HERSHEY >> Starting in the consolation round on the second day of the PIAA Wrestling Championships left Pennridge’s Kordell Rush little room for error.
One loss Friday afternoon meant the end of the senior’s high school career. But having his back to the wall is in some way a comfortable position for the Rams’ 126-pounder.
“It’s always a disappointment to lose that first match, but I feel like all year I’ve been one of those kids that losses early and in the wrestleback really just wrestle tough, keeping moving along, building on each match.” Rush said. “So, I wasn’t really all that worried when I lost that first match, I knew there was a lot of matches to come, lot more opportunities to get my medal.”
With a pair of decisions over Kennard Dale’s Mike Bracey and Devon Britton of Northampton, Rush joined three teammates in reaching Day 3 and earning himself a second state medal in three seasons.
“Honestly, just went out really loose. I really had nothing to lose,” Rush said. Kind of threw everything at the kid and hoped I won. And in the end, I won.”
Like Rush, La Salle Senior Anthony Piscopo was down to his final chances at states. But he was not finished wrestling as an Explorer. Piscopo rallied in the second round of 195-pound consolations, and then posted a shut out in the third to stick around Hershey.
“I think it was just really the idea that my high school wrestling career at the high school that I love would be over if I don’t win,” he said.
Piscopo, the third-place finisher at Northeast Regionals, wrestled twice Thursday – winning the prelim before being pinned by Norwin’s Drew Phipps in the first round of the championship bracket. Piscopo had to go another two Friday, in his first needed a late comeback to beat Denny Karas of Exeter 7-3.
“Down 3-2 and with 30 seconds I locked in like a standing cradle and put him to his back,” he said. “So that was a very, very emotional win.”
Piscopo, however, did not complete his work for the day until a 5-0 decision over Penn Manor’s Jess Kann. The win cemented a top-eight spot for first-time state qualifier.
“It’s amazing. This has been my goal for 11 years now to make it here,” Piscopo said. And now that I’m able to get on the podium, it means even more.”
Rush pulled out his 126 consolation second round match with Bracey in the third. Bracey pulled even 2-2 with two points late in the second, but Rush’s escape in last period ended up deciding things.
“You really don’t know what to expect when you go out there. I mean, you really only rely on what you know and your game plan” Rush said. “So, we really didn’t worry about what he did. Coaches just told me to attack him, score some points in the first and be good for the rest of the match.”
Bracey was an unknown, but Rush had faced his next opponent, Britton, at the Escape the Rock Tournament, coming away with a pinfall in the third over the Northampton freshman. Thursday, a 7-5 decision was good enough for Rush to make sure he’ll add another medal alongside the fourth place one he claimed as a sophomore at 106.
“I wrestled a really close match with him early in the year, ending up having to get a takedown 30 seconds left in the match to win,” Rush said. “Knew what I needed to do, I wrestled him before and went out and executed my game plan.”
