BETHLEHEM - Luke Fugazzotto was in this same spot last season.

As a freshman, Fugazzotto made it to the third-place match at the Southeast Regional wrestling tournament where he fell in a back-and-forth match to West Perry’s Justice Hockenberry-Folk.

This time, things would be different.

On Saturday, against Berks Catholic’s Carmine Lenzi, Fugazzotto showed the poise – and postseason experience – of a wrestler primed to make a run in his second trip to states.

Fugazzotto ended his regional tournament in impressive fashion, posting a 7-5 victory over Lenzi to take third at 172 pounds.

“I’m pretty happy. It wasn’t the best semifinal,” Fugazzotto said of a loss to defending state champion Adam Waters of Faith Christian Academy. “It wasn’t the match that I wanted, but I was able to battle back and got third. The third-place match, the score was pretty close, but it’s still a (good) placement.

“I went in pretty confident. I could have been a little more offensive, like at the end. I think I could have scored more.”

It was an impressive showing for the sophomore, who won both of his matches after falling to Waters via technical fall in the semis earlier in the day at Freedom High School.

Fugazzotto will be joined in Hershey by a pair of first-time state qualifiers from Lehighton. Jacob Ferguson and Reese Balk placed sixth at 160 and 285 pounds, respectively, for the Tribe.

“They faced some adversity and battled through it,” said Lehighton head coach Floyd Brown. “Hopefully it will help them going into next week, too.”

Eye of the Tiger

Fugazzotto didn’t waver after falling to Waters, who won his second straight regional title, in the semis. The sophomore pinned Joshua Kauffman (Susquenita) in 1:25 in the consolation semis to reach the third-place match.

A takedown in the first period gave Fugazzotto a 2-0 lead. Lenzi answered with a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the third period to tie it, but Fugazzotto was able to get a reversal with 1:35 left in the period to take a 4-2 lead, which is how it would stay through the remainder of the period.

“Lenzi had a nice takedown in the first period,” said Tigers’ coach Joe Killar. “But Luke didn’t let it faze him. He just kept wrestling, so that was good. I was happy with that.

“He got taken down, and then he reversed him right away. He kept wrestling.” Fugazzotto got a takedown with 1:24 left in the third to make it 6-2. Lenzi had an escape and a takedown in the final 0:33 of the third period to cut the deficit to 6-5 before Fugazzotto added an escape with 0:23 left after the takedown to make it 7-5.

“I thought he wrestled well in that match,” said Killar. “He gave up that takedown near the end. But it was good for him to go out as high as he can, which today was third, so that was good for him.

“I think he probably has more confidence than he did last year. I think he’s excited for states, and will be ready to compete when we’re out there.”

It was the second win of the tournament against a state qualifier from last year for Fugazzotto, who went 4-1 with two pins and a major decision in addition to his win over Lenzi.

Fugazzotto knows what it takes to wrestle with the best of the best, something he’s ready to show in his second trip to states.

“I’m feeling good,” said Fugazzotto, who was a runner-up at districts last week. “I made blood round last year (at states), and I already did better at regionals than I did last year when I placed fourth. It’s given me more confidence, and I’m ready to go back.

“It feels good (to end this tournament with a win). The pressure’s off. Now you wait until Thursday.”

Tribe teammates

After falling in the quarterfinals Friday night, Ferguson returned Saturday with two straight victories to reach the consolation semis.

The junior got a forfeit against Israel Smith (Cardinal O’Hara) in his second round consolation match and delivered a dominant 9-2 win over Camp Hill’s Kobe Moore, a state qualifier last season, in the next round to punch his ticket to states. Ferguson got a takedown and three back points in the first period to build a 5-0 lead in the match.

“I’m super excited, because I was really nervous going into my match to make it to states,” said Ferguson, who also qualified for regionals last year but did not place. “I just wanted it more. After the first period I was up 5-0, I knew I was going to states.

“When you’re in these tough matches, getting the first takedown means everything. It sets the tone, you’re up already. It gets them off their game. It was big when I got that first takedown.”

Ferguson was pinned in 1:43 by Notre Dame Green Pond’s Dominic Sumpolec, a 40-match winner and District 11 champion last week, in the consolation semis.

His fifth-place match against North Schuylkill’s Ricky Halford ended with a 3-1 loss.

Halford got an escape to start the second period to go up 1-0. Ferguson managed an escape with 0:39 left in the third period to tie it at 1-1, but Halford got a takedown with 0:17 left to seal the win.

It was a rematch of a bout from last week’s third-place match at the district tournament, which Ferguson won 6-3.

“Last week I got a big five-point move on him, so that really kind of secured it for me,” said Ferguson, who has eclipsed the 30-win plateau (32) for the first time in his career after winning 28 matches last season and 14 as a freshman.

“This week I didn’t quite get there, and his shot defense was really good when he was in neutral. Neutral is where I score most of my points.”

After dropping his first match on Friday night, Balk, who claimed the 285-pound District 11 title last week, bounced back with three-straight consolation round wins to secure his spot at states.

The senior did it with three pins, including a fall in 0:36 over Kaleb Britting (Conrad Weiser) and a pin in 3:23 against Northern Lehigh’s Sam Frame to reach the consi semis and clinch a berth in the top six on Saturday.

Big Spring’s Owen Hutchinson topped Balk 6-1 in the consi semis. Tulpehocken’s Jack Heckman used a third period reversal with 0:35 left to post a 2-0 win over Balk in their fifth-place match.

Balk, who is 68-15 over the last two seasons after going 5-4 as a sophomore, also qualified for regionals last year, but was unable to compete due to an injury.

“It feels really good,” Balk said of qualifying for states. “Not what I expected, it’s not the place I wanted. But being able to go to states, it’s a big difference from last year. I’m really excited to get another week of wrestling.”

TOP EIGHT

... While only the top six advance to states, three area wrestlers finished in the top eight Saturday. Palmerton’s Dillon Lombardi was seventh at 152 pounds, and Lehighton’s Aidan Gruber and Northern Lehigh’s Sam Frame were eighth at 114 and 285 pounds, respectively.

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH

... Faith Christian Academy dominated the weekend, claiming the team title with 218 points to top Notre Dame Green Pond (147) and Bishop McDevitt (145) in second and third. The Lions, coached by Northwestern graduate Ben Clymer, had six individual champions and will be sending 10 wrestlers to states. A year ago. Faith Christian won the regional team title with 232 points, five champions and sent 11 wrestlers to states.

UP NEXT

... Ferguson will wrestle Honesdale’s Mason Avery in his Class 2A preliminary round match at the Giant Center Thursday, while Balk will face Central Columbia’s Aiden Hidlay. With his third-place finish at regionals, Fugazzotto has a first round match with Fort Cherry’s Braedon Welsh. The PIAA Championships begin with the prelims and first round matches Thursday at 9 a.m. The first session will conclude with first round consolations in Class 2A at 12:45 p.m.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

Results of Times News area wrestlers

Semifinals

172

- Adam Waters (Faith Christian Academy) tech. fall Luke Fugazzotto (Northwestern), 16-1 (3:59)

Second round consolations

107

- Jordan Manyette (Trinity) maj. dec. Evan Temarantz (Tamaqua), 9-0

114

- Aidan Gruber (Lehighton) maj. dec. Brody Schlier (Tamaqua), 8-0

121

- Cooper Feltman (Notre Dame GP) tech. fall Stephen Korte (Jim Thorpe), 15-0 (3:40)

127

- Tanner Berkenstock (Notre Dame GP) dec. Gabe Erbe (Tamaqua), 3-0

152

- Dillon Lombardi (Palmerton) dec. Davis Keppley (Conrad Weiser), 7-2

160

- Jacob Ferguson (Lehighton) won by forfeit against Israel Smith (Cardinal O’Hara)

215

- Caleb Tyler (Delone Catholic) maj. dec. Noah Schlofer (Northwestern), 15-7

285

- Reese Balk (Lehighton) pinned Kaleb Britting (Conrad Weiser) in 0:36; Sam Frame (No. Lehigh) pinned Ryshaun Johnson (East Pennsboro) in 4:01

Third round consolations

114

- Keegan Barrick (Big Spring) dec. Aidan Gruber (Lehighton), 3-0

152

- Cole Hubert (Saucon Valley) pinned Dillon Lombardi (Palmerton) in 2:17

160

- Jacob Ferguson (Lehighton) dec. Kobe Moore (Camp Hill), 9-2

285

- Reese Balk (Lehighton) pinned Sam Frame (No. Lehigh) in 3:23

Consolation semifinals

160

- Dominic Sumpolec (Notre Dame GP) pinned Jacob Ferguson (Lehighton) in 1:43

172

- Luke Fugazzotto (Northwestern) pinned Josh Kauffman (Susquenita) in 1:25

285

- Owen Hutchinson (Big Spring) dec. Reese Balk (Lehighton), 6-1

Third place match

172

- Luke Fugazzotto (Northwestern) dec. Carmine Lenzi (Berks Catholic), 7-5

Fifth place matches

160

- Ricky Halford (No Schuylkill) dec. Jacob Ferguson (Lehighton), 3-1

285

- Jack Heckman (Tulpehocken) dec. Reese Balk (Lehighton), 2-0

Seventh place matches

114

- Roman Polcha (Newport) won by forfeit against Aidan Gruber (Lehighton)

152

- Dillon Lombardi (Palmerton) dec. Nathan Thomas (Notre Dame GP), 5-4

285

- Hayden Adams (Northern Lebanon) dec. Sam Frame (No. Lehigh), 7-4