YATESVILLE — Delaware Valley joined three Wyoming Valley Conference teams – all seeded higher – at Pittston Area for two rounds of the District 2 Class 3A Dual Meet Wrestling Championships on Wednesday night.
It was the seventh-seeded Warriors, however, who emerged from their half of the bracket and advanced to Saturday’s championship match at top-seed and host Wallenpaupack.
And the Warriors did not leave any doubt while doing so.
One of three teams to tie for second place in Division 1 of the Lackawanna League, Delaware Valley pounded the top two teams from Division 1 of the Wyoming Valley Conference.
The Warriors never trailed in either match.
They rolled over the second-seeded hosts 44-22 in the quarterfinals then took care of sixth-seeded Wilkes-Barre Area 53-18.
Delaware Valley entered the night as the only team among the eight in the 3A field with a losing record. But that record – and the seed that went with it – were more a result of the disparity in schedules among District 2 teams and the challenges the Warriors took on throughout the season.
Comparing results among the teams, including Delaware Valley’s 55-15 rout of third-seeded Hazleton Area to open the season, meant the outcome could not be considered surprising.
“We’re always confident,” Delaware Valley coach Lou DeLauro said. “This is what we work for. With the program, we’ve had the last decade or two, we always want to be in the mix. We’re not just satisfied with being here. Our goal is always to go to that state tournament.”
The Warriors made the District 2 finals for the 12th time in 16 years, a stretch in which they have emerged as champion half the time.
Pittston Area and Wilkes-Barre Area each went 1-1 and will be among the four teams left in the consolation bracket Saturday, trying to determine third-through-sixth place.
Hazleton Area was the only team at the site to go 0-2 and be eliminated.
Delaware Valley 53, Wilkes-Barre Area 18
The semifinal featured seven first-period pins, five by Delaware Valley.
After the teams matched quick finishes to start the match, Delaware Valley won five straight bouts for a 35-6 lead.
The first of those and one of the match’s closer contests was the key, according to DeLauro.
Bryce Thoman and Gene Ardo were scoreless for nearly half the 160-pound bout when Thoman came up with a pin.
“Getting the pin there, that was a big win,” the coach said. “That kind of turned the momentum. They had won at ’52. If they win 160, that could have changed some things.”
Dean Goldthorpe (127), Andrew Elliott (133), Brady Coville (145), Travis Walton (172) and Ethan Koloski (215) had the quick pins for Delaware Valley.
Luke Pollard (107) and Ethan Hooper (152) had Wilkes-Barre Area’s first-period pins. Carlos Salinas (121) and Teagen Butler (139) added decisions.
The Wolfpack (6-6) will face Crestwood (7-7) Saturday at 11 a.m. in a consolation semifinal at Wallenpaupack.
Wilkes-Barre Area 47, Hazleton Area 22
The Wolfpack reached the semifinals with three consecutive wins early and four forfeits.
Liam Evanko and Dalton Flowers sandwiched pins at 152 and 172 around a technical fall by Ardo at 160 to open a 23-6 lead.
Altamir Terry added a pin at 285.
Simon Zamudio and Mason Marolo had pins for the Cougars at 145 and 189. Tyler Youngcourt won a major decision while Deagan Kapes and Landon Bodnar also won decisions.
Delaware Valley 44, Pittston Area 22
Delaware Valley won five of the first six bouts of the quarterfinal match that started at 139 pounds, building a 29-3 lead on back-to-back, first-period pins by Travis Walton and Jeremiah Segal at 172 and 189.
Pittston Area coach Dave Kranz was well aware that Delaware Valley was stronger than its seed would indicate. The Patriots were going without Tim Riefler and Tibor Toth, a pair of 21-win lightweights, because of injuries.
Matters got worse before the Patriots even took the mat.
“The coin toss was another key for them,” Kranz said. “If we had won the toss, I would had two moves I could have made to change some matchups.”
With the team win decided, Shawn Shimonis rallied from a 7-0 deficit and from being on the brink of being pinned for more than a minute at the end of the first period to give Pittston Area a second-period pin in the final bout at 133.
Mikel Roman and Jahiem Butler added technical falls at 107 and 127 for the Patriots.
Dominic Innamorati and Brody Spindler won decisions at 160 and 215.
Pittston Area 48, Hazleton Area 25
Pittston Area improved to 18-4 overall and advanced to Saturday morning’s consolation semifinals against Abington Heights when it bounced back from losing the opener.
Aiden Sweder (172), Spindler (215) and Noah Gruber (285) all won in under a minute. Innamorati (160) added another pin and Hazleton Area again forfeited four weight classes.
Zamudio and Marolo had first-period pins and Youngcourt and Kapes produced technical falls for Hazleton Area.
District 2 Class 3A Semifinals
Delaware Valley 53, Wilkes-Barre Area 18
145: Brady Coville (DV) pinned Allen Razkawski, 0:22; 152: Ethan Hooper (WBA) pinned Marley McAffe, 1:32; 160: Bryce Thoman (DV) pinned Gene Ardo, 2:55; 172: Travis Walson (DV) pinned Dalton Flowers, 1:14; 189: Jeremiah Segal (DV) tech. fall over Ethan Osmanski, 17-2, 3:43; 215: Ethan Koloski (DV) pinned Aiden Gilmore, 1:51; 285: Christopher DelaBella (DV) pinned Altamir Terry, 4:19; 107: Luke Pollard (WBA) pinned Jason Carides, 0:58; 114: Brennan Snyder (DV) pinned Jayson Sanchez, 3:41; 121: Carlos Salinas (WBA) dec. Drew Churchill, 12-6; 127: Dean Goldthorpe (DV) pinned Emanuel Degante, 1:38; 133: Andrew Elliott (DV) pinned Cameron Grohowski, 1:48; 139: Teagan Butler (WBA) dec. Jason Mele, 9-5.
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