Mielnik sparks comeback win for Whippets over WC East

WEST GOSHEN >> When the 113-pound chip was pulled to determine the start of the dual meet, Downingtown West knew it would likely need its best to be their best at the end of the lineup.

The defining moment of a tight dual came at 182 pounds, when West Chester East bumped its returning state qualifier, Andrew DiBernardo, to face Downingtown West’s returning regional qualifier, Chase Mielnik. 

The Whippets’ junior proved up to the challenge, and his 10-4 decision was one of five wins by West in the final six bouts to give West the 40-30 victory over the home Vikings, Wednesday.

“I asked coach (Brad) Breese during the week who he thought they would put (DiBernardo) against and he thought it would be me,” Mielnik said. “I knew what I needed to do and was confident I could go out and get to my shots and the rest of my offense.”

East (1-2 division, 5-3 overall) led, 27-13, with six bouts to go, but Max Hale (170 pounds) got the ball rolling for the Whippets (3-1, 8-3) with a first-period pin.

Mielnik then took DiBernardo down five times, giving him two wins over returning state qualifiers this season.

“It’s good to see (Mielnik) go out and get a win like that,” West coach Brad Breese said. “He’s had some pretty good challenges in individual tournaments that he didn’t as fare as well as he could’ve, so it was a good challenge for him to prove he’s where he should be and he’s not just beating a bunch of fluffs.”

Joe Shafer (195) worked a quick pin and Pat Cusack (220) accepted a forfeit to give West a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. 

After East’s Hugh Lemmon-Kishi (285) held on for an overtime decision against Matt Micale to make it a four-point contest with one to go, freshman Dom Findora (106) slammed the door shut with a first-period fall.

“We respected that (West) is the No. 7 seed in the District Duals, and we knew we had a lot of matchups and swing matches to keep the dual meet close, throughout,” East coach John Gallo said.

Things were looking good for the Vikings, early. Sam Parnis (113) opened the meet with a pin and Andrew Luke (120) followed with a decision.

Chase Mielnik’s younger brother, Owen (126), got West on the board with a major decision, but Corey Celenza (132) pushed the lead to 11 with a quick pin. West’s Greg Chamberlain (138) cancelled out those six with a pin of his own.

East had a chance to extend its lead at 145, but West’s Kane Hayford scored a takedown and three near-fall points as time expired for a 6-3 win.

Considering Dan Clifford (152) and Ethan Golden (160) picked up pins for the Vikings the next two matches, that six-point swing loomed large for the Whippets.

“We knew we had to get some wins from 126-170, and that it was going to be tight,” Breese said. “When we got wins at 126 and 138 I was feeling pretty good. Those matches at 152 and 160 were toss-ups and when they went that way, I was glad we got the win before that or it could’ve been disastrous.”

The Whippets will take on 10th-seeded Council Rock North, Thursday, in the first round of the District 1-3A Duals. After reaching states with a third-place finish a year ago, West will be an underdog to return if it can get past the Indians.

“It was pretty important because it gave us momentum flowing through the team,” Chase Mielnik said about the win over East. “We have to fix a couple things, but it was good for the team from a mental standpoint rolling into battle against Council Rock North.”

East will not compete in the district duals, but with a back-loaded schedule, the Vikings still have two tournaments and four dual meets left before the individual postseason. They will also look forward to getting Jamison Eadie (145) and Syncere Cooper (195) back healthy, as both missed the West meet.

“We’re gonna get some guys back each week and get healthier each week,” Gallo said. “We’re gearing up for some big time dual meets down the stretch.”

Downingtown West 40, West Chester East 30

113- Parnis (WCE) pinned Suchecki, 1:35 (0-6)

120- Luke (WCE) dec. Niemeyer, 2-0 (0-9)

126- O. Mielnik (DW) maj. dec. Bottavio, 16-4 (4-9)

132- Celenza (WCE) pinned Hanak, :56 (4-15)

138- Chamberlain (DW) pinned Warner, 1:38 (10-15)

145- Hayford (DW) dec. Lamb, 6-3 (13-15)

152- Clifford (WCE) pinned Lilley, 3:08 (13-21)

160- Golden (WCE) pinned Smith, 5:12 (13-27)

170- Hale (DW) pinned Mackin, 1:31 (19-27)

182- C. Mielnik (DW) dec. DiBernardo, 10-4 (22-27)

195- Shafer (DW) pinned Sbur, :51 (28-27)

220- Cusack (DW) won by forfeit (34-27)

285- Lemmon-Kishi (WCE) dec. Micale, 6-3 RO (34-30)

106- Findora (DW) pinned Whitton, 1:26 (40-30)