Fighting until the bitter end in the PIAA District XI semifinal, Saucon Valley dropped a close one to a peaking Northern Lehigh Bulldog team Saturday. It took overtime in the final bout of the match against the Panthers to solidify Northern Lehigh as the winner and eventual District XI champion. Rumors were circulating that the match was so incredibly tight that the sixth or seventh tiebreak criteria would be needed to determine the winner if the final bout would have been in Saucon’s favor. One wild rumor that spread was that it could have come down to the opposing coaching staffs squaring off against one another in a game of dodgeball to ultimately break the tie.
After a long tough day, Saucon celebrates.
It was not to be, though. Northern Lehigh defeated Saucon Valley 28-22 and forced the Panthers into survival mode. Saucon would have to wrestle back and hope that Northern Lehigh would defeat Tri-Valley in the final, giving the Panthers a shot at a true second-place finish. Only the top two District XI teams advance to States.
Saucon Valley would first eliminate Wilson 65-15 on their way back to second place. Head Coach Chad Shirk awarded Jack Hill the “wrestler of the match” recognition for his pin of Jared Corriere in just 53 seconds.
Next, the Panthers defeated Northwestern Lehigh while closely watching the Northern Lehigh and Tri-Valley scoreboard on an adjacent mat. Led by pins from Brett Svites (160), Jason Lynch (170) and Trey Polak (285), Saucon Valley won nine of the 14 bouts on their way to a 40-22 win. Trey Polak earned “wrestler of the match” honors for his revenge pin of Jacob Murray. Last week, Murray had pinned Polak in the Colonial League tournament.
Because Northern Lehigh defeated Tri-Valley in the District XI finals, the door to States was left open for Saucon Valley. Had Tri-Valley won against Northern Lehigh in the final, Saucon would not have had the opportunity to wrestle for second place due to the fact that Northern Lehigh had beaten the Panthers in the semifinal. Saucon would have to battle Tri-Valley, which boasts five top-10 ranked wrestlers.
Losing 29-22 with only three bouts to go, Saucon Valley received a pin from Nate Harka (152) over Tri-Valley’s Dawson Schwalm to close the gap 29-28. Coach Shirk called on Blayne Hirschbeck (160) to step up and keep the Panthers alive. If Hirschbeck would lose by fall or tech-fall, the Panthers’ road to Hershey would end even with Jason Lynch yet to wrestle. This typically is not too difficult a challenge for a reliable wrestler like Hirschbeck, however Blayne needed to defend against Tri-Valley’s Anthony Snyder, who is ranked seventh in the state.
Hirschbeck, instead of wrestling cautiously and defensively, swung for the fences and shocked the crowd by quickly locking up a “cement mixer” and swiftly snapping Snyder to his back for a first period pin. The suddenness of Hirschbeck’s “mixer” brought the Saucon Valley faithful frantically to their feet, while silencing a perplexed Tri-Valley crowd. No one was more exuberant in their celebration than Shirk, who leaped from his chair and with arms raised hopped and raced halfway around the Freedom gymnasium. Hirschbeck’s heroics would earn him Shirk’s “wrestler of the match” award.
With Tri-Valley deciding to forfeit to Lynch at 170, Saucon would win 40-29. With the dramatic victory, the Panthers have qualified for the PIAA state tournament. Saucon Valley will have to weather another storm and wrestle a tough Benton Tigers team Monday night at 6 p.m. at Whitehall High School. With a victory there, the Panthers will pack their bags Wednesday night and head for Hershey. Good luck, Saucon!
Blayne Hirschbeck dramatically pins his team into the PIAA State Tournament.
Saucon Valley’s Trey Polak gets his revenge.
Jack Hill gets six more points for Saucon Valley.
Saucon Valley is on the road to Hershey!
After a long tough day, Saucon celebrates.
About the Author: Keith Riefenstahl is a deeply rooted sports fan, former coach and freelance writer. A Penn State grad and veteran educator, he resides in Saucon Valley with his wife Jill and four children: Brooke, Kiele, Travis and Tanner.
