`holiday Tree' Auction Another Symptom Of Real Problem

3 Wvc Stars Are All-americans/ Crestwood's Amie Survilla, Elizabeth
Drazadowski And L-l's Traci Ragukas Honored

By JOE PETRUCCI jpetrucci@leader.net
 Saturday, December 17, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1B 





Teammates, parents and fans gathered separately at each of the nine mats at
College Misericordia's Anderson Center on Friday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They made up small sub-communities among nearly 1,000 fans at the Times
Leader Invitational, clamoring for a chance to see their wrestlers and teams
up close in the largest high school wrestling tournament in the state. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, two local communities will be paying even more attention to the
action on those mats. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wyoming Valley Conference power Pittston Area and up-and-coming Hazleton
Area figure to duel for the team title today, as the Patriots held a slim
advantage over Abington Heights and the young Cougars. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We want to win it," said Pittston Area coach Matt Giampietro. "We know
we've got our hands full with Hazleton. We'll just have to step it up." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Action begins at 10 a.m. with the quarterfinals. Near the end of that
round, whatever mat Pittston Area's Steve Stoss and Hazleton Area's Matt
Dempsey square off at in the 275-pound class will likely garner plenty of
rooting interest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm a little nervous," said Dempsey, Hazleton Area's lone senior who
defeated Stoss 4-3 in a WVC match last season. "It's going to come down to who
works hardest and who's more conditioned." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hazleton Area led the 40-team field, trimmed from 48 because of wintry
weather, with nine quarterfinalists: Will McNelis (103), Tony Veet (112), Mike
Guest (119), Justin Kay (145), Matt Kline (152), Ben Eachus (160), Nate Eachus
(171), Richie Matz (189) and Dempsey. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pittston Area was right behind the Cougars with seven quarterfinalists:
Cody Roccograndi (103), Matt Walsh (130), Robbie Robinson (135), Larry Walsh
(140), Dave Woodall (160), Jeff Dunn (171) and Stoss. Abington Heights also
had seven quarterfinalists. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Patriots stood in first place with 93.5 points, leading Abington
Heights (93) and Hazleton Area (88.5). Defending team champ Council Rock North
was in fourth place with 83.5 points. Manheim Central (76.5), West Scranton
(76), Coughlin (75.5), Spring-Ford (73), Crestwood (68) and Wyalusing (66.5)
rounded out the top 10. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lake-Lehman (2001) is the lone WVC team to win the TL Invite team title
since the Times Leader took over sponsorship of the event in 2000. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's going to be a battle," said Giampietro. "We didn't expect anything
less." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A pair of freshmen registered Friday's major upsets. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At 119, Crestwood's Jake O'Hara defeated Wyoming Valley West's Josh
Pollins, the No. 2 seed and a District 2 Class 3A third-place finisher last
season, 6-3 in the third round. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 O'Hara recorded a takedown in the first period and another in the second
that led to two back points and a 6-1 lead heading into the third. Pollins
managed a reversal in the third, but O'Hara held on. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 O'Hara's win shouldn't come as a complete shock. He lost a tough semifinal
match at last weekend's Penn Manor Tournament but fought back for a
third-place finish. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He was aggressive," said Crestwood coach Darren Testa. "As with all
freshmen, he just needs a little confidence." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 O'Hara will face John Martin, a sixth-seeded junior from Spring-Ford, in
this morning's quarters. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Also, Wyoming Seminary's Joe McMullan, the 16th seed at 215, downed
Pittston Area senior A.J. Carey, the third seed and a District 2 Class 3A
runner-up last season, 3-0 in the third round. McMullan is no stranger to
knocking heads with older opponents. He was a starting fullback and linebacker
for the Seminary football team, which competes with and against post-graduate
players. McMullan will face sixth-seeded sophomore Jordan Enck of Manheim
Central in this morning's quarters. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There was another early unexpected exit. Junior Scott Davis, who placed
eighth in Class 3A at states last season for Clarion before transferring to
Lake-Lehman last week, won his second-round bout easily by technical fall but
is done for the tournament. Lehman coach Phil Lipski said Davis is finished
because of "circumstances beyond our control" and would not comment further. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was unclear whether Davis' ouster had anything to do with his transfer.
Davis, who has only practiced with Lehman since Monday, was the eighth seed at
140 and likely would have faced Coughlin top seed Justin Accordino in today's
semis. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thirty-seven Wyoming Valley Conference wrestlers, plus five more from
Wyoming Seminary, advanced to the quarters. They include: Crestwood's Matt
Evangelisti (112), O'Hara, Mike Wisniewski (125), Josh Roosa (135), Mike
Reilly (152) and Rich Dalmas (215); Berwick's Dom Yantorn (103), Lou Ney
(125), Nick Venditti (135), Josh Walsh (152) and Aaron Karns (171); and
Wyoming Seminary's Nicky Gordon (103), Cullen Isenberg (119), Adam Healey
(125), McMullan and Derek Mahaffey (275). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Also, Coughlin's Corey Walsh (103), Jeff John (125), Justin Accordino (140)
and Victor Cruz (215); Wyoming Area's Steve Easton (145), John Sabatelli (152)
and Ted Lasher (215); Hanover Area's Kyle Mattello (160) and Mike Pointek
(189); Lake-Lehman's Joe Klemunes (189) and Stan Brudnicki (215); Wyoming
Valley West's Doug Mucha (189) and Trevin Cowman (275); and Dallas' Brian
Goeringer (171). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The tournament in pictures, 4B. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Match-by-match results, 5B. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

1st-place Pa Advances 7 To Quarters/ Abington Is Second, A Half Point Behind. Hazleton, 5 Off The Lead, Sends 9 To Quarters