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BETHLEHEM — For the last 23 years, hundreds of wrestlers from Tunkhannock have noticed the board on the wall in the wrestling room with the year of the team’s last state qualifier.

There have been numerous 100-win grapplers and dozens of medals grabbed in that time, but none of them have been able to break the drought of reaching the PIAA Championships.

Until now.

Mike Manley, the Tigers’ 152-pounder dropped his semifinal match on Saturday but rebounded to win his next match and advance to the state tournament becoming the first wrestler from the school to qualify since Bob Farber in 1993.

Manley is one of four athletes from the Wyoming Valley Conference who qualified for the state tournament — which begins Thursday at Hershey’s Giant Center — on Saturday in the Class 3A Northeast Regional at Liberty High School. He’s joined by Hazleton Area teammates and returning state qualifiers Chris Lasecki (126 pounds) and Jimmy Hoffman (132) and Dallas’ Cole Dixon at 182.

“It’s the first time in (23) years that Tunkhannock sent someone to states so it feels really good,” said Manley, who placed sixth in the region last year and finished off his regional tournament on Saturday with a fourth-place finish. “I look at the board everyday and I just remember 1993 was the last time.”

Lasecki and Hoffman both advanced by beating WVC opponents in consolation bouts on Saturday afternoon to reach the third-place bout.

The junior Lasecki defeated Tunkhannock freshman Tommy Traver, 7-5 in the bout after fighting off his back to avoid a pin in the third period. The Cougar junior went on to finish third to reach states for the second straight year after placing fourth at regionals a year ago.

“Last year I took fourth here and I wanted to improve on what I did last year,” Lasecki said after finishing third. “I knew he (Traver) was gonna it (the five-point move). He gets it on everybody. I just fought off my back and made sure I didn’t get pinned. I wasn’t nervous, but when I saw the lights I thought ‘oh God, what am I gonna do?’ But I was fine.”

A junior, Hoffman knocked off Coughlin’s Josh Brown by major decision, 8-0 in the consolation semifinals to advance to the third-place match and punch his ticket to Hershey for the third consecutive season. Hoffman lost his championship semifinal bout earlier in the day to Parkland’s Jacob Lizak 5-3, but rebounded after the setback to move on. He then lost the third-place match to Emmaus’ Lucas Schaff in a rematch from the quarterfinals.

“I wasn’t able to get that last takedown at the end,” said Hoffman, who lost to Schaff, 3-1. “As long as I get to Hershey anything can happen down there. You never know what’s going to happen down there because the competition level is so close with everyone.”

Dixon was the only participant from the WVC to qualify for states early winning his semifinal bout topping Dieruff’s Jayen Reyes, 5-4. Dixon fended off several late shot attempts by Reyes to hang on for the win after being called for a stall call and giving up a point.

In the final, Dixon and Bethlehem Catholic’s Adam Soldridge were tied at 3-3 in the third period after Dixon got a takedown with 1:12 left. But Soldridge got an escape a few seconds later then stayed away for a 4-3 win. It was Dixon’s first loss in more than two months.

“You learn from your losses and it’s alright, it doesn’t affect me, I’ll come back from it,” Dixon said. “I’m gonna come in the room on Monday and I’m gonna work and I’m gonna learn from this loss and come back at states.”

Traver, who was one of five regional semifinalists from the WVC, lost to two-time state champion Luke Karam from Bethlehem Catholic in the semis. Traver fell into the consolations where his next match was against Lasecki. He followed that by dropping the fifth-place bout to Bangor’s Robert Shoemaker, 12-5 in a rematch of Friday’s quarterfinals, and took sixth.

Hazleton Area’s Carson Kinney, who was also a semifinalist, dropped his 195-pound semi bout to Miles Lee from South Philadelphia. Like Traver, he lost his next match to fall into the fifth-place bout where he beat Bethlehem Catholic’s Jody Crouse, 3-2.

Brown lost his medal match and finished sixth.

Wyoming Valley West freshman David Krokowski, who lost in the quarterfinals on Friday, rebounded to win twice in the consolation bracket on Saturday. But he dropped his 106-pound state-qualifying bout via tech fall; he ended the tournament finishing sixth.

Abington Heights’ Nick Carr, who was seeded first in the 160-pound bracket, also won his semifinal bout to advance to states, but he lost his final and finished second. Other D2 Class 3A state qualifiers are Scranton’s Andrew Burgette (fourth-place, 170) and Wallenpaupack’s Todd Frick (third, 182).

Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament

(at Liberty H.S., Bethlehem)

Team Scores

1. Bethlehem Catholic (Beca) 167.5; 2. Nazareth (Naz) 13.5; 3. Northampton (North) 79; 4. Easton (East) 77; 5. Liberty (Lib) 70.5; 6. Parkland (Park) 66.5; 7. LaSalle (Las) 47; 8. Stroudsburg (Str) 45; 9. Hazleton Area (Haz) 38; 10. Dieruff (Dier) 37; 11. Bangor (Bang) 32; 11. Pleasant Valley (PV) 32; 13. Pottsville (Potts) 31.5; 14. Tunkhannock (Tun) 31; 15. Freedom (Free) 30; 16. Dallas (Dal) 29; 17. East Stroudsburg South (ESS) 26; 18. Scranton (Scr) 25; 19. Mariana Bracetta Academy(MBA) 23; 20. Abington Heights (AH) 19.5; 21. Father Judge (FJ) 19; 22. South Philadelphia (SP) 19; 23. West Scranton (WS) 18; 24. Archbishop Wood (AW) 17; 24. Emmaus (Emm) 17; 26. Wyoming Valley West (WVW) 15.5; 27. Wallenpaupack (Wall) 15; 28. Delaware Valley (DV) 13; 28. Pocono Mountain West (PMW) 13; 30. Roman Catholic (RC) 19; 30. St. Joseph’s (SJ) 10; 30. Blue Mountain (BM) 10; 33. Coughlin (Cou) 33; 34. Northeast (NE) 8; 35. Honesdale (Hon) 5; 36. Franklin Town Charter (FTC) 3.5; 37. Overbrook (Ov) 3; 37. Olney Charter (OC) 3; 39. Archbishop Ryan (AR) 1; 39. Central (Cent) 1; 39. Martin Luther King (MLK) 1; 39. West Philadelphia (WP) 1; 43. Crestwood (Cre), Frankford (Frank), Abraham Lincoln (AL), East Stroudsburg North (ESN), Pocono Mountain East (PME), Boys Latin (BL), Thomas Edison (TE) 0

Outstanding Wrestler: Jake Jakobsen, Stroudsburg

Finals

106 — Tyson Klump (Naz) dec Patrick Gould (ESS) 10-4

113 — Julian Chlebove (North) dec Ryan O’Grady (Naz) 6-5

120 — KJ Fenstenmacher (Lib) dec Dan Moran (North) 3-0

126 — Luke Karam (Beca) tech fall Devon Britton (North) 16-1

132 — Jacob Lizak (Park) dec Joey Gould (Beca) 5-3

138 — Sammy Sasso (Naz) pinned Evan Fidelibus (East) 1:54

145 — Brock Wilson (Naz) dec Luke Gardner (Potts) 5-4

152 — Travis Stefanik (Naz) dec James Saylor (East) 2-1

160 — Cade Moisey (North) dec Nick Carr (AH) 6-4

170 — Michael Labriola (Beca) maj dec Edwin Morales (MBA) 23-11

182 — Adam Soldridge (Beca) dec Cole Dixon (Dal) 4-3

195 — Jake Jakobsen (Str) tech fall Miles Lee (SP) 15-0

220 —Trent Thomas (PV) dec Evan Callahan (Free) 3-1

285 — Andrew Gunning (Lib) dec Vincenzo Pelusi (Las) 9-3

Third Place

106 — Zach Glenn (Beca) dec Cameron Enriquez (Str) 7-2

113 — Luke Werner (Lib) dec Nick Dolak (Park) 7-0

120 — Luke Carty (Beca) dec Trevor Tarsi (Naz) 5-3

126 — Chris Lasecki (Haz) dec Andrew Mastrangelo (Park) 6-4

132 — Lucas Schaf (Emm) dec Jimmy Hoffman (Haz) 3-1

138 — Stephen Maloney (Beca) dec Ed Hay (Bang) 6-2

145 — Jacob Montes (East) dec Ronald Nguyen (Dier) 5-2

152 — Cole Karam (Beca) dec Mike Manley (Tun) 3-1

160 — Jesse Rocco (Bang) dec Luke Ratchford (Las) 7-3

170 — Cade Wilson (Naz) maj dec Andrew Burgette (Scr) 8-0

182 — Todd Frick (Wall) default Jayden Reyes (Dier)

195 — Anthony Piscopo (Las) dec Greg Bensley (PMW) 3-1, OT

220 —Nathan Feyrer (Park) dec Matthew Galasso (RC) 7-5, OT

285 —Niko Camacho (Beca) dec Shai Hines (Dier) 1-0

Fifth Place

106 — Nick Onea (Potts) dec David Krokowski (WVW) 4-1

113 — Anthony Mangione (Str) d. Stephen Veneziale (AW)

120 — Dylan Brown (Free) dec Alex Shaffer (AW) 8-4

126 — Robert Shoemaker (Bang) dec Tommy Traver (Tun) 12-5

132 — Jason Jacobi (PV) dec Josh Brown (Cou) 4-2

138 — Pierre Liciaga (ESS) dec Bubba Novak (WS) 4-2

145 — Brayson Haas (Park) dec Ronald Palmer (MBA) 8-2

152 — Anthony Emig (Lib) d. Pat Deacon (Las)

160 — Darius Joyce (East) d. Adam White (FJ)

170 — Trevor Dorn (PV) dec Ryan Deloach (Free) 7-1

182 — Max Viduszynski (East) dec Kolby Kleckner (Potts) 11-4

195 — Carson Kinney (Haz) dec Jody Crouse (Beca) 3-2

220 — Garrett Zobel (Las) dec John McCarthy (DV) 10-3

285 — Ronald Zimmerman (East) d. Kirk Dougherty (BM)

Semifinals

106 — Klump (Naz) dec Glenn (Beca) 3-2; Gould (ESS) dec Enriquez (Str) 1-0

113 — Chlebove (North) dec Werner (Lib) 7-3; O’Grady (Naz) dec Dolak (Park) 8-3

120 —Fenstenmacher (Lib) maj dec Tarsi (Naz) 11-2; Moran (North) dec Carty (Beca) 5-1

126 — Karam (Beca) maj dec Traver (Tun) 12-0; Britton (North) dec Mastrangelo (Park) 3-2

132 — Lizak (Park) dec Hoffman (Haz) 5-3; Gould (Beca) maj dec Jacobi (PV) 12-4

138 — Sasso (Naz) tech fall Hay (Bang) 18-2, 3:03; Fidelibus (East) dec Maloney (Beca) 3-0

145 — Wilson (Naz) maj dec Haas (Park) 12-2; Gardner (Potts) maj dec Palmer (MBA) 11-3

152 — Stefanik (Naz) tech fall M. Manley (Tun) 19-4, 5:21; Saylor (East) dec Karam (Beca) 4-1

160 — Carr (AH) tech fall Joyce (East) 16-0, 5:13; Moisey (North) dec Ratchford (Las) 11-5

170 — Labriola (Beca) tech fall Deloach (Free) 22-7, 5:02; Morales (MBA) dec Wilson (Naz) 8-2

182 — Soldridge (Beca) dec Frick (Wall) 17-10; Dixon (Dal) dec Reyes (Dier) 5-4

195 — Jake Jakobsen (Str) pinned Piscopo (Las) 1:26; Lee (SP) maj dec Kinney (Haz) 17-9

220 — Thomas (PV) dec Feyrer (Park) 9-4; Callahan (Free) dec Zobel (Las) 9-2

285 —Gunning (Lib) tech fall Zimmerman (East) 26-11, 5:01; Pelusi (Las) pinned Camacho (Beca) 8:08

Consolation Semifinals

106 — Glenn (Beca) tech fall Krokowski (WVW) 19-4, 4:43; Enriquez (Str) dec Onea (Potts) 8-5

113 — Werner (Lib) pinned Veneziale (AW) :29; Dolak (Park) pinned Mangione (Str) :32

120 —Tarsi ((Naz) dec Shaffer (AW) 9-4; Carty (Beca) dec Brown (Free) 4-3

126 — Lasecki (Haz) dec Traver (Tun) 7-5; Mastrangelo (Park) dec Shoemaker (Bang) 6-3

132 — Hoffman (Haz) maj dec Brown (Cou) 8-0; Schaf (Emm) dec Jacobi (PV) 8-3

138 — Hay (Bang) pinned Novak (WS) 4:06; Maloney (Beca) pinned Liciaga (ESS) 2:34

145 — Montes (East) dec Haas (Park) 6-5; Nguyen (Dier) dec Palmer (MBA) 3-2, OT

152 — M. Manley (Tun) maj dec Deacon (Las) 10-1; Karam (Beca) maj dec Emig (Lib) 11-2

160 — Rocco (Bang) dec Joyce (East) 2-1, 3OT; Ratchford (Las) dec White (FJ) 1-0

170 — Burgette (Scr) dec Deloach (Free) 8-3; Wilson (Naz) pinned Dorn (PV) 4:48

182 — Frick (Wall) dec Kleckner (Potts) 3-2; Reyes (Dier) maj dec Viduszynski (East) 12-1

195 — Piscopo (Las) dec Crouse (Beca) 1-0; Bensley (PMW) dec Kinney (Haz) 5-2

220 — Feyrer (Park) dec McCarthy (DV) 3-1; Galasso (RC) pinned Zobel (Las) 3:00

285 — Hines (Dier) dec Zimmerman (East) 3-2; Camacho (Beca) pinned Dougherty (BM) 3:00

Third Round Consolations

106 — Krokowski (WVW) maj dec Shaffer (AW) 8-0; Onea (Potts) pinned McCall (FJ) 4:19

113 — Veneziale (AW) dec Logue (FJ) 6-0; Mangione (Str) dec Slack (WS) 3-0

120 — Shaffer (AW) dec Metzger (FJ) 8-2; Brown (Free) dec McKinney (DV) 7-5

126 — Lasecki (Haz) maj dec Oakes (Scr) 14-3; Shoemaker (Bang) dec Jake Brown (Cou) 5-4

132 — Josh Brown (Cou) pinned Rivera (NE) 3:45; Schaf (Emm) dec Lyons (SJ) 7-3

138 — Novak (WS) dec Jones (DV) 4-2; Liciaga (ESS) dec Richards (Tun) 11-7

145 — Montes (East) maj dec B. Manley (Tun) 9-1; Nguyen (Dier) dec Lowery (Haz) 3-1

152 — Deacon (Las) dec Armstrong (FJ) 9-7, OT; Emig (Lib) dec Newell (Dal) 8-4

160 — Rocco (Bang) dec Barber (Dal) 5-4, 3OT; White (FJ) dec Nations (ESS) 10-7

170 — Burgette (Scr) dec Guida (Park) 51; Dorn (PV) maj dec Pashinski (WVW) 10-0

182 — Kleckner (Potts) dec Dickey (Scr) 8-2; Viduszynski (East) maj dec Dragos (Hon) 14-2

195 — Crouse (Beca) dec Stahlecker (East) 3-2; Bensley (PMW) pinned Harrity (WS) 3:15

220 — McCarthy (DV) dec Stratton (NE) 7-0; Galasso (RC) pinned Hartman (Wall) 4:04

285 — Hines (Dier) dec Fisher (SJ) 1-0; Dougherty (BM) pinned Giordano (WS) 2:27

Second Round Consolations

106 — Shaffer (AW) dec Maurer (Haz) 5-2; Krokowski (WVW) tech fall Shousky (FTC) 16-1, 3:00; Onea (Potts) dec Sirianni (AH) 10-6; McCall (FJ) forfeit Leggin (Scr)

113 — Veneziale (AW) dec Robles (Cent) 7-4; Logue (FJ) dec Rivera (Scr) 6-0; Mangione (Str) maj dec Galasso (RC) 10-0; Slack (WS) maj dec Beeman (Tun) 8-0

120 — Metzger (FJ) forfeit Evanitsky (Scr); Shaffer (AW) dec Wallace (AR) 1-0; Brown (Free) pinned Vasquez (MBA) :44; McKinney (DV) maj dec Melendez (NE) 10-0

126 — Lasecki (Haz) forfeit Diarra (Cent); Oakes (Scr) dec Pulli (Naz) 2-1; Shoemaker (Bang) dec Nau (FTC) 5-2; Brown (Cou) forfeit Lugo (NE)

132 — Brown (Cou) dec Sampson (Dal) 8-5; Rivera (NE) forfeit Evanitsky (Scr); Schaf (Emm) dec Jones Str) 9-2; Lyons (SJ) pinned Yoos (AW) 1:47

138 — Novak (WS) dec Needleman (Las) 7-0; Jones (DV) dec Martoccio (Haz) 4-3; Liciaga (ESS) maj dec Morales (MBA) 15-1; Richards (Tun) dec Rubino (AL) 8-4

145 — Motes (East) maj dec Morales (NE) 12-0; B. Manley (Tun) dec Forsette (WS) 6-1; Nguyen (Dier) pinned Fuller (SP) 5:00; Lowery (Haz) dec M. Brown (Cou) 5-1

152 — Deacon (Las) dec McNally (Scr) 2-0; Armstrong (FJ) dec Roscioli (Cent) 4-2; Emig (Lib) dec Moraski (DV) 3-2; Newell (Dal) pinned Bahamonde (RC) 5:57

160 — Barber (Dal) maj dec Falendysh (Cent) 11-0; Rocco (Bang) dec Ray (Tun) 6-3; White (FJ) pinned Whitaker (Over) :52; Nations (ESS) dec Stoner (PME) 8-5

170 — Burgette (Scr) pinned Davis (OC) :52; Guida (Park) dec Duren (MLK) 10-3; Dorn (PV) dec Seymour (WS) 4-0; Pahinski (WVW) pinned Hughes (BL) 2:22

182 — Kleckner (Potts) pinned Maxwell (MLK) 3:54; Dickey (Scr) dec Conquest (SJ) 14-7; Viduszynski (East) maj dec Green (AW) 14-4; Dragos (Hon) dec Williams (MBA) 9-5

195 — Stahlecker (East) pinned Murray (AW) 2:01; Crouse (Beca) dec Oberle (Emm) 7-5; Bensley (PMW) pinned Edwards (NE) :30; Harrity (WS) dec Wellard (AH) 10-3

220 — Stratton (NE) dec Williams (East) 3-2; McCarthy (DV) dec Figueroa (Lib) 7-2; Galasso (RC) pinned Bishop (AW) 3:39; Hartman (Wall) dec Malia (Scr) 6-2

285 —Hines (Dier) pinned Rode (Wall) 4:46; Fisher (SJ) pinned Ubera (Scr) 4:37; Dougherty (BM) pinned Travis (WP) :24; Giordano (WS) forfeit Mims (OC)

Dallas’ Cole Dixon, top, wrestles Allentown Dieruff’s Jayden Reyes in the 182-pound bracket of the semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regionals at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030616Wrestling-Regionals3A_spt_1-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgDallas’ Cole Dixon, top, wrestles Allentown Dieruff’s Jayden Reyes in the 182-pound bracket of the semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regionals at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Tunkhannock’s Tom Traver, right, looks over opponent Luke Karam of Bethlehem Catholic in the 126-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030616Wrestling-Regionals3A_spt_2-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgTunkhannock’s Tom Traver, right, looks over opponent Luke Karam of Bethlehem Catholic in the 126-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Hazleton Area’s Jimmy Hoffman, top, tries to overturn Parkland’s Jacob Lizak in the 132-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030616Wrestling-Regionals3A_spt_3-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHazleton Area’s Jimmy Hoffman, top, tries to overturn Parkland’s Jacob Lizak in the 132-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Tunkhannock’s Mike Manley, left, grapples with Nazareth’s Travis Stefanik in the 152-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030616Wrestling-Regionals3A_spt_4-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgTunkhannock’s Mike Manley, left, grapples with Nazareth’s Travis Stefanik in the 152-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Hazleton Area’s Carson Kinney, left, tries to escape from the grasp of South Philadelphia’s Mikes Lee in the 195-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030616Wrestling-Regionals3A_spt_5-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHazleton Area’s Carson Kinney, left, tries to escape from the grasp of South Philadelphia’s Mikes Lee in the 195-pound semifinals of the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader
Tigers’ Mike Manley, Hazleton’s Lasecki, Hoffman, and Dallas’ Dixon reach state tournament

By Dave Rosengrant

[email protected]

Reach Dave Rosengrant at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @tldrosengrant