Shady Side Academy has one of the top wrestling teams in the WPIAL, but that was of no consolation to visiting Kittanning on Wednesday night in its 72-0 loss in the Section 3-AA match.
"We certainly would have liked to have scored a point," Kittanning coach Jeff Putt said. "There were two matches we could have, should have, won. We have a couple starters out and that didn't help any. It's very tough, especially when you are going against a team like Shady Side Academy."
It didn't help that Kittanning forfeited six weight classes, but the match did not start well when the Wildcats sent Jesse Starr against Shady Side's 130-pounder Dane Johnson, who won a PIAA title last year at 112. Johnson pinned a determined Starr, but it took him 2 minutes, 22 seconds to do it.
After the Johnson-Starr match, Shady Side's Judd Bruch and Kittanning's Jeremy Reitler put on an entertaining match that Bruch won, 4-2. Bruch led, 4-0, late in the second period when Reitler took advantage of a mistake and scored two points. In the third period, there were no points scored and Bruch claimed the victory.
The best match of the night came at 140 pounds with Shady Side's Matt Giel and Kittanning's Kris Wagner. Giel led, 6-3, after one period and, 7-3, after two. But in the third, Wagner scored five points to force overtime. In overtime, Giel scored a takedown in 16 seconds to register the 10-8 victory.
Late in the match, Wagner made the decision to give away a neutral point so both wrestlers could start on their feet. The move made sense to Putt.
"We do that so you can try to get a takedown," Putt said. "Sometimes, it is easier to score when you are both on your feet, so that is why we did that."
Later in the match, Kittanning's Brandon Morris did the same thing at 125 pounds. Morris was matched against another defending PIAA Class AA champion, Frank Martellotti. Morris jumped to a 5-0 lead after one period, but Martellotti scored seven in the second to take the lead entering the final period.
Martellotti led, 9-8, with 34.7 seconds remaining and Morris gave up a neutral point in the hopes of scoring a takedown. It did not happen, and Martellotti secured a 10-8 victory.
Shady Side recorded three pins, one technical fall and one major. Shady Side coach Tim Giel said he doesn't like winning by forfeits.
"It's tough and I know because we have been there before," Giel said. "It's difficult to prepare for matches like this because you have to prepare differently with the kids who will or won't wrestle.
"He's on the rebound, though, with his program," Giel said of Putt and Kittanning. "He has about 35 kids in his junior high program. It's cyclical in double-A. I know. I've been there."
Wrestling
Wednesday's summaries
Section 3-AA
Shady Side Academy 72, Kittanning 0
103: Geoff Alexander (SSA) won by forfeit.
112: Philip Elias (SSA) p. Devon Johns (K), 0:40
119: Anthony Elias (SSA) tech fall Aaron Anthony (K), 5:22
125: Frank Martellotti (SSA) dec. Brandon Morris (K), 10-8.
130: *Dane Johnson (SSA) p. Jesse Starr (K), 2:22.
135: Judd Bruch (SSA) dec. Jeremy Reitler (K), 4-2.
140: Matt Giel (SSA) dec. Kris Wagner (K), 10-8 OT
145: Harrison Hirsch (SSA) won by forfeit.
152: Matt Cunningham (SSA) major dec. Cody Brown, 19-6.
160: David Brown (SSA) p. Jeremy Melnick (K), 0:20.
171: Kurt Brendel (SSA) won by forfeit.
189: Roman San Doval (SSA) won by forfeit.
215 Tim Geil (SSA) won by forfeit.
285: Nick Cieselski (SSA) won by forfeit.
* -- Starting match.
