The Parkland High School boys wrestling team jumped out to an early lead, lost it, and then fell just short in its comeback bid in losing an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference dual match last week. The Trojans then concluded the week by winning one of three matches at the annual Winter Duals at Parkland High School.

On the road at Pocono Mountain East last Wednesday, the Trojans won the first four bouts, but then lost seven straight. They won the last two, but it was too late and fell to the Cardinals 32-28. Three days later, Parkland defeated Delaware Valley 45-14 in round one, but then lost to Quakertown 36-28 in round two and 33-23 to LaSalle in round three at Duals. Both the Panthers and Explorers went 3-0 at the tournament.

Against PM East, Matthew Velez and Eli Russ earned back-to-back pins at 107 and 114, respectively. That was followed by a 7-2 decision by Blake Dergham at 121 and then an 11-2 major decision at 127 from Jakob Peterson to stake Parkland to a 19-0 lead.

The Cardinals then picked up three decisions, three pins and a technical fall to record 32 unanswered points and clinch the win. Gavin Edwards recorded a 5-2 decision at 215 and Michael Gavrilesku received a pin at 285 to conclude the match.

In the round one win over Del Val, the Trojans earned 10 bout victories, including by Velez, Russ, Dergham, Peterson, Leo Kern, Elias Sallit, Christopher Toth, Jorge Moya, Julius Reyes and Matthew Dorsey. They won the first six bouts and seven of the first eight to take the match.

In the loss to Quakertown, Velez, Russ, Dergham, Kern, Moya and Edwards all won bouts. Against LaSalle, Peterson, Kern, Michael Gavrilesku and Velez won bouts, while Russ got a forfeit win.

Parkland hosted Northampton in a conference dual this week and will compete in the Mid-Winter Mayhem tournament this weekend at the Kovalchick Convention Center on the campus of IUP. The event runs this Friday and Saturday.