Kai, Caciolo rewarded for their persistence

Wilmont Kai knew the most important thing about his quarterfinal match with West Scranton’s Connor Lagier was that he couldn’t get stuck in neutral.

The Whitehall sophomore wasted only 16 seconds to get his first takedown. Kai kept the pressure on the state’s No. 5-ranked 107-pounder and pulled away for a 9-3 decision at Friday’s Class 3A Northeast Regional tournament at Liberty’s Memorial Gym.

“My mindset going into that match was staying on my attacks in neutral because I watched a couple films on him and he wasn’t too good in neutral,” Kai said. “So I wanted to get takedowns from neutral, get out from bottom and be tough on top.”

Kai did all that against Lagier, who beat Emmaus’ Emilio Albanese 6-4 in sudden victory in the Mid-Winter Mayhem. Albanese has 7-5 (SV) and 2-1 wins over Kai. Kai and Albanese face off for a third time this year in the semifinals.

Action resumed at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with second-round consolations, followed by semifinals at 11. First-, third- and fifth-place matches were scheduled for 4 p.m. (See story Sports 1) The top four in each weight class advance to the PIAA Wrestling Championships, which are March 7-9, at Hershey’s Giant Center.

Emmaus freshman Teagan Caciolo was solid in all three positions to take down West Scranton’s Tyson Cook, a three-time state qualifier, in the 121-pound quarterfinals.

Caciolo rode out Cook in the first half of the tie-breaker, then got a point for locked hands with 11 seconds left in the second portion before Cook cut him. Caciolo stayed out of trouble to secure the 4-2 victory.

“I got to want it,” Caciolo said. “This is what my season was for. I gave it everything I had. I started getting dizzy, but I wanted that win.”

Caciolo nearly won it in regulation. He was leading 1-0 and riding out Cook until the Invaders senior snuck around for a reversal with seven seconds left. Caciolo didn’t stop moving, though, and wiggled out for an escape with two seconds showing to force extra time.

Neither wrestler scored in the one-minute sudden victory before Caciolo put himself in good position to win with a solid rideout.

“[Top] has always been my strong suit,” Caciolo said. “So, when he chose bottom, I kind of got a smile on my face.”

Notes

■ District 11 was 42-8 in the first round, 42-12 in the quarterfinals. District 11 won 33 of its first 40 quarterfinals, with four of the seven losses to other District 11 wrestlers.

■ Parkland’s Blake Dergham won his 100th career match in the 121-pound quarterfinal with a 15-0 technical fall over Father Judge’s Rickie Melendez in 5:57

■ Freedom’s Jared Karabinus reached the 189 semis with a 47-second pin of Delaware Valley’s Noah Polhill. It was Karabinus’ 99th career win. He faces Hazleton Area’s Robbie Anderson in the semis.

■ Southern Lehigh freshman Brock Frable beat a pair of district runners-up to reach the 145 semis. He beat Northeast’s Nasir Rahming 7-3 and Wilkes-Barre Area’s Liam Evanko 22-10. Frable gets top seed Shane McFillin of Bethlehem Catholic in the semis.

■ Northampton advanced all six wrestlers into the semifinals, highlighted by Austin Noe’s 6-2 decision over Dallas’ Lucas Tirpak in the quarters. The District 2 champion was 32-0.

■ Liberty’s Seth Kolb (285) was the only area scratch.

■ Easton (79.5), Nazareth (76), Bethlehem Catholic (71.5) and Northampton (52.5) lead the team race.