Saturday produced three - count'em three - matches that came down to the final bout and produced one unbeaten champion (Biglerville in Division II) and tri-champions (Red Lion, South Western and Spring Grove in Division I).
I've only been at this job for about 18 years but that had to be one of the greatest evenings of dual meets in YAIAA history. It was certainly the best night I've ever been a part of; I just wish I could have been a bigger part of it. One person, three matches. Something had to give. I got to see the Mustangs battle back from a nine-point deficit twice to earn a piece of the D-I crown.
What I really found interesting was that all three winning teams - Biglerville, Red Lion and South Western - lost the toss. There are a lot of people who believe many matches are won or loss by the flip and I've certainly seen several of them in my time covering the league. But Saturday showed that superior effort and execution will always beat out simple luck.
In each of those matches, there were many examples of kids stepping up and performing at the most crucial times possible. And that goes for all six teams, not just the winners. I don't even want to start singling out wrestlers because I'm sure I'll miss some. My hope is that these kids step again this week when the District 3 Wrestling Team Championships will be contested.
I love this event; it's quickly become a fantastic tournament that all wrestling fans seem to enjoy. It keeps the team element of the sport in play for a couple more weeks and that's OK with me. And with the seedings, I could be treated to a couple of rematches from Saturday - South Western vs. Spring Grove and Biglerville vs. Bermudian Springs. Of course, everyone has some work to do before those become reality.
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