Click here to subscribe today or Login.
LEHMAN TWP. — For the better part of an hour, Meyers’ Colin Pasone and Hazleton Area’s Chris Lasecki paced back and forth on opposite sides of the gym at Lake-Lehman High School.
The 126-pounders never had to wait so long for a match during a finals before, because normally those weights are decided in the first half of the finals.
But both being two-time state qualifiers and being the main event of the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday, the bout was pushed back to the last of the evening.
“I was worried about that. All eyes are on you, everyone waited the whole day to see you,” Pasone said. “It was very nerve-wracking. I didn’t know when to start warming up.”
Once he got warm, Pasone didn’t miss a beat. He pulled out an 8-0 major decision to join elite company and win the event for the third time as he and Lasecki squared off for the first time since elementary school.
“I thought it was going to be close, but I got my points,” Pasone said. “This was probably the best match I wrestled all year, if not the best. I finally felt comfortable. I hope I can keep it up like this.”
Pasone, a senior, became just the fourth member of the three-time champion club joining Hazleton Area’s Jimmy Hoffman, who did so earlier in the evening, and Chad Hoffman and Kyle Krasavage.
“It says a lot for this tournament year in and year out that kids aren’t coming in here as freshmen and dominating all the way through,” Hazleton Area coach Keith Maurer said. “At least at some time, they’re getting good bouts.”
While Pasone and Hoffman won the event for the third time, there were grapplers who had never reached the finals of any tournament.
One of them is Dallas’ Xavier Barber, who was in perhaps the best match of the finals. In the 170-pound bout, Barber defeated Coughlin’s Jake Cole 3-1 thanks to a late takedown. Cole took the shot with the score tied at 1-1, but Barber, a senior, countered with a funk move and got the points for his first tournament victory in his first appearance in a final during his high school career.
“Each week, I’ve been getting closer to getting out of the semis and I finally did it,” Barber said. “When time’s running down, it comes down to who wants it more. And I wanted it more.”
Hanover Area’s Nick Hannon had been in the tournament finals before, but came up short in his previous two apperances. The third time was a charm for the senior.
Wrestling at 285 now after being at 220 the past two years, Hannon took care of Lake-Lehman’s Kaleb Konigus with a pin in 2:26 to claim his first gold.
After picking up the win, Hannon raced up to the top of the bleachers and hugged his emotional mother.
“Last year, it felt terrible losing. This season, I have a list of goals and one is wearing this gold around my neck,” Hannon said. “Last year, I told my mom when I win this tournament, I’m going to go up and hug her so I had to keep it. … She’s a nut. She’s the loudest person in the gym. So even before I won, she was crying when I had him on his back.”
Joining Barber and Hannon as first-time champs were Tunkhannock’s Tommy Traver (132 pounds), who was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. Lake-Lehman’s Bob Lipski (145), Dallas’ Alec Sampson (152) and Steven Newell (160), Hanover Area’s J.J. Hooper (182), Crestwood’s Shane O’Rourke (220) and Wyoming Valley West freshman J.J. White at 106 were also crowned first-time event winners.
Hazleton Area’s Jake Maurer (113) and Carson Kinney (195), and Valley West’s David Krokowski (120) repeated as WVC Tournament titlists.
The Cougars won the team championship for the first time since 2010 thanks to the help of three champions with 184 points.
“I’m happy about it, but I’ll be honest with you, I was sweating this one out a lot,” Maurer said. “It was nip and tuck all the way through to the end. It feels great. We’ve been chasing this with (five seniors) since I brought up as freshmen.”
Dallas, which crowned three champions, took second with 174.5 points. All three Mountaineers champions were in a row at 152, 160 and 170. They didn’t fall out of contention for the title until Kinney won his final against Tunkhannock’s Sam Rice.
“Steven and Sampson, they help me and we all push each other in the room,” Barber said. “None of us would win this tournament if we didn’t practice together.”
Hanover Area took third place with 157 points, while Tunkhannock (142), Coughlin (139.5) and Crestwood (131) rounded out the top six.
WVC Tournament
Outstanding Wrestler: Tommy Traver, Tunkhannock
Team Scores
1. Hazleton Area (Haz) 184; 2. Dallas (Dal) 174.50; 3. Hanover Area (Han) 157; 4. Tunkhannock (Tun) 142; 5. Coughlin (Cou) 139.5; 6. Crestwood (Cre) 131; 7. Lake-Lehman (LL) 123; 8. Meyers (Mey) 102; 9. Wyoming Valley West (WVW) 99; 10. Berwick (Ber) 83; 11. Wyoming Area (WA) 65; 12. Pittston Area (PA) 37; 13. Nanticoke (Nan) 22
Finals
(Note: finals started at 132 pounds)
106 – J.J. White (WVW) dec David Evans (Tun) 3-1
113 – Jake Maurer (Haz) dec David Gavek (Tun) 4-2
120 – David Krokowski (WVW) maj dec Bob Long (LL) 15-3
126 – Colin Pasone (Mey) maj dec Chris Lasecki (Haz) 8-0
132 – Tommy Traver (Tun) pinned Anthony Martoccio (Haz) 1:59
138 – Jimmy Hoffman (Haz) pinned D.J. Erickson (Han) :48
145 – Bob Lipski (LL) dec Ron Grevera (Cre) 8-3
152 – Alec Sampson (Dal) dec Saige George (Cre) 1-0
160 – Steven Newell (Dal) maj dec Jeremy Bergold (Dal) 13-0
170 – Xavier Barber (Dal) dec Jake Cole (Cou) 3-1
182 – J.J. Hooper (Han) pinned Adam Buczynski (WA) 5:40
195 – Carson Kinney (Haz) dec Sam Rice (Tun) 10-5
220 – Shane O’Rourke (Cre) dec Shawn Henninger (Dal) 6-2
285 – Nick Hannon (Han) pinned Kaleb Konigus (LL) 2:26
Third place
106 – Joe Rowley (Han) dec Liam Farrell (Dal) 7-0
113 – Jamie Pahler (Cou) def Matt Giza (WVW)
120 – Gavin D’Amato (Tun) dec Charles Everdale (Haz) 4-2, OT
126 – Jake Brown (Cou) dec Kade Kravits (Dal) 6-1
132 – Josh Brown (Cou) pinned Jeff Bennett (Han) 1:00
138 – Joe Pahler (Cou) dec Travis Dent (Ber) 5-0
145 – Alec Talanca (Ber) dec Frankie Castano (Cou) 5-4
152 – Zakee Nettles (Han) maj dec Jake Tomolonis (LL) 12-4
160 – Noah Rakowski (Han) dec Justin Lukashewski (Cre) 3-0
170 – Shane Noonan (Haz) dec Matt Maczuga (Ber) 3-1
182 – Ryan Black (Cre) dec Jake Stephens (Tun) 9-4
195 – Moustafa Almeky (Dal) dec TJ Meehan (LL) 7-4
220 – Stone Force (Ber) dec Damian Davies (WVW) 2-1
285 – Damon Barhight (WA) dec Corey Harrison (Cou) 6-1
Fifth Place
106 – Brandon Lopez (PA) pinned Hunter Greenberg (Cre) 3:54
113 – Josselin Meyer (Han) pinned Zach Capie (Nan) 1:30
120 – Anthony Kasper (Mey) dec Jordan Miale (Cre) 4-2
126 – Matt Galasso (LL) pinned Garrett Swank (Cre) 4:51
132 – Tony DeMark (PA) pinned Kevin Huertero (Mey) 4:24
138 – Garrett Kolb (LL) dec Kurtis Christ (Tun) 7-1
145 – Jayson Brielmeier (Haz) maj dec John Betzko (Dal) 12-1
152 – Jake Marnell (Haz) dec Josh McGilvary (PA) 1-0
160 – Corey Mruk (WA) pinned Jeremy Aquino (Haz) 2:33
170 – Liam Stone (Cre) dec Justin Joseph (WA) 8-5
182 – Heriberto Pineda (Mey) pinned Josh Snyder (Ber) 2:24
195 – Lucas Borum (Mey) forfeit Chris Malys (Cou)
220 – Preston Perkins (Mey) pinned John Walsh (Tun) 2:31
285 – Danny Burkhart (Dal) pinned Chris Gross (Ber) 2:15
Semifinals
106 – White (WVW) pinned Lopez (PA) 2:49; Evans (Tun) pinned Greenberg (Cre) 1:13
113 – Maurer (Haz) pinned Meyer (Han) 2:26; Gavek (Tun) pinned Giza (WVW) 1:50
120 – Krokowski (WVW) tech fall D’Amato (Tun) 16-0, 5:59; Long (LL) pinned Everdale (Haz) 1:59
126 – Pasone (Mey) tech fall Kravits (Dal) 16-0; Lasecki (Haz) dec Brown (Cou) 8-2
132 – Martoccio (Haz) dec Bennett (Han) 9-6; Traver (Tun) dec Brown (Cou) 10-3
138 – Hoffman (Haz) tech fall Pahler (Cou) 16-0, 2:15; Erickson (Han) dec Dent (Ber) 6-1
145 – Lipski (LL) maj dec Talanca (Ber) 10-2; Grevera (Cre) dec Brielmeier (Haz) 7-3
152 – Sampson (Dal) dec Nettles (Han) 13-7; George (Cre) dec Tomolonis (LL) 11-4
160 – Bergold (Mey) dec Lukashewski (Cre) 8-1; Newell (Dal) dec Rakowski (Han) 5-0
170 – Barber (Dal) dec Noonan (Haz) 7-4; Cole (Cou) dec Maczuga (Ber) 9-2
182 – Buczynski (WA) pinned Stephens (Tun) 1:40; Hooper (Han) dec Black (Cre) 3-1
195 – Kinney (Haz) forfeit Malys (Cou); Rice (Tun) pinned Borum (Mey) 2:43
220 – Henninger (Dal) tech fall Perkins (Mey) 16-1; O’Rourke (Cre) pinned Force (Ber) 2:40
285 – Hannon (Han) pinned Harrison (Cou) 2:35; Konigus (LL) dec Barhight (WA) 3-2, UTB
