Lackawanna Trail won six of the final seven bouts Wednesday night to defeat Wyoming Area, 43-20, and advance to the final of the District 2 Class 2A Dual Meet Wrestling Championships.
The top-seeded Lions will host Honesdale, a 49-15 winner over Western Wayne, in Friday’s championship match.
Wednesday’s semifinal matched a pair of division champions against each other.
Wyoming Area won the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 title, but was just the fifth seed according to the District 2 Power Ratings formula, which includes non-league results.
Lackawanna Trail is the unbeaten Lackawanna League Division 2 champion.
The Lions won five straight bouts, four of them by pin, from 160 to 285 to turn a 17-10 deficit into an insurmountable, 37-17 lead.
Beau Ware and Robbie Schneider got the streak started and put Lackawanna Trail ahead to stay with consecutive first-period pins at 160 and 172.
Tyler Rozanski produced a decision at 189 before pins by Seth Ross and Jonah Houser at 215 and 285 followed to secure the trip to the final.
Garret Fowler added a major decision in the opening bout at 120 and Michael Bluhm had a pin at 145 to start a comeback from a 14-4 deficit.
Jaden Pepe and Anthony Evanitsky had back-to-back major decisions for Wyoming Area at 132 and 138. Cooper Price, at 152, and Connor Novakowski, at 106, also won decisions.
Lackawanna Trail had reached the semifinal when Lake-Lehman forfeited Monday’s match.
Wyoming Area went on the road and defeated Montrose, 57-15, in its quarterfinal.
The Warriors got a boost from four forfeits, including three straight to start the match.
Aaron Crossley had an 18-second pin at 215 to lead the way.
Anthony Evanitsky and Rocco Pizano wrapped up the victory by also posting first-period pins.
Honesdale the final by repeating its victory over Western Wayne in the match that had decided second place in Lackawanna Division 2.
The Hornets won the first meeting of Wayne County rivals, 47-15.
Honesdale reached the semifinals with a 63-6 rout of Scranton Prep Monday when Western Wayne was getting past Nanticoke, 45-24, in its quarterfinal.
Zack Wilson won in 33 seconds at 215 and Drew Howell got it started with a 35-second win at 132 for Honesdale.
Paul Renner, at 189, and Joey Giannetti, at 152, also had first-period pins for the Hornets.
Liam Farley opened for Western Wayne with a 45-second pin at 126 and the Wildcats never trailed.
Nicolas Arcadipane also had a first-period pin at 152.
