South Fayette wrestler wins second state title
Mike Carr displays the gold medal that he won during the PIAA Class AA championships. It was the second straight state title for the South Fayette senior.
Mike Carr
Mike Carr remembers the moment well. Two years ago, he was in the kitchen with his brother, Nick. The two discussed how it felt to lose in the PIAA championships at the Giant Center in Hershey. Carr made a promise to himself and swore an oath to his brother.
“Those losses felt awful and they came at the most important part of the year,” said Carr, who was undefeated heading into the 2014 PIAA tournament but finished fifth. “I never wanted that to happen again. When Nick asked me how I felt, I told him I never wanted to feel that way again. I’ll never lose again,” Carr vowed.
True to his word, Carr never dropped another scholastic match. Last weekend, he capped an 88-0 run with his second straight state championship. The South Fayette senior defeated James Duffy of Smethport, 3-1, to capture the 145-pound weight class. He won the 138-pound state title in 2015.
Of his second title, Carr said, “it feels pretty good. I’m relieved to end my senior year on a positive not. After a perfect season my junior year, I wanted to achieve perfection again. I wanted to get the gold and I accomplished that. I did not want to lose.”
In winning the PIAA tournament and completing a 42-0 season, Carr didn’t. He opened action with a technical fall against Nat Bradley from Athens, 20-2, at 4:48.
He scored a 7-1 decision against AJ Kostyak from Boiling Springs in the quarterfinals. He won by forfeit against Caleb Clymer from NW Lehigh to reach the championship round.
The run-up to a state title wasn’t as easy as it appeared. As the No. 1-rated wrestler, Carr always received his opponent’s best.
”It’s very hard to defend,” said SF coach Rick Chaussard. “Someone is always looking to make a name for himself and everybody wants to knock off the big dog. The bull’s-eye was on him. But Mike prepared for all opponents. He didn’t take anyone lightly.”
While no one could defeat him, his own body could. He suffered an injury to his meniscus prior to the post-season. The knee issue preyed on Carr’s mind, particularly during the earlier tournaments such as sectionals. By the time the Southwest Regional rolled around, however, Carr was ready to make his bid for a PIAA berth.
Chaussard, who actually suffered the same injury in high school, attempted to sooth Carr’s concerns. “I was nowhere near the wrestler he is,” Chaussard said, “but I knew what he was going through. Eventually it was harder on him than me. It played on his mind. The section was hardest. Pain is discomfort but there was nothing structurally wrong. He got used to it and he found that what the doctors said was right. The more he moved, the more it would go away. Week by week he got better. He eventually was back to his normal self.”
That was extremely bad news for his adversaries as none had the experience Carr had. Not only is he a two-time state champion, she owns three regional, three district and three section titles.
“Experience helped me a lot,” Carr admitted. “In my matches, I knew what to expect and how to handle whatever came up and what the keys to the matches would be. Sure, I was a little nervous, but at the end of the day though you just have to go out there wrestle and have fun.”
SP duo repeats
South Park’s duo of Jake Wentzel and Greg Bulsak repeated as state champions as well. Wentzel captured the 160-pound crown with a 3-0 decision against Eisenhower’s Louis Head. Bulsak won the 183-pound weight class by falling Garrett Hoffman from Montoursville in 1:42.
South Fayette’s Rasaun Culberson secured sixth place in the 220-pound division. Keystone Oaks’ Joey Kazalas, Chartiers-Houston’s Dom Provenzano and South Fayette’s Ben Previte competed in the Class AA competition. Provenzano and Previte lost both of their preliminary and first-round consolation matches. Kazalas won his 100th career match when he dispatched George Thompson from Northern Lebanon in a preliminary round of action. The senior, however, dropped his next two bouts and was eliminated from the heavyweight competition. He finished the season with a 36-9 record.