Share
Boiling Springs' Joe Spisak gets shot at PIAA wrestling gold
By Sam Butler, March 13, 2010
http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2010/03/12/sports/local/doc4b9b1bf123fb5901264754.txt
HERSHEY – The seconds slowly ticked away toward almost certain overtime with the score knotted, 3-3.
Boiling Springs senior Joe Spisak and Tyrone undefeated junior Ronnie Garbinsky had grappled perfectly, each offensive shot countered with a deft defensive maneuver.
“I felt like there were some points (in the match) where I could have put my head down,” Spisak said. “I had to dig deep and realize that I’m not going to feel the pain or soreness in three months. I just had to leave it all on the mat. Of course the No. 1 thing is to keep your composure. You never know you’re out until (the match) is over.”
But in those closing seconds of the 130-pound PIAA Class AA semifinal bout at Giant Center – with a chance to wrestle for a gold medal on the line – one wrestler slipped up ever so slightly and the other capitalized.
“I felt him get up high and I knew I needed to take advantage of that,” Spisak said of Garbinsky’s desperation reversal attempt near the end of the third period. “Maybe I got a little lucky, but I knew I had to capitalize on the one mistake he made.”
In the end it was Spisak (46-1) who scored three nearfall points as time expired for a 6-3 win that sends him to the finals for the second time in his career. In 2008, a takedown at the edge of the mat by Keystone Oak’s Anthony Zanetta in the closing seconds relegated Spisak to silver at 112. In 2007, he finished sixth at 103 and in 2009 placed seventh at 119.
“Ronnie is a great wrestler, he’s a stud,” Spisak said. “The match could have gone either way, even in overtime I had the feeling that it would have gone back-and-forth. I’m fortunate to have won and been able to share this with my parents, friends, family and supporters. I’m so blessed to have so many people around me that care.”
And moments after his victory, Spisak made a simple gesture to all those people sitting in the middle of Giant Center, an extended index finger in their direction.
“I’m happy that I won,” Spisak said. “I’m now focused on my last match, the last match in my high school career.”
In the 130-pound final Spisak faces Shady Side Academy senior Frank Martelotti (48-2). The Class AA finals are slated to being at 2:30 p.m.
Martelotti, a Penn State University recruit, brings his own accolades into the final. The senior won the PIAA Class AA 103-pound title in 2007 but dipped to fourth in 2008 at 112. Last year Martelotti, only the 16th WPIAL wrestler to place in four state tournaments, finished with a bronze medal at 130.
Earlier in the day, Boiling Springs’ Tylor Unger sat on the floor at Giant Center on Friday with his head in his hands and surrounded by his coaches moments after his 7-4 loss to Shamokin’s Wes Tillett in the 285 second-round consolation match. The loss brought an abrupt end to the junior’s first foray into the world of wrestling and left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.
“This week the people I wrestled were better,” Unger said of his competition at the PIAA Tournament. “It’s not as big a loss to me, since I realized the people I was wrestling against had more experience. Last week (at the Southeast Regional Tournament) I thought I had a better chance so I took that (loss) a lot harder.”
Unger wasn’t dominated in either of his matches Friday, but showed his inexperience in both matches. In his quarterfinal loss to Jeff Tarley from Beth-Center, and the consolation second round, the double leg takedown lead to Unger’s undoing.
“The farther you go the harder guys you face,” Boiling Springs coach Rodney Wright said. “We just met up with the horses (Friday). He hasn’t learned everything in such short a time. He’s got the experience (of wrestling top-notch opponents) at team states and now here. We just need to get him some more wrestling time. A chance to clean up his technique.”
Tarley landed the move with 19 seconds left in the first round for a 3-2 lead. Tillett’s three takedowns were thanks to the double leg.
“I knew it was happening,” Unger said of what his opponents were doing. “At first I couldn’t stop it and then I tried to focus on stopping it. It’s that whole experience thing again.”
Tarley pinned Unger in 2:30 of that quarterfinal bout thanks to Unger trying to escape by reaching over Tarley’s head. The move put Unger in a bad spot as the referee counted back points, right before his hand slapped the mat.
Even in defeat Unger realized just how far he had come and said he had a good season, enough to encourage the heavyweight to come back for his senior year.
“Yeah, I had a good season and that’s enough for me to come back,” he said. “I showed to myself that hard work pays off and will be noticed. I’m happy with what I’ve done and am ready for more.”
Share
