The Parkland High School boys wrestling team had a busy and successful two-day stretch last week as it won two Eastern Pennsylvania Conference dual matches on back-to-back nights. It snapped a two-match losing streak in conference duals.

Last Wednesday, the Trojans won a close one at Freedom, 37-29, and followed that up the next evening with a 60-8 victory over Pleasant Valley.

In the win against the Patriots, Parkland was forced to hold on late to secure the win. The two teams were neck-and-neck in win totals with the Trojans winning seven bouts and Freedom taking six. What helped Parkland most was recording five pins (six points each pin), compared to just two for the Patriots.

The beginning of the match is where the Trojans did all of their damage as they won the opening six bouts. Luis Moya, Braden Todora, Matthew Velez and Eli Russ all earned four consecutive pins and then Jared Santilli picked up an 11-8 decision at 133 pounds, followed by a 14-3 major decision from Leo Kern to stake Parkland to a 31-0 lead.

Freedom then won the next three bouts before Jorge Moya put a halt to that run with a pin at 172 pounds and the clinching victory, giving his team a 37-16 advantage with just three bouts left.

It was less frantic in the next match against the Bears as the Trojans came out on top in 11 of the 13 bouts, including six pins, two technical falls, two major decisions and one forfeit win. Parkland won the first nine bouts, with pins by Velez, Donato Ciampittiello, Aiden Baraket, Isaac Evans and Jorge Moya, major decisions by Santilli and Christopher Toth and a technical fall win for Russ as Parkland jumped out to a 49-0 lead. After two PV wins, Luis Moya recorded a pin at 107 pounds and Todora tallied a tech. fall win at 114.

Parkland’s final regular season dual match of the year was Wednesday night at East Stroudsburg South. Heading into this week the Trojans are eighth in the District 11 Class 3A rankings and in position to earn a place in Saturday’s district team tournament. The top eight teams qualify for the event.

The District 11 individual tournament is set for Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22, at Liberty High School.