EXETER — Zachary Briggs fell two wins short of a milestone during his career at Wyoming Area. With 98 career high school wins, Briggs now hopes he can get to that milestone at the next level.

Briggs, a Wyoming Area senior and son of Alan and Karen Briggs, signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his wrestling career at Keystone College in La Plume this fall. Briggs will have a familiar face when he gets there. Steve Mytych Jr., the son of the current Wyoming Area head wrestling coach Steve Mytych Sr., was named Keystone’s coach back in March.

Briggs said he is excited to continue his wrestling career.

“It feels great, especially wrestling for a coach I’ve known a long time,” Briggs said. “I feel like I can do some great things at Keystone and my wrestling is just getting started. I have a lot of things to learn.”

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However, he constantly thinks about not reaching that 100-win plateau in high school. He said his next goal will be to get 100 wins at the college level.

“I’m going for 100 wins this time,” he said. “It was very disappointing (to not get 100 wins). When you think about all the matches you lost by a point, it just kills you.”

Keystone College has been without a wrestling program since the 1990-91 season. The program will start back up this winter. Mytych Jr. is currently the head softball coach at Wyoming Seminary and helps with the Wyoming Seminary wrestling program.

Prior to coaching at Sem, Mytych Jr. was an assistant wrestling coach at Bloomsburg University and Lehigh University where he helped multiple lightweights become All-Americans.

During his senior season, Briggs wrestled mostly at 170 pounds. He won his second Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District 2 Class AA gold medal in three years to reach the Northeast Regional Tournament, where he missed qualifying for the PIAA Championships by one spot. He was runner-up at the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament this past year.

Briggs had at least 30 wins in each of the past three seasons. For the past few years, Briggs has been under the tutelage of Mytych Sr. at Wyoming Area. The coach sees a lot of potential in the former district champ.

“He’s come a long way since the first day he walked in the room,” Mytych Sr. said. “He found out what it’s like to be very competitive. He loves winning and he’s got a long way to go and he has a lot of potential. If he works hard he will be very successful.”

Wyoming Area wrestler Zachary Briggs recently signed his letter of intent to continue his career at Keystone College. From left, first row, Alan Briggs, Zachary Briggs, Kirsten Briggs and Karen Briggs. Second row, Wyoming Area Athletic Director Joe Pizano, Wyoming Area head wrestling coach Steve Mytych, Keystone College wrestling coach Steve Mytych Jr. and Wyoming Area Principal Vito Quaglia.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Briggs_Group.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area wrestler Zachary Briggs recently signed his letter of intent to continue his career at Keystone College. From left, first row, Alan Briggs, Zachary Briggs, Kirsten Briggs and Karen Briggs. Second row, Wyoming Area Athletic Director Joe Pizano, Wyoming Area head wrestling coach Steve Mytych, Keystone College wrestling coach Steve Mytych Jr. and Wyoming Area Principal Vito Quaglia. Nick Wagner | Sunday Dispatch

Wyoming Area wrestler Zachary Briggs recently signed his letter of intent to continue his career at Keystone College.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Briggs_Single.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area wrestler Zachary Briggs recently signed his letter of intent to continue his career at Keystone College. Nick Wagner | Sunday Dispatch
WA senior signs to wrestle for Keystone College

By Nick Wagner

nwagner@timesleader.com

Reach Nick Wagner at 570-991-6406 or on Twitter @Dispatch_Nick