Saucon Valley wrestling qualifies four to the PIAA East Super Regional.
Five Saucon Valley wrestlers fought their way out of the District XI championships last weekend to advance into Saturday’s PIAA Southeast Regional Tournament. Four of those five have now qualified to compete in a “COVID Era” PIAA East Super-Regional. Liam Scrivanich (160), Jake Jones (172), Ty Csencsits (189) and Dante Mahaffey (215) each battled their way through the field to keep their wrestling season alive by securing a top-five finish. Scrivanich and Jones are sophomores, Csencsits and Mahaffey are juniors. Junior Cael Markle (145), unfortunately fell in the blood-round to finish sixth overall. Only the top five advance.
Saucon sophomore Jake Jones (172).
The Panthers did go five-for-five in the Regional quarterfinals allowing all Saucon qualifiers to move into the semis. Only Jake Jones, however, was able to win in the semis. Jones who was seeded #4 took down #1 seeded Brant Mason from Hamburg to advance for a championship. In the Final, Jones dropped a 2-0 decision to Palisades senior Ben Haubert. Haubert is 3-0 against Jones this season with all wins coming by the thinnest of margins. It is a good bet that these two will meet again next week.
Saucon Valley junior Ty Csencsits (189).
Csencsits and Mahaffey each battled back through the consolation bracket to finish third overall. Csencsits (#2), who was upended by eventual champ Bryce Enders (#6) of Halifax in the semis, wrestled back with a 11-0 victory over Newport’s Mason Huggins (#8) before clinching third place with a 6-5 decision over West Perry’s Brad Morrison (#1).
Saucon Valley junior Dante Mahaffey (215).
Mahaffey (#2) dropped in the semifinal to Faith Christian’s Leo Muzika (#3) by an 8-5 score. In his wrestle-back Mahaffey flattened Susquenita’s Slade Figard (#8) with a first-period cement-job before finishing third with a 5-2 decision over Savauri Shelton (#1) of Bermudian Springs. Tamaqua’s Nate Wickersham (#4) defeated Muzika in the final, 9-5. Mahaffey beat Wickersham last week in the District XI final.
Saucon sophomore Liam Scrivanich (160).
Liam Scrivanich (#4) moves on to the Super-Regional with his fourth-place finish. After falling by a 7-2 score in the semis to Hamburg’s Bailey Gimbor (#1), Scrivanich defeated Newport’s Will Davis (#7) 4-2 before losing by fall to Eli Crum (#6) of Boiling Springs.
“I thought the kids wrestled well overall this weekend, placing second overall and sending four wrestlers on. I am very proud of this group of kids.”
Saucon Valley wrestling coach, Chad Shirk
Four Panther wrestlers are another step closer to a trip to the Hershey Giant Center.
UP NEXT: Scrivanich, Jones, Csencsits and Mahaffey advance to Saturday’s PIAA East Super-Regional at Pottsville High School’s Martz Hall where it will take a top-four finish to punch a ticket to the 2021 PIAA State Championships in Hershey!
Good Luck, Panthers. The Source is with you!
