PIAA Wrestling: Nazareth's Kinney awarded for his record-breaking performance

Source: The Morning Call
Author: Tom Housenick

HERSHEY -- Sean Kinney's embrace with Nazareth coach Dave Crowell told the story of the last four years for the senior 285-pounder and his mentor.

"That was an emotional hug," Kinney said. "We both shed a couple tears there. It was bittersweet.

"That last match did not go like I thought it would."

Kinney's last match in a Nazareth singlet was typically dominated the senior. He wrecked Owen J. Roberts sophomore Dean Bechtold 15-0 in 4 minutes, 8 seconds to win his third consecutive state title.

It came on the heels of his first three matches in which he needed only a combined 4:20 to pin his way to the final.

"I thought it was going to be a way closer match," said Kinney, who is headed to Lafayette to play football. "Things felt good. It felt like I was clicking."

Kinney became the state's first three-time state champion at 285 pounds and the first four-time state finalist at the same weight. He finished his career 125-5 with 98 pins. He was voted the tournament's most outstanding wrestler. It was the third consecutive weekend he earned the OW award.

"It's really cool," he said. "I'm honored. I didn't know if I was going to get it. I think of who won the hardest bracket. I think it's really cool that whoever votes thinks highly of me, respects for me for what I did. I'm honored."

Bethlehem Catholic's Keanu Dillard and Kollin Rath won their second state titles while Northampton's Trey Wagner and Nazareth's Tahir Parkins each captured their first gold medal.

Dillard needed patience and overtime to beat Franklin Regional's Ty Kapusta, 3-1, at 121 pounds.

Wagner dominated Daniel Boone's Dean Houser for a second time this season to claim first at 127, a year after going 1-2 at the state tournament. He cannot match brother Carson's four state medals, but can claim to have the only gold.

Parkins overwhelmed the 133-pound bracket by winning four matches by a composite 48-15 score, including a 9-2 decision in the final over York Suburban's Tyler Adams.

And Rath beat friend and training partner Collin Gaj for the second year in a row for state gold. The Golden Hawks junior won 3-2 at 152 after fighting off several attacks in the third period.

Gaj, who lost to Rath in an ultimate tiebreaker at the Beast of the East final in mid-December, appeared primed to take the lead in the final 30 seconds of Saturday's state final. But Rath was cool and reacted perfectly to maintain the lead.

""That's a position I'm so comfortable with because of wrestling [Bethlehem Catholic teammate] Shane McFillin in the room," Rath said. "I'm in that position so many times that I know things I do wrong to get taken down and what to do to not get taken down.

"I was wrestling position to see where he goes and reacting off it. I was trying to score, but also not trying to let his hips come around."

Bethlehem Catholic repeated as the team champion. Nazareth was second, Quakertown fourth, Pennridge seventh and Northampton 13th.

There were 19 other Morning Call-area medalists, led by Quakertown's Mason Ziegler, who was third at 121 a year after finishing second.

Emmaus' Emilio Albanese (107), Northampton's Gabe Ballard (114), Bethlehem Catholic's Shane McFillin (145) and Freedom's Jared Karabinus (189) were fourth.