HERSHEY: When Franklin Regional made it to the semifinals of last year's PIAA Team Wrestling Championships, you had a feeling this was coming.
Tyler Smith, Mike Kemerer, Josh Maruca and Josh Shields. This group was going to become something special.
This foursome tasted defeat at the hands of powerful Central Dauphin and settled for third. A couple more key components and more experience for the rest of the lineup, and the Panthers were going to be dominant.
It all came together this season.
The Panthers did what many wrestling fans expected Saturday, capping a comfortable run through the bracket with 37-23 over fellow District 7 entry Greater Latrobe to capture the school's first dual-meet state title.
“Getting the experience last year helped our guys out,” Panthers head coach Eric Mausser said. “They saw what we needed to do to get back here and become team champions.
“They worked hard for it, and they are an outstanding group of young men. They were able to step up when the time was right.”
The Panthers were ranked No. 1 in the state throughout the season...going away. There were no challengers.
It wasn't just Smith, Kemerer, Maruca and Shields, all state placers a year ago. Freshman phenom Spencer Lee — he is ranked No. 1 in the country at 113 — and Saegertown state champ Devin Brown came in and made this team complete.
The Panthers have eight state-ranked wrestlers from 106 to 160. A murder's row that has no equal in the Keystone state.
It showed in this year's PIAA Team Championships. Brown, Lee, Kemerer and Shields were a combined 16-0. They accounted for five pins, five tech falls, two major decisions, two decisions and two forfeits. That's 78 total team points.
Ludicrous.
Tyler Smith wasn't bad, either. The defending state champ at 132 wrestled three bouts and finished with a pin, major decision and regular decision.
And when the Panthers were challenged by Nazareth and Greater Latrobe — if you want to call it that — the hammers stepped up.
“Everyone has great kids, great wrestlers, and some teams match up better with us than others” Mausser said. “Matches are going to be closer.
“Winning by 14 and 18 points is comfortable, and we didn't have matches come down to the end. Not like last year's third-place match where I think it took 10 years off my life. These guys did a great job.”
Brown and Lee gave the Panthers an 11-9 lead on Latrobe after four weights in the finals. But then came the run that led to gold.
Dom Giannangeli — a role player with a record of 19-7 — started with a 3-2 decision over Joel Cawoski at 126. Tyler Smith and Mike Kemerer followed with majors, and Maruca pinned Ethan Smith in 1:16.
Shields extended the lead with a 5-0 decision over Jake Shaffer at 152. All of a sudden, the Panthers were up 31-9.
Latrobe continued to battle, but the Panthers were too much. Nate Painter (170) and Justin Rose (220) added decisions to start the celebration. It's one that many believe will continue the rest of this season and next.
“This means a lot,” Mausser said. “It's the first one in school history for us.
“Last year, we were runner-up in the WPIAL. We got our first one there this year, and the next one was a state championship and we got that. Next one is the individual team championship.”