Deegan Ross
Twin brothers Deegan and Seth Ross joined Robbie Schneider and Jonah Houser in producing individual titles Dec. 18 while leading Lackawanna Trail to the team championship of the Lackawanna League Wrestling Tournament at Wallenpaupack.
Deegan Ross and Schneider pinned all three opponents on their way to back-to-back titles at 152 and 160.
For Deegan Ross, all three pins came in 1:11 or less, including the championship match victory over Western Wayne’s Nicolas Arcadipane, the wrestler who ended his individual postseason in last season’s Class 2A Northeast Regional.
“It was great to get him back,” Ross said.
The win came the same way as the first two.
“The whole tournament, I used the bar,” Ross said.
Schneider pinned Sal Schiavone from Abington Heights in 2:23 in the final at 160 pounds.
Houser won at 215 pounds when he beat Tomas Delosrios from Abington Heights, 5-3, in the championship match.
The two schools were in a tight three-team race at the top of the standings for most of the day, well above the rest of the pack.
Lackawanna Trail won the championship with 220 points. Delaware Valley edged Abington Heights for second in the 14-team field, 201-197½.
“We were really focused on the team,” Deegan Ross said. “We were trying to get every point that we could and we’re really proud of the team.”
Seth Ross also had to get through a close match with an Abington Heights opponent, beating Hutch Lynott, 6-5, in the semifinals between the two pins he used to win the title at 189 pounds.
Brothers Max and Michael Bluhm also reached the final for Lackawanna Trail, but lost to Abington Heights wrestlers.
Brian Heard won the 138-pound championship for the Comets by beating two straight District 2 Class 2A champions. He pinned Montrose’s Dylan Geertgens in 2:58 of the semifinals, then defeated Max Bluhm, 4-1, in the final.
Austin Smith got to the 145-pound final with a pin and major decision, then added a 21-6 technical fall over Michael Bluhm in the final.
Abington Heights matched Lackawanna Trail’s total of four individual champions.
Luke Sirianni won at 113 while Caleb Marzolino won at 172 where Lackawanna Trail’s Tyler Rozanski came in third.
Brayden Clarke (106) and Ethan Lee (132) also finished third for the Lions while Cole Henry (120) came in fourth.
Cole Kroptavich from Abington Heights pinned Henry late in overtime in the consolation final to take third.
Lynott also finished third.
