Final: Penn State 24, Pitt 12

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITT ATHLETICS
A Pitt-record 7,103 fans watched the match at the Petersen Events Center.

PSU 24, Pitt 12
125-Jordan Conaway, PSU, dec. Dom Forys, 8-4
133-Jimmy Gulibon, PSU, maj. dec. Nick Zanetta, 11-2
141-Edgar Bright, P, dec. Kade Moss, 3-2.
149- Zack Beitz, PSU, dec. Mikey Racciato,11-5.
157-Ronnie Garbinsky, P, dec. Cody Law, 6-4.
165-Cody Wiercioch,P, dec. Garrett Hammond 11-8.

174-Matt Brown, PSU, maj. dec. vs. Troy Reaghard,17-6.

184-Max Thomusseit, P, dec. Matt McCutcheon, 5-3.

197-Morgan McIntosh, PSU, pinned Nick Bonaccorsi, 4:05.

285-Jon Gingrich, PSU, maj. dec. John Rizzo, 24-12

285-Jon Gingrich, PSU, vs. John Rizzo, P
First Period

Mostly handfighting for first two minutes. Gingrich with a territorial edge, as Rizzo has his heels on edge.
Second Period
Gingrich chooses bottom and escapes in 6 seconds. 1-0. Gingrich with a blast double on edge, gets takedown and leads 3-0. Gingrich rides him out for 3-0 lead and 49 seconds of riding time advantage.
Third Period
Rizzo chooses bottom and gets out at 1:30 mark, but Gingrich in on single and a nice finish for a heavyweight. Now 5-1 with riding time in play.
Gingrich very strong on a lift and return.
Gingrich really opening it up now with a tilt and riding time point for 9-1 major decision.

197-Morgan McIntosh, PSU, vs. Nick Bonaccorsi, P

First Period
Not much action in first half of period. Mostly handfighting in center of mat.
McIntosh with a nice sweep attempt that he couldn't finish, followed by a low single that he did. 2-0 near 1-minute mark.
McIntosh turns him with bow and arrow for three backpoints at end of period. 5-0 McIntosh.
Second Period
Bonaccorsi chooses bottom. Bad decision (hindsight). Bonaccorsi turns him again and gets the fall in 4:05.

184-Matt McCutcheon, PSU, vs. Max Thomusseit, P
First Period
Thomusseit with a takedown at 2:30 mark. McCutcheon escapes. McCutcheon in on single in final 30 seconds of period, but Thomusseit ties him up for a stalemate.
Second Period
McCutcheon chooses bottom. Thomusseit gets high, but McCutcheon can't shake him. Finally does after ref allows it to go there for almost a minute. Reversal gives McCutcheon 3-2 lead, but Thomusseit has 2 minutes of riding time. Escape ties it 3.
Third Period
Thomusseit chooses bottom and escapes. 4-3 lead plus insurmountable ride time. McCutheon in on low single, but can't finish. Tomusseit wins 5-3.

174-Matt Brown, PSU, vs. Troy Reaghard, P
First Period
No big surprise here, as Pitt's Tyler Wilps is unable to wrestle. Still out with an injury. Instead,  Reaghard, a redshirt freshman, gets the unenbiable task of facing Brown.
Brown with a nice double-leg at 1:21. Leads 2-0. Stall call on Reaghard at 7-second mark.
Second Period
Reaghard chooses bottom and escapes at 1:36 mark. Brown, doing his best Jordan Borroughs impression, with a blast double. Reaghard escapes. Brown with another takedown. 6-2 Brown, with 2:52 riding time. Score is close, but match hasn't been.
Third Period
Brown chooses bottom and reverses Reaghard. Escape, then takedown. Now 10-3 Brown, who is over 3-minute mark in riding time. Another escape, another takedown, repeat. Reaghard actually got in on a high C, but seemed surprised to be there and didn't finish. Resulted in another Brown takedown. Final result: 17-6 Brown, with nearly 4 minutes of riding time.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITT ATHLETICS
Pitt's Cody Wiercioch takes down Garrett Hammond.

165-Garrett Hammond, PSU, vs. Cody Wiercioch, P
Wiercioch with a takedown just six seconds into match. Wrestlers go out of bounds and Hammond escapes on restart. Wiercioch in on straight on shot, moves up to upper body, Hammond tries to counter by pinching arms and throwing, but ends up on his back. Takedown and two backpoints for Wiercioch. Hammond escape makes it 6-2 Wiercioch with 1 minute to go in first.
Hammond tries to go big with headlock and for a split-second it works, but Wierioch rolls through and gets another takedown. Looking like possible bonus points here for the Panthers.
8-3 Wierioch after 1
Second Period
Hammond chooses bottom and escapes. 8-4.
Hammond in on a single, but can't finish, even after lifting Wiercioch and holding him on shoulder for five seconds. Then, Hammond tries another headlock, but wrestlers go out of bounds. 8-4 with 1:08 to go.
Wiercioch in on single, but never came close to finishing.
Third Period
Still 8-4 going to third. Wiercioch chooses bottom, has 1:04 of riding time. Wiercioch does nothing for first 30 seconds, then reverses Hammond. Hammond gets a reversal of his own.
Wiercioch escapes. Hammond gets takedown at buzzer and makes it 11-8.
Huge missed opportunity for Pitt there. Wiercioch was up 8-2 in first and hung on instead of going for bonus points. That's the difference between a good team and a great team.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITT ATHLETICS
Tyrone grad Ronnie Garbinsky controls Forest Hills' alum
Cody Law during their 157-pound bout.

157-Cody Law, PSU, vs. Ronnie Garbinsky, PITT.
Garbinsky takes the advantage quickly in this all District 6 match, with a takedown and two backpoints on the edge for a 4-0 lead over the Forest Hills grad. Law escapes, but period ends with a 4-1 lead for Garbinsky and 47 seconds of riding time.
Second Period
Law chooses bottom and escapes after Garbinsky has 1:10 of riding time. Law with a takedown and had Garbinsky in precarious position, but the Tyrone grad bails to stomach. Match tied at 4.
Garbinsky escapes with 34 seconds left in period. 5-4 Garbinsky after 2.
Third Period
Garbinsky chooses bottom and escapes. Garbinsky in on outside single. Can't finish. Gets close but potentially dangerous call ends threat. 6-4 Garbinsky with 1 minute to go.
40 seconds to go. "Let's go Pitt" chant gets loud.

149-Zack Beitz (PSU) vs. Mikey Racciato (PITT)
Racciato's bouts are always wild, and this one starts that way, as he nearly gets put on his back, then almost puts Beitz on his. In the end, it's a Beitz takedown, Racciato reversal, Beitz escape. 3-2 Beitz with four seconds of riding time.
Beitz with another takedown. Racciato escape. 5-3 at end of first. Beitz with 33 seconds of riding time
Second Period
Beitz chooses bottom and escapes. 6-3. Beitz with a double on edge of mat for 8-3 lead, but Racciato escapes to make it 8-4 entering third. 33 seconds of riding time.
Third Period
Racciato chooses bottom, escapes. Racciato in on single, but Beitz funks into a tilt. Doesn't get back, but gets the takedown and rides him out for 11-5 victory with riding time.
"We are" chant gets loud, drawing boos from Pitt fans.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITT ATHLETICS
Pitt's Edgar Bright locks up with Kade Moss at 141.

141 Kade Moss (PSU) vs. Edgar Bright (PITT)
First Period
Bright in action for first time this season after missing time with injury.
Nice double-leg takedown by Bright at 2:12. Moss escapes at 1:15
Lots of hand fighting, but no points in second half of period.
Second Period
Bright chooses bottom and escapes quickly. 3-1
Bright in on another double, works up to bear hug, drawing stall warning, but is hesitant to go upper body with Moss. 3-1 Bright with 53 seconds of riding time.
Third Period
Moss chooses bottom. Moss escapes with 58 seconds of riding time for Bright.
Bright gets a stalling warning, but no points in third as Bright wins 3-2

133- Jimmy Gulibon (PSU) vs. Nick Zanetta (PITT)
First Period
Not much to write about in first minute. Gulibon in on single in second minute, but not too close to finishing as Zanetta goes out of bounds.
Zanetta banged for stalling, just as Gulibon snaps and spins for 2.
2-0 Gulibon after 1 with 51.9 seconds of riding time
Second Period
Gulibon chooses bottom and escapes in 8 seconds. 3-0
Gulibon with a takedown. Missed how, though. Zanetta escapes. 5-1 Gulibon
Gulibon with an ankle pick and a 7-1 lead plus 1:19 of riding time entering third.
Third Period
Zanetta chooses bottom. Called for stalling at 1:37. Now 8-1 Gulibon
Gulibon lets him up near 1-minute mark, then spins around to secure major.
Gulibon 11-2

125 - Jordan Conaway (PSU) vs. Dom Forys (PITT)
First Period
Conaway in on shot, nice counter by Forys took Conaway to mat but couldn't finish. Scoreless after a match.
Good action near the 1-minute mark of first, as Conaway nearly scored a takedown, but strong whizzer by Forys fought it off.
Takedown by Forys at 33 second mark.Conaway escapes. 2-1 after 1. 17 seconds riding time for Forys.
Second period
Forys chooses down, gets to feet, but Conaway brings him back to mat. Standing granby by Forys for an escape. 3-1 with .1 second riding time for Conaway.
Forys in on a single, but can't finish. Conaway warned for stalling.
Conaway in on a sweep single and finishes with 8 seconds left in period. Forys stands, but can't escape.
3-3
Third period
Conaway on bottom. Escapes, then scores a quick takedown, but Forys escapse again. 6-4 Conaway with 1:15 left. Forys in on low single but - stop me if you've heard this before - can't finish. Crowd wants stall call on Conaway.
Conaway gets in on a single, holds on for 20 seconds, then scores at buzzer for 8-4 victory.


6:30 p.m. and crowd is beginning to file into the Petersen Events Center. Haven't seen any lineups yet.