Wrestling: Chestnut Ridge to face Freedom in state duals – TribDem.com

A few years ago, Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor decided that he needed to challenge his wrestlers more during the regular season if he wanted them to perform well in the postseason.

The strategy has turned out remarkably well, with the five-time District 5 dual-meet champion now regarded as one of the states powerhouse programs.

On Thursday, when the PIAA Class AA Team Wrestling Championships begin in Hershey, the Lions will face a Freedom Area team that is hoping to follow the same blueprint.

Freedom coach Jim Covert added the prestigious POWERade and Thomas tournaments both of which Chestnut Ridge participates in to the Bulldogs schedule, plus he scheduled a number of dual meets against AAA schools.

I upped the ante, Covert said Wednesday, as the team headed for Hershey. I didnt know how they were going to respond. I think that will help them this weekend, that theyre used to bigger tournaments and that kind of competition. You can see the dividends.

Freedom (15-4) finished second in District 7 to Burrell, a team that Chestnut Ridge beat in the Brookville Ultimate Duals last month. The Lions (13-2), who are ranked fifth in the state by PA Power Wrestling, lost to top-ranked Reynolds and No. 2 Brookville in that competition.

I think Reynolds is, right now, favored, Lazor said on Wednesday as his team prepared to leave for Hershey a day earlier than planned in an effort to beat a snowstorm that could bring more than 6 inches of snow to central Pennsylvania. Theyve shown to be a very strong team. Brookville, Southern Columbia Id say those are your three front runners. I think there are four or five after that that can push the group, and Id put us in that group.

The Lions are led by a trio of highly ranked wrestlers. Justin McCoy is ranked No. 1 at 145 pounds, Jared McGill is No. 2 at 170 and Morgan Deremer is No. 4 at 160, but they also have depth especially in the lower and middle weights that can make life difficult for the opposition.

Theyre obviously well-coached, Covert said. Theyve got a contingent over there that reminds me of Burrell. A lot of guys. They all wrestle pretty tough. They all wrestle the same I think its a Young Guns style coming at you.

Freedom heavyweight Evan Sweesy is ranked second while Kody Komara is No. 8 at 145. Z.J. Ward is ranked ninth at 113.

McCoy beat Komara at the POWERade tournament while Ward topped Chestnut Ridges Dylan Williams, who is ranked 15th, 4-3 at the Thomas tournament.

Its going to be tough, Covert said.

There are some nice matchups before. We had that one before and it went our way. The same score with McCoy and Komara went the other way.

Lazor has seen enough of Freedom to know that the Lions wont be able to ease into the state tournament.

Theyre an athletic team, Lazor said.

They have some decent guys. Its going to be a good match. Like a lot of matches down there, its going to be who is wrestling better that day and who is hungrier.

The Lions, who were the PIAA runners-up two years ago, enjoy the tournament because its their last big event competing as a team.

Its always an exciting time, Lazor said. Its probably one of the most enjoyable times of the year. To go down as a team is so much fun. To get your beginning and lesser guys a chance to wrestle on that stage where their match means as much as every other guys, its an exciting time.

While Lions seniors such as Deremer and Williams will be competing in the event for the fourth time, many of the Bulldogs aside from those who qualified for the individual state tournament have never before wrestled in the Giant Center.

Im hoping theyll step up, Covert said.

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Wrestling: Chestnut Ridge to face Freedom in state duals - TribDem.com