Redemption was a theme for Liberty’s Tal-Reese Flemming and Damen Moyer during Saturday’s Northeast Regional 3A tournament at Liberty’s Memorial Gymnasium.

After suffering district final defeats the prior weekend, both Hurricanes used those losses as springboards to regional crowns as Liberty advances seven wrestlers to this week’s PIAA state wrestling tournament in Hershey.

Flemming scored a dose of revenge on Nazareth’s Andrew Smith by surviving a 6-4, overtime victory in the 113-pound finals, a week after Smith defeated him in the district championship.

Flemming led 4-2 late in the third period before Smith forced overtime with a takedown with four seconds left in the third period, but Flemming didn’t let that momentum halt his attempt at a gold medal, as he scored the winning takedown in overtime with 22 seconds left to clinch the win.

“It fired me up and got me going after losing to him in districts,” said Flemming, who now sits at 33-1 on the season. “I just picked my head up and went after it all week.”

After falling behind 2-0 to start the first period, Flemming didn’t let Smith’s opening takedown affect his mentality the rest of the match, as he rode Smith out in the second period and registered two back points, which proved to be vital in the end.

“Falling behind doesn’t really faze me,” Flemming said of Smith’s opening score. “If I keep wrestling I knew I was going to score and those back points helped a lot. One thing I couldn’t do against him at districts was get out on bottom and I was able to get that escape in the third, which was big.”

Moyer didn’t get a rematch with Northampton’s Jayden Bortz in the 195-pound championship, but he got all he could handle from Northeastern’s Jameel Coles in an 8-7 affair.

Moyer jumped out to a 6-1 lead before Coles staged a comeback, tying the bout at 7-7 with 11 seconds left in the third period.

That left him with the tough task of trying to hold Moyer down to force overtime, which never happened, as Moyer earned the escape to secure the title.

“Ever since I lost to Bortz last week, I’ve just been really focused and really wanted to get back to the finals,” said Moyer, who won his third regional crown with Saturday’s title. “They say major setbacks can become great comebacks and that’s what I wanted to do this week.”

Liberty finished fourth in the team standings with 161.5 points, settling in behind Northampton (169.5), Nazareth (169.5) and team champion Bethlehem Catholic (172).

Connor Werner (106) and Matt Maloney (120) each finished in third place over the weekend, while Mike Torres (126), Travis Brown (132) and Jaden Freeman (HWT) took fourth to punch their tickets to Hershey.

Flemming took third at states last season and hopes to find himself with a chance to wrestle for a gold medal, while Moyer is looking for his first Hershey medal as the senior enters his last weekend competing in Hershey.

“I’m a two-time state qualifier and I haven’t medaled,” Moyer said. “My main goal is to place. I’m not leaving there without a medal.”

Freedom had a contingent of Luis Vargas (113), Connor Huber (120) and Max Marrero (195) compete at regionals, but neither of them will be making the trek to Hershey, as Vargas was the only Patriot to place at the tournament, taking home a fifth place finish. Vargas reached the consolation semifinals, but fell to Bethlehem Catholic’s Matt Mayer 10-5 to knock him out of a spot to Hershey. He finished the tournament with a 4-3 win over Dante Iuliano of St. Joe’s Prep.