Knoch wrestling, led by heavyweight Wyatt Foster, secures victory over Mars
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch defeats Mars in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Mars Liam Hein, top, tries to turn Knoch Owen Layhew during the 145lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch Caden Hassler tries to take down Mars Rain Moran during the 114lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch Brayden McGowan lifts up and Mars Luke Hagen during the 152lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Mars Beckett Szczesniak tries to turn Knoch Noah Nelson during the 107lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Mars Samual Passarelli pins Knoch Emmett Carbungco during the 121lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Mars Liam Hein, top, tries to turn Knoch Owen Layhew during the 145lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch Brayden McGowan lifts up and Mars Luke Hagen during the 152lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch Brayden McGowan shoots in on Mars Luke Hagen during the 152lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch head coach Josh Orris coaches during the 145lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch Wyatt Foster breaks out of a grip by Mars Brian Biaku during the 215lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Mars Liam Hein, top, tries to turn Knoch Owen Layhew during the 145lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch Derrick Glover tries to gets his leg out from a carry from Mars Adam Genevro during the 160lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
-
Knoch Derrick Glover tries to gets his leg out from a carry from Mars during the 160lbs match in a wrestling match Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Mars High School..(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
ADAMS TWP — Wyatt Foster wasn’t crazy about the position he was in.
The Knoch senior thrived in it, nonetheless.
Foster pinned Brian Biaku just a minute and 25 seconds into their 215-pound match Wednesday night in the Mars gym. The bout was the final one of the night and gave the Knights a 36-31 non-section wrestling victory over the Planets.
Knoch (2-2) had a 30-19 lead with three matches to go, but Mars’ Joseph Zottola scored a sudden pin 47 seconds into the 172-pound match and the Knights forfeited at 189, thus falling behind, 31-30.
“Nobody wants to be in that spot, the team’s fate riding on his back,” Foster said. “That’s the way it worked out tonight, but it’s not ideal.”
Knoch coach Josh Orris had the man he wanted on the mat, however.
“Wyatt is our big dog and he does big dog things,” Orris said. “He excels in situations like that one.”
Foster improved to 5-3 on the season with his pin. All of his victories have been by pinfall this year. Wednesday’s pin marked the 38th of his career, breaking the program’s career record previously held by Eli Reese. Reese is now wrestling at Gannon University.
“This was a good way to get that record,” Foster said. “I like being able to put my opponent on his back. Every match, I feell like I can do that and I want my opponent to know that I can put him on his back.”
The Knights also received pins from Caden Hassler at 114 pounds and Lucas Rouleau at 285. Rouleau competed in his first match of the season after suffering a broken ankle playing football.
“I’m proud of him, the way he’s fought back from adversity,” Orris said of Rouleau. “Lucas has been working so hard to get back. This is the first week he’s been able to get on the mat.”
Rouleau’s pin marked the first match of the night.
The most competitive matchup of the evening was at 145 pounds. The Planets’ Liam Hein (15-5) scored a 4-0 decision over Owen Layhew (12-4). The bout was scoreless through the first two periods before Hein scored an escape wuth 1:34 left in the match.
Hein added a takedown midway through the final period. The senior is coming off a 31-win junior campaign.
“You want to see your best wrestler match up with the other team’s best,” Mar coach Ben Ring said. “I’m glad that’s the way it worked out tonight. That was a good match.”
“We’d like to have that one over,” Orris said of the Hein-Layhew bout. “Owen was a little sloppy in that match.”
Zottola and Paxton Hartle (139 pounds) had pins for Mars (5-4). The Planets’ Beckett Szczesniak and Sam Passarelli won by technical fall at 107 and 121 pounds, respectively. Passarelli improved to 15-5 as a freshman.
“Sam is a very talented kid. He just needs to refine his skills a little more, turn those tech falls into pins,” Ring said. “In time, he’s going to do that. I’ve got three more years with him and we’re ready to roll.
“I figured this would be a tight (dual) match. Three of the kids I put out there are first-year wrestlers. Another is a second-year wrestler. We have a young team overall.:
Knoch hosts Taylor Allderdice on Monday. Mars will compete in the Burgettstown tournament Friday and Saturday.
KNOCH 36, MARS 31
(match started at 285 pounds)
107-Beckett Szczesniak (M) tech. fall (16-0) over Noah Nelson, 1:29; 114-Caden Hassler (K) pinned Rain Moran, 3:12; 121-Sam Passarelli (M) tech. fall (18-0) over Emmett Carbungco, 2:00; 127-Jarrett Crowe (K) by forfeit; 133-Keegan Orris (K) by forfeit; 139-Paxton Hartle (M) pinned Tanner Crowe, 5:27; 145-Liam Hein (M) dec. Owen Layhew, 4-0; 152-Brayden McGowan (K) dec. Luke Hagen, 9-5; 160-Derrick Glover (K) dec. Adam Genevro, 7-0; 172-Joseph Zottola (M) pinned Angelo Natili, :47; 189-Patrick Maestra (M) by forfeit; 215-Wyatt Foster (K) pinned Brian Biaku, 1:25; 285-Lucas Rouleau (K) pinned Matthew Shaffer, 2:45
