BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports Report
HERSHEY — Sullivan County’s Colton Wade had the ride of his life during the blood round at the PIAA Wrestling Championships on Friday. Up 1-0 with a full period to go, Wade held on to Burgettstown’s Parker Sentipal for the win, and a ticket into the medals.
“It was amazing,” Wade (114) said about the win. “Just coming from 0-2 last year to the placements is amazing.”
Wade lost 5-4 to Susquenita’s Mason McLendon in the quarters before getting the big win in the third round of consolations.
“It’s definitely a lot of weight off his shoulders,” Griffin coach Ryan Hembury said. “Kudos to him and his family, they put the time in this off-season. He’s an extremely hard worker in the mat room, and he earned a medal today, but, really, they earned it all year round, and it’s just rewarding to see for a kid.”
In his quarters match McLendon got on top with a quick takedown in the first period, then rode Wade out for the 2-0 advantage.
In the second Wade tried to turn McLendon, but lost his grip, and McLendon slipped out of his hold for a 2-point reversal to take a 4-0 lead after two periods.
Wade got going in the second, first nearly scoring off a single leg attack, then finally get the takedown on a double-leg, cutting it to 4-2.
He let McLendon up, then cut it to 5-4 with another takedown, but had just five seconds to turn him. Wade ultimately ran out of time, and was knocked to the consolations.
Wade did his best to take it in stride.
“I was just right back where I was last year, except in the blood round in the consis,” he said. “If I win I keep going, if I lose, I’m done, and I just went out there, and let it fly.”
After a scoreless first Wade got a second period escape on Sentipal to go up 1-0.
Then in the third Sentipal took down, and never came up. A couple times he got to his feet, but Wade did everything he could to stay in control.
“I squeezed,” said Wade. “I kept squeezing, I was not giving up one.”
The longer he stayed on top, the stronger Wade felt.
“I felt like, ‘just one more minute,’” he said.
Sentipal was a state medalist last year, making it more impressive for the Sullivan sophomore.
“It was just a real gritty ride on top,” said Hembury. “It was good to see that Colton could do that, right when pressures on, you’ve got to ride him out to win the match. That was huge for him, I think, in his overall development.”
Now with that pressure of medaling off Hembury hopes to see Wade wrestle a little freer.
“It’s just one match at a time, one period at a time, one position at a time,” he said. “Hopefully, he’s going to roll now.”
Wade was pinned by Saucon Valley’s Cole Hubert in the third round of consolations in 4:17.
After a scoreless first Wade went up 1-0 with an escape in the second, but Hubert locked up a cradle for a five point move to go up 5-1.
In the third Hubert was able to roll off a Wade shot to get him to his back for the pin.
Wade will face United’s Josef Garshnick in the seventh place match on Saturday.
— —
PHOTO CAPTION: Sullivan County’s Colton Wade high fives his coaches after winning his blood round match…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
