Nothing comes easy in Hershey

Published: March 15, 2010

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There is such a fine line between winning and losing at the PIAA state wrestling championships that it's sometimes hard for the casual fan to understand.

That's why the achievements of all six of the area wrestlers who made it to Hershey this year should be celebrated.

Line Mountain has been on a great run lately, with participants in the finals for six straight years, and freshman Zain Retherford's 103-pound title Saturday was the fifth for the Eagles - by four different wrestlers - in that time. He was the school's 20th finalist, and it was Line Mountain's 11th state title overall.

But as young as he is, Retherford is more than aware of how tough it will be to repeat.

"I'm pretty sure guys will be starting back to work next week trying to beat me," Retherford said after his 6-2 win over Bermudian Springs sophomore Brad Farley.

"Everything has to go right (to get a champion)," Line Mountain coach Mike Martz said. "First, you have to put the work into it, but then, all kinds of stuff can happen."

Martz knows that as well as anybody. He saw two

titles slip away, not to mention a team championship, when both Shawn and Jon Fausey lost in the finals in 2007. This year, returning seventh-place finisher Travis Erdman broke his hand before sectionals.

So, although Shamokin 130-pounder Brandon Pesarchick is probably good enough to be a champion, he had to settle for a fourth-place finish, up two spots on the podium from last year.

The Indians' Wes Tillett, likewise, had he not been caught for a pin in the first round by the guy he beat for seventh yesterday, might have sailed right into the finals.

But at this tournament, things happen, both good and bad. One little mistake, and a 4-0 lead in the final seconds can turn into a pin for the other guy, as happened in one of the consolation bouts. Everybody is so good, there is little room for error.

Josh Lahr, sixth at 125 last season, failed to place this season at 135. But he lost to a defending state champ, was eliminated in overtime, and won his one bout in overtime.

Derek Shingara, Shamokin's all-time leader in wins (128) and a three-time state qualifier, had only a 2-6 record at the state tournament in three years, but that doesn't say it all. He lost two bouts Friday, one on a disputed buzzer-beating call, and the other by a 5-3 score.

"We didn't perform as well as a team as we wanted to," said Pesarchick. "We wanted to have four place winners and we had two. But we wrestled pretty well. Pennsylvania's just the roughest wrestling state there is."

(Souders is a sports writer for The News-Item. He covers the high school wrestling beat)

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