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Burrell, Kittanning wrestlers net third titles
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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- Burrell senior Dakota DesLauriers and Kittanning junior Jason Nolf each claimed their third titles at the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional championships at Cambria County War Memorial. DesLauriers and Nolf were among 10 WPIAL individual champions at the event.
Dustin Conti of Jefferson-Morgan won his second championship in a row along with Cody Law of Forest Hills. South Fayette's Seth Carr stopped defending champion Justin Patrick of Ligonier Valley from winning his second title, scoring a second-period reversal, then riding Patrick through the final period to win, 2-1.
South Park freshman Greg Bulsak picked up takedowns in the first two periods to beat John Demaske of Jefferson-Morgan, 4-1, for the 126-pound title.
Nolf followed with an 8-6 win against Nick Zanetta of Keystone Oaks, having to fight off his back in the second period. Trailing, 2-0, Zanetta head-locked Nolf to his pack, getting a reversal and near-fall to lead, 5-2. Nolf, a PIAA champion two years ago, responded with an escape and a takedown to tie the match in the second, and again in the third to win, 8-6.
Chartiers-Houston won two titles, the first by Tanner Sutton who used a second-period takedown and a third-period escape to beat Tanner Cahill of Conemaugh Township, 3-1, in the 145-pound championship. Garrett Vulcano delivered the session's only pin, cradling Kittanning's Zac Croyle twice in the second period, getting the fall at 3:11 of the 195-pound match.
Boe Bonzo of Freedom improved on a fifth-place finish a year ago with his 3-1 championship victory against Andrew Doak of Blairsville. Tied at 1-1 with less than a minute to go, Bonzo fought through a tie-up and turned an ankle-pick into a takedown.
Conti met South Fayette's Mike Fetchet in the final for the second week in a row, and both matches went double overtime. Tied at 1-1 Saturday night, Conti got an escape in the first tiebreaker, then gave one to start the second before scoring a takedown with 12 seconds to go to win, 4-3. Conti beat Fetchet, 7-6, last week in WPIAL final.
Avella's Jake Temple has started quickly in nearly every bout this year. Cody Jacobs of West Greene seemed to frustrate him in the opening minutes of the 220-pound championship. After a scoreless first period, Jacobs worked free from the bottom and led, 1-0. Temple's escape tied the bout in the third. Then, to claim his 100th career victory, Temple forced the issue, baiting Jacobs to take a shot from a tie-up. Temple then shoved Jacobs to the mat, spun around and scored the winning takedown with 25 seconds remaining.
DesLauriers was held scoreless through one period by Blairsville's Scott Thompson, a third-place medalist a year ago, before erupting with three takedowns in the second, three more in the third on the way to a 13-4 major decision. DesLauriers was a runner-up as a freshman, then champion each of the past three seasons.
Allan Beattie capped Burrell's perfect night with a 4-1 win against Morgan Selepak of West Branch. Beattie, a 285-pound sophomore, got a leg takedown in the first and a second-period reversal for the win. Burrell went 5 for 5 in the session, winning two titles, one third-place match and two bouts in the fifth-place qualifiers.
WPIAL wrestlers claimed 34 berths in the PIAA championships next weekend in Hershey, Pa.
First Published March 3, 2013 12:11 am
