HERSHEY >> Sometimes you can ease to a win and sometimes you have to wait for the right moment.
For Pennridge junior Matt Parker, that moment came in the final 20 seconds of his quarterfinal match against North Hills’ Gage Curry at the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey Friday.
Trailing 2-1, Parker scored a takedown off an odd angle to earn a takedown, a win and the lone local berth in the tournament’s semifinals.
The win, Parker said, was the product of his conditioning.
Pennridge’s Matt Parker in action at the PIAA Championships on Friday, March 11, 2016. (Bill Rudick/For Digital First Media)
“I believe in my conditioning,” he said. “I wasn’t too worried or frustrated. I just keep wrestling.”
Matters, however, did get a little desperate in the third period with the clock winding down.
“I knew, when it was 2-0 (in Curry’s favor) I just had to keep getting him tired,” Parker said. “I had to keep going and going.”
That’s what Parker did, and his reward came late in the match – off a crazy angle not known for its scoring potential.
“I’ve actually worked on that position all year,” Parker said, “and I knew I had to keep working it.”
But the match was far from over, as Curry came justthisclose to scoring in the final seconds.
“Yeah, I had to hold on there for a few seconds,” said Parker, allowing himself a smile. “Now I can chill out and have some fun until tomorrow.”
Elsewhere, it was grab some rocks and hold on to your socks, as the locals attempted to stay alive in what has been known as the “Blood Round.”
Win, you get to stick around and go home with a medal. Lose, you get to celebrate the off-season a little early.
After bouncing back to stave off elimination with an overtime win in his first consolation match of the day, North Penn’s Ryan Vulakh saw his season continue with a 5-2 verdict over Kiski’s Joe Blumer.
North Penn’s Ryan Vulakh wrestles Kiski Area’s Joe Blumer at the PIAA Championships on Friday, March 11, 2016. (Bill Rudick/For Digital First Media)
“The goal coming up here was just wrestle my best,” the Knights freshman said. “If I wrestle my best and get beat, I don’t deserve a medal.”
Other locals wrestling back successfully included the entire Pennridge contingent of Kordell Rush (126), Josh Stillings (160) and Kyle Gentile (182) and the La Salle duo of Anthony Piscopo (195) and Garrett Zobel (220).
Perhaps the widest smile belonged to Piscopo, who has been wrestling 11 years with the goal of some day making states, and finally made it – and medaled – in his first and only opportunity.
“I don’t know how I did it,” the senior said. “I’m just running on adrenaline. I knew it was win or die.”
Piscopo said he had a relaxed year, and thanked his coaches, including head coach Frank Cimato, for giving him the freedom to enjoy a mostly pressure-free season.
“I’m a quiet person, and our coaches have allowed me to be myself,” he said.
But Piscopo was anything but composed when he used a third-period, five-point standing cradle to win his first consolation match of the day, 7-3, then won his second in more conventional fashion, 3-1, to earn his medal.
“It took me 10 minutes after the (first consolation) match to decompress,” he said. “And now, this.
“To get here in my last chance to medal and to get to the podium is awesome.”
OVERTIME >> District One wrestlers will haul home 21 medals.
