Citrano, Plum wrestling team motivated to reach goals

By: Michael Love
Saturday, December 18, 2021 | 11:01 AM

Vinnie Citrano has great expectations for his final varsity wrestling season.

The Plum senior is eyeing section gold after a third and two runner-up finishes and is hoping to place at WPIALs and make a run at states.

He also is hoping to join the exclusive 100-win club at Plum. He stood at 78-17 for his career after a win at 138 against Penn-Trafford on Dec. 15.

Citrano also has team goals in mind and is pumped up for what the Mustangs can achieve.

“We’re super excited and super motivated,” Citrano said. “We have a strong team with some experienced wrestlers and some other younger ones who are working hard. There is a nice mix. To have a full team on the mat for matches just gives us a lot of confidence. We’re going out and having a lot of fun.”

Citrano is one of just two seniors on a roster of 21. There are eight juniors, eight sophomores and three freshmen.

Citrano kicked off his season in winning fashion Dec. 10-11 with a first-place finish at the Eastern Area Invitational Wrestling Tournament at Gateway.

He helped Plum place third overall (166.5 points) behind Connellsville (251) and Kiski Area (192).

Seeded third at 132, Citrano went 4-0 with a technical fall and three decisions, including a 7-5 triumph over DuBois’ Brendan Orr, a fourth-place finisher at last year’s Class 3A Northwest Regional.

He also won an EAIWT championship as a sophomore, bringing home the title at 113.

“I went in with a little chip on my shoulder, not just because I got seeded third or anything like that,” Citrano said. “I just wanted to prove a point that I’ve been working really hard, traveling to different places to compete in the offseason, and I am ready to have a great season. Overall, I wrestled pretty well. But I saw a lot of stuff I still need to work on. I just want to have all my chips aligned.”

Plum coach Mike Supak said he likes where Citrano is in the early part of the season.

“He put on some muscle over the summer getting ready for his senior year,” Supak said. “He is really focused with his goals in mind. He is both mentally and physically prepared to have a good season.”

Plum sophomores Antonio Walker (126) and Rylen Campbell (106) each took home third-place finishes at the Eastern Area tournament, while sophomore Sam Snyder (113), junior Andrew Claasen (172), and junior Frank Macioce (215) placed fourth.

Also earning medals at Easterns were sophomores Jack Tongel (fifth, 160), Carson Yocca (sixth, 113) and Dylan Overcash (sixth, 120) and junior Olandis Freeman (sixth, 285).

“I think we performed well with 10 place-winners,” Supak said. “It was a good start as it helped the guys see what positive areas they can build on and also what they need to work on to get better.”

Walker hopes to build on a freshman year that saw him win a section title, finish second in the region and compete at states. He went 22-4 last year and is 4-2 on the season.

Claasen (14), Snyder (12) and Tongel (11) also finished last season with double-digit victories.

The Mustangs continue to roll through December as wrestlers, coaches and all others involved hope the return to a more normal season after last year’s covid uncertainties and changes can remain in place.

Plum returns to Section 1B with Franklin Regional, Gateway, Penn Hills, Plum and Woodland Hills.

The Mustangs suffered a 33-30 loss to Penn-Trafford in the section opener. They hoped to bounce back Wednesday at Woodland Hills. Plum will compete at the Southmoreland Holiday Classic on Dec. 27-28.

Riverview wrestling

Numbers are up this season for the Riverview wrestling team.

There are a dozen on the roster, and nine competed at the Eastern Area tournament. Last year, four were on the roster at the start, and only three finished.

Coach Joe Murphy said that despite some inexperience in the lineup, the wrestlers are excited to learn and get better.

Seniors Gio Savko and Ethan Zahner are the only two back who competed in matches last year.

Savko, who finished third (172) at the Section 3-AA tournament last year, went 3-2 at Easterns and recorded three pins in the 189-pound bracket.

“Gio wrestled well at Easterns,” Murphy said. “He went 3-2, and the two he lost, he did some things he can definitely correct.”

Zahner (215) also kicked off his season at Easterns, along with seniors Gage Howard (189) and Taylor Zellefrow (189), juniors Aidan Drazinger (145) and Mike Pietragallo (285), sophomores Brayden Layhew (160) and Riley Russell (106), and freshman Justin Burrell (126).

“It was a good learning experience just getting on the mat for some of the guys,” Murphy said. “A number of the guys are new or they wrestled when they were real little and have some catching up to do.”

Murphy said he is excited to see his wrestlers get multiple bouts at the Steve DeAugustino Holiday Classic on Dec. 29.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Plum, Riverview