Kiski Area wrestling rallies vs. Franklin Regional, pins down top seed

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, January 16, 2019 | 10:09 PM

Wednesday was senior night for the Kiski Area wrestling team.

As a sign of sportsmanship, the Cavaliers public address announcer also recognized the Franklin Regional seniors as they trotted to the middle of the circle, shook hands with Kiski Area coach Chris Heater and were handed gold wrestling pins as a token of respect.

Those pins foreshadowed the result, as Kiski Area battled back from a 23-10 deficit and rattled off seven straight pins to down Section 1-AAA rival Franklin Regional, 52-23. The Cavaliers clinched their fourth consecutive regular-season team section title.

“We really feel like we’re wrestling pretty well right now, and we’re coming together as a team,” Heater said. “I got just about all of my seniors in tonight.”

Kiski Area (9-0) will be the top seed from Class AAA, Section 1A and will host Greensburg Salem in the Section 1 team tournament Wednesday. Norwin will face Hempfield in the other match.

Franklin Regional (3-2) dropped to third place in the section and will host Latrobe on Wednesday for fifth place in the section with a spot in the WPIAL team championships on the line.

“They’re a great team, and they’ve done it all over the last couple of years,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “We’re inexperienced up top. We lack the years of experience, and they’re very good. I don’t think our guys laid down, and I know that they had a lot of pins up there, but that’s knowing wrestling.”

The Panthers built a lead by tearing through the lighter weights. Carter Dibert, ranked No. 2 in the state, earned an 18-0 technical fall over Antonio Giordano at 106 pounds to get things rolling for the Panthers.

“It was pretty good to pick up the win,” Dibert said. “I wanted the pin, but you can’t get it all of the time.”

Finn Solomon came back at 113 with a pin in 3 minutes, 45 seconds over Julian Jones to give the Panthers an 11-6 lead. Garrett Thompson picked up a 2-0 overtime win over Kiski Area’s Dom Giordano, and Pitt recruit Colton Camacho earned a pin in 28 seconds over Luke Lacaria at 126 pounds to give the Panthers a 20-6 lead.

“(Kiski Area’s) student section was going crazy, and I was having fun with that and taking it all in,” Camacho said. “I just go out there and treat every match like it’s going to a tough one.”

Kiski Area’s Darren Miller earned an 8-0 major decision over Zach McCann at 132 to end the Cavaliers’ drought. The Panthers’ Mason Spears recorded a 2-1 decision over Sammy Starr at 138 before Kiski Area’s stampede of pins began.

At 145, Kiski Area’s Collin Murray finished off Mario Sarnic in 2:36. Cam Connor (152) downed Colin Brady in 33 seconds, Jack Blumer (160) pinned Christo Marion in 31 seconds and Nick Delp (170) prevailed in 34 seconds over Jacob Brand. Dylan Mullen (182) won in 1:16 over Charlie Hough, and Brayden Roscosky triumphed over the Panthers’ Auston Vance in 1:06. Senior Troy Kuhn put a wrap on the regular season with a 14-second pin over Dylan Singleton.

“We tend to start slow, and our middle weights are doing what they can,” Kuhn said. “I liked finishing off the match and that put a good ending to it with 14 seconds.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Kiski School