. Wolfgang wrapped up the dual with his second fall of the day.
In other duals:
Quarterfinals
North Schuylkill 54, Lehighton 9
After beating Lehighton on criteria earlier this season, the fourth-seeded Spartans hammered the fifth-seeded Indians (13-5) by taking 11-of-13 bouts.
Gaige Mentusky (107), Evan Miernicki (114), Stanley Padakowski (121) and Noah Leib (133) posted falls and Alex Deritis (127) edged Jack Lucykanish 7-4 in sudden victory as North Schuylkill jumped out to a 27-0 lead.
Bode Gates (152), Bryce Kile (172) and William Wysoski (285) added pins for the Spartans. In addition, Brock Holmes topped Connor Dugan 9-7 at 145; Kaden Tavares nipped Konner Nalesnik 10-9 at 160; and Cadyn McGraw decisioned Asher Traylor 4-2 at 215.
NW Lehigh 39, Pine Grove 33
Chase Nagle (121), James Hoy (139) and Scout Frantz (285) won by fall for No. 6 Pine Grove (13-6), which came up one victory short against the third-seeded Tigers.
Aaron Osatchuck (145) beat Liam Scanlon by technical fall 17-0 in 2:40, and Drew Hikes (133) majored Adam Griffith 12-0 for the Cardinals.
Semifinals
Saucon Valley 35, North Schuylkill 33
The Spartans gave the Panthers all they could handle but needed one more victory or to give up fewer bonus points in a back-and-forth tussle.
Padakowski, Leib, Kile, Wysoski and Mentusky scored falls for North Schuylkill (16-3). McGraw edged Liam Stoneback 1-0 at 215.
Saucon Valley countered with four pins, two major decisions and Ash’s 6-4 decision over Connor Dower at 189.
