HS Wrestling: Pine Grove boys edge Tri-Valley, capture Division II title
Pine Grove's bench goes wild as Drew Hikes turns Tri-Valley's Ethan Miller for back points during Wednesday's Schuylkill League Division II dual meet. Hikes won by major decision, helping Pine Grove win 35-34 and clinch the Division II championship. At right is referee Sam Julian,. At left is official Ryan Green. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
PINE GROVE — Pine Grove has had to wait more than a generation — a quarter-century in fact — since winning its last Schuylkill League division championship.
So when the Cardinals and Tri-Valley battled to a draw after all 13 bouts Wednesday night, it was only fitting that Pine Grove had to wait just a little bit longer before officially learning that its drought is over.
Officials Sam Julian and Ryan Green gathered at the head table with the 2024-25 National Federation of High Schools Wrestling Rules book in hand to break the tie on criteria. It came down to Criterion C, which reads: “The team whose opposing wrestlers were penalized the greater number of match points for unsportsmanlike conduct during a match shall be declared the winner.”
The Bulldogs lost their composure a few times and it cost them. Julian awarded Pine Grove one team point, giving the Cardinals a 35-34 victory in front of a packed house, a victory that clinched the Schuylkill League Division II championship. The title marked Pine Grove’s first division crown since the 2000-01 season. In 1999-2000 and 2000-01, the Cards went back-to-back, winning Division I titles.
Pine Grove (9-4, 4-0 D-II) also would have won on Criterion D: Most number of individual bout victories (7-6).
Tri-Valley (11-5, 3-1) saw its bid for a fifth straight Division II title come to an end.
“It’s awesome for the kids and for the program. It’s just great,” Pine Grove co-head coach Paul Frantz said. “The kids wrestled hard. The program deserves this, and it’s been way too long.”
In the final bout at 121 pounds, Drew Hikes used a reversal and four near-fall points in the second period to gain an 11-3 major decision over Ethan Miller and draw Pine Grove even with Tri-Valley at 34.
But so much happened before that.
Pine Grove senior Gage Cleary started the night by pinning Brock Bossler in 5:00 at 127 pounds. Bossler led 3-0 after the first period and 7-4 after the second period before rallying the the fall.
Back came the Dawgs as Jaxon Bruso (133) pinned Kendrick Wolfgram in 48 seconds and Kayden Lucas (139) racked up three takedowns and two sets of four-point near falls in a 19-1 technical fall over James Hoy. Hoy, though, saved a team point by not getting pinned as Tri-Valley led 11-6.
Aaron Osatchuck (145) got the Cardinals back on track by stacking and pinning Liam Yourey with armbars in 1:04.
Tri-Valley answered with two more victories. Noah Hanlon (152) piled up three takedowns before driving a deep armbar for a fall over Isaiah Miller in 5:47. Parker Hatter (160) followed with six takedowns in an 18-3 technical fall over Logan Troup. Like Hoy, Troup saved a team point for Pine Grove by not getting pinned.
“It was an awesome match. The atmosphere was awesome,” Tri-Valley coach Dave Boltz said. “We talked in the locker room beforehand, they knew can’t give up bonus points, got to get ’em. That’s what it comes down to, but what an awesome match, packed house.”
Trailing 22-12, Pine Grove went on a four-bout run to build a 30-22 lead with three matches left.
Schuylkill League Tournament champion Austin Martin (172) started the run by pinning Hogan Troutman in 3:43. Up a weight, Martin had two takedowns before turning Troutman with legs and a power half.
Zach Kurtz (189) brought the Pine Grove faithful to their feet by pinning Hunter Updegrave in 3:59. Julian’s whistle for the fall came just a split second before the buzzer that would have ended the second period sounded. Kurtz led 10-1 at the time of the fall.
Pine Grove senior Robbie Schaeffer (215) got all he could handle from Owen Fortna, but a pair of strong takedown finishes lifted Schaeffer to a 7-0 decision.
At 285, the Cards’ Scout Frantz scored the bout’s only takedown in the third period to stop Donovan Keeth 5-0.
After Garrett Leitzel (106) picked up a forfeit for Tri-Valley, Schuylkill League Tournament champion Owen Wolfgang bumped up a weight to 114. Wolfgang delivered, giving up the first takedown but answering with three takedowns of his own before pinning Chase Nagle in 5:36. That put Tri-Valley up 34-30 with one bout to go.
Hikes took control at the end of the first period, notching a takedown and two back points in the final 15 seconds to lead 5-0. Ethan Miller chose neutral for the second period and completed a takedown to cut the deficit to 5-3. Hikes came back with a reversal and four near-fall points to lead 11-3 with two minutes to go. Hikes chose top for the third period and rode Miller for the entire period. Miller nearly escaped a few times, and if he had, it could have turned the major decision into a regular decision. With his teammates cheering him on, Hikes held on to the major and the bonus point needed to knot the dual at 34.
“Both crowds. that’s why we like these backyard rivalries,” Frantz said. “They make dual meets so much fun. Tri-Valley packed that half of the gym. Pine Grove packed the other half, and that’s the way it should be. That’s the way it used to be, and they were great. I appreciate everybody coming out, their fans and our fans because it’s not just about Pine Grove. Tri-Valley, they push us to get better.”
Pine Grove 35, Tri-Valley 34
127 — Cleary (PG) pinned Bossler, 5:00
133 — Bruso (TV) pinned Wolfgram, :48
139 — Lucas (TV) tech. fall Hoy, 19-1, 6:00
145 — Osatchuck (PG) pinned Yourey, 1:04
152 — Hanlon (TV) pinned Miller, 5:47
160 — Hatter (TV) tech. fall Troup, 18-3, 5:51
172 — Martin (PG) pinned H. Troutman, 3:43
189 — Kurtz (PG) pinned Updegrave, 3:59
215 — Schaeffer (PG) dec. Fortna, 7-0
285 — S. Frantz (PG) dec. Keeth, 5-0
107 — Leitzel (TV) won by forfeit
114 — Wolfgang (TV) pinned Nagle, 5:36
121 — Hikes (PG) maj. dec. Miller, 11-3
JV Score: None
Jr. High Score: Tri-Valley 58-17
Mahanoy Area 65, Schuylkill Haven 12
MAHANOY CITY — Nolan Timko (114), Nick Manley (127), Jah Bushati (152) and Kyler Quick (189) notched falls to power Mahanoy Area past Schuylkill Haven in Division II action.
Joseph Dabashinsky (285) added a technical fall for the Golden Bears (8-4, 2-2 D -II).
Trayten Hasenauer (107) and Dylan Benulis (121) posted pins for Schuylkill Haven (1-13, 1-3).
107 — Hasenauer (SH) pinned Gregory, :41
114 — Timko (MA) pinned Blevins, 1:43
121 — Benulis (SH) pinned Hanley, 1:08
127 — Manley (MA) pinned Stone, :59
133 — Seritti (MA) won by forfeit
139 — Slater (MA) won by forfeit
145 — Spino (MA) won by forfeit
152 — Bushati (MA) pinned Krammes, 1:53
160 — Dixon (MA) won by forfeit
172 — Zack (MA) won by forfeit
189 — Quick (MA) pinned Dierolf, 3:36
215 — Pollack (MA) won by forfeit
285 — Dabashinsky (MA) tech. fall Reber, 18-1, 4:00
Tamaqua 58, Panther Valley 6
LANSFORD — Jacob Hehn (189), William Behun (215), Levi Kunkel (121), Aiden Schlier (127), Chase Zeigenfuss (145), Mason MacMillan (152) and Johnathan Knepper (160) won by fall to lead Tamaqua to a Division I win over Panther Valley.
Aiden Schlier pinned Landon Hunsicker in 1:26 to record the 100th victory of his career. Schlier improved his season record to 25-4.
