This Wednesday, January 9th, the Bethel Park Black Hawks will go head-to-head with the Peters Township Indians, as they look to grapple their way to a victory and to continue their undefeated season.
The logistics of the match will be the same as the tip-off basketball game. Students will be dismissed from class at 1:20, and they will make their way to the gymnasium for the 1:30 start. All students are encouraged to come and to cheer for their school.
The Indians are an elite squad. They have many talented wrestlers, specifically in the lightweights, consisting of four seniors. Like the Black Hawks, the Indians are also undefeated, and they send out a very tough lineup, night in and night out. Ty Buckiso leads the Indians in wins with 12 wins and two losses at the 126 lb. weight class. His record is tops on the team.
Surprisingly and quietly, your Bethel Park Hawks are undefeated on the season as well. They are an inexperienced group as a whole, but their determination to win and hard work has made them a legitimate contender thus far this season. The Hawks are led by a strong group of heavyweights, particularly seniors Nate Grygo and Dan Sullivan, and they have been known to come up big in crunch time.
Not to mention, the Hawks are coming off a stunning victory over the Upper Saint Clair Panthers that was concluded with a gigantic comeback. The Hawks were trailing 37-15 with four matches remaining and were in a position where they needed four pins to win. And they did so, compiling three pins and one forfeit to beat the Panthers in the closing seconds. An important pin victory came from sophomore Jordan Myers, who came through in the clutch to get crucial points.
Based on recent results, it would appear that the Hawks are the underdog for Wednesday’s match, but with great fight and will power, they will assure that no victory comes easy against them, if at all.
Now, for those who are not familiar with how wrestling matches are scored, here is a little breakdown of the scoring system.
TAKEDOWN = 2 points
NEARFALL = 2-4 seconds…2 points; 5 seconds…3 points
REVERSAL = 2 points
ESCAPE = 1 point
PIN = 6 team points
TECHNICAL FALL (decision by 15 points) = 5 team points
MAJOR DECISION (decision from 8-14 points) = 4 team points
REGULAR DECISION (decision under 8 points)= 3 team points
FORFEIT = 6 team points