Reynolds Outlasts Boiling Springs and WPIAL Finals Rematch Set

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Franklin Regional Michael Kemerer turns Nazareth Area Brock Wilson at 138 lbs.

The buzz around the GIANT Stadium on Friday night was who would come out on top of the #2 Boiling Springs and #4 Reynolds semifinal meeting. Well as most had expected, the final result came down to the last mach in the last possible moment. With a shot at Bethlehem Catholic on the line the match came down to 220 lbs. as #4 Reynolds held a 28-26 lead over the Bubblers. In the match Boiling Springs Kyle Taylor made the usual bump up from 195 lbs. to face Reynolds’ talented freshman Cole Rickert at 220 lbs. After wrestling all the way to ultimate tiebreaker it was the freshman who recorded a reversal to end the match (4-2) and send #4 Reynolds into the PIAA Class AA State Finals 31-26. In the match a total of 5 matches were decided by two points or less with the District 10 Champions winning 3 of those 5 bouts.

Class AA wasn’t the only semifinal to come down to the final bout. WPIAL studs North Allegheny and Greater Latrobe battled to a 30-29 Latrobe lead with one match remaining. North Allegheny senior Drew Landefeld was bumped up from 145 lbs. to take on returning PIAA State Qualifier Jake Shaffer at 152 lbs. With Latrobe up a point Landefeld needed to generate a win. Latrobe sophomore Jake Shaffer did not allow that to happen, despite a valiant effort by Landefeld, securing the dual meet victory with an 11-1 major decision at 152 lbs. ending the dual meet 31-29. ALthough the match came down to the final bout there were plenty of other matches that helped determine the outcome of the score. In the most antipated mtches North Allegheny freshman Luke Landefeld continued his hot streat against the WPIAL’s best 113 lbs. by defeating Latrobe’s  Ethan McCoy (7-5). The 31-29 win by the Greater Latrobe Wildcats sent them into the PIAA Class AAA State Dual Team finals where they would have a WPIAL rematch against Franklin Regional.

In the two other Championship semifinals the #1 State ranked teams advanced to the finals in convincing fashion. #1 Bethlehem Catholic did something they had not done previously in the tournament: they gave up a point to an opponent. #17 Hamburg Area’s s hot streak came to a cooling end as BECA dominated 59-3.

In Class AAA #1 Franklin Regional may have had their closest match of the State Tournament but it was nonetheless impressive winning 38-22 over #4 Nazareth Area. The score was made closer when at 145 lbs. part-time IndyCar racer, part-time high school senior Sage Karam stunned the crowd with a jaw dropping fall over 2x PIAA State Medalist Josh Maruca. Karam is definitely still getting back into wrestling shape after taking a month off to compete on the race track but his pin over the savvy Josh Maruca showed why he is considered a dangerous and formidable wrestling in the State. In the match Maruca racked up a series a takedowns, scoring with relative ease against the winded Karam. Up 11-4, and looking for more points from the neutral, Maruca was thrown to his back by Karam who used a lateral drop to secure the upset victory. What made the win so impressive was the fact Karam, despite physically out of the match, never gave up and when given the opportunity, capitalized and executed. There is no doubt it my mind Maruca was the more technically sound wrestler of the match but Karam showed a lot of guts considering his month long absence from the practice room.

Class AAA Semifinal Results

Class AA Semifinal Results

Results and Information here![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]