Mt. Pleasant’s Pitzer brings home gold medal; Dom DeLuca comes up short
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Saturday, March 9, 2019 | 8:30 PM
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer smiles while standing for the parade of champions at the start of the Class AA finals during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer smiles while standing for the parade of champions at the start of the Class AA finals during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer points out to the crowd after defeating Freedom’s Bryson Miller for the 182-pound Class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer reacts with clenched fists after defeating Freedom’s Bryson Miller for the 182-pound Class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer wrestles Freedom’s Bryson Miller for the 182-pound Class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer wrestles Freedom’s Bryson Miller for the 182-pound Class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer wrestles Freedom’s Bryson Miller for the 182-pound Class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer smiles while standing for the parade of champions at the start of the Class AA finals during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Derry’s Dominic DeLuca walks off the mat after losing to Jacob McMaster of Greenville in the 220-pound class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Derry’s Dominic DeLuca, left, walks off the matt as his opponent, Jacob McMaster of Greenville, celebrates his victory in the 220-pound Class AA championship bout during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Derry’s Dominic DeLuca wrestles atop Jacob McMaster of Greenville in the 220-pound Class AA championship bout during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey. DeLuca lost to McMaster.
Derry’s Dominic DeLuca wrestles in neutral against Jacob McMaster of Greenville in the 220-pound Class AA championship bout during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey. DeLuca lost to McMaster.
Derry’s Dominic DeLuca (left) watches Jacob McMaster of Greenville celebrate his victory in the 220-pound title bout at the PIAA Class AA championships in Hershey.
Derry’s Dominic DeLuca reacts after being beaten by Jacob McMaster of Greenville in the 220-pound Class AA championship bout during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey. DeLuca lost to McMaster.
Derry’s Dominic DeLuca enters the arena during the parade of champions for the Class AA finals at the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
McGuffey’s Christian Clutter wrestles Jared McGill of Chestnut Ridge in the 170-pound Class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Frazier’s Thayne Lawrence wrestles Alec English of Kane in the 160-pound Class AA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer smiles while standing for the parade of champions at the start of the Class AA finals during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Frazier’s Thayne Lawrence shakes hands with opponent Alec English of Kane in the Class AA parade of champions before the finals during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
HERSHEY — Dayton Pitzer was not quite 2 years old the last time Mt. Pleasant had a state champion.
That was Donnie Ament in 2005.
With Ament in attendance Saturday at Giant Center, Pitzer capped his superb freshman season by defeating Freedom senior Bryson Miller, 3-1, in the 182-pound final at the PIAA Class AA wrestling championships.
Robbie Waller (1998) and Justin Spates (1999, 2000) are the only other Mt. Pleasant wrestlers to win a state title. Pitzer also became the second freshman in state history to win above 160 pounds. Solanco’s Thomas Haines was the first in 2011 at 215 pounds.
Pitzer (43-1) used a takedown in the second period to grab a 2-1 lead against Miller, who wrestled defensively and didn’t attempt a takedown until the late in the third period, when he trailed 3-1.
“It feels so good. I worked hard all season, and it paid off,” Pitzer said. “Winning the title means a lot. I’m grateful for everything.”
Pitzer likes to score a lot of pins. He beat Miller, 11-5, in the WPIAL semifinals and pinned him in the PIAA Southwest Regional semifinals.
But Miller, who defeated Ellwood City junior Austin Walley for the first time in four tries during Friday’s semifinals with a low-scoring attack, used the same approach against Pitzer.
It kept the match close, but Pitzer’s persistence and aggressive style paid off. He finally got to Miller’s legs for a takedown.
“I felt good, and I knew if I hand-fought hard and pushed the pace, he’d break,” Pitzer said. “He likes to play the edge and take advantage of mistakes. That’s why I stayed in the middle.”
Pitzer credited his coaches and teammates for preparing him to be a state champion.
“Everybody in my bracket was pretty good, and I had to wrestle hard in each match,” Pitzer said. “Everyone is tough at the state tournament. I expected that. I felt like I wrestled well.”
Pitzer’s teammate at All-American Club, Frazier junior Thayne Lawrence (29-3, 97-11), claimed his second PIAA title by defeating Kane senior Alec English, 7-2, at 160 pounds. Lawrence won the 152-pound crown in 2018.
While Lawrence was unable to turn English over, he took him down three times. Lawrence never was threatened.
“He’s good on bottom and tough to turn,” Lawrence said. “He kept his base, and he had a nice little sit out, and it was hard to break him down. He was tough, but I wrestled my hardest and gave it my best.”
Lawrence said winning his second title is special.
“This means a lot, not only for me, but for everyone who came out to watch,” Lawrence said. “It’s a big thing for my school. I had fun out there.”
It was a disappointing end to Derry senior Dom DeLuca’s career. He lost a 6-2 decision in overtime to Greenville senior Jacob McMaster in the 220 final.
DeLuca (39-2) grabbed a 2-0 lead with a reversal in the second period, but McMaster used two escapes to tie the score.
McMaster, who hardly attempted a takedown during the six minutes of regulation, got in on DeLuca’s legs and secured a takedown with 16 seconds left in the sudden-victory period.
“He was the better wrestler than me,” DeLuca said. “It is what it is. There are a lot of memories to think about being a wrestler at Derry.
“I placed three times here. It means a lot.”
DeLuca said McMaster’s style frustrated him at times.
“It was tough getting past his him and his stance because he’s a big, strong dude,” DeLuca said. “He had a lot of good motion of his feet.”
DeLuca’s teammate, sophomore Ty Cymmerman, took fourth at 126 pounds.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
Tags: Derry Area, Mt. Pleasant
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