Marstellar-Wiercioch

Link to Flowrestling's video of 1 vs. 2 in the nation. If you watched it live, watch it again. If you didn't see it, tune in. Incredible action, especially in the third period.

http://www.flowrestling.org/coverage/250000-Flomajor-10-2012-Powerade/video/674964-170-lbs-finals-Chance-Marsteller-Kenndard-Dale-vs-Cody-Wiercioch-Canon-McMillan

Southmoreland Finals results

2012 Southmoreland Holiday Classic
Team Key and Final Standings
Bt – Butler, 193; MP – Mount Pleasant, 148; G – Greenville, 145; NB – Northern Bedford, 145; Bl – Blairsville, 130.5; My – Meyersdale, 115.5; JM –Jefferson-Morgan, 113; V – Valley, 112; PR – Pine Richland, 102; WG – West Greene, 99.5; FH – Forest Hills, 98; SS – South Side, 91.5; Bn – Bentworth, 89.5; NS – North Star, 89; LV – Ligonier Valley, 88.5; Co – Corry, 86; Hi – Hickory, 85.5; Ho – Hollidaysburg, 79; MC  - Marion Center, 75; Sm – Southmoreland, 64; M – Mars, 58; F – Freedom, 56; SR – Slippery Rock, 56; Bg – Burgettstown, 54.5; B – Baldwin, 52; GC – Grove City, 47.5; Gt – Gateway, 44.5; BC – Beth-Center, 43.5; K – Knoch, 41; Ch – Charleroi, 38; H – Highlands, 21.5; J – Jeannette, 15; Ca – California, 3; R – Riverview, 0.

Championship Finals
106 – Austin Griffiths, Sm, maj. dec. Austin McDermitt, Bg, 11-2.
113 – Damian Huff, Ho, dec. Tristan Law, FH, 6-4.
120 – Nathan Reckner, SS, dec. Justin Patrick, LV, 5-3.
126 – Josh Patrick, LV, dec. David Kelly, PR, 4-2.
132 – Shane Gentry, SS, maj. dec. Tanner Hetrick, My, 11-2.
138 – Nick Gavazzi, Ch, dec. Noah Tarr, Bl, 3-1.
145 – Drew Gartland, NB, maj. dec. Jason Stay, BC, 9-1.
152 – Andrew Doak, Bl, dec. Boe Bonzo, F, 5-1.
160 – Cody Law, FH, dec. Brendan Burnham, PR, 7-3.
170 – Ryan Hannon, Bt, dec. Austin Davidson, Gt, 5-1.
182 – Dustin Conti, JM, dec. Terrell Fields, V, 7-1.
195 – Ryan Morris, Co, dec. Joe Hines, Hi, 6-3.
220 – Levi Albright, NS, dec. Eric Grace, NB, 9-7.
285 – Forrest Christmann, SR, dec. Jake Beistel, Sm, 8-5.

Outstanding Wrestler Award - Nathan Reckner, 120.

Southmoreland Finals Matchups

Here are the championship pairings for the Southmoreland Holiday Classic, set for later this afternoon.

106 - Austin Griffiths, Southmoreland vs. Austin McDermitt, Burgettstown
113 - Tristan Law, Forest Hills vs. Damian Huff, Hollidaysburg
120 - Justin Patrick, Ligonier Valley vs. Nathan Reckner, South Side
126 - Josh Patrick, Ligonier Valley vs. David Kelly, Pine Richland
132 - Shane Gentry, South Side vs. Tanner Hetrick, Meyersdale
138 - Noah Tarr, Blairsville vs. Nick Gavazzi, Charleroi
145 - Drew Gartland, Northern Bedford vs. Jason Stay, Beth-Center
152 - Drew Doak, Blairsville vs. Boe Bonzo, Freedom
160 - Cody Law, Forest Hills vs. Brendan Burnham, Pine Richland
170 - Ryan Hannon, Butler vs. Austin Davidson, Gateway
182 - Dustin Conti, Jefferson-Morgan vs. Terrell Fields, Valley
195 - Joe Hines, Hickory vs. Ryan Morris, Corry
220 - Eric Grace, Northern Bedford vs. Levi Albright, North Star
285 - Forrest Christmann, Slippery Rock vs. Jake Beistel, Southmoreland

Action-packed weekend

This is one weekend of wrestling where I wish I could be in three or four places at the same time. Along with my local schools Chestnut Ridge and Northern Bedford being involved at Chambersburg and Southmoreland, respectively, there are two big events on opposite ends of the state which began this morning. For more on Chambersburg and Southmoreland, read my previews about it from earlier in the week on this blog.
Most notably is the Powerade Tournament at Canon-McMillan, where a bevy of nationally-ranked wrestlers are in competition. Expected finals tomorrow night include a pair of 1 vs. 2 in the nation - Chance Marstellar and Cody Wiercioch at 170 pounds, and Kyle Snyder and Thomas Haines at 220.
Those two likely matchups, along with seeing several other studs in the building has me very tempted to make the drive to Canon-Mac. Only problem there is I don't have anyone to cover for what I get compensated for on here or in the Bedford Gazette.
The Bethlehem Holiday Classic at Liberty High School in the Lehigh Valley also started today and once again boasts a strong field that includes Central Dauphin in 2012. CD had gone to the Powerade in years past, but opted for an eastern trip this season. I've been to this event several times before, and it's been usually well-run and offered some of the nicest team and individual trophies I've seen in a high school tournament on top of its high caliber field.
Of course, I can only be at one place, but thanks for computers and smartphones, and websites like Flowrestling, TrackWrestling, and Twitter to be able to follow all the action.

Also, I'm potentially putting together a live chat for this coming Wednesday evening. I will post further details when I can. Last year, the live chats I held were a big hit and I hope it will be the same again. I wouldn't expect to hold any chats during tournament action later in the season. One issue is the Cover It Live chat platform has gone from a free service to an expensive pay service, so I was forced to find other outlets. The other is time. As much as I love chatting about the greatest sport and interacting with everyone, it's tough to chat, write, watch matches, interview wrestlers and coaches, etc. at the same time.

While I will be busy with the aforementioned, here's an upcoming "This date in local wrestling history" for the weekend.

On December 31, 1998...
Chestnut Ridge beat Tussey Mountain in a 31-30 barnburner that came down to the final minute of the final bout, where Lions' heavyweight Andy Miller scored an escape on Tussey's Ryan Kling for a 1-0 decision. The Titans' had a 24-3 lead at one point before Chestnut Ridge came storming back.

Holiday Tournament Action

Many of the local wrestling teams swing back into action over the next three days as we get closer to the beginning of 2013. Here's a closer look at what's on tap.

Note: Bedford will not be attending the Boiling Springs Tournament on Thursday. Due to the weather on Wednesday, the Bisons were forced to pull out of the event.

Friday and Saturday - Southmoreland Holiday Classic
In the field: Northern Bedford, Southmoreland, Riverview, Meyersdale, Jefferson-Morgan, West Greene, Corry, North Star, Blairsville, Forest Hills, Bentworth, Mount Pleasant, Ligonier Valley, Jeannette, Greenville, Baldwin, Valley, Knoch, Hickory, Freedom, Burgettstown, Gateway, Charleroi, Butler, Mars, Highlands, Marion Center, Hollidaysburg, South Side, Slippery Rock, Pine Richland, Grove City, Beth-Center.

Overview: This has become a solid event with schools ranging from District 5 to several WPIAL teams to a couple from District 10. Northern Bedford is the lone local. There will be several studs here, starting with defending champions Justin Patrick of Ligonier Valley, John Demaske of Jefferson-Morgan, Vince Vahaly of Bentworth, Noah Tarr of Blairsville, Cody Law of Forest Hills, and Dustin Conti of Jefferson-Morgan. The brothers of Patrick (Josh) and Law (Triston) should also be in the fold as well as Blairsville teammates Andrew Doak and Scott Thompson. Of course, there won't be a marquee bout such as Jason Nolf-Nick Roberts this year (Roberts graduated, Nolf and Kittanning at Powerade Tournament), but this event gives what can be a partial preview of the Southwest Regional in two months.

Saturday - Dale Bock Invitational at Chambersburg
In the field: Chestnut Ridge, Bermudian Springs, Chambersburg, Century, Fairfield, Southern Huntingdon, State College

Overview: James Buchanan was the 8th team originally scheduled here, but they appear to be a scratch. Some standout individuals here, including returning Class AAA state champion Garett Hammond, a Penn State recruit, of host Chambersburg. The Trojans also have state placewinner Tanner Shoap in the lower weights. Bermudian Springs is loaded with talent, notably state placewinner Tristan Sponseller and qualifiers Ted Marines and Austin Jackson. Chestnut Ridge brings its solid lineup in with a ton of confidence after a strong start that has included wins over rivals Bedford and Claysburg.

Elsewhere in dual meets, there are two on Thursday night. Claysburg hosts Mount Union, one of the better teams in District 6, while HOPE for Hyndman travels to Berlin.

This date in local wrestling history...

In a new feature to "Spring Into Sports," I'll be taking a look back at historical wrestling news from the pages of the Bedford Gazette. It will not be an everyday thing, but I hope to do so as often as possible throughout the wrestling season. Here's the first one:

On December 20, 1985...
Bedford opened its dual meet season with a 36-16 win at North Star, giving the program its 399th victory in history. The match was tied, 10-10, before a run of four straight wins by the Bisons that began with a pin from 126-pounder Robbie Ripple, who is currently Everett's head coach.

What's in a rivalry?

I enjoy my job every day. I get to go somewhere different, see something different, and then tell the story on a nightly basis. Rivalries in any sport are the most fun to cover in my opinion.
When I moved to Bedford County six and a half years ago, I of course didn't know where the rivalries were, but it didn't take me long to figure out where to find them. Bedford vs. Chestnut Ridge, Northern Bedford vs. Tussey Mountain, and just about any time that one of our local schools gets together with another one in any sport becomes one to circle on the schedule.
Last night's wrestling match between visiting Chestnut Ridge and host Bedford was the latest example. It's a match that's been anticipated ever since early February when the Bisons beat the Lions, 29-24, for the District 5 Dual Meet title to advance to Hershey for the PIAA team tournament.
Here's my basic ingredient list for a great rivalry, using the match, a 39-32 win for Chestnut Ridge, as the example.
- Talented individuals.
There wasn't any shortage of wrestling talent on the mat last night. I have no doubt that several of them from both sides will be in my coverage for the Gazette deep into the postseason.
- Outstanding play.
In this case, the 132-pound bout was an unbelievable highlight. Bedford's Garrett Thomas and Chestnut Ridge's Trent Crouse battled so hard for six-plus minutes (Thomas prevailed 5-3 in overtime) that it had to make anyone, no matter which side you were rooting for, be glad to have attended. Thomas twice was deep on a single, and twice Crouse got out of the jam, including the first with a funk. The Bedford wrestler didn't panic though as he scored a reversal for a lead. Crouse came back for a reversal of his own, but was nailed for stalling twice in the final 30 seconds to send it to the extra period.
- Passionate fans.
Each of these teams has a loud, boisterous group of fans which makes the atmosphere electric to say the least. Enough said.
- Intangibles.
By this, I'll give you two examples from last night. I'll start with the coaching. Both Bedford and Chestnut Ridge have great coaching staffs that allow their wrestlers to succeed at the highest level. They know how to work kids in the practice room, convert that work into the actual matches, and they are great motivators.
The other example of an intangible is the official, or officials in this case. Mike Eichelberger and Doug Fogel always do an outstanding job of what they are paid to do. They control the mat, protect the wrestlers, and keep things running smoothly. There's always going to be calls, no matter what sport, where fans and/or coaches don't agree with, and I know the Chestnut Ridge people didn't like Fogel's stalling calls, especially the second one, against Crouse. That said, I make my way to various matches/tournaments around the state this time of year, so I see a lot of different officials and styles of officiating. Personally, I regard both Doug and Mike as two of the best in Pennsylvania.
I saved quotes from Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor and Bedford coach Brian Creps for this blog. In it, they summed up the overall theme of the night.
"Our pep speech was pretty much 'If you need motivation for this match, then you need to go home because you're on the wrong team'," said Lazor.
"Any time these two teams with the wrestling traditions they have get together, it's going to be a fun match," added Creps. "If you're a wrestling fan and you didn't come to the match tonight, you sure did miss it, because it was a lot of fun."
If you didn't catch the match, read my story about it, along with five action photos, in today's Bedford Gazette. It's worth the read.

Intermat NCAA rankings

Link to Penn State's story about latest national rankings.
http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/121812aaa.html

State Rankings

Here are where District 5 and 6 wrestlers are in the Class AA state rankings by PA Power Rankings, as of last week. Keep in mind that some of them haven't been at the weights they are ranked at yet, it is more of a preseason list. I apologize in not getting these out earlier, but there was so much to do with the weekend tournaments. New rankings are expected out later this week.

106 pounds
5. Jon Gabriel, Bedford
7. Colin Glorioso, Huntingdon
15. Ian Ostrowski, Central Cambria
16. David Wiles, Marion Center

113 pounds
13. Derrick Claar, Chestnut Ridge
14. Logan Blackburn, Westmont
15. Tristan Law, Forest Hills
19. Sage Moist, Mount Union

120 pounds
2. Justin Patrick, Ligonier Valley
3. Ryan Easter, Bedford
15. Josh Brown, Claysburg
21. Mason Replogle, Northern Bedford

126 pounds
3. Josh Patrick, Ligonier Valley
10. Collin Day, Meyersdale
15. Joe Davis, Cambria Heights
18. Garrett Thomas, Bedford

132 pounds
10. Toby Brett, Bedford
12. Brad Thomas, Cambria Heights
13. Tanner Hetrick, Meyersdale
19. Chase Fox, Portage

138 pounds
8. Brennon Shields, Southern Huntingdon
11. Damian Corle, Northern Bedford
13. JP Hayles, West Branch
16. Brandon Heberling, Marion Center
17. Nick Naglic, Richland

145 pounds
3. Sean Heggs, Juniata
9. Drew Gartland, Northern Bedford
17. Seth Deist, Meyersdale

152 pounds
5. Andrew Doak, Blairsville
15. Tanner Cahill, Conemaugh Township

160 pounds
1. Cody Law, Forest Hills
17. Channing Cavender, Blairsville
18. Richard Moskey, HOPE for Hyndman

170 pounds
7. Bradie Bollman, Chestnut Ridge
8. Mike Rogers, Penns Valley
20. Zack Pinkas, Forest Hills

182 pounds
5. Scott Thompson, Blairsville
8. Tyler Dibert, Chestnut Ridge
9. Jared Beckwith, Tyrone
14. Phil Kyle, Mount Union
15. Jacob Nickelson, Somerset

195 pounds
4. James Stodart, Moshannon Valley
9. Dan Albright, Chestnut Ridge
10. DJ Wunder, Tyrone
11. Michael Brett, Bedford

220 pounds
9. Jacob Ludwig, Moshannon Valley
14. Jake Bennett, HOPE for Hyndman
15. Seth McLendon, Penn Cambria
19. Don Shovestull, Westmont

285 pounds
7. Austin Buttry, Chestnut Ridge
10. Nik Smith, Mount Union
17. Ben Mountain, United

King of the Mountain wrapup

Four out of the five years that Bedford has had the King of the Mountain Tournament on its schedule, I've made the trip. As always, there's not a shortage of quality competition anywhere in the Central Mountain gymnasium.
I heard several people mention that the tournament seemed deeper than in years past and I agree. With Bethlehem Catholic, Cumberland Valley, Fort LeBoeuf and others getting involved this season, it was a significant upgrade for an event that is already known as one of the best in the nation, in the conversation with tournaments such as the Beast of the East and Reno Tourmanent of Champions.

Raising the Bar

Bedford junior Ryan Easter is currently 78-14 in his career and he is a two-time state placewinner, a sixth place medal last season after taking fifth as a freshman.
But Easter isn't resting on those laurels, and he has much bigger aspirations.
"I want to be a state champion," he said. If that happens, he would be Bedford's first since the mid-1960's and only the school's third ever.
Here's what he told me next, about an hour after he lost in the King of the Mountain 126-pound final to Lansing, N.Y. standout William Koll.
"I want to go undefeated the rest of the year after this."
With Bedford's schedule and the possibility that the Bisons could advance to Hershey again for the Class AA state duals, that is a lofty goal. But don't mistake that for any type of arrogance or bravado. As much as I know Ryan, he's a very confident wrestler who believes highly in himself.

Bedford's Ryan Easter against Lansing's William Koll on Saturday.

Freshmen Phenoms

Not only did seeing the debut of Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel give me a taste of some of the immense talent pouring into the varsity wrestling ranks, but others from the region and even out of state raised my eye. For more on Gabriel, pick up Monday's Bedford Gazette as I chronicalled his first two days of varsity competition.

One of these is Mifflin County's Hayden Hidlay, who I had heard about but had never seen of course. Boy, did Hidlay impress. He was the 10th seed in the 113-pound bracket and came within an overtime score of knocking off top seed, defending KoM champion, and defending Class AAA state champ Ethan Lizak of Parkland, a junior. Losing 4-3 in the finals does nothing to deflate anything this ninth grader will do later this season or in the future.

Another heralded freshman is Phillipsburg, NJ's Brandon Paetzell. Now, some of you know that Phillipsburg, NJ is my hometown and where I went to school. So naturally, I'm going to have a rooting interest in my Stateliners.

So I also keep up on what is going on with P'burg, as it is affectionately known, as well as high school wrestling in that state. Heck, I even watched an hour-long video preview about the New Jersey season last week. Call me crazy, as my wife often does this time of year.

Now back to the topic. What I didn't know until Saturday morning was that Paetzell had a connection to Gabriel, not just after the two wrestled on Friday night in the second round where Gabriel won in overtime.
From what I was told, Gabriel had never beaten Paetzell before in any competition. I checked with young Gabriel after the tournament and he recalled a bout with Paetzell at a tournament in Indianapolis.

"Yeah, I think he beat me pretty bad," he said.
After finally winning against his old foe on Friday, Gabriel acknowledged that nobody told him who it was until the final whistle blew.

The Week Ahead

The big match coming up this week is Bedford hosting Chestnut Ridge. Likely the two best teams in District 5, it should be a good one and a possible preview of the two getting together again in the district duals come early February.
Also on the card on Tuesday is Northern Bedford against Tussey Mountain, while the Panthers wrestle Everett later in the week for any county fans.

Other Weekend Wrestling Action

All of my coverage area teams are involved somewhere around the state as it is a busy weekend in local wrestling. Aside from Bedford's appearance at the King of the Mountain, which I have already previewed in this blog, Chestnut Ridge will be at the Mount Carmel Tournament, and Claysburg and HOPE for Hyndman will be at the Sheetz Holiday Classic at Penn Cambria. Also, Everett, Northern Bedford, and Tussey Mountain trek to Moshannon Valley for the ICC Duals. Here are short briefs on them.

Sheetz Holiday Classic - Today and Saturday
Teams: Altoona, Berlin, Cambria Heights, Canandaigua, NY, Central Cambria, Claysburg, Conemaugh Township, Corry, Forest Hills, Johnstown, Hollidaysburg, HOPE for Hyndman, Huntingdon, Ligonier Valley, Mercer, Mount Pleasant, Northern Cambria, Penn Cambria, Portage, Richland, St. Mary's.

Headline individuals here should include Altoona's T.J. Brandt and D.J. Hollingshead, Ligonier Valley's Justin and Josh Patrick, and Forest Hills' Cody Law. Wrestling is set to begin at 5 p.m. today at Penn Cambria.

Mount Carmel Tournament - Saturday
Teams: Chestnut Ridge, Mount Carmel, North Penn, Pottsville, Tamaqua, Wellsboro.

This is a round-robin style event. Chestnut Ridge is the headliner here, with standout upperweight Tyler Dibert needing two wins to get 100 for his career.

ICC Duals - Saturday
Teams: Everett, Northern Bedford, Tussey Mountain, Glendale, Moshannon Valley, West Branch.

Moshannon Valley hosts this year. Everett, NBC, and Tussey will each wrestle the three northern foes in dual meets.

King of the Mountain Part 2

Got back from North Star a while ago. Chestnut Ridge opened the season with a 60-11 win over the Cougars. Highlight of the night was Dustin Bence's pin of Luke Lepley. Bence won 5 bouts last year while Lepley won 21 and almost got to regionals.

But I won't give everything away. Read my story about it in Friday's Bedford Gazette, and also stay near this blog as I will have a short feature on Ridge's Tyler Dibert as he nears 100 wins and looks forward to his senior season.

Now, for the King of the Mountain. The top seedings in each weight have been released. Wrestling kicks off at Central Mountain at 11 a.m. Friday. Yours truly is making the trip on Saturday for all the action from the second day.

106 pounds - General McLane's Joe Wheeling is the top seed here, with Bedford's Jon Gabriel at #2. The big news here is that Latrobe's Luke Pletcher, ranked nationally as high as second, is at 113 this weekend. Wheeling was 27-5 last season as a sophomore. He finished second in District 10-AAA.

Finals prediction - Gabriel vs. Bethlehem Catholic's Luke Karam, seeded fifth.

113 - This weight class seems to have all kinds of possibilities. Parkland's Ethan Lizak, a defending Class AAA state champion and finalist two years ago, is seeded first, with defending AA runner-up Korbin Myers of Boiling Springs seeded second. Pletcher, again rated so highly on a national scale, drew only the #4 seed. Redbank Valley's Willie Gruver, seeded fifth, is a proven commodity as is sixth seed Zach Fisher of Phillipsburg, NJ (my alma mater).  Another top freshman I have heard about is Mifflin County's Hunter Hidlay, seeded 10th.

Finals prediction - Pletcher vs. Myers.

120 - Cuyahoga Valley Christian's Nathan Tomasello, ranked first in the nation, is not listed and apparently not wrestling, though teammates of his are seeded. Still not a bad weight here, with Bethlehem Catholic's Darian Cruz at the top. Cruz is the defending AA state champ at 106 and ranked nationally in the top five by most services. Ryan Pomrinca of North Hunterdon drew the second seed, with Council Rock South's Dan Martoccio third. Martoccio beat Bedford's Ryan Easter in the KoM finals two years ago at 103. Erie McDowell's Paul Deitz and Fort LeBoeuf's Tyler Kuzma aren't bad, either.

Finals prediction - Cruz vs. Martoccio.

126 - The top seed here is Lansing, N.Y. product William Koll, the son of Cornell coach Rob Koll. Koll is a returning New York state champion. Drawing the second seed is Bedford's Easter. The intriguing part of this bracket, at least from my angle, is a potential semifinal between Easter and third seed Matt Williams of Pen Argyl. Easter beat Williams on an overtime takedown in the first round at states last March, while at the state duals a month earlier, Williams dearly cost the Green Knights a team point in their 30-29 quarterfinal loss to the Bisons by throwing his headgear, upset that he didn't get the chance to wrestle Easter or anybody else for that matter.

Finals prediction - Koll vs. Easter.

132 - Kittanning's Jason Nolf, last year's KoM Outstanding Wrestler and a 2011 PIAA Class AA champion is the favorite here. He is followed in the seedings by Cole Walter of Mifflinburg, Josh Decatur of Cuyahoga Valley Christian, and Nick Gibson of Erie McDowell. Bedford's Garrett Thomas is seeded ninth.

Finals prediction - Nolf vs. Walter.

138 - Lansing's Conner Lepresi is a defending New York placewinner and is tops here. Cumberland Valley's Patrick Duggan is the second seed and is very highly regarded. Juniata's Sean Heggs surprised some at states last season and is the third seed. Bedford's Toby Brett is eighth.

Finals prediction - Erie McDowell's Shawn Spearman, seeded fourth, vs. Duggan.

145 - Pen Argyl stud and two-time state champion Michael Racciato is seeded first. Despite winning those two state titles, Racciato hasn't won this tournament in three previous tries. That says something about the quality at the King of the Mountain, though in fairness, Racciato and his Pen Argyl football team have done well the past two years, leaving him a smaller window for wrestling practice. It could be an all District 11 final as Bethlehem Catholic's Ryan Todora is the second seed. Line Mountain's Seth Lansberry is a solid wrestler and is #3.

Finals prediction - Racciato vs. Todora.

152 - Reynolds ace Austin Matthews, who lost in the state finals last winter to Racciato, is the top seed at 152, with John Vaughn of Boiling Springs second and Jimmy Schuitema of Phillipsburg, NJ third. Bedford's Tanner Williams, who placed here last year, is seeded seventh.

Finals prediction - Matthews vs. Schuitema (hey, gotta give my school some love).

160 - Cumberland Valley's T.C. Warner and Latrobe's Zack Zavatsky, both nationally ranked and both returning state AAA placewinners, highlight this bracket as the top two seeds, respectively. Sleeper here could be Bethlehem Catholic's Connor Hedash, the #7 seed. Hedash transferred to Becahi from Northern Lehigh before last season, but was ruled ineligible.

Finals prediction - Warner vs. Zavatsky.

170 - I don't much about this group other than top seed Ty Walter of Mifflinburg, so it will be short.

Finals prediction - Walter vs. Penn Trafford's Will Palorino, seeded sixth.

182 - Bellefonte's Nick Shawley drew the top post here with the second spot occupied by New Jersey's Liam Korbul of North Hunterdon. Bethlehem Catholic's Jose Ortiz is third.

Finals prediction - Shawley vs. Ortiz.

195 - Council Rock South's P.J. Steinmetz drew the top seed and DuBois' Landon Hanna is #2. The host school, Central Mountain, appears to have its best shot at a high placer on paper here with third seed Blaze Buckwalter. Bedford's Michael Brett, who has made a lot of noise at this tournament before, has the eighth seed.

Finals prediction - Steinmetz vs. Buckwalter.

220 - Like 170, I don't know a lot about this bracket besides top seed Evan Daley of Fort LeBoeuf.

Finals prediction - Daley vs. Boyertown's Jordan Wood, the third seed.

285 - Could be a rematch of last year's final here, with top seed and defending AA state champion Nazar Mironenko of Mifflinburg, and second seed Garrett Poorman of Bellefonte. Mironenko won the KoM title a year ago but still seemed to go unnoticed into Hershey only to come out with the big prize.

Finals prediction - Mironenko vs. Poorman.

King of the Mountain Part 1

Teams at the 2012 King of the Mountain: Bedford, Bellefonte, Bethlehem Catholic, Biglerville, Boiling Springs, Boyertown, Brooks School (MA), Bucktail, Central Mountain, Colonial Forge (VA), Council Rock South, Cumberland Valley, Cuyahoga Valley Christian (OH), Dieruff, DuBois, Erie McDowell, Fort LeBoeuf, General McLane, Greater Latrobe, Jersey Shore, Juniata, Kittanning, Lansing (NY), Line Mountain, Mifflinburg, Mifflin County, North Hunterdon (NJ), Parkland, Pen Argyl, Penn Trafford, Phillipsburg (NJ), Redbank Valley, Reynolds, South Western, Stroudsburg.

New teams for this year: Bethlehem Catholic, Boyertown, Brooks School, Bucktail, Colonial Forge, Cumberland Valley, Cuyahoga Valley Christian, Fort LeBoeuf, General McLane, Lansing, North Hunterdon, Redbank Valley.

Defending champion: Erie McDowell.

Nationally ranked wrestlers expected at this tournament (rankings by Intermat and Flowrestling)
106 - Luke Pletcher, Greater Latrobe freshman, #2 Intermat, #3 Flo
113 - Ethan Lizak, Parkland junior, #6 Intermat, #11 Flo
120 - Nathan Tomasello, Cuyahoga Valley Christian senior, #1 Intermat, #1 Flo
120 - Darian Cruz, Bethlehem Catholic senior, #5 Intermat, #4 Flo
126 - Zeke Moisey, Bethlehem Catholic junior, #8 Intermat, #5 Flo
132 - Jason Nolf, Kittanning junior, #6 Intermat, #5 Flo
145 - Michael Racciato, Pen Argyl senior, #7 Intermat, #2 Flo
152 - Austin Matthews, Reynolds senior, #7 Intermat, #8 Flo
160 - Zack Zavatsky, Greater Latrobe junior, #11 Intermat
160 - T.C. Warner, Cumberland Valley junior, #17 Intermat, #12 Flo at 152
170 - Ty Walter, Mifflinburg senior, #19 Flo

Bedford returnees with KoM records and placings from 2011
Jake Warren, junior, 0-2 DNP at 106
Ryan Easter, junior, 4-1 2nd at 113
Garrett Thomas, junior, 3-2 DNP at 120
Toby Brett, junior, 3-2 DNP at 126
Caleb Grimes, senior, 0-2 DNP at 132
Tanner Williams, senior, 3-3 8th at 152
Michael Brett, senior, 4-3 8th at 195
Justin Easter, senior, 0-2 DNP at 285

Seedings are expected to be released on Thursday. I will have more on that once I have them.

Penn State very prominent in NCAA rankings

Eight Nittany Lions in Intermat Top 20.

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/121112aaa.html

Williams glad to be back

Bedford's Tanner Williams pins Somerset's Daniel Talley on Tuesday night.

   
Tanner Williams could not have dreamed up a better day.
   Chomping at the bit to wrestle in high school competition since early February, the Bedford senior went out in front of his home crowd and set the tone for the match with a pin, one of several in the Bisons' 62-15 rout of Laurel Highland Athletic Conference rival Somerset.

   In a fitting twist, it was Williams who got the chance to wrestle first, as the 152-pound weight class was drawn to begin the match. He could hardly keep his emotions in check leading up to the time he and his teammates took the mat, but once he stood on the starting line, it was back to business for Williams.

  "It feels amazing to be back," he said. "It was the greatest welcome I could have back, starting my team off with a pin. Being a leader and all, it was great to get my team off on a good note.

  "The whole day, I was so pumped up. At weigh-in's, I felt like I was freaking out, just saying 'Let's go, let's go.' When they pulled my number for the start, I was like 'Alright, this is what I'm talking about.'"

  "He was so excited all day long," added Bedford coach Brian Creps. "Today was like Christmas for him."

  Williams was enjoying a solid junior season when it came to a halt in the PIAA Class AA State Duals, where he suffered a broken hand. That relegated him to a role of cheerleader after he had posted a 23-7 record.

  Now healed up and coming off a strong cross country season, Williams appears primed to make a run at the regional and state tournaments to close his high school career.

  "My goal individually is to qualify for states, and maybe even place," he said. "For the team, we definitely want to go back to state duals."

Scores - December 11

Tuesday's Wrestling Scores involving local teams
Bedford 62, Somerset 15
Claysburg 65, Juniata Valley 15
Mount Union 69, Everett 9
Northern Bedford 46, Southern Huntingdon 21

Other score from District 5
Meyersdale 56, Portage 18

Check out Wednesday's Bedford Gazette for my wrapup of Bedford's big win over Somerset. Also in the coming days, I'll have a feature on here about Bedford senior Tanner Williams, and will further preview the King of the Mountain Tournament which is this weekend.

The Week Ahead in Wrestling

Here's what's on tap for this week, the first full week of local high school wrestling action.

Tuesday
Somerset at Bedford
Mount Union at Everett
Claysburg at Juniata Valley
Northern Bedford at Southern Huntingdon

Bedford opens defense of its Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference championship against Somerset, who took the Bisons to the wire last year in its home gym in the regular season. The news going into this match is more of who's not on each roster this year, notably Josiah Koontz for Bedford (not wrestling) and Michael Sutton for Somerset (moved). The Golden Eagles finished fifth in the Philipsburg Tournament over the past weekend. Notable there was Jacob Nickelson's title at 195, where he beat Moshannon Valley's James Stodart in a marquee finals matchup.

Thursday
Chestnut Ridge at North Star
Southern Huntingdon at Claysburg
Juniata Valley at Everett
Northern Bedford at Central
Mount Union at Tussey Mountain

Chestnut Ridge opens its season at North Star. The Lions took two from the Cougars last year. Elsewhere, Northern Bedford at Central provides intrigue from a coaching standpoint as Central's new head coach is Mike Shippy, who guided Northern's junior high team for years with plenty of success. Shippy is assisted this year by the great Jan Clark, who formerly was the head coach at Central, Northern Bedford, and Tussey Mountain. Central had a nice third-place showing at the Claysburg Pizza Tournament.

Friday and/or Saturday
King of the Mountain at Central Mountain
ICC North/South Duals at Moshannon Valley
Sheetz Holiday Classic at Penn Cambria
Mount Carmel Tournament

The highlight here is the King of the Mountain, where Bedford makes another trip to. This has become one of the premier tournaments in the country, and this year, Bethlehem Catholic, Cumberland Valley, and Fort LeBoeuf join an already star-studded field. Also, Cuyahoga Valley Christian of Ohio is entered which means a chance to see the #1 wrestler in the country at 120 pounds, Nathan Tomasello. Tomasello is an Ohio State recruit.

Chestnut Ridge visits the Mount Carmel Tournament, Claysburg and HOPE for Hyndman are in the Sheetz Classic, and Everett, Northern Bedford, and Tussey Mountain take part in the ICC Duals.

I am expecting to have more on the King of the Mountain, including some predictions, later in the week.

Opening Weekend of Wrestling

Locally, there are two tournaments that will open the High School wrestling season. Here are short previews.

Claysburg Pizza Tournament
The Field: Claysburg, Central, Mapletown, Parkersburg WV, Penn Cambria, Portage, Tussey Mountain, Tyrone.

This tournament has switched from an individual tournament to a dual-meet format. The standout team on paper is Parkersburg, which has four returning West Virginia state placewinners, led by upperweight Jared Haught, a defending state champion and Virginia Tech recruit. Claysburg's Josh Brown is the only PIAA state qualifier returning of the teams involved.

Conemaugh Township Tournament
The Field: Conemaugh Township, Bellwood, Johnstown, Ligonier Valley, Mount Union, Richland, Southern Huntingdon, Westmont, Williamson, West Greene.

Standout individuals here include Ligonier Valley's Justin and Josh Patrick, both returning top five state placewinners. Josh Patrick recently signed to wrestle at Rutgers. West Greene's Cody Jacobs is solid, and Williamson's Logan Everett was a fifth-place state medalist at 120 last March. 

UPJ to honor Pecora

Legendary UPJ wrestling coach Pat Pecora will be honored for his recent 500th career coaching victory this Saturday, December 8, before the Mountain Cats home dual with Ohio Valley. A link to details about the event is below.
http://www.pitt-johnstown.pitt.edu/31866/

Nittany Lions back on top

Penn State has regained the #1 position in the latest Division I rankings by USA Today/NWCA/AWN. Oklahoma State, previously #3, defeated former #2 Minnesota and the Cowboys are now at #2. Penn State received 9 of the 10 first place votes while #4 Ohio State got the other first place vote.

USA Today/NWCA/AWN Poll
1. Penn State
2. Oklahoma State
3. Minnesota
4. Ohio State
5. Iowa

Other Pennsylvania teams
16. Pittsburgh
19. Edinboro
22. Penn
23. Lehigh
25. Bloomsburg

Career Wrestling Win Leaders

   Here's the Top 20 in career victories in the Bedford Gazette coverage area heading into the 2012-13 season (graduating class in parenthesis), followed below by the current active win list.

Career Win Leaders
1. Ty Dively, Claysburg (2012), 146
2. James Dodson, Claysburg (2012), 141
3. Jarrett Musselman, Claysburg (2002), 141
4. Adam Whetstone, Claysburg (2005), 139
5. Corey Aungst, Claysburg (2011), 135
6. Ryan McIntyre, Claysburg (2005), 135
7. Derek Tipton, Claysburg (2000), 135
8. Thad Benton, Claysburg (2001), 132
9. Cole Claar, Claysburg (2011), 132
10. Josh Snyder, Hyndman (2006), 132
11. Brian Gibbons, Bedford (2011), 129
12. Cory Thomas, Bedford (2010), 128
13. Brandon Reasy, Northern Bedford (2003), 126
14. Eric Gibbons, Bedford (2002), 122
15. Jake Snyder, Hyndman (2006), 121
16. Logan Sheldon, Hyndman (2009), 120
17. Tyler Chesney, Northern Bedford (2009), 119
18. Josh McDannell, Chestnut Ridge (2009), 119
19. Shawn Husick, Tussey Mountain (1991), 116
20. Jeff Musselman, Bedford (1997), 116

Active Win Leaders (Top 10)
1. Tyler Dibert, Chestnut Ridge (2013), 97
2. Brady Logsdon, Hyndman (2013), 77
3. Ryan Easter, Bedford (2014), 73
4. Drew Gartland, Northern Bedford (2013), 73
5. Mason Replogle, Northern Bedford (2013), 73
6. Josh Brown, Claysburg (2013), 66
7. Garrett Thomas, Bedford (2014), 60
8. Michael Brett, Bedford (2013), 57
9. Jake Bennett, Hyndman (2014), 56
10. Austin Buttry, Chestnut Ridge (2014), 46

Local teams helping to fight hunger

Claysburg and Chestnut Ridge are teaming up to fight hunger. At the match between the two on Saturday, December 22, non-perishable donations will be accepted. If you can't make it to the match, you can still arrange to make a donation by contacting a member of either team.

All donations will be given to the Claysburg Food Bank.

The junior high match is at 4 pm with the varsity to follow around 5:30 pm. Great effort by these two programs to give back to a greater cause!