Opening-night loss not a good sign for UPJ

Pitt-Johnstown's 20-17 loss to West Liberty on Friday could be the beginning of a rough year for the Mountain Cats.
Yes, No. 8 UPJ was missing a pair of injured starters. And, yes, West Liberty wouldn't have been in the dual if not for a rare defensive fall at 174 pounds. But, accepting those things, there still were some troubling trends for the Mountain Cats.
The obvious problem was the fact that UPJ lost its final four matches. That won't happen on most nights, if only because Travis McKillop should be a solid fixture at 174 for the next four years. Jordan Nolan's defensive fall is the kind of thing you see maybe once a season.
But the final three weights could continue to be a problem, with Gary Lantz wrestling up a weight (he was at 165 last year!) at 184 pounds and two inexperienced wrestlers in Zak Newton and Josh Krupa at 197 and 285, respectively.

Pat Pecora

That's not to say that Newton and Krupa can't develop into solid points producers for Pat Pecora. It's just that there will be some growing pains. Both showed flashes of that potential last night. Newton scored a first-period takedown and put his athleticism on display. Krupa unleashed the double-leg takedown that was so devastating at Bedford High School, taking down seventh-ranked J.D. Ramsey once and getting close on at least two other attempts.
But in what might have been the most troubling sign of the night, West Liberty looked like the better-conditioned team in the upper weights. Part of the reason for the Mountain Cats' dominance - 20 regional titles in Pecora's 35 years - is that they always seemed to be in so much better shape than the competition. That wasn't the case on Friday night. Lantz was clearly gassed at the end of his match - though he almost scored the winning takedown at the end of regulation - and was outscored 4-1 in the third period and overtime of his match.
Newton gave up a takedown and a riding-time point in the third period of his match.
Krupa was within a point entering the third period but got put on his back twice and and gave up a riding-time point as Ramsey ended the night with a major decision.
Not all of the Mountain Cats struggled in the third - Zach Lundgren was bouncing on his toes after beating Jarrod Shaw at 165 and sprinted off the mat, presumably for a post-match workout - but most didn't include the strong finish that has become a trademark of Pecora-coached teams.
Friday night was not the kind of ending that he - or UPJ fans - expect. And it's not one that Pecora will accept. As one Mountain Cat wrestler told me, the real story might be what happens at practice this evening.
In other words, they're going to be in for some long and intense workouts. If not, it's going to be an even longer year.