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Third time a charm? After suffering one-point losses in the state wrestling final each of the last two seasons, Neshaminy junior Michael Pirozzola is determined to win a championship this weekend. Anything less would be a ... By ANDY VINEBERG The hype surrounding Neshaminy's Michael Pirozzola began long before he wrestled his first high school match. Here was a young man who was going to dominate local competition and rewrite the Pennsylvania record books to the tune of multiple state championships. He certainly has been dominant. In three seasons, Pirozzola is 101-6, including 32-0 as a 140-pound junior this year. But the biggest prize - a state title - has eluded him. Twice, he has reached the final, only to lose heartbreaking, one-point decisions. Last year's loss in the 130-pound final came on a takedown at the buzzer against Downingtown's Mark Conley. Pirozzola left for Hershey yesterday for his third consecutive trip to the state tournament with only one goal: a state crown. Anything less, and his otherwise brilliant career will remain incomplete. "I can't see myself going to the state tournament, being as focused, conditioned and mentally and physically strong as I am right now, and not accomplishing what I want to do," Pirozzola said. "If I don't win, I'll feel I didn't accomplish what I'm capable of. "I'm not saying I'm definitely going to win it. If I'm not at my best, anybody can beat me. But if I am at my best, I don't think anyone can beat me." Nobody has this season. Already, Pirozzola has defeated a defending state champion (Plymouth-Whitemarsh's Justin Giovinco, who won at 140 last year but is wrestling at 145 this weekend), and a 1998 third-place state finisher (Greensburg-Salem's Greg Jones). He has cruised through the postseason, pinning his last six opponents and earning Outstanding Wrestler at last weekend's Southeast Regional Tournament. He is ranked No. 1 in the state in his weight class. All of which will make him one of the most talked-about wrestlers among coaches and fans in Hershey this weekend. "Is there pressure on him? Of course," Neshaminy coach Vic Stanley said. "Everybody will be watching him. But Michael is the kind of individual who responds to that watching. He thrives very well under pressure." Stanley first heard of Pirozzola more than seven years ago, when he was still coaching at Council Rock. "I'd hear people say, "Wait until you see this kid coming up. He's great," Stanley said. "They were right. He is great. But that's an awful lot of pressure to put on a boy as a ninth grader, to expect him to go up and win states." Pirozzola's freshman year culminated with a 7-6 loss to Shikellamy's Anthony Rivera in the 119-pound final, ending speculation that he could be a four-time state champion. Last year's finals loss was even tougher to handle, leaving him emotionally numb after the match. "It was disappointing because you hate to let people down," Pirozzola said. "But the most important thing was my own feelings. The last two years, I haven't been pleased. "I'm the kind of person who hates to lose. If I get scored on in practice, I get upset. Any great athlete hates to not succeed." Pirozzola got plenty of support last year from friends and family members who told him he was unlucky. He also had a built-in excuse of a rib injury that prevented him from practicing for three weeks before states. But Pirozzola never blamed the injury for his loss. He has laid the responsibility squarely on his own shoulders. "I was right there physically, one point away in both matches, but mentally, I was so far away," he said. "It's frustrating. I beat Rivera one week after states, and I beat up on Conley in practice a week or two after states last year. That showed me something. "I proved to myself I was very capable of beating these guys. It made me think, maybe it wasn't the wrestling. Maybe it was the mental part. This year, I feel like I've grown up a lot and prepared well." Still, Pirozzola knows there are no guarantees. Winning a state wrestling title in Pennsylvania is among the most difficult scholastic accomplishments. This area has had only three state champs in the '90s and only five since 1980. "It's an unbelievable accomplishment to be a state champion," said Stanley, who coached three titlists at Council Rock in the '70s. "To be a state champ, you've got to wrestle almost an entire other season (13 postseason matches). And then to wrestle in the finals before 8,000 screaming people, it's just an intimidating, unbelievable atmosphere." Only 13 of the 208 Class AAA wrestlers wrestlers competing in Hershey this weekend will be champions come Saturday night. For most of them, a title is a far-fetched dream. For Pirozzola, it's the only scholastic goal left to pursue. "To win states this year would be the perfect ending to a perfect season," he said. And the only ending that will leave him satisfied. Thursday, March 11, 1999 |