Luke Sirianni’s pin in the final bout Friday morning gave Abington Heights a 40-30 victory over Gettysburg in a Class 3A first-round consolation match in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.
The Comets led 34-30 going into the 106-pound bout.
Sirianni sent Abington Heights into the second round of consolations by pinning Ethan Burgess in 57 seconds.
The Comets followed the same scenario that Lackawanna Trail, the other District 2 champion, used to advance earlier in the morning in Class 2A. The Lions were already in front when Cole Henry won by pin at 120 in the final bout of a 38-27 victory over Hickory.
Abington Heights trailed only once in its match, which the Comets used to advance into a 6 p.m. meeting with the loser of the Greater Latrobe-Central Dauphin quarterfinal.
Brady Kareha opened with a decision at 113 pounds before Gettysburg used a pin at 120 to take a 6-3 lead.
Abington Heights took control by winning five straight bouts for a 28-6 lead.
Cole Kroptavich started the streak with a pin at 126 pounds.
Sam Stevens followed with a 47-second pin at 132.
Brian Heard won a major decision at 138, Austin Smith posted a 35-second pin at 145 and Sal Schiavone won by decision at 152.
Gettysburg made things close with pins in four of the next five bouts while giving up a forfeit at 189.
The Comets are one of 12 teams remaining from the original state field of 20 teams and from the 16 that went to Hershey in Class 3A.
Abington Heights is the Lackawanna League Division 1 and District 2 Class 3A champion as well as the No. 2 team in the Riverfront Sports Elite Eight Power Rankings of district teams.
