Reynolds still D-10 Class 2A wrestling king, Fort LeBoeuf runner-up
SHARON ― The lineups looked quite different.
The result, however, was the same.
Saturday’s wrestling rematch between Reynolds and Fort LeBoeuf didn’t exactly mirror their first meeting. The Raiders were missing a starter for the District 10 Class 2A team championships and, by the day’s conclusion, LeBoeuf had lost two to injury.
Plus, the Bison debuted star 160-pounder JoJo Przybycien at 152 and put their best lineup gymnastics to work against the top-seeded Raiders.
It didn’t matter. Like 20 times before, Reynolds was simply too much.
LeBoeuf’s heavier weights did their best to erase a 27-0 deficit, but despite some late bonus points, the Bison ran out of matches. Reynolds won, 33-27, at Sharon High School to successfully defend its D-10 title and book a return trip to the PIAA tournament.
“It will take me a little bit to figure out how and why all of the things that fell into place did,” said Reynolds head coach Casey Taylor. “When you put two quality teams like that together, you can run down your lineups and all your calculations, but at the end of the day, you can’t factor in some toughness by them or us or who’s going to want it more in certain situations.”
Before Saturday: What we learned from the D-10 Class 2A wrestling team postseason's opening round
Piecing together a championship
Reynolds earned D-10’s top seed Jan. 20 by beating LeBoeuf, 28-25, at Brookville’s Ultimate Duals. LeBoeuf 189-pounder Conner McChesney missed that meet, however, and when Reynolds 139-pounder Chase Bell was out Saturday, the round two perhaps favored LeBoeuf on paper.
The rematch started at 107 pounds, where Reynolds’ lightweight gauntlet build a sizable lead through six matches. LeBoeuf won six of eight from there, but early bonus points proved crucial for the Raiders, including a fall from Waylon Waite by 114, a victory by injury default at 133 and one by disqualification at 160 for a slam.
Greyden Gustas’ 8-3 victory over Brody Myers at 139 pounds kept the Bison comeback from starting early. It also capped a standout day for Gustas, whose semifinal victory helped Reynolds put away General McLane.
“My Dad always tells me, whenever you step on that mat, all records and placements go away,” said Gustas, a sophomore. “Just go out there and let it fly, and that was going through my head. Whatever this kid has, I need to have an answer for it.”
The championship is Reynolds’ 21st since District 10 began holding a team postseason tournament in 1999. It’s an accomplishment that never gets old, Taylor said, and one that never gets easier to win.
“Coach gave us a speech before the match – bonus points, bonus points, bonus points,” said Waite, a sophomore. “That’s the way we won the match.”
Latest rankings: Times-News Toughest: New No. 1 team, individual shakeups in latest D-10 wrestling rankings
Semifinal standouts
Saturday morning’s quarterfinals saw No. 1 Reynolds beat No. 8 Sharpsville, 54-15, while No. 4 General McLane edged No. 5 Greenville, 32-31. No. 2 Fort LeBoeuf topped No. 7 Titusville, 45-21, and No. 3 Corry beat No. 6 Grove City, 46-16.
That set up a pair of can’t-miss semifinals.
Reynolds’ star lightweights built a sizable lead over McLane before key victories by Gustas at 139 pounds and Vito Gentile at 160 made it 35-10. That allowed the Raiders to forfeit the meet’s final two weight classes for a 38-22 final.
Class 3A results: Cathedral Prep wrestlers dominated these two opponents to win another District 10 team crown
LeBoeuf had much more trouble with Corry, which led through eight matches after starting at 285. Jackson Bowers sparked a rally with his 4-3 victory over Cody Proper at 145 pounds, however, and after a quick pin from Przybycien at 152 and an overtime victory at Aiden Struchen at 160, Ryan Welka’s 4-2 decision over Mason Savitz sealed what would become a 33-24 final.
“That match was a lot of fun,” said Fort LeBoeuf head coach Shane McChesney. “(Welka’s) match was humungous, as was Bowers’, there were a bunch of them. That was tremendous just to get into the finals.”
Hershey-bound
Reynolds will open the PIAA tournament Thursday against the champion from either District 1 or District 12, which is widely expected to be D-1 champ and returning state champion Faith Christian Academy.
LeBoeuf will have to qualify for states Monday when it hosts District 7 fourth-place finisher Mount Pleasant. A win there would pit the Bison against District 4 champion Warrior Run in a PIAA opener Thursday.
“I thought the boys battled tough,” Shane McChesney said. “Some swing matches didn’t go our way or the bonus points, and Reynolds brought it.”
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Reynolds wrestling wins defends District 10 Class 2A title
