Since 1977, only three WPIAL freshmen have gone undefeated on the way to PIAA individual championships: North Allegheny’s Ty Moore, McGuffey’s Jeff Breese and Jefferson-Morgan’s Cary Kolat.
Kittanning 103-pounder Jason Nolf hopes to become the fourth today.
Nolf, the only undefeated competitor remaining from WPIAL Class AA, improved to 43-0 with a 2-1 ultimate tiebreaker win over Bethlehem Catholic sophomore Darian Cruz (No.2 @ 103), the Southeast Region champion and a wrestler ranked No. 1 in the country earlier this season by USA Wrestling and Intermat. He will face Boiling Springs junior Joseph Byers (39-7) at 2:30 p.m. today at Giant Center.
A bout with Cruz had been on Nolf’s mind for months.
“Since the beginning of the year, when I knew he was going in at 103,” he said.
Nolf escaped 40 seconds into the second period to take a 1-0 lead, but Cruz tied the score with an escape just past the midway point of the third. Neither wrestler escaped during the first two tiebreaker periods. Nolf came close to a reversal with two seconds left in the latter period, but the referees, amid a chorus of boos, maintained that Cruz had control.
“I can’t get overwhelmed about that,” Nolf said. “I just have to keep wrestling and stuff.”
He left no doubt in the final period, twisting away for a clean break after just eight seconds.
