Kiski Area’s Blumer stays alive at PIAA wrestling tournament
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Thursday, March 5, 2020 | 8:25 PM
Kiski Area’s Jack Blumer works against Lower Merion’s James Lledo in the 160-pound weight class during the PIAA Class AAA championships Thursday at Giant Center in Hershey.
Kiski Area’s Jack Blumer wrestles Lower Merion’s James Lledo in the 160 pound weight class in class AAA during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Kiski Area’s Sammy Starr wrestles against Nazareth’s Nathan Stefanik in the 152 pound weight class in class AAA during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
HERSHEY — Six Alle-Kiski Valley wrestlers entered the PIAA Class 3A wrestling tournament Thursday, and all six still were in the mix for medals at deadline. However, only one still is contending for a gold medal.
Kiski Area’s Jack Blumer qualified for Friday afternoon’s quarterfinals with a dominant 160-pound Round of 16 victory over James Lledo of Lower Merion. The Cavaliers senior never trailed in the 9-2 victory, having jumped out to a 6-1 lead after one period.
Blumer (37-2) will face Colby Romjue of Susquehannock in the quarterfinals. A win there would assure Blumer of a spot on the medal stand Saturday.
At least two other Cavaliers will be wrestling in the second round of consolations Friday.
Nick Delp opened the 170 preliminaries by pinning Jarrett Niedosik of North Penn in 2 minutes, 50 seconds. After that, he pushed last season’s 160 champion, Trey Kibe of Mifflin County, in a 3-1 loss. Delp scored first with a second-period escape, but Kibe took the lead for good with a takedown with eight seconds left in that frame.
Brayden Roscosky pinned Isaac Kassis of Dieruff in 57 seconds in the 195 preliminaries. Like Delp, he gave a highly regarded grappler a fight before dropping a 3-1 verdict. Jake Lucas (40-1) of Cumberland Valley won via a takedown with eight seconds left.
Sammy Starr might join Delp and Roscosky in Friday’s consolation brackets. He dropped a 4-3 decision to Nathan Stefanik in the 152 Round of 16 in another match determined by a late score. Starr had tied the match 3-3 with a reverse with 1:25 left in regulation, but Stefanik advanced with an escape with 28 seconds left.
Starr had to win a first-round consolation match Thursday night, which took place after this edition’s deadline.
In the first-ever state-tournament match for a Knoch wrestler, Guy Deleonardis gave up an opening takedown and nothing else in a 14-2 win over Roman Moser of Methacton in the 160 preliminaries. After falling behind early in the first period, Deleonardis had an escape and takedown late in the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Two more takedowns and six near-fall points turned the bout into an easy victory.
The second-ever state tourney contest for Knoch did not go quite as well. Lower Dauphin’s Clayton Ulrey posted a 16-7 win over Deleonardis with six takedowns. Deleonardis got a takedown of his own early in the third quarter but was unable to generate any near-fall points. Deleonardis will be in the second-round consolations Friday.
Armstrong’s Logan Harmon won his 195 preliminary with a pinfall at 3:32 over Central Bucks East’s Quinn Collins. The match was tied 3-3 after the first period, with each grappler scoring a takedown and an escape. Harmon started the second period on top and never gave Collins any room to get away.
In the Round of 16, Harmon was pinned by Mt. Lebanon’s Luke Stoudt at the 4:22 mark, pushing him into the second-round consolations.
Tags: Kiski Area
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