WILKES-BARRE — Just when Wyoming Area was making things interesting in Wednesday night’s Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 wrestling match, Lucas Borum, Preston Perkins and Caden Strobel put a halt to any chances the Warriors had of building momentum.

Borum, Perkins and Strobel turned close bouts into pins in succession for Meyers, clinching not only the victory over Wyoming Area, but also no worse than a tie for first place in the division for the Mohawks with a 59-19, home-mat victory.

The Mohawks can take the title outright with a win at Hanover Area Saturday night at 7.

Meyers took the latest step with the Senior Night win to improve to 4-0 in the division and 13-3 overall.

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“We needed this to get the jitters out of the way,” said coach Ron Swingle, whose team was coming off a tie-breaker win in a first-place showdown with Lake-Lehman last Friday. “Now we can start building up for Saturday (against Hanover).”

Wyoming Area regained the lead, 19-18, when Adam Buczynski followed a Zach Briggs pin at 170 with a technical fall at 182.

The lead, however, only lasted as long as it took for Namir Murphy to walk to the scorers’ table and the center of the mat to receive his forfeit at 195.

Borum, Perkins and Strobel then went to work on keeping the Mohawks on top, but only after each was on bottom for a while.

All three recovered to post pins by the end of the second period in bouts that appeared to be relatively evenly matched.

“They were just battling in good position,” Swingle said. “They probably shouldn’t have given up points prior to that. Then we wouldn’t have had to worry about it so much.”

Borum gave up an early takedown to Damon Barhight at 220. He then got to his feet and, from there, scored a reversal that put Barhight right to his back. After a lengthy fight, Borum was able to finish off the pin with six seconds left in the first period.

Perkins trailed Nick Tomlinson, 3-0, in the second period at 285, but rallied to win by pin in 3:53.

“We’re trying to get (Perkins) to realize with his size that he needs to be aggressive with it,” Swingle said. “He’s 240. There’s no need to back up.

“He does stay in good position. We’re just working on building from that.”

Brandon Williams led, 2-0, for Wyoming Area at 106, but Strobel got the pin in 2:50 for an insurmountable, 42-19 lead with three bouts left.

“Caden’s a first-year wrestler,” Swingle said of the freshman. “He had never wrestled a day in his life when he came out this year. He’s doing a nice job.”

Their efforts and the pins by Michael Dempsey and Colin Pasone in less than a minute that followed were part of Meyers scored 41 unanswered points by winning the final seven bouts.

Anthony Kasper finished it off with a technical fall at 126 to add to the eight pins by Mohawks produced.

Jeremy Bergold also won in less than a minute while Tyler Clark and Gino Setta added the other pins.

“Our guys just have to learn how to hang tough,” Wyoming Area coach Steve Mytych said. “Our guys just give up reversals, takedowns, back points way too easy.”

Wyoming Valley West 49, Berwick 12

Jon Lagoski and T.J. Pashinski both won by technical falls and the Spartans won six other matches by forfeit while besting Berwick.

Logoski won at 160 pounds and Pashinski dominated his victory at 170. David Krokowski added a major decision at 113 for Valley West.

Berwick’s Dalton Hosler recorded a technical fall in the 285-pound match.

Hanover Area 66, GAR 3

The Hawkeyes were paced by pins from Danny Erickson (132), Zakee Nettles (138), Owen Davis (145), Noah Rakowski (152) and Nick Hannon (220).

GAR’s lone win was courtesy of a David Virgo decision at 160.

Lake Lehman 59, Nanticoke Area 9.00

Robert Long, Austin Schuler, Dylan Meehan and Bob Lipski all recorded falls to power the Black Knights.

Long picked up his pin at 106, Schuler’s came at 113, Meehan decked his man at 132 and Lipski completed the quartet of falls at 145.

Rodney Driscoll added a technical fall for Lehman at 138.

Meyers 59, Wyoming Area 19

106: Caden Strobel (Mey) pinned Brandon Williams 2:50; 113: Michael Dempsey (Mey) pinned Justin Esposito :46; 120: Colin Pasone (Mey) pinned Robin Wroblinski, :44; 126: Anthony Kasper (Mey) tech. fall over Tyler Martin, 18-3, 4:07; 132: Kendrick Beyer (WA) dec. Kevin Huertero, 5-0; 138: Patrick Heck (WA) tech. fall over Reese Patronick 15-0, 5:04; 145: Jeremy Bergold (Mey) pinned Nick Semanek, :46; 152: Tyler Clark (Mey) pinned Stephen Sokach-Minnick, 3:47; 160: Gino Setta (Mey) pinned Jaryn Polit-Moran, 3:36; 170: Zach Briggs (WA) pinned Isaac Mensah (Mey), 3:52; 182: Adam Buczynski (WA) tech. fall over Colin Browne, 15-0, 3:49; 195: Namir Murphy (Mey) forfeit; 220: Lucas Borum (Mey) pinned Damon Barhight, 1:54; 285: Preston Perkins (Mey) pinned Nick Tomlinson, 3:53.

Note: Match started at 132 pounds

Wyoming Valley West 49, Berwick 12

106: Kevin Long (WVW) won by forfeit; 113: David Krokowski (WVW) maj. dec. Travis Dent (10-2); 120: no contest; 126: Wayne Smith (WVW) dec. Alec Talanca 8-4; 132: Corey Yashinski (WVW) won by forfeit; 138: Landon Stanislow (WVW) won by forfeit; 145: Zach Schmidt (WVW) won by forfeit; 152: no contest; 160: John Lagoski (WVW) tech. fall Austin Dewald (5:15); 170: T. J. Pashinski (WVW) tech. fall Dylan Hughes (5:37); 182: Garrett Giza (WVW) won by forfeit; 195: no contest; 220: Stone Force (BER) won by forfeit; 285: Dalton Hosler (BER) tech. fall Samuel Novas (2:52).

Note: Match started at 220 pounds

Hanover Area 66, GAR 3

106: no contest; 113: no contest; 120: Jeff Bennett (Han) won by forfeit; 126: Mike Gronkowski (Han) won by forfeit; 132: Danny Erickson (Han) pinned Tashawn Qualls 4:25; 138: Zakee Nettles (Han) pinned Sean Mulligan (GAR) :54; 145: Owen Davis (Han) pinned Horany Gomez 1:55; 152: Noah Rakowski (Han) pinned Midjerson Pierre :45; 160: David Virgo (GAR) dec Michael Lenahan 2-0; 170: John Hooper (Han) won by forfeit; 182: Donny Lott-Kemp (Han) won by forfeit; 195: Isaiah Stebbins (Han) won by forfeit; 220: Nick Hannon (Han) pinned Desmond Dyer 1:35; 285: John Sheridan (Han) won by forfeit

Note: Match started at 132 pounds

Lake Lehman 59, Nanticoke Area 9.00

106: Robert Long (LL) pinned David Jones; 113: Austin Schuler (LL) pinned Megan Kocher; 120: Garrett Kolb (LL) won by forfeit; 126: no contest; 132: Dylan Meehan (LL) pinned Austin Cheslaw; 138: Rodney Driscoll (LL) over tech. fall Chris Maute 17-2; 145: Bob Lipski (LL) pinned Krystal Daniele; 152: Jake Tomolonis (LL) won by forfeit; 160: no contest; 170: John Keefe (NAN) won by forfeit; 182: Tom Williams (LL) won by forfeit; 195: Jake Havey (NAN) def. Charles Harry 12-8; 220: Michael Slivinski (LL) won by forfeit; 285: Kaleb Konigus (LL) won by forfeit.

Note: Match started at 106 pounds

Meyers’ Tyler Clark (blue) pins Wyoming Area’s Steve Socash-Minnick (bottom) at 152 on Wednesday night.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_WA-Meyers-Wrestling-TL1.jpg.optimal.jpgMeyers’ Tyler Clark (blue) pins Wyoming Area’s Steve Socash-Minnick (bottom) at 152 on Wednesday night. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Wyoming Area’s Steve Socash-Minnick is lifted off the mat during his match at 152. Meyers’ Tyler Clark pinned Socash-Minnick at 1:13 in the second period.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_WA-Meyers-Wrestling-TL2.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area’s Steve Socash-Minnick is lifted off the mat during his match at 152. Meyers’ Tyler Clark pinned Socash-Minnick at 1:13 in the second period. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Wyoming Area’s Kenny Beyers faces Meyers’ Kevin Huertan (blue) at 132. Beyers won the match 5-0.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_WA-Meyers-Wrestling-TL3.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area’s Kenny Beyers faces Meyers’ Kevin Huertan (blue) at 132. Beyers won the match 5-0. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

By Tom Robinson

For Times Leader