Cedar Cliff 145-pounder Christopher Vassar struck early with a takedown and three near fall points late in the first period and held on for a 6-3 win over Crestwood's Matt Hammerstone in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class AAA wrestling tournament.
The two seniors were light on scoring in the final two periods, but featured several flurries and physical exchanges. Vassar built the early lead and never trailed, remaining in the hunt for his first PIAA gold medal.
Vassar was close last season, advancing to the 138-pound finals before losing to McDowell's Steve Spearman. He's got Franklin Regional sophomore Josh Shields in the semifinals and a potential date with returning state champion Solomon Chishko of Canon-McMillan.
Check out the highlights of Vassar's quarterfinal win below.
More PIAA wrestling tournament coverage
» PIAA winners' brackets: Class AAA | Class AA
» PIAA consolation brackets: Class AAA | Class AA
» PIAA wrestling tournament schedule
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