Youth ruled for Lackawanna Trail in the District 2 Individual Wrestling Championships Friday and Saturday at Hazleton Area High School.
Sophomore Michael Bluhm won his second district championship while freshmen Deegan Ross and Ethan Less won in their first chance. They led the way as Lackawanna Trail won the team championship.
The Lions led all teams by qualifying wrestlers for the Northeast Regionals in 12 out of 14 weight classes by finishing in the top three.
Lackawanna Trail outscored Tunkhannock, 263½-221, to finish first among the 11 teams. The Tigers, who had won the district dual meet championship, had the most champions with four and the most finalists with eight, but the Lions won with superior depth.
Ross pinned Hanover Area’s Cael Davis in 5:24 at 113 pounds, then Lee and Bluhm each pulled out one-point decisions.
Lee shut out Hanover Area’s Joe Rowley, 1-0, at 120. Bluhm edge Scranton Prep’s Antonio D’Apollonio, 2-1.
Lee got to the final with two first-period pins. Ross, who got through the semifinals by forfeit, and Bluhm, who added a major decision, each won by pin the quarterfinals.
Robbie Schneider (126), Jonah Houser (182) and Mark Dunckle (195) all made it to the finals, but were pinned in the championship matches and finished second.
Schneider had a pin and technical fall to get to the finals. Houser won two decisions, one of them a major. Dunckle had a bye into the semifinals where he won by pin.
Six more Lions won their last two bouts in the consolation rounds to take third place and regional berths.
Tyler Rozanski won the 160-pound consolation final by pin.
Max Bluhm (106), Dalton Klinges (138), Seth Ross (145), Kody Cresswell (152) and Mason Zajac (170) won the third-place matches in decisions.
The Lions had a top-six finisher in every weight class.
Tynell Bracero was fourth at 220 and Kyle Austin fifth at 285.
CLASS 3A
Abington Heights 220-pounder Gavin Drake finished second in the Class 3A tournament, which was run simultaneously at Hazleton Area.
Drake won by pin in the quarterfinals and decision in the semifinals where he was the only Comet to advance.
Abington Heights finished seventh out of 16 teams with 109 points.
Delaware Valley beat out Hazleton Area, 252½-215½, for the team title.
The Comets are advancing four wrestlers to Northeast Regionals after finishing in the top four.
Luke Sirianni was third at 106 pounds after beating Wallenpaupack’s Jaden Colwell by a 10-1, major decision in the consolation finals.
Ty Wilmot and Hutch Lynott each lost in the consolation finals and placed fourth at 132 and 138.
James Brown placed fifth at 152 and Aidan Ryan was sixth at 120.