WILKES-BARRE — Nick Hannon knew the stakes.

The Hanover Area heavyweight needed a pin. Not a technical fall. Not a major decision. Not a regular decision.

Score a pin, and secure a District 2 Class 2A team championship – something that hasn’t happened at Hanover in more than three decades.

No problem for Hannon.

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The 285-pounder rolled Wyoming Area’s Damon Barhight to his back and stuck his shoulders deep in the Resilite mat for the first-period pin and the district gold. And it helped Hanover Area hold on for a half-point victory (161.5-161) over Honesdale for the district team crown. It was the first time the Hawkeyes walked away with the team championship since 1982.

“They told me ahead of time that I needed a pin, and I knew that I could do it,” Hannon said. “I knew I was going to be a district champ because I was confident in my abilities. But I had to do it for the team. We knew we had a good tournament team, and that this was a real possibility. We wanted that banner.”

In all, the Wyoming Valley Conference crowned eight champions at the two-day event. They included Berwick’s Nicholas Yule (106), Meyers’ Anthony Kasper (113) and Colin Pasone (120), Hanover’s Jeff Bennett (132) and Hannon (285), Lake-Lehman’s Bob Lipski (145) and Jake Tomolonis (152) and Wyoming Area’s Corey Mruk (160).

Pasone, Bennett and Lipski all entered as returning district champs, and were able to add another gold to their trophy rooms.

The conference will send a total of 23 wrestlers to the regional next weekend in Williamsport.

Lackawanna League champs included Valley View’s Brandon Judge (126) and Brett Uhrin (138), Scranton Prep’s Bruce Parola (170) and Ivan Balavage (195), Honesdale’s Alec Dragos (170) and Western Wayne’s Cole Fuller (220).

“This is a big moment. These guys worked their butts off all year,” Hanover Area head coach Rich Gavlick said. “It showed today, and it paid off. This is great. I am so proud and happy for these guys. We wrestled our hearts out. I didn’t know he needed a pin. But our assistant coach told me as soon as he pinned him, we won the title. What an awesome moment. It’s the best day ever for these guys.”

While the Hawkeyes were basking in their glory of a team championship, Pasone was soaking in quite a bit of history himself.

The senior became the 28th wrestler in District 2 history to become a four-time district champ. And he was quite dominating in the process, needing just one period in each of his three matches. In the 120-pound championship, Pasone used just 53 ticks to pin Blue Ridge’s Fred Lewis for the title.

He also had falls of 29 seconds and 1:41, in addition to being honored as the 2A tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.

“It’s not only my fourth district title, but my 131st win – which puts me and my brother (Vito) on top of the all-time wins leaders list at Meyers,” Pasone said. “It’s just like it was my freshman year. The nerves were there because anything can happen. I feel confident. This is the most confident I’ve felt in my career. I don’t know what the difference is this year, but I’m just going to carry it through.”

In what was considered the tournament’s toughest weight, Hanover’s Bennett ripped though the competition and put on a sensational show in the 132-pound championship against Lehman’s R.J. Driscoll, a 2015 state qualifier.

Bennett scored a takedown within the first 20 seconds of the bout, and rolled up an impressive 11-1 lead entering the final period.

It was the second straight title for Bennett, who won the 120-pound crown in 2016.

“I knew if I just stuck to my game and had a lot of confidence that I can get the result that I was looking for,” Bennett said. “When I can score an early takedown, that really boosts my confidence.”

And the surprise of the tournament very well could have been Wyoming Area freshman Corey Mruk. Overcoming a football injury at the start of the season, Mruk might be peaking at the right time.

In the semifinals, Mruk stunned top-seeded and defending district champ Noah Rakowski of Hanover Area, 4-3. In January, Rakowski had pinned Mruk.

And in the final, it was a penalty point awarded with four seconds left to secure a 2-1 win over Western Wayne’s Ryan Atcavage.

“I knew if I could really wrestle smart and stay in good positions, that I would have a chance to win a district title,” Mruk said. “I knew that I had to wrestle smart. That championship was crazy. I knew I was deep on the leg and he was trying to get off the mat. I knew a penalty point was possible, but I never thought it would turn out like that.”

For Berwick freshman Nicholas Yule, it was another chance at redemption against Hanover’s Joe Rowley.

After losing three times in the regular season to Rowley, it was Yule’s time to shine – picking up a single-leg takedown at the edge of the circle with 11 seconds left to secure a 3-1 win.

Regionals are Friday and Saturday at Williamsport High School’s Magic Dome.

Meyers’ Colin Pasone, right, controls Blue Ridge’s Fred Lewis in the 120-pound bout. Pasone became the 28th wrestler in District 2 history to become a four-time district champ.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_D2WrestlingFinals_5.jpg.optimal.jpgMeyers’ Colin Pasone, right, controls Blue Ridge’s Fred Lewis in the 120-pound bout. Pasone became the 28th wrestler in District 2 history to become a four-time district champ. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Hanover Area’s Jeff Bennett, right, wraps up Lake-Lehman’s R.J. Driscoll in the 132-pound bout of the District 2 Class 2A championships at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes won the team championship for the first time since 1982.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_D2WrestlingFinals_4.jpg.optimal.jpgHanover Area’s Jeff Bennett, right, wraps up Lake-Lehman’s R.J. Driscoll in the 132-pound bout of the District 2 Class 2A championships at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes won the team championship for the first time since 1982. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

By Tom Fox

For Times Leader