ANDOVER TOWNSHIP — Cody Miller and Zach Campbell knew what they had to do in order for the Pymatuning Valley wrestling team to complete a come-from-behind victory over Jefferson on Wednesday at triangular match at PV.

The pair delivered exactly that and the Lakers pulled off the win, 37-36.

With the Lakers trailing, 36-27, heading into the 126-pound weight class, Miller and Campbell had to combine for 10 points.

“That was huge,” PV coach Dave Miller said. “I told (Cody) and Campbell we needed a stick and a major. They went out and did exactly what we needed. Cody was aggressive and went right after it. He went in for the kill.

“Zach worked hard for that major. I was very impressed. Zach was frustrated a little bit. He really wanted a stick. We encouraged him to work tilts and compile points until he secured the major, then to work for the pin.”  

Cody Miller scored a first-period pin of the Falcons’ Jeremy Cusano and Campbell bested Jerry Scott, 10-0, to compile those 10 points.

“Whenever I go out for a match, I think of somebody I’m mad at, don’t want to be around or want to beat up,” Dave Miller said. “I bring them on the mat with me and pretend it’s them I’m hurting.”

“The team was down a couple of points,” Campbell said. “Either way, I was going for the pin. When the team’s down, I’m going for the pin. (Scott) just trying not to get pinned made my job harder. That result was not what I expected.

“It’s easy for him when he’s just trying not to get pinned. He doesn’t have to worry about trying to score points and just has to stay off his back. Jerry Scott’s a good wrestler and he was just trying not to get pinned. I really had to work for it.”

Jefferson had experienced losses in much the same way all year.

“That’s the story of our season,” Jefferson coach Tom Avsec said. “We lose by a couple of points here and there. That’s the way things have been going. It’s a crazy sport.”

The Lakers took a 12-0 lead on pins from Kyle Conger and Zach Benedict at 138 and 145. The Falcons answered with pins from Alex Cash and Troy Stitt and a forfeit accepted by Rocky Tripodi at 152, 160 and 170.

PV took a 27-18 lead after Cody Ellis beat Blake Perry, 8-2, at 182 and Zane Feydo and Ryan Cassel netted pins at 195 and 220.

Jefferson scored the next 18 points through four weight classes with Gage Severino taking a forfeit at heavyweight, a double forfeit at 106 and pins from Ricker Maple and Joey Baitt at 113 and 120 setting the stage for Cody Miller and Campbell.

In the night’s second matchup, the Falcons downed Grand Valley, 55-22.

Alex Cash scored a 6-3 win over Sean Szitas in a matchup of the two of the Ashtabula County’s best 152-pound grapplers.

“That was a nice win,” Avsec said. “Alex’s match against GV was a good match.”

Perry (182), Severino (heavyweight) and Maple (113) all had pins for the Falcons and Baitt (120) scored a 9-2 decision over Heath Martin.

The Mustangs got pins from Matt Zaller (195) and Jason Takacs (220) while Glenn Zaller won a major decision over Tripodi at 170.

In the nightcap, the Mustangs and Lakers battled in a rematch of the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League tournament. GV won the EOWL Division IV, beating the Lakers by just two points Saturday.

PV returned the favor Wednesday, knocking off the depleted Mustangs, 42-39.

“It was a nice way to end the season,” Dave Miller said. “We did well this past weekend and again tonight. That’s how you want to end the season heading into sectionals.”

“We talked about it coming in,” GV coach Steve Paratto said. “We have four starters out. Travis Pelles (138) banged up his head over the weekend, Luke Baldwin (126) has impetigo and Josh Rigg (220) is out because he got two misconduct fouls at the EOWL tournament.

“That hurt us with those four guys in the middle out.

“There was definitely some sloppy wrestling going on today. It was a rough weekend. Actually, we’ve been looking forward to this all year, but injuries took away from that.”

PV, GV and South Range ended the season tied for the Division IV EOWL dual-match championship with identical 2-1 records.

The Mustangs went up, 24-6, following pins from Szitas at 152 and Dante Gramuglia at 160 and a forfeit to Glenn Zaller at 170.

Ellis scored the Lakers’ first points with a forfeit at 182.

In a shrewd strategic move, Dave Miller altered the Lakers’ lineup in order to maximize his roster.

Instead of sending Feydo, normally the 195 pounder out to battle Matt Zaller, Dave Miller forfeited the weight class and bumped Feydo up to 220, moving Ryan Cassel up to heavyweight. The move paid off as Feydo and Cassel each scored first-minute pins, getting the Lakers back into the contest, 24-18.

“Zane wrestled (Jason Takacs) a couple of times already and not beaten him,” Dave Miller said. “I knew that was our best shot at winning to bump those two guys up. I took the risk and it turned out well for us.”

After a forfeit to GV’s Justin MacCartney at 106, Heath Martin’s 10-9 decision over Kris Leonard at 113 and a pin from Nate Dedek at 120, the Mustangs led, 39-18.

But Cody Miller (126), Campbell (132), Conger (138) and Benedict (145) all accepted forfeits to close out the win for the Lakers.

Ettinger is a freelance writer from Ashtabula.