35-0 Pisarcik hasn't been taken down this season
Dave Pisarcik and the word perfection are becoming the best of friends.
The Mars senior wrestler's 35-0 record this season speaks for itself.
But when you consider that Pisarcik hasn't been taken down in any match this year, it makes a great season a truly incredible one for the 189-pound wrestler.
"I've been coaching wrestling since 1995," said Mars coach Don Cooley. "I used to coach in Ohio and had a wrestler out there who might have been as dominant, but I've never had a wrestler more dominant than Dave is right now."
Pisarcik carries his undefeated record, which includes 23 pins, into Saturday's Section 3-AA tournament at Burgettstown High School.
He lost in the sectional finals as a junior.
"I never thought I'd be undefeated at this point," said Pisarcik, a Valencia resident. "But I have a different mind-set this year. I'm more ready for everything now.
"My goal is to place at states," he added. "I went to state freestyle tournaments when I was younger, but I've never been to one since I started high school."
Pisarcik's bid for a district title last season came to an end with a loss to Chartiers-Houston's Phil Henderson, who is currently the only wrestler in WPIAL Class AA to be ranked ahead of him
"I'd definitely like to get another shot at him," said Pisarcik.
Despite his ability to make a run in the sectional and WPIAL tournaments a season ago, Pisarcik lost more than half of his junior campaign to a broken collarbone. He ended the season with a 14-3 record.
"It happened during football season," said Pisarcik. "I tore a few ligaments, but it's probably stronger now than it used to be."
But Pisarcik's arsenal includes more than just physical strength.
"I'd say 60 percent of his success is due to the fact that he thinks a match through," said Cooley. "He is a very good athlete, but he's also very methodical.
"And Dave is very good on his feet," added Cooley. "He doesn't get out of position on the mat. He frustrates his opponents until they make a mistake and he takes advantage of it."
"I just try to stay focused and get control of the match," Pisarcik said. "It's hard to explain everything that goes through your mind during a match."
Pisarcik, whose wrestling career began when he was 6 years old, cracked the Planets' varsity lineup at 152 pounds as a freshman.
"We had a great team my freshman year and I was definitely excited to make varsity," said Pisarcik. "But I did have a lot of butterflies in my stomach."
Pisarcik then took a break from wrestling his sophomore year.
"I just decided to take a year off and lifted weights a lot," he said. "But I always planned to join the team again my junior year."
