Lehigh Valley’s top performers at the PIAA team tournament
Becahi’s Rath has won 22 matches in a row
HERSHEY — Kollin Rath had a conversation last week with Bethlehem Catholic coach Jeff Karam about the possibility of bumping up to 145 pounds at the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships to face two-time state champion Mac Church of Waynesburg.
“He said that he wanted me to get him, to get revenge,” Rath said.
Church beat Rath 3-1 in the 2022 Class 3A state semifinals on his way to his second gold medal.
Karam’s urging earlier in the week turned into a coach’s decision by Thursday night.
“He came to my hotel room and told me that I was going to beat him,” Rath said.
It didn’t look good in the second period. Church was up 3-0 and Rath had a stalling warning. The Golden Hawk then got a penalty point and a third-period escape to get within a point, but the clock was his biggest enemy.
A flurry near the edge of the mat with 20 seconds left produced no points for either wrestler, but another quickly ensued.
This time, Rath, who was third last year at the state individual tournament, pulled out a move he’s executed hundreds of times in the practice room but never got it to work in a match.
“All those times it worked in practice,” he said, “I knew I had to throw the leg in. I got the leg in, and I eventually hit it. I finally got it. It was pretty cool.”
Rath executed the move against national No. 3-ranked Church, who is 141-12 in his career and headed to Virginia Tech next year with Nazareth state champion Sonny Sasso.
Karam was proud of Rath’s relentlessness in that match but expects a lot of the sophomore whose work ethic and skill set create high expectations.
“We come here to wrestle matches like that because we know it’s going to make us better,” Karam said. “He’s one of the most talented kids to ever come into our program. He has all the tools. He just has to pull the trigger. He has to be aggressive.”
Rath had a great state team tournament. He was not the only one.
Here’s a look at 12 area wrestlers who had stellar performances at the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships:
1. Kollin Rath, Bethlehem Catholic: He beat a 2-time state champion (Church) and another returning state champion (Central Mountain’s Dalton Perry) ina span of a few hours Friday. The sophomore has won 22 matches in a row, including three against state champions and a prep state runner-up in his last seven.
2. Dom Wheatley, Nazareth: He knocked off a returning state 3A fourth-place finisher and Bethlehem Catholic’s Luke Thomas for a second time in a week on his way to a 5-0 record despite a bad wrist. He has won 22 in a row since a pair of one-point losses at Beast of the East.
3. Sean Kinney, Nazareth: The junior was 5-0 with five pins. He has 21 pins among his 25-0 record this season.
4. Riley Cullen, Pennridge: He was 4-0 during the Rams’ state run with three pins at 285 pounds. He has 21 falls among his 24 victories this season.
5. Andrew Harmon, Bethlehem Catholic: The senior captain has won 12 in a row, including three pins and a win over a returning regional medalist.
6. Adam Waters, Faith Christian: The freshman was 4-0 with two pins and two technical falls. Three of the four wins came against returning regional medalists.
7. Tanner Berkenstock, Notre Dame-GP: He was 6-0, including wins over Faith Christian’s Kole Davidheiser and Berks Catholic’s Chris Smith. The sophomore is 13-0 since dropping to 107 pounds.
8. Bryson Vaughn, Notre Dame-GP: The senior was 6-0 with four pins. He beat returning state qualifiers Chase Hontz of Faith Christian and Burgettstown’s Joey Sentipal.
9. Max Stein, Faith Christian: The 145-pounder was 4-0, including a bump-up win at 152 to clinch the team’s quarterfinal win over Notre Dame-GP.
10. Talan Hogan, Pennridge: He was 3-1, losing only to returning state runner-up Ryan Garvick of Central Dauphin 3-2.
11. Jake Jones, Saucon Valley: The 189-pounder was 6-0 with four pins. He also rallied for a 6-4 win while giving up 72 pounds against Burgettstown’s returning state qualifier at 285 pounds.
12. Mason Beckowski, Saucon Valley: He won his last four bouts in Hershey, including crucial pins against Huntingdon and Chestnut Ridge.