Andrew Cerniglia Runs The 145 Pound Gauntlet and Beats Caleb Dowling to Reach State Finals

HERSHEY, Pa.: Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Andrew Cerniglia wasn’t intimidated when the PIAA Championship brackets came out last Sunday.

Instead of worrying about being pinned by Pequea Valley’s Gabe Miller in the regional final, which put him in a loaded top half of the state bracket, he embraced the challenge with a simple, “Well, it’s time to go to work.”

It appeared Cerniglia had plenty to do after getting tired in the third period against Miller. But, it wasn’t fatigue as much as getting nervous and anxious, which didn’t allow him to perform.

That hasn’t been the case on the mat at Hershey’s Giant Center. Cerniglia has remained calm and focused throughout a gauntlet of top competitors standing in the way of his goal: State Gold.

Cerniglia disposed of another one Friday night. The Crusaders junior got past the toughest one so far, St. Joseph’s Catholic’s Caleb Dowling, the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the state, by a 3-0 count to earn a spot in Saturday’s 145-pound state final.

“I let my nerves and anxiety get the best of me [last week],” Cerniglia said. “I started taking deep breaths, and it really helped me relax and focus.

“I worked on conditioning a little bit, but I know I’m conditioned. I do my workouts outside of practice, I do my workouts in practice. It was a matter of calming myself down, breaking down the match, and going one period at a time.”

Continued Cerniglia, “I looked at the bracket as a challenge. It’s only going to prepare me more for the finals. I know I beat all of these guys, and I have all the confidence in the world now.”

Cerniglia should. The final score of his match with Dowling doesn’t look impressive, but this was a demoralizing clinic.

It didn’t take long for Cerniglia, who is ranked third in the state, to make a statement. He took Dowling down to the mat in the first 10 seconds and rode him the rest of the period for a 2-0 lead.

“That takedown was big,” Cerniglia said. “It’s a big mental factor. Getting that takedown and riding him out the rest of the period really sets the tone for the second and third period.”

The message was delivered loud and clear. And it was echoed over the second two-minute stanza of the match.

Dowling was on bottom looking for an escape. Instead, Cerniglia rode his opponent the entire period to leave no doubt who the best wrestler was on this particular day.

“Once I rode him out in the second period, I knew,” Cerniglia said. “I worked on riding with my legs. Just being able to ride a kid … Him not being able to move is not fun for him.

“I was like, ‘I just got to be smart on my feet, not over exert myself, take my time, and be cool, calm, and relaxed.’”

Cerniglia escaped a little over 30 seconds into the final period. That put him up 3-0 and gave him a firm grasp of the match.

Dowling tried a couple of shots, but Cerniglia was never in trouble. He earned the victory and a spot in the finals against Miller, who defeated Berlin Brothersvalley’s Tristan Pugh 8-0 in a match that wasn’t that close.

For Cerniglia, who finished fourth as a freshman after breaking his collarbone early in the season and missed last year because of cornea surgery, it’s a chance for redemption in the biggest match of his high-school career.

“It’s great to make the finals,” Cerniglia said. “I transferred schools, and all of these people are hating on me. It’s kind of a ‘screw you’ deal, and I love that. I love being able to prove what I’m worth and what I’m able to do.

“It really boosts my confidence and helps me for tomorrow. It’s a good anxious, not a bad anxious. He got the best of me last week, and I’m ready to give him the best of me tomorrow.”