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SOUTH CANAAN — Even after beating seven-time Lackawanna League Division 2 champion Western Wayne, 35-27, in Wednesday night’s District 2 Class 2A Dual Wrestling semifinals, Lake-Lehman coach J.J. Konigus is not sure if the Black Knights outwrestled the Wildcats.
“We pride ourselves on being in better shape and that showed,” Konigus said. “We outhustled them.
“The team in better shape won.”
The Black Knights pulled out a series of wins late in bouts to advance to Saturday’s district final against Hanover Area at 1:30 p.m. at Pittston Area.
Neither regular-season division champion will be in the final.
Lake-Lehman took care of its part of that equation by winning the five closest decisions of the semifinal, including three that were decided in the final seconds of regulation or later.
The team score was tied just once and Lake-Lehman never trailed.
Jake Tomolonis pulled out the first close bout at 152 with a 6-5 overtime victory over Harrison Clookey for a 19-12 team lead.
Tomolonis escaped in the first few seconds of the second overtime, then held Clookey down in the third overtime.
Western Wayne used the second of its three pins to close within a point before Tommy Williams pulled out the next dramatic win just when the team lead appeared ready to get away.
Williams seemed to be about to give up a takedown in the closing seconds, but maneuvered out of trouble for a 1-0 win over Joe Tomasetti at 170.
“Tommy’s funky,” Konigus said. “He does that a lot.”
Western Wayne bumped Dakota Swoyer and Cole Fuller up to 220 and 285 to try to rally with a sweep of the three heaviest weights, but Charles Harry and Mike Slivinski foiled that strategy.
Harry won, 5-3, over Austin Weaver at 195.
Slivinski’s takedown with two seconds left turned back Swoyer. 3-1, for a 31-24 lead with three bouts remaining, putting the Wildcats where they needed to sweep all three or post two pins to pull out a win.
Bobby Long made sure that didn’t happen. His major decision at 106 clinched the victory and a spot in the final.
“We were just putting our good guys on their good guys and not pulling any punches,” Konigus said.
Lake-Lehman started the night with a 45-21 victory over Valley View.
Harry pulled out a one-point victory and Kaleb Konigus (285) used a reversal with 0.6 seconds left in the ultimate rideout to win his bout against Valley View.
Long, Bob Lipski, Tomolonis, Williams, Harry and Slivinski each won twice for the Black Knights, who suffered their only dual meet loss of the season on tie-breaker criteria against Meyers.
Wyoming Area lost, 60-12, to Western Wayne and, 47-28, to Valley View and was eliminated.
Two semifinals and four consolation survivors advance to Saturday.
Zach Briggs had two pins and Patrick Heck also won twice for Wyoming Area.
Quarterfinals
Lake-Lehman 45, Valley View 21
106: Bobby Long (LL) by forfeit; 113: Austin Schuler (LL) pinned Emmanuel Abreu, 1:31; 120: Brandon Judge (VV) pinned Garrett Kolb, 4:40; 126: Dylan Meehan (LL) dec. Kyle Novajosky, 10-4; 132: R.J. Driscoll (LL) dec. Brett Uhrin, 8-3; 138: Bob Lipski (LL) dec. Marc Stine, 10-1 (Valley View one team point deducted); 145: Pavel Rodriguez (VV) by forfeit; 152: Jake Tomolonis pinned Howie Babcock, 1:38; 160: Blake Evans (VV) pinned Chris Hadsell, 3:50; 170: Tommy Williams (LL) tech. fall over Sean Sprague, 26-11; 182: Connor Judge (VV) dec. Kris Rosencrans, 9-0; 195: Charles Harry (LL) dec. Zach Duffield, 6-5; 220: Mike SIivinski (LL) pinned Joe Krishanda, 0:18; 285: Kaleb Konigus (LL) dec. Matt Pittsman, 6-4, ultimate rideout.
Note: Match started at 113 pounds
Western Wayne 60, Wyoming Area 12
106: George Mrsich (WW) pinned Justin Esposito, :49; 113: Ryan Dunn (WW) dec. Robin Wrobleski, 3-1; 120: Ryan Palmer (WW) pinned Dan Kosko, 2:54; 126: James Maloy (Wnned Tyler Martin, 3:20; 132: Kendrick Beyer (WA) dec. Evan Hoherchak, 4-0; 138: Marod Dobrzyn (WW) by forfeit; 145: Patrick Heck (WA) dec. Braden McIntosh, 8-5; 152: Harrison Clookey (WW) pinned Jaryn Polit-Moran, 1:17; 160: Derek Swoyer (WW) pinned Stephen Sokach-Minnick, :33; 170: Matt Trygar (WW) pinned Shane Eslick, 1:40; 182: Zach Briggs (WA) pinned Austin Weaver, 3:14; 195: Dakota Swoyer (WW) dec. Adam Buczynski, 3-1, OT; 220: Cole Fuller (WW) pinned Nicholas Tomlinson, :49; 285: Bayly Williams (WW) by forfeit.
Note: Match started at 113 pounds
Semifinal
Lake-Lehman 35, Western Wayne 27
106: Bobby Long (LL) dec. George Mrsich, 9-0; 113: Ryan Dunn (WW) dec. Austin Schuler, 4-3; 120: Garrett Kolb (LL) pinned Matt Palmer, 1:36; 126: James Maloy (WW) pinned Dylan Meehan, 5:39; 132: R.J. Driscoll (LL) dec. Eric Hoherchak, 8-0; 138: Bob Lipski (LL) pinned Marod Dobrzyn, 3:02; 145: Braden McIntosh (WW) by forfeit; 152: Jake Tomolonis dec. Harrison Clookey, 6-5, in overtime; 160: Derek Swoyer (WW) pinned Chris Hadsall, 3:41; 170: Tommy Williams (LL) dec. Joe Tomasetti, 1-0; 182: Kris Rosencrans (LL) dec. Matt Trygar, 7-2; 195: Charles Harry (LL) dec. Austin Weaver, 5-3; 220: Mike SIivinski (LL) pinned Dakota Swoyer, 3-1; 285: Cole Fuller (WW) pinned Kaleb Konigus, 2:54.
Note: Match started at 120 pounds
Consolation quarterfinal
Valley View 47, Wyoming Area 28
106: Emmanuel Abreu (VV) pinned Brandon Williams, 0:20; 113: Robin Wrobleski (WA) by forfeit; 120: Kyle Novajosky (VV) pinned Daniel Kosko, 2:36; 126: Brandon Judge (VV) pinned Tyler Martin, 2:56; 132: Brett Urhin (VV) tech fall. over Kendrick Beyer, 18-3, 4:37; 138: Patrick Heck (WA) tech. fall over Lorenzo Saavedra, 18-3; 145: Marc Stine (VV) pinned Nick Semanek, 2:15; 152: Pavel Rodriguez (VV) dec. Jaryn Polit-Moran, 6-4; 160: Derek Swoyer (WW) pinned Stephen Sokach-Minnick, :33; 170: Zach Briggs (WA) pinned Sean Sprague, 1:01; 182: Adam Buczynski (WA) pinned Shea Gibbons, :45; 195: Connor Judge (VV) by forfeit; 220: Nick Tomlinson (WA) pinned Joe Kirshanda, 2:12; 285: Matt Pittsman (VV) by forfeit.
Note: Match started at 120 pounds