Bethel Park grappler wins title
Nino Bonaccorsi accomplished several things when he rode Austin Bell, for 30 long seconds in what turned out to be the final period in the 170-pound finals during the Southwest Regional wrestling tournament at Penn Hills.
The move solidified his hold on a 2-1 tiebreaking victory, earned him his first WPIAL championship, cemented his seeding (first out of District 7) in the upcoming PIAA tournament and, most of all, assured him a legacy in Bethel Park wrestling history.
“I’m really, really happy. (Winning a WPIAL title) is great,” said the 17-year-old son of Mark and Melody Bonaccorsi. “But, I got to put my name on the wall with my brother (Nick), Adam (Lazenga) and Mark (Bredl). That’s awesome.”
Indeed, by winning the district championship, Bonaccorsi becomes only the fourth WPIAL winner in Bethel Park wrestling history.
But, it does not necessarily end the rivalry that has developed between Bell and Bonaccorsi. The pair has already met three times and could face each other March 10-12 during the PIAA championships in Hershey. Bonaccorsi lost to the Belle Vernon senior in the Powerade Tournament but defeated him for the section and the district titles.
“I figure we will meet up again but it’s one match at a time,” said Bonaccorsi, who is not looking beyond his first-round opponent, either Cole Zapf (35-7) from Downington West or Cumberland Valley’s Trent Cook (29-7). Bonaccorsi is 36-1 overall.
“It’s probably a positive that I have two wins over him and that gives me confidence. I know I can beat him,” Bonaccorsi continued regarding Bell.
Bonaccorsi added that his record against Bell is not a negative because he’s not likely to be overconfident. “Because,” he said, “you never know what will happen in a meet like states. “All the dudes are good. The objective is to score points and win one match at a time and see how far you can go.”
In the WPIAL tournament, that strategy boded well for Bonaccorsi. After scoring a fall and technical fall in his opening rounds of action, the junior recorded a major decision against Matt McGillick of Penn Trafford in the semifinals. In the finals against Bell, he escaped in the second stanza to take the lead. However, Bell netted the equalizer in the third period, forcing overtime. Bonaccorsi got out from bottom in the first, 30-second extra frame and then he kept Bell from getting up in the second, 30-second period.
“Each time we have wrestled it has been real close. So I expected this,” Bonaccorsi said. “My strength was good,” he said referring to his physical stamina. “I could have kept going if I had to. I felt I had something left. But riding somebody for 30 seconds is hard. It requires a lot of mental toughness and I felt I was mentally tough, too.”
Those same ingredients for victory will be required of Bonaccorsi if he is to achieve his objective of winning a state title. Though he did not qualify for the tournament as a freshman, he participated last year as a sophomore and finished sixth overall. The experience, he hopes, will pay dividends.
“It’s cool having been up there before. You know how everything all works,” he said. “I think it makes you more confident. You know going back that you can wrestle with these guys. You know what needs to be done.”
Going for the gold is everybody’s mission. “That’s what you are there for,” Bonaccorsi said.
While a three-day tournament is challenging, Bonaccorsi said that he is doing nothing different to prepare. “I’m working my hardest,” he said. “Three days is a long time. The second and third day, particularly,” he added. “You have to be mentally tough and be ready to wrestle hard and long. I’m hoping to do that. I’m planning to do my best.”
Bonaccorsi will not be alone. Three other area wrestlers will compete in the PIAA Class AAA tournament. Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri (113), Upper St. Clair’s Eli Grape (195) and Peters Township’s Michael McAleavey finished as WPIAL/Southwest Regional runners-up and qualified for the state tournament.
Carr repeats
Mike Carr of South Fayette begins his quest for a second straight state championship this week in Hershey. He is among four area grapplers to gain PIAA Class AA berths by virtue of their finishes at the regional tournament held last week at Canon-McMillan.
He enters the tournament undefeated at 39-0 and as a three-time Southwest Regional winner. With 156 victories, he is the winningest wrestler in South Fayette history.
Carr successfully defended his title when he defeated Kody Komara of Freedom, 3-1, in overtime. Carr also beat Komara for the WPIAL championship but by a 1-0 margin.
“That’s the fourth time I wrestled him this year and I knew he was going to keep good position and keep it close,” said Carr, a senior who is committed to Illinois. “I shot to the right side for once (on the winning takedown). I usually shoot to the left side and he knows it’s coming. So I decided to mix it up and got it real deep.”
Two of Carr’s teammates hope to go deep in the state tournament. Rasaun Culberson earned his berth with a fourth-place finish at 220 while Ben Previte secured sixth place at 152.
Kazalas to states
Joey Kazalas punched his ticket to Hershey for the PIAA Class AA tournament by finishing fourth in the Southwest Regional. The Keystone Oaks senior scored falls in his first two bouts before suffering a 3-2 loss in the semifinals. After another close decision, 3-2, in the consolation match, Kazalas finished fourth.
Kazalas is 34-7 overall this season. The heavyweight was a section champion and a bronze medalist at the WPIAL championships.