Holiday Tournament preview

   Three local teams — Bedford, Chestnut Ridge, and Northern Bedford — will all take part in weekend wrestling tournaments across the state. Also on Friday night, Claysburg is at Mount Union in a dual meet. Here's a closer look at the tournaments:

Boiling Springs Tournament
   Teams: Bedford, Boiling Springs, Central Bucks West, JP McCaskey, Lewisburg, Littlestown, Pequea Valley.
   What to watch for: In the recent past, this has been a round-robin style event and is likely to be again this year. Bedford is back after missing last season due to bad weather that forced them unable to travel. Though brackets/pairings aren't available, the marquee bout is likely to be between Bedford's Ryan Easter and Boiling Springs' Kyle Shoop. A pair of top-three returning state placewinners, they met at this month's King of the Mountain consolations, where Shoop won 4-2 in overtime.

PowerADE Tournament @ Canon-McMillan
   Teams: Altoona, Belle Vernon, Benton, Bethel Park, Bishop McDevitt, Blue Mountain, Brookville, Buford (Ga.), Burrell, Canon-McMillan, Cedar Cliff, Chartiers-Houston, Chartiers Valley, Chestnut Ridge, Collins Hill (Ga.), Connellsville, Derry, Eastern, Erie McDowell, Erie Prep, Father Judge, Franklin Regional, Good Counsel (Md.), Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Huntingdon (WV), Kennard-Dale, Kittanning, Latrobe, Mifflin County, Mifflinburg, Mount Lebanon, Norwin, Parkland, Penn Trafford, Peters Township, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pope (Ga.), Ripley (WV), Saegertown, Solanco, Saint Pauls (Md.), Saint Vincent/Saint Mary's (Oh.), Walsh Jesuit (Oh.), Waynesburg, Westmont-Hilltop.
   What to watch for: What isn't to watch for might be a shorter list here. Probably the top in-season tournament in Pennsylvania includes a local this year in Chestnut Ridge. The Lions have two fifth-seeds in Aaron Burkett (106) and Austin Buttry (285). If seeds hold early, Burkett would draw Parkland's Jacob Lizak, a fellow sophomore, in a quarterfinal. At the King of the Mountain, Lizak was at 113, and defeated Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel, 3-1, in the fifth-place bout. For Buttry, heavyweight is a top-loaded bracket that includes Solanco's Thomas Haines, Mifflinburg's Nazar Mironenko, and Burrell's Allan Beattie along with the state-placer Buttry. Haines and Mironenko are both former PIAA champions, and Buttry split a pair of bouts with Beattie last season.
   Aside from seeing what some of Chestnut Ridge's better wrestlers can do, there's plenty to see. Kennard-Dale's Chance Marstellar (170), Haines, and Kittanning's Jason Nolf (145) are arguably the three highest profile Pennsylvania studs right now. 120 could be a tremendous final featuring Latrobe's Luke Pletcher and Parkland's Ethan Lizak. Pletcher topped Lizak, 4-3 in a tiebreaker, in the King of the Mountain final. Those two could see each in the state final unless one drops and tries to challenge the impressive frosh Spencer Lee of Franklin Regional at 113 later in the season. Also for Franklin Regional, Devon Brown is the top seed at 106. A defending Class AA state champ from Saegertown, he was recently reinstated to wrestle this year by the PIAA after being denied by the WPIAL when the District 10 school argued the move was for athletic intent. Plenty of other PA and out of state studs in the building, just too many to name here.

Southmoreland Holiday Classic
   Teams: Albert Gallatin, Baldwin, Bentworth, Blairsville, Burgettstown, Butler, Corry Area, Elwood City, Forest Hills, Freedom, Gateway, Greenville, Grove City, Hickory, Holidaysburg, Jeannette, Jefferson-Morgan, Knoch, Laurel Highlands, Ligonier Valley, Marion Center, Meyersdale, Mt. Pleasant, North Star, Northern Bedford, Slippery Rock, Somerset, South Side Area, Southmoreland, United, Valley, West Greene.
   What to watch for: While not on the PowerADE level, this is a pretty strong tournament, and Northern Bedford is entered this year again, along with fellow District 5 teams Meyersdale, North Star, and Somerset. Blairsville's Andrew Doak and Southmoreland's Austin Griffiths, both Class AA state placewinners are two of the top wrestlers expected in the field.

Bedford at Chestnut Ridge preview

Bedford (2-0) at Chestnut Ridge (2-0)

Saturday, 5:30 p.m. (Junior High at 4 p.m.)

Probable Lineups (Bedford wrestlers listed first with season record)

106 - So. Noah Baughman (2-3) vs. So. Aaron Burkett (2-0)
113 - So. Jonathan Gabriel (6-3) vs. So. Blake Dunlap (2-0)
120 - Gabriel or So. Zach Sipes (0-2) vs. Jr. Luke Hobson (0-2)
126 - Sr. Jake Warren (3-2) vs. Sr. Dustin Ickes (1-1)
132 - Sr. Ryan Easter (6-2) or Jr. Kyle Mehle (1-0) vs. Fr. Morgan Deremer (1-1)
138 - Sr. Garrett Thomas (5-2) vs. Sr. Sam Shank (2-0)
145 - Sr. Toby Brett (1-1) or So. Devon Karns (0-3) vs. Jr. Derrick Claar (2-0)
152 - Brett or Karns or So. Ryan Wertz (0-3) vs. Jr. Trent Crouse (2-0) or Jr. Colby Hillegass (1-1)
160 - Wertz or So. Uriah Costal (0-2) vs. Crouse or Hillegass
170 - So. Dan Brett (2-3) vs. Sr. Ben Clark (0-2)
182 - Sr. Chance Williams (2-4) vs. Sr. Kyle Winegardner (2-0)
195 - So. Brayden Crawley (1-3) or So. Matt Kline (1-4) vs. So. Conner Buttry (2-0)
220 - Crawley or Kline vs. Jr. Jon Heming (0-2)
285 - Jr. Nate Shoemaker (2-3) vs. Sr. Austin Buttry (2-0)

   Analysis: First thing to keep in mind for anyone attending is the start time of approximately 5:30 p.m., earlier than most dual meets. There certainly could be a good bit of movement by both coaches, Brian Creps and Greg Lazor, in certain weight classes. For Bedford, I would expect to see Gabriel at 113 and the Bisons take the chance to win a 120-pound tossup, though Sipes was not in their lineup on Thursday night. I give Bedford the edge at 126, 132, and 138, if they don't bump Easter and Thomas, and use Mehle at 132. Brett-Claar at 145 or Brett-Crouse at 152 could happen. Wherever Brett doesn't go between 145-160, Ridge will be favored to win the other two with some combination of Claar, Crouse, and Hillegass. I'd favor Bedford at 170, but Chestnut Ridge in three of the last four with 220 being a tossup. This one is always a hard one to call, however, I don't see Bedford having enough in the arsenal to pull out a victory.

   Prediction: Chestnut Ridge, 36-21.

Thursday recap

   Here are results from a rather busy night in local wrestling. I was at the Chestnut Ridge-North Star match and covered it for the Bedford Gazette. To read my story, pick a copy up or subscribe online.
   In short, the Lions dominated this matchup. Strong matching 8-2 wins by Sam Shank and Derrick Claar over Michael Baker and Tevin Mostoller at 138 and 145, respectively. Kyle Winegardner's 4-2 decision gave North Star's Hunter Connor his first loss, while Colby Hillegass almost beat unbeaten Corey Fritch at 152. He was very close to catching Fritch on his back in the second period. In the third, Hillegass got out to tie the bout, but Fritch prevailed on a late takedown.
   North Star had to forfeit 106, 113, and 126. I didn't get any hard information on what the case was with the Cougars there at 106 and 113. Still, Ridge's Aaron Burkett and Blake Dunlap would have been heavily favored anyway.

CHESTNUT RIDGE 46, NORTH STAR 21

106 - Aaron Burkett, CR, won by forfeit.

113 - Blake Dunlap, CR, won by forfeit.

120 - Colton Gennett, NS, pinned Luke Hobson, 3:42.

126 - Dustin Ickes, CR, won by forfeit.

132 - Morgan Deremer, CR, maj. dec. Brady Gardner, 10-0.

  138 - Sam Shank, CR, dec. Michael Baker, 8-2.

145 - Derrick Claar, CR, dec. Tevin Mostoller, 8-2.

152 - Corey Fritch, NS, dec. Colby Hillegass, 5-3.

160 - Trent Crouse, CR, dec. Gus Strasiser, 6-0.

170 - Dillion Charlton, NS, pinned Ben Clark, 1:23.

182 - Kyle Winegardner, CR, dec. Hunter Connor, 4-2.

195 - Conner Buttry, CR, pinned Ray Burley, 1:03.

220 - Kevin Horner, NS, pinned Jon Heming, 1:12.

285 - Austin Buttry, CR, pinned Brady Vinisky, 0:43.

BEDFORD 38, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS 33

113 - No match.

120 - Jonathan Gabriel, B, pinned Mark Zabinski, 1:26.

126 - Jake Warren, B, pinned Brody Mezzello, 0:47.

132 - Ryan Easter, B, pinned Daniel Wilkie, 0:17.

138 - Garrett Thomas, B, tech. fall, Eric Kuskoski, 19-4, 4:49.

145 - Ray Niebauer, CH, pinned Devon Karns, 0:59.

152 - Toby Brett, B, dec. Richard Legros, 9-5.

160 - Levi Niebauer, CH, pinned Ryan Wertz, 1:05.

170 - Daniel Brett, B, pinned McDevitt, 0:14.

182 - Link, pinned Chance Williams, 3:53.

195 - Hoover, CH, pinned Brayden Crawley, 1:38.

220 - Mezzello, CH, Matt Kline, 1:59.

285 - Gill, CH, dec. Nate Shoemaker, 2-0.

106 - Noah Baughman, B, won by forfeit.

NORTHERN BEDFORD 57, EVERETT 15

138 - Mahlon Akers, E, dec. Marcus Crawford, 11-7.

145 - Austin Heck, NB, pinned Mike Rininger, 1:21.

152 - Ridge Hershberger, NB, won by forfeit.

160 - Chris Eichelberger, NB, pinned Wes Graham, 5:36.

170 - Dakota Brunner, NB, pinned Seth Mantia, 2:59.

182 - Lucas Kolinchak, NB, dec. Cody Sheeder, 6-0.

195 - Mason Guyer, NB, pinned Travis Shoemaker, 0:19.

220 - Jesse Claar, NB, pinned Zach Claycomb, 2:25.

285 - Devin Reed, E, pinned Chase Ott, 1:21.

106 - Zach Clark, NB, pinned Landon Bambling, 3:52.

113 - Trey Childers, NB, dec. Dalton Klotz, 7-2.

120 - Selena Munoz, E, won by forfeit.

126 - Jared Helsley, NB, dec. Ben Stover, 4-1.

132 - Carter Replogle, NB, won by forfeit.

BELLWOOD-ANTIS 36, CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL 30

145 - Claar, BA, dec. James Dunmore, 10-5.

152 - C. Knisely, BA, major dec. Scott Walter, 12-2.

160 - Je. Wilson, BA, dec. Dakotah Feathers, 6-2.

170 - Torsell, BA, tech. fall, Justin Hammel, 16-1, 3:40.

182 - Huff, BA, pinned Jacob Hypes, 2:46.

195 - B. Knisely, BA, pinned Owen Musselman, 3:18.

220 - Tyler Elder, CK, pinned Hunter, 4:24.

285 - Nagle, BA, dec. Walker, 2-1.

106 - No match.

113 - Dakota Walter, CK, won by forfeit.

120 - Jakob Dodson, CK, won by forfeit.

126 - Alan Wright, CK, won by forfeit.

132 - Jo. Wilson, BA, pinned Trenton Ritchey, 2:45.

138 - Cole Hypes, CK, pinned Waite, 4:27.

North Star at Chestnut Ridge preview

North Star (1-1) at Chestnut Ridge (1-0)

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Probable Lineups

(North Star wrestlers listed first, with season record, last year's record if applicable in parenthesis)

106 - Sr. Lenny Beeman (4-2, 18-11) vs. So. Aaron Burkett (1-0, 32-9)
113 - So. Eric Colangelo (3-3) vs. So. Blake Dunlap (1-0, 12-5)
120 - Sr. Colton Gennett (3-2, 4-12) vs. Jr. Luke Hobson (0-1, 4-1)
126 - No entry or Gennett vs. Sr. Dustin Ickes (0-1, 5-6)
132 - So. Brady Gardner (1-5) vs. Fr. Morgan Deremer (0-1)
138 - Jr. Michael Baker (4-1, 4-14) vs. Sr. Sam Shank (1-0, 21-14)
145 - Jr. Tevin Mostoller (5-2, 27-10) vs. Jr. Derrick Claar (1-0, 33-12)
152 - Sr. Corey Fritch (6-0, 24-14) vs. Jr. Colby Hillegass (1-0, 21-18)
160 - So. Gus Strasiser (4-2) vs. Jr. Trent Crouse (1-0, 35-8)
170 - So. Dillion Charlton (5-1) vs. Sr. Ben Clark (0-1, 4-6)
182 - Jr. Hunter Connor (6-0, 14-13) vs. Sr. Kyle Winegardner (1-0, 23-19)
195 - Sr. Ray Burley (2-4) vs. So. Conner Buttry (1-0, 17-17)
220 - Sr. Kevin Horner (4-2, 16-15) vs. Jr. Jon Heming (0-1)
285 - Jr. Brady Vinisky (0-4, 2-10) vs. Sr. Austin Buttry (1-0, 40-8 State 5th)

   Analysis: Chestnut Ridge hits the mat for just the second time while North Star has seen much more action so far this season. Based on the above projected matchups, Chestnut Ridge is favored at 106, 113, 160, 195, and 285, and could get a lot of bonus points in any or all of those. I'll give North Star an edge at 170 and 220. I'm calling 120, 132, 138, 145, 152, and 182 tossups. While Baker, Mostoller, Fritch, and Connor are off to strong starts for the Cougars, their possible Lion counterparts — Shank, Claar, Hillegass, and Winegardner — are all proven veterans. Mostoller-Claar at 145 could be the highlight bout. The unknown here for the Cougars would be the status of seniors Luke Lepley (12-16 at 145 last season) and Thomas Miller (11-17 at 170). Reports have Lepley possibly out for an extended time, and Miller just back to the practice room. Hard to see the visitors making this very close unless they win most of the tossups and hold the Lions' bonus points to a minimum.

Prediction: Chestnut Ridge, 42-19.
 

Tuesday recap

Not much locally on Tuesday's card, but here are two box scores.


NORTHERN BEDFORD 59, TUSSEY MOUNTAIN 13
106 - Oaklee Brode, TM, dec. Zach Clark, 6-2.
113 - Trey Childers, NB, pinned Brent Leabhart, 1:41.
120 - Dylan Park, TM, won by forfeit.
126 - Jared Helsley, NB, pinned Brennan Price, 1:27.
132 - Carter Replogle, NB, won by forfeit.
138 - Marcus Crawford, NB, won by forfeit.
145 - Austin Heck, NB, pinned Tyler Rupeka, 0:43.
152 - Ridge Hershberger, NB, maj. dec. Brian Dolly, 13-5.
160 - Quinn Barnett, TM, maj. dec. Dakota Brunner, 17-4.
170 - Lucas Kolinchak, NB, dec. Wyatt Brumbaugh, 9-2.
182 - Mason Guyer, NB, pinned Skyler Brumbaugh, 2:27.
195 - No Match.
220 - Jesse Claar, NB, pinned Enzo Marin, 0:30.
285 - Chase Ott, NB, pinned Chris Morales, 0:35.


BELLWOOD-ANTIS 48, EVERETT 27
113 - Dalton Klotz, E, won by forfeit.
120 - No match.
126 - Ben Stover, E, won by forfeit.
132 - Josh Wilson, BA, won by forfeit.
138 - Mahlon Akers, E, dec. Jonathan Waite, 2-0.
145 - Nate Claar, BA, pinned Michael Rininger, 0:35.
152 - Caleb Knisely, BA, won by forfeit.
160 - Jeremy Wilson, BA, pinned Seth Mantia, 0:46.
170 - Nick Torsell, BA, pinned Waylon Brennan, 3:29.
182 - Dallas Huff, BA, pinned Wes Graham, 1:51.
195 - Bruce Kniserly, BA, pinned Travis Shoemaker, 0:52.
220 - Ethan Hunter, BA, pinned Zach Claycomb, 3:40.
285 - Devin Reed, E, won by forfeit.
106 - Landon Bambling, E, won by forfeit.

Chestnut Ridge enters Towanda Duals

   Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor notified me of the Lions participation in next Monday's Towanda Duals.
   Due to snow on Saturday, the Jarvis Tournament in Athens was postponed to this Saturday. Of course, that's also the day for Chestnut Ridge hosting rival Bedford, so the defending District 5 champions had to completely pull out of Athens, leaving them points available.
   As well as host Towanda, Monday's action is expected to include Central Columbia, E.L. Meyers, Hanover Area, Western Wayne, Williamson, and Tioga, NY. Ridge does have some familiarity with Central Columbia, as the two met in a third round consolation round match at the PIAA State Duals last season. The Lions won a nailbiter, 28-27.

Monday News and Notes

 
Hard to be a King
   The only wrestling that went on involving my locals this past weekend was at the King of the Mountain Tournament, where Bedford competed with senior Ryan Easter and sophomore Jonathan Gabriel placing fifth and sixth at 132 and 113 pounds, respectively.
   I didn't make the trip to Central Mountain this year, but I've stated before that this event is harder to win than a state title. Once again, this year's brackets show that. You can access them here.
   There are plenty of weights where the top kids are mixed between Class AA and Class AAA teams, plus there's often championship caliber out of state wrestlers in the field too. It's obviously early in the season, so there's not a lot of tuneup time for it, and a lot of kids aren't at their true weight classes yet.
Say it ain't Snow
   This weekend's action was hampered with the snowstorm that hit the area on Saturday. That wiped out the ICC Duals at Tussey Mountain, while Chestnut Ridge was entered into a very good looking field at the Jarvis Tournament up in Athens. That event was cancelled, while the ICC Duals will be made up on Friday, January 3. I was planning on heading to Tussey, where I wanted to see District 6 teams Moshannon Valley and West Branch as well as get a glimpse of Everett heavyweight Devin Reed, who moved in from James Buchanan in the offseason and made waves in his Warrior debut with a pin of Mount Union's Nik Smith, a D6-AA third-placer last winter.
   Meanwhile, Chestnut Ridge hasn't seen a lot of mat time with only one match so far. The Lions have two key District 5 matches later this week, which you can see below.
Palovcsik a Hall of Famer
   Congratulations to former Everett coach Norm Palovcsik, who will be inducted with eight others into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
   Palovcsik, who coached at Everett in the 1970's, was a state champion for Clearfield in 1968 and a three-time district champion. Currently, he is the tournament director at the King of the Mountain Tournament and also puts out the PA Wrestling Roundup newsletter.
   Among the others to be inducted are the late Jim Butler, who passed away in 2012, and current Nazareth coach Dave Crowell.
   Butler worked for years as a photographer at the Clearfield Progress, and he was instrumental in seeing young wrestlers achieve more through offseason tournaments, where he would often take them to.
   Crowell is the only coach in Pennsylvania to have guided at least one wrestler to a state championship for three different schools (Easton and Nazareth in Class AAA, Wilson Area in Class AA).
   The induction ceremony takes place in April.
Hawks appear to still be Golden
   Like it or not, Bethlehem Catholic looks like Class AA's top team across the state again.
   While there are no Cruz's in the Golden Hawks' lineup for a change, there is still plenty of firepower. I knew that they had seven state qualifiers back, and it appears as if there is a new group of youngsters to carry the torch. Two freshmen, Jake Riegel and Mikey Labriola, placed in the top three at their weights in the King of the Mountain.
The Numbers Game
   The PIAA enrollment numbers are out for the next two-year cycle, beginning with next fall's sports seasons.
   In wrestling, there aren't a whole lot of notable changes. Speaking of Bethlehem Catholic as I did before, rumors I heard of a potential move to Class AAA were just that. The Golden Hawks are remaining in Class AA. In this region, Bald Eagle Area and Philipsburg-Osceola will continue to be wrestling up in Class AAA despite being AA size. Johnstown is moving down to Class AA.
   There are 11 schools listed as Class AA that will be wrestling up. Aside from Bald Eagle and Philipsburg, the others are Middletown of District 3, Waynesburg of District 7, Westinghouse in District 8, Bradford, Clearfield, Punxsutawney, and St. Mary's in District 9, and District 10's Oil City and Titusville.
This Week on the Local Mats
Tuesday
   Everett at Bellwood
   HOPE for Hyndman at Keyser (WV)
   Northern Bedford at Tussey Mountain
Thursday
   Bedford at Cambria Heights
   North Star at Chestnut Ridge
   Bellwood at Claysburg
   Everett at Northern Bedford
   HOPE for Hyndman at Mountain Ridge (Md.)
Friday
   Central at Tussey Mountain
Saturday
   Bedford at Chestnut Ridge

King of the Mountain Final Summary

   Below is a Bedford summary plus all the place bout results from today's action at the King of the Mountain Tournament. The Bisons had two placewinners, with Jonathan Gabriel 6th at 113 and Ryan Easter 5th at 132. This is obviously a high quality event, and while I'm sure Easter and Gabriel are disappointed in their finishes, they will be better off for it down the line.    Bethlehem Catholic had 10 placewinners and won the tournament for the second year in a row. The Golden Hawks scored 201 points, beating Boyertown, Cumberland Valley, Latrobe, and Parkland who rounded out the top five.

Bedford results from Saturday at King of the Mountain Tournament.
Wrestleback Sixth Round
113 -  #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) DEC #9-David Campbell (Boyertown) M 8-0
138 -  #3-KELLER WATKINS (General McLane) DEC #7-Garrett Thomas (Bedford) D 5-0
Championship Semi-Finals Round
132 -  #10-Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford) DEC #3-Ryan Easter (Bedford) D 2-0
Wrestleback Quarter-Finals
113 - #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) DEC #7-Luke Leathers (Bellefonte) D 5-2
Wrestleback Semi-Finals
113 - #1-Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) M 11-0
132 - #4-Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs) DEC #3-Ryan Easter (Bedford) D 4-2;SV1

Finals - Fifth Place
113 - #4-Jacob Lizak (Parkland) DEC #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) D 3-1

132 - #3-Ryan Easter (Bedford) DEC #5-Trevor Corl (Bellefonte) D 2-1;SV1

 

Final Round Summary

Wt 106

1st: #3-Riley Palmer (Council Rock South) DEC #1-William Kaldes (Cumberland Valley) D 3-0

3rd: #5-Jake Riegel (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC #2-Jakob Campbell (Boyertown) D 2-1

5th: Hunter Zondory (Jersey Shore) WBF #7-Vincent Distefanis (Hempfield) F 4:28

7th: #8-Chase Mowery (South Western) WBF #9-Collin Klinger (Line Mountain) F 1:56

Wt 113

1st: #2-JOE WHEELING (General McLane) DEC #5-Charlie Lenox (Erie McDowell) D 2-1

3rd: #1-Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC #6-Ethan McCoy (Greater Latrobe) D 7-4

5th: #4-Jacob Lizak (Parkland) DEC #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) D 3-1

7th: Wyatt Long (Cumberland Valley) DEC #7-Luke Leathers (Bellefonte) D 4-2

Wt 120

1st: #3-Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe) DEC #1-Ethan Lizak (Parkland) D 4-3 OT

3rd: #2-Korbin Myers (Boiling Springs) WBF #7-Ricky Cavallo (Hempfield) F M FOR

5th: #5-Owen Wherley (South Western) DEC #4-Willis Gruver (Redbank Valley) D 2-1

7th: #11-Zack Trampe (Council Rock South) DEC Joey Gould (Bethlehem Catholic) D 5-1

Wt 126

1st: #1-Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC #2-Josh Giorgio (Schuylkill Valley) D 8-4

3rd: #5-Grant Bond (Boiling Springs) DEC #3-LUCAS MILLER (Boyertown) D 3-1

5th: #6-Zack Clingan (Spring Grove) DEC #4-Shae Bloom (DuBois) M 14-0

7th: Harry Murray (Council Rock South) DEC #9-Tyler Kuzma (Fort LeBoeuf) D 4-3

Wt 132

1st: #1-Sam Krivus (Hempfield) DEC #10-Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford) D 1-0

3rd: #2-Will Koll (Lansing) DEC #4-Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs) D 6-2

5th: #3-Ryan Easter (Bedford) DEC #5-Trevor Corl (Bellefonte) D 2-1

7th: #7-Stephen Maloney (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC #6-JR Andrejcik (Burrell) D 5-3

Wt 138

1st: #1-Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County) WBF #6-Mikey Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic) F 2:19

3rd: #4-Joey Alessandro (Hempfield) DEC #2-EDDIE KRICZKY (Boyertown) D 2-1

5th: #3-KELLER WATKINS (General McLane) DEC Alex Wolfe (Cumberland Valley) D 4-2

7th: #8-Scott Cooper (Biglerville) DEC Dylan Schwartz (Council Rock South) D 2-1

Wt 145

1st: #1-Jason Nolf (Kittanning) DEC #2-Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley) M 22-8

3rd: #5-Corey Falleroni (Burrell) WBF #3-George McGuire (Fort LeBoeuf) F FOR

5th: DYLAN WERTZ (Boyertown) DEC #4-Jasper Hankey (Biglerville) D 5-4

7th: #6-Mason Angstadt (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC Lucas Martoccio (Council Rock South) D 7-1

Wt 152

1st: #3-Steve Edwards (Burrell) DEC #4-Mason Bentzel (Spring Grove) D 9-4

3rd: #1-Cole Walter (Mifflinburg) DEC Noah Stewart (Mifflin County) D 3-1

5th: #7-Jeffery Reimel (North Penn) DEC Dominic Vitale (Benton) D 4-2

7th: #2-Josh Ortman (Parkland) WBF Felix Belga (Cumberland Valley) F 3:47

Wt 160

1st: #1-TC Warner (Cumberland Valley) DEC #2-Jeric Kasunic (Benton) M 9-1

3rd: #4-Dom Scalise (Greater Latrobe) DEC #6-Chad Reese (Central Mountain) M 11-1

5th: #3-Drew Doak (Blairsville) DEC #5-Devin Austin (Penn Trafford) D 3-2

7th: #7-GREGG HARVEY (Boyertown) DEC Marcus Kehr (Spring Grove) D 9-3

Wt 170

1st: #1-Nick Cortopassi (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC #2-Corey Hazel (Penns Valley) D 4-3

3rd: #4-Jake Jakobsen (Stroudsburg) DEC #5-Gavin Caprio (Central Mountain) D 5-1

5th: #3-CODY RICHMOND (Boyertown) WBF Brad Miccio (Benton) F 1:52

7th: Frank Guida (Parkland) DEC Brandon Rudy (Cumberland Valley) D 7-6

Wt 182

1st: #1-Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe) DEC #3-Tyree Spearman (Erie McDowell) M 15-5

3rd: #4-Scott Thompson (Blairsville) DEC #5-Alex Price (North Penn) D 4-2

5th: #2-Jose Ortiz (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC Trenton Cook (Cumberland Valley) D 7-5

7th: Trey Hartsock (Mifflin County) DEC #6-Jack McGillick (Penn Trafford) D 7-1

Wt 195

1st: #1-Tom Sleigh (DuBois) DEC #2-Nezar Haddad (Parkland) D 2-1

3rd: #6-JORDAN WERTZ (Boyertown) DEC Jacob Robb (Kittanning) D 4-2

5th: #3-CHRIS LAIRD (General McLane) DEC #4-Logan Womelsodorf (Benton) D 6-0

7th: #5-Kyle Taylor (Boiling Springs) DEC Garrette Reinwald (Fort LeBoeuf) D 5-2

Wt 220

1st: #1-JORDAN WOOD (Boyertown) DEC #2-Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic) D 5-1

3rd: #3-Omar Haddad (Parkland) DEC #5-Seth Janney (South Western) D 4-3

5th: Freddie Mantsch (Hempfield) WBF #8-Kevin Hughes (Stroudsburg) F 2:28

7th: #6-Cameron Porter (Central Mountain) DEC Timmy Pearce (Mifflin County) D 2-1

Wt 285

1st: #2-Allan Beattie (Burrell) DEC #1-Nazar Mironenko (Mifflinburg) D 4-2

3rd: #4-Scot Augustine (Erie McDowell) DEC #5-Cody Cooper (Stroudsburg) D 2-1

5th: #3-Nate Conti (Fort LeBoeuf) WBF #6-Tyler Mears (Greater Latrobe) F M FOR

7th: IAN MALLORY (General McLane) WBF #8-Noah Davis (Boiling Springs) F 2:00

 

Bedford update at King of the Mountain

   Thanks to Lynn Gray for this composite report of Bedford at the King of the Mountain. Ryan Easter, in the 132-pound semifinals, will wrestle Penn-Trafford's Cameron Coy, who picked off defending champ  and NY state champion Will Koll of Lansing, 5-4.

Bout-By-Bout Results

2013 KOM

Bedford

Championship Second Round

40 #4-Aaron Witherite (Bellefonte) WBF Noah Baughman (Bedford) F 2:53

106

167 #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) WBF Adam Penbleton (Stroudsburg) F 1:10

113

294 Mason Shuman (Schuylkill Valley) WBTF Zach Sipes (Bedford) T 18-3; 4:15

120

425 Mikey OBrien (North Penn) DEC Jabel Warren (Bedford) D 8-6

126

545 #3-Ryan Easter (Bedford) WBTF Austin Gahr (DuBois) T 18-2; 2:55

132

675 Dylan Schwartz (Council Rock South) DEC #7-Garrett Thomas (Bedford) D 5-3

138

791 DEANE TWITCHELL (General McLane) WBF Devon Karns (Bedford) F 3:47

145

927 Noah Stewart (Mifflin County) WBF Ryan Wertz (Bedford) F 1:51

152

1041 #1-TC Warner (Cumberland Valley) WBF Uriah Costal (Bedford) F 0:10

160

1176 Daniel Brett (Bedford) WBF Scott Mackin (Council Rock South) F 2:23

170

1294 Chance Williams (Bedford) DEC Lou Maser (Hempfield) D 2-1

182

1432 Nate Lose (Jersey Shore) WBF Brayden Crawley (Bedford) F 3:50

195

1553 #3-Omar Haddad (Parkland) WBF Matt Kline (Bedford) F 1:19

220

1680 Nathan Shoemaker (Bedford) DEC Juan Martinez (Biglerville) D 8-1

285

Championship Third Round

179 #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) DEC Wyatt Long (Cumberland Valley) M 13-1

113

557 #3-Ryan Easter (Bedford) DEC Luke Peterson (Erie McDowell) D 8-1

132

1187 #3-CODY RICHMOND (Boyertown) WBF Daniel Brett (Bedford) F 3:24

170

1309 #1-Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe) WBF Chance Williams (Bedford) F 3:06

182

1691 #3-Nate Conti (Fort LeBoeuf) WBF Nathan Shoemaker (Bedford) F 1:16

285

Wrestleback Third Round

99 Noah Baughman (Bedford) WBF Matt Lukon (Greater Latrobe) F 1:21

106

352 Patrick Wetzel (Mifflinburg) WBF Zach Sipes (Bedford) F 1:39

120

732 #7-Garrett Thomas (Bedford) WBF Josh Lunger (DuBois) F 2:10

138

853 Clint Wright (South Western) DEC Devon Karns (Bedford) D 3-1

145

984 Gage Thomas (South Western) WBF Ryan Wertz (Bedford) F 2:38

152

1104 Travis Wickard (Boiling Springs) WBTF Uriah Costal (Bedford) T 16-0; 3:34

160

1488 #7-Logan Bowman (South Western) WBF Brayden Crawley (Bedford) F 0:41

195

1612 Matt Kline (Bedford) DEC Jared Sivco (Benton) M 12-0

220

Wrestleback Fourth Round

107 Will Laughlin (North Penn) DEC Noah Baughman (Bedford) D 8-4

106

489 Jabel Warren (Bedford) WBTF Daulton Wilson (Mifflin County) T 16-1; 3:28

126

740 #7-Garrett Thomas (Bedford) DEC #9-Noah Burkhart (Erie McDowell) M 8-0

138

1241 Frank Guida (Parkland) DEC Daniel Brett (Bedford) M 12-2

170

1371 Chance Williams (Bedford) WBF Adam Steiner (General McLane) F 3:23

182

1620 #4-Cal Haines (Redbank Valley) WBF Matt Kline (Bedford) F 0:48

220

1745 Paulie Aaroe (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC Nathan Shoemaker (Bedford) D 3-1;SV1

285

Championship Quarter-Finals Ro

185 #6-Ethan McCoy (Greater Latrobe) DEC #3-Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) D 8-6

113

563 #3-Ryan Easter (Bedford) DEC #6-JR Andrejcik (Burrell) D 4-2

132

Wrestleback Fifth Round

493 #9-Tyler Kuzma (Fort LeBoeuf) DEC Jabel Warren (Bedford) D 3-0

126

745 #7-Garrett Thomas (Bedford) DEC Tanner White (Schuylkill Valley) D 3-2

138

1375 #8-Dominic Loffredo (Jersey Shore) DEC Chance Williams (Bedford) D 5-4

Wrestling News and Notes

— With the impending winter storm approaching, two wrestling events for Saturday have been wiped out. The ICC North/South Duals at Tussey Mountain will now be held on Friday, January 3. A revised schedule has not be released, but I am told that weigh-ins will be held at 4 p.m.
   The Jarvis Memorial Tournament at Athens HS, featuring Chestnut Ridge, has been cancelled. The Lions will now have points available for use. Coach Greg Lazor was hoping to find an alternative, even using myself as a resource this afternoon, but as of this blog posting, nothing has been found as the snow will likely scrap the day locally except for the already ongoing tournaments at Central Mountain and Penn Cambria.
   Chestnut Ridge's next scheduled match is a home date with North Star on Thursday.

— I didn't get to this earlier in the week, but a big upset in District 3 occurred as Shippensburg beat Boiling Springs, 36-26. Shippensburg is Class AAA, but there were only three returning wrestlers to that team this year that had a winning record last season. On the other side, Boiling Springs has a core group of studs back from last year that includes state medalists Korbin Myers and Kyle Shoop. I did see the Bubblers were ranked as high as second in Class AA in preseason state rankings. The X-factor for Boiling Springs might be the state of their coaching staff, after head coach Rod Wright was charged with drug possession in April. I'm not privy to all the details and not sure what his status is of now, though I believe he is not on the bench early in the season.

Thursday recap and KOM Seeds

NORTHERN BEDFORD 33, CENTRAL 32

160 - Mike Mock, C, pinned Dakota Brunner, 2:26.

170 - Lucas Kolinchak, NB, pinned Jeremiah Albright, 1:40.

182 - No Match.

195 - Mason Guyer, NB, pinned Blake Burket, 0:47.

220 - Austin Conrath, C, dec. Jesse Claar, 5-2.

285 - Chase Ott, NB, pinned Wes Hueston, 3:05.

106 - Zach Clark, NB, pinned Devon Mountain, 5:00.

113 - Brock Biddle, C, pinned Trey Childers, 3:49.

120 - Kale Burket, C, won by forfeit.

126 - Ethan Kennedy, C, dec. Jared Helsley, 4-2.

132 - Carter Replogle, NB, pinned Collin Ulery, 4:26.

138 - Nick Hoenstine, C, tech. fall Ridge Hershberger, 20-5, 5:28.

145 - Bryce Biddle, C, dec. Marcus Crawford, 7-2.

152 - Austin Heck, NB, dec. Trae Shirey, 7-6.

   I attended this match and it was a good one. Both teams were missing regulars. Most notable of those was Central's Jordan Quarello. After hearing rumors of Quarello's likely longterm absence, I confirmed with Dragons' coach Mike Shippy that Quarello is out for the season. He either has or will have shoulder surgery. The decision was made to do it this year so that Quarello has two years left to build on a 25-7 freshman season that included a District 6-AA third place medal. Tough break for Central, but it seems to be the right move for a talented kid.

   Back to the match, where several Northern Bedford youngsters stepped forward and showed themselves very well. Among them were freshmen Zach Clark at 106 and Carter Replogle at 132. Clark dominated Central's Devon Mountain before decking him. Replogle is built much like his older brother Mason, tall and lanky. I look for both to have good seasons. 

Other Scores

Chestnut Ridge 40, Philipsburg 25

Claysburg 36, Southern Huntingdon 33

Everett 48, Juniata Valley 25

Mount Union 70, Tussey Mountain 12

Link for King of the Mountain seeding, top 10 seeds listed.

http://CentralMountainHighSchool.bigteams.com/siteRepository/1759/userfiles/2013-KOM-seeding-file.pdf

King of the Mountain Info

2013 King of the Mountain Tournament at Central Mountain HS

Friday's Schedule (8 mats used all day)
Wrestling begins at 11 a.m. - Round 1/Consy Round 1/Round 2/Consy Round 2/Consy Round 3

Saturday's Schedule
Quarterfinals and Consy Round 4 - 10 a.m. (5 mats)
Semifinals and Consy Round 5 - 12:45 p.m. (5 mats)
Consy Round 6 - 2:30 p.m. (4 mats)
Finals and Consy Finals - 4:45 p.m. (4 mats)

Teams
Bedford, Bellefonte, Benton, Bethlehem Catholic, Biglerville, Blairsville, Boiling Springs, Boyertown, Burrell, Calvary Christian Academy, Central Mountain, Council Rock South, Cumberland Valley, DuBois, Erie McDowell, Fort LeBoeuf, General McLane, Greater Latrobe, Hempfield (D7), Jersey Shore, Kittanning, Lansing (NY), Line Mountain, Mifflinburg, Mifflin County, North Penn, Parkland, Penn Trafford, Penns Valley, Redbank Valley, Schuylkill Valley, South Western, Spring Grove, Stroudsburg.

State Medalists in the field
1st
Will Koll, Lansing (NY)
Sam Krivus, Hempfield (AAA)
Ethan Lizak, Parkland (AAA)
Nazar Mironenko, Mifflinburg (2012)
Jason Nolf, Kittanning
Luke Pletcher, Greater Latrobe (AAA)

2nd
Patrick Duggan, Cumberland Valley (AAA)
Ryan Easter, Bedford
Luke Karam, Bethlehem Catholic
Conner Lepresi, Lansing (NY)
Zeke Moisey, Bethlehem Catholic
T.C. Warner, Cumberland Valley (AAA)
Jordan Wood, Boyertown (AAA)

3rd
Korbin Myers, Boiling Springs
Kyle Shoop, Boiling Springs
Tom Sleigh, DuBois (AAA)
Zach Zavatsky, Greater Latrobe (AAA)

4th
None

5th
Tyree Spearman, Erie McDowell (AAA)

6th
Andrew Dunn, Bethlehem Catholic
Steven Edwards, Burrell
Jeric Kasunic, Benton

7th
Mason Bentzel, Spring Grove (AAA)
Andrew Doak, Blairsville
Willie Gruver, Redbank Valley
Cole Walter, Mifflinburg

8th
Cameron Newman, Line Mountain
Josh Ortman, Parkland (AAA)

Tuesday recap

   Three of the four matches in my coverage area were wrestled on Tuesday night. Here's a quick glance.

BEDFORD 34, NORTH STAR 32

145 - Garrett Thomas, B, dec. Tevin Mostoller, 6-4.

152 - Corey Fritch, NS, dec. Toby Brett, 3-2.

160 - Gus Strasiser, NS, pinned Ty Zimmerman, 3:37.

170 - Dillon Charlton, NS, maj. dec. Dan Brett, 11-3.

182 - Hunter Connor, NS, dec. Chance Williams, 4-2.

195 - Kevin Horner, NS, pinned Matt Kline, 1:02.

220 - Braden Crawley, B, dec. Ray Burley, 4-2.

285 - Nate Shoemaker, B, pinned Brady Vinisky, 1:11.

106 - Lenny Beeman, NS, won by forfeit.

113 - Eric Colangelo, NS, maj. dec. Noah Baughman, 15-4.

120 - Jonathan Gabriel, B, maj. dec. Colton Gennett, 16-2.

126 - Jake Warren, B, won by forfeit.

132 - Kyle Mehle, B, won by forfeit.

138 - Ryan Easter, B, won by forfeit.

   Bedford pulled out a two-point win at North Star. Bouts at 145 and 152 jump out right away. The Bison wrestlers there, Garrett Thomas and Toby Brett, were up in weight, but kudos to Mostoller and Fritch of North Star there, hanging with and beating one of Bedford's defending District 5 champions. The Cougars put together a nice run from 152-195. Bedford coach Brian Creps noted that Braden Crawley's win at 220 was big for his side, especially with the Bisons knowing they had some of their best wrestlers left to try and pull out the comeback victory. I was not at this match, so hard to analyze, but I'm sure Eric Knopsnyder will be doing that at Knop's Knotes.

CLAYSBURG 51, JUNIATA VALLEY 18

220 - Tyler Elder, CK, won by forfeit.

285 - James Walker, CK, won by forfeit.

106 - Jordan Musselman, CK, pinned Brice Fisher, 1:28.

113 - Dakota Walter, CK, won by forfeit.

120 - Hunter Kern, JV, pinned Alan Wright, 0:35.

126 - No Match.

132 - Matt Grubb, JV, dec. Trenton Ritchey, 13-6.

138 - Caleb Wagner, JV, dec. Cole Hypes, 7-3.

145 - Brent Troutman, JV, pinned Nick Custer-Sell, 3:17.

152 - Scott Walter, CK, pinned Sam Singer, 3:30.

160 - Dakotah Feathers, CK, dec. Damion Dunkle, 7-0.

170 - Justin Hammel, CK, pinned Ryan McMullen, 1:14.

182 - Jacob Hypes, CK, won by forfeit.

195 - Owen Musselman, CK, won by forfeit.

    I attended this match, not so much because I thought it would be a very strong one, but I am trying to see as many of my local teams as possible before my son is born (within the next 2-3 weeks). Justin Hammel looked as good as any of the Claysburg wrestlers in his quick pin. The marquee bout would have been 138, where Caleb Wagner is Valley's best returnee, while Hypes is one of the better Bulldogs. Wagner dominated this one on his feet to gain the victory.

MOUNT UNION 72, EVERETT 12

106 - Bryton Stidfole, MU, pinned Landon Bambling, 0:54.

113 - Mason Craig, MU, won by forfeit.

120 - Sage Moist, MU, won by forfeit.

126 - Jake Boozel, MU, won by forfeit.

132 - Robbie Steel, MU, pinned Ben Stover, 2:49.

138 - Mahlon Akers, E, pinned Curtis Jury, 4:12.

145 - Sam Estep, MU, pinned Mike Rininger, 0:26.

152 - Dylan Smith, MU, pinned Josh Bonner, 0:50.

160 - Austin Low, MU, pinned Wes Graham, 3:00.

170 - Devon Kylor, MU, pinned Seth Mantia, 1:43.

182 - D.J. Bookwalter, MU, pinned Cody Sheeder, 2:15.

195 - Phil Kyle, MU, pinned Travis Shoemaker, 0:13.

220 - Darrian Stapleton, MU, pinned Zach Claycomb, 0:28.

285 - Devin Reed, E, pinned Nik Smith, 5:24.

    Not surprised by this final as Mount Union is one of the more loaded lineups in District 6-AA this season. Nice win by Everett's Devin Reed at heavyweight. Reed is a transfer from James Buchanan, where he was 19-9 last year. Smith was 29-8 and finished third in the district tournament for the Trojans. I haven't seen Reed yet, but I've heard he's a very physical wrestler.

The upcoming week in Wrestling

Monday
HOPE for Hyndman at Portage - postponed until January 23.

Tuesday
Bedford at North Star
Juniata Valley at Claysburg
Everett at Mount Union
Southern Huntingdon at Northern Bedford
   Quick Look - Each of my local teams on tomorrow's card is involved in its season opener. Bedford goes to North Star to face a Cougar team coming off a pretty solid performance at the Conemaugh Township Tournament on Saturday. North Star had three champions and 13 placewinners. Meanwhile, Claysburg's Dave Aungst makes his varsity coaching debut at home.

Wednesday
HOPE for Hyndman, Martinsburg (WV) at Southern Garrett (Md.)

Thursday
Westmont at Bedford
Chestnut Ridge at Philipsburg
Claysburg at Southern Huntingdon
Everett at Juniata Valley
Central at Northern Bedford
Tussey Mountain at Mount Union
   Quick Look - The first huge night of wrestling in my area as six matches take place. Chestnut Ridge takes the varsity mat for the first time this winter in an outing at Philipsburg. The Mounties crowned three champs and finished second at their own hosted season-opening tournament on Saturday. Elsewhere, Bedford hosts Westmont in a clash of two usual frontrunners in the LHAC, while Northern Bedford is home to Central in what could be a pretty good match.

Friday
Bedford at King of the Mountain Tournament

Saturday
Bedford at King of the Mountain Tournament
Chestnut Ridge at Athens Tournament
ICC North/South Duals at Tussey Mountain
   Quick Look - Bedford returns to the very tough King of the Mountain Tournament at Central Mountain. The Bisons are still looking for an individual champion there after Jon Gabriel and Ryan Easter finished second last year. Easter is a three-time runner-up. Chestnut Ridge visits the Athens Tournament, and in the ICC Duals at Tussey, Everett, Northern Bedford, and the host Titans will each take on Glendale, Moshannon Valley, and West Branch.

Thoughts from Penn State-Pitt dual

 

   I attended Sunday's highly-anticipated dual between Penn State and Pitt at the sold-out Bryce Jordan Center. Most wrestling events I go to are for work purposes, but I made the trip with some friends as just a spectator this time. Here are some thoughts from the day.
New Record
   The attendance was reported at 15,996, which set a new mark for both Penn State and the NCAA. The Nittany Lions, who usually wrestle home meets in Rec Hall, drew over 11,000 for a match against Iowa in the BJC in 1996. The previous NCAA record was held by the Hawkeyes, who had in the 15,500 range for a match five years ago with Ohio State.
   Needless to say, the atmosphere was electric. The arena was set up like that of the NCAA Division I finals, where the mat is placed on a platform in the center. And a sizable Penn State student section was feet from the platform in one section on the floor.
Risky Racciato
   I've said it in newspaper columns and I'm saying it here again - Pitt's Michael Racciato (some call him Mikey) is just plain fun to watch.
   Racciato was one of Pitt's prized recruits this year, and he has cracked the starting lineup at 149 pounds. As a three-time Class AA state champion from Pen Argyl, Racciato has often shown off his best wrestling in front of big crowds.
   He did so again at Penn State. Racciato, a true freshman, took on PSU's James English, who is a sixth-year senior after taking a medical redshirt. Age gaps like that can make the difference sometimes. In the end, this one didn't matter.
   Racciato lives for the scrambles on the mat. That's his main game. For most of the bout, English kept him at bay and even built up riding time enough to earn a point. But in the final seconds of the bout, a scramble for position and points ensued. English appeared to have control, yet Racciato kept his hips moving and decked English with a cement job that gave the Panthers a 9-3 lead.
   I'm glad Racciato hasn't changed his style early in his career at the next level, where the multiple-time state champions dot nearly every Division I roster and the competition is so good across the board. Racciato was one of the Pitt youngsters I was hoping to see in action, and he delivered like he has many times before.
Other observations
   Penn State 184-pounder Wes Phipps looked very good. Filling in for the suspended Ed Ruth, Phipps dominated Pitt's Aaron Rothwell from the start, eventually winning by a 13-3 major decision. He was in on a deep single several times and showed off his strength by lifting Rothwell well off the mat on two occasions.
  I'm sure Phipps, a redshirt freshman from Grove City, gets beat up pretty good in practice by Ruth, so I would guess he's been chomping at the bit to take out any frustration on people in other singlets.
  I was also looking forward to seeing Penn State true freshman Zain Retherford at 141. His opponent, Edgar Bright, was not a name I was familiar with, though the fact he is a product of Ohio high school powerhouse St. Edward says something there. This was a good bout, not a lot of great action, but Retherford pulled out a 3-2 victory.
  Many people thought Retherford would be redshirted this season, but he's ranked #11 right now and it will be interesting to see how far he goes.
  

State Team Rankings

   PA Power Wrestling has released its 2013-14 Preseason Team Rankings. In Class AA, several teams in Districts 5 and 6 are mentioned. Chestnut Ridge, fourth in the state last season, is rated eighth this winter. Bedford, Berlin, Huntingdon, Mount Union, and West Branch are all tabbed as Honorable Mention.
   I would say in Berlin's case, it does not appear that PA Power took into account the addition of Taylor Cahill from Conemaugh Township. In the individual rankings, Cahill is still listed as a member of the Indians.
   Below is the Class AA Poll:

1. Bethlehem Catholic
2. Boiling Springs
3. Brookville
4. Bermudian Springs
5. Fort LeBoeuf
6. Saegertown
7. Reynolds
8. Chestnut Ridge
9. South Fayette
10. Saucon Valley
11. Palisades
12. Wyalusing

HM
Redbank Valley
West Branch
Bedford
Mount Union
Warrior Run
Berlin
Burrell
Huntingdon
Biglerville

Season is days away

   Are we there yet?
   Remember when you might have asked your parents that when you were going somewhere. Well, that question applies to me again here, when the wrestling season is within my vision of starting. I'm like a kid in a candy store this time of year.
   Locally, the season begins Saturday with one dual meet as Bedford hosts Claysburg. I'll be on hand to catch a first view of the Bisons and Bulldogs this year, before heading to Penn State on Sunday for the sold out match with Pitt at the Bryce Jordan Center.
   Next week's high school slate has a variety of matches and tournaments. To view a list of selected events, see http://springintosports.blogspot.com/2013/11/dates-to-remember-for-local-wrestling.html
   You can also access my preseason primer at http://springintosports.blogspot.com/2013/10/preseason-primer.html
   I do encourage everyone to get a copy of the Bedford Gazette's Winter Sports Preview, which comes out on Friday. In it, I have more of an in-depth look at each of the local teams. For now, here's a quick look at my early take on Districts 5 and 6 in Class AA this winter.

District 5
   Despite the last six years being dominated by Bedford and Chestnut Ridge, it's not a stretch at all to think the best team in District 5 may reside in Somerset County this season. But it very well could be as on paper, Berlin has to be considered a co-favorite going in, at the least. The Mountaineers already were going to be pretty good, with Joey Swank, Braden and Bryce Fochtman, and Stew Trulick leading them. Then came word that Taylor Cahill and younger brother Toby transferred in from Conemaugh Township. Taylor Cahill was one win from a state medal last season, while Toby Cahill finished second in the PJW Championships. The Fochtmans, Swank, and Trulick combined for 130 wins in a Berlin singlet.
   If Berlin is a co-favorite, the other is Chestnut Ridge, who lost seven seniors but has a strong nucleus of kids returning that should keep the Lions very formidable as they try to defend their district dual meet and tournament titles.
   And while Bedford may not be seen as one of the top squads overall, the Bisons have a handful of very good wrestlers, led by returning state finalist Ryan Easter.

District 6
   Based on who's coming back, it appears that the District 6-AA race is likely between Huntingdon, Mount Union, and West Branch. Huntingdon has nine wrestlers that won at least 20 bouts last season returning, and I know that Jacob Oliver is a promising newcomer for the Bearcats. Huntingdon is led by sophomore lightweight Collin Glorioso, a 39-bout winner and last year's third-place medalist at states. Mount Union's returning nucleus is senior-heavy with a lot of experience. West Branch welcomes back four 30-bout winners, including state medalist Morgan Selepack at heavyweight. I would also throw in Penns Valley as a darkhorse. The Rams have four or five solid kids, though they did lose Michael Rogers to Wyoming Seminary in the offseason.

   For a closer look at the returning wrestlers in both districts, Eric Knopsnyder did a nice job putting all of that together on his Knop's Knotes blog: http://knopsnyder.blogspot.com/2013/12/complete-guide-to-returning-wrestlers.html