Tuesday's Results

   Not a whole lot to discuss tonight, as everything went pretty much according to form. I was at Northern Bedford, where Central registered a solid 43-24 win. Ethan Kennedy’s decision over Carter Replogle at 145 was the marquee bout. I covered the match for the Bedford Gazette.

   One result of note would be Scotty Miller’s 7-1 win over Liam Flaherty in Chestnut Ridge’s lopsided victory against Everett. Miller is another promising youngster for Greg Lazor’s group, and this is a strong result for him in beating a returning state qualifier.

CHESTNUT RIDGE 57, EVERETT 12

160 - Josh McGill, CR, pinned Cody Eshelman, 0:36.

170 - Brandyn Beaver, CR, pinned Gavin Wills, 1:14.

182 - Wes Graham, E, dec. Austin Crouse, 5-2.

195 - Kyle Nichols, CR, won by forfeit.

220 - Conner Buttry, CR, pinned Keithan O’Brien, 0:45.

285 - Shane Clark, E, pinned Brandon Clark, 1:06.

106 - Garret Cornell, E, dec. Cody Brown, 11-4.

113 - Aaron Burkett, CR, tech. fall Evan Brennan, 18-1, 5:52.

120 - Seth Harbaugh, CR, pinned Landon Bambling, 3:19.

126 - Scott Miller, CR, dec. Liam Flaherty, 7-1.

132 - Jared McGill, CR, pinned Dalton Klotz, 0:50.

138 - Justin McCoy, CR, pinned Macen Akers, 1:32.

145 - Levi Hobson, CR, dec. Ben Stover, 8-2.

TUSSEY MOUNTAIN 54, CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL 24

285 - Chris Morales, TM, won by forfeit.

106 - Brady Villa, TM, won by forfeit.

113 - Robert Sloan, TM, won by forfeit.

120 - Sean Walker, CK, won by forfeit.

126 - No Match.

132 - Liam Lafferty, CK, pinned Cameron McCabe, 4:38.

138 - Brennan Price, TM, pinned Trenton Ritchey, 3:11.

145 - Shayne Brumbaugh, TM, won by forfeit.

152 - Roy Reichard, TM, won by forfeit.

160 - Brennen Jones, TM, won by forfeit.

170 - Ian Ody, pinned Drew Hart, 1:06.

182 - Nick Foster, TM, pinned Caleb Sell, 3:09.

195 - Michael Zembower, CK, pinned Travis Russell, 0:34.

220 - Zach Bollinger, TM, won by forfeit.

152 - Morgan Deremer, CR, maj. dec. Mahlon Akers, 11-0.

CENTRAL 43, NORTHERN BEDFORD 24

195 - Cameron Norris, C, pinned Zach Price, 1:36.

220 - Scott Foor, NB, dec. Doug Shade, 1-0.

285 - Mason Guyer, NB, pinned Brice Brumbaugh, 1:44.

106 - Brandon Holsinger, C, won by forfeit.

113 - Cameron Ulery, C, won by forfeit.

120 - Kyler Hoenstine, C, won by forfeit.

126 - Zach Clark, NB, won by forfeit.

132 - Jon Raab, NB, dec. Devon Mountain, 3-2.

138 - Brock Biddle, C, pinned Chase Eller, 1:21.

145 - Ethan Kennedy, C, dec. Carter Replogle, 7-1.

152 - Bryce Biddle, C, maj. dec. Ridge Hershberger, 14-5.

160 - Jordan Quarello, C, pinned Dakota Brunner, 1:04.

170 - Lucas Kolinchak, NB, dec. Jared Smith, 2-1.

182 - Josiah Lingenfelter, NB, dec. Corey Aungst, 8-6.

Review and Preview - Dec. 21

 

Photo by Ryan Spring

   Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel and Chestnut Ridge's Jared McGill

 are tied up in the middle of the mat on Friday night.

   This week's review obviously begins with Friday night's Bedford at Chestnut Ridge match, of course highlighted by Jared McGill's 10-8 win over Jonathan Gabriel.
   McGill stole the show by beating a returning state champion with a late reversal, and it kept the Lions' crowd into it all night as they picked up a 50-17 victory.
   It was one of the best bouts I'll probably see all season as the pair of studs went back and forth, back and forth with a lot of non-stop action, especially in the third period. Each of them took to social media after the bout, and each showed the respect that kind of matchup deserves.
   McGill - "He will definitely bounce back. That's why he's a state champ."
   Gabriel - "(McGill) wrestled a tough match."
   My opinion is the result is good for both wrestlers. Remember that Gabriel lost two of his three bouts as a junior last December, then rode a long winning streak until the regional finals. He lost to Forest Hills' Triston Law that night, but showed up in Hershey as a man on a mission. He needed overtime in that first bout there, and then hit his now-memorable five point Peterson roll to win it all.
    For McGill, it just enhances what the freshman had already accomplished on the wrestling mat. Having been a two-time PJW champion and five-time finalist on that level, McGill was going to be a name to know.
   And it definitely adds to the table as to what may happen by the time things are in the books for 2015-16.
   When you have a state champion (Gabriel), state runner-up (Aaron Burkett), state third place (Conner Buttry), and a state sixth place (Justin McCoy) all returning, it was already expected to be a cant-miss season. With McGill firmly in the conversation also, and could the county top last year's performances? Could we produce two, or even more state champions in a single year?
   Stay tuned.

———

   Looking ahead to the next few days, it's a short week with the holiday, and all of the local wrestling takes place tomorrow night. I plan to be at Northern Bedford as Central comes to town. It will be another tough opponent for the Black Panthers in their early-season schedule. The Dragons are solid through the middle of their lineup, including Brock Biddle who won the 132-pound title at the Sheetz Holiday Classic on Saturday.

Tuesday
   Everett at Chestnut Ridge
   Tussey Mountain at Claysburg-Kimmel
   Central at Northern Bedford
 


 
 
 

Thursday's Recap and More

   There were a couple of intriguing matchups last night. Bedford put itself in control of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference with a 41-24 win at Somerset. Daniel Brett began things with a big pin for the Bisons, while they ended up with eight victories.
   I was at Everett as the Warriors held a lead on Moshannon Valley most of the night before dropping the last bout by fall to come up just short, 31-29. There were certainly some chances for Everett to get more bonus points or one extra bout win to defeat the Black Knights, but I continue to be impressed by the upward progress of Everett's program under Robbie Ripple and his collection of assistants that includes a number of Bedford standouts — his son Tanner, Josh Krupa, and most recently Ryan Easter.
  The victory of the match for the Warriors belonged to Ben Stover at 152 pounds. Stover, a regional qualifier last season, trailed Mo Valley's Jon Dale 2-0 into the third period before getting a locked hands point, but he then gave up a two-count nearfall. However, Stover rallied for a reversal and three back points and another penalty tally to win, 7-4. Dale is a touted freshman who was rated No. 49 in PA Power Wrestling's Incoming Freshman review.
   In the other match involving one of my locals, Tussey Mountain dropped a 69-10 result to Central.
   Central has a good bit returning this year, although the loss of Braeden Swab is a blow to the Scarlet Dragon lineup. Though I would say Huntingdon is the favorite in District 6-AA, Central is likely to be in the mix for the title along with some others. I should be seeing the Dragons early next week.
   Of course tonight is the annual showdown between rivals Bedford and Chestnut Ridge. It's actually my first chance to see either team in person yet, as my plans to see the Bisons at Penn Cambria didn't materialize. I'm looking forward to seeing this one, though I'm not sure how close the final score will be. Bedford has a couple of kids back that didn't wrestle last season and has added some other youngsters to its lineup, while Chestnut Ridge has a strong lower to middle weight nucleus back, though how the upperweights fill in around Conner Buttry will be a key as to how far the Lions can go this year.

Tuesday's Recap

A Local Look
   Tuesday's matches locally were highlighted by Bedford's 40-25 victory at Penn Cambria. I had planned on attending this match for the Bedford Gazette, but was unable to as I had to stay in the office.
   The Bisons made their first claim toward Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference supremacy in this one. Certainly from an individual perspective, a 13-6 decision by Josh Grimes over Zach Stevens at 152 pounds stands out. Grimes has experience, but didn't wrestle last year. On the other side, Stevens is also a veteran who finished sixth in District 6-AA. Bedford looks to be a better team than expected this season, and Brian Creps has said that there is a lot more team camaraderie this year.
   As for the LHAC race, it's obviously early to get a clear-cut favorite, as Bedford beat Penn Cambria, who beat Westmont-Hilltop. But Penn Cambria lost to Somerset, who faces Bedford tomorrow. I think Cambria Heights may have something to say about it, too. The Highlanders don't face any of the above four until January. Bedford hosts Westmont on January 12. And as we all know, individual matchups dictate duals. One thing is for sure — it should be a fun year in the league.
   Also last night, Everett (55-23 at Juniata Valley) and Northern Bedford (60-18 at Tussey Mountain) posted big blowout victories.

Around the State
   Two high profile national events took place this past weekend, with Pennsylvania wrestlers showing strong at both the King of the Mountain and Ironman events.
   At Central Mountain, Bethlehem Catholic dominated but individually, the top final of note was at 138 pounds, where Latrobe's Luke Pletcher needed overtime to defeat Nazareth's Sammy Sasso. Pletcher, ranked second in the country at 132 by Intermat and an Ohio State recruit, beat Sasso with a takedown in the extra period for a 7-5 decision. Sasso, ranked eighth nationally at 132, is just a sophomore but certainly no slouch, as he placed second in Class AAA last season at 120.
   In the Ironman, Wyoming Seminary beat Blair Academy in the team race. Individually, I'm looking at 126 pounds there, where Reynolds' sophomore Cole Matthews made a run to the finals after being seeded 12th.
   Matthews is another in a line of lower to middle weight studs across the state that are back this season, and I'm very interested to see who is where by the postseason tournaments. If Matthews stays 126, and Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel and Central Cambria's Max Murin are there as well, that's three returning state champions in the same weight. Throw in potentially Huntingdon's Collin Glorioso (two-time state placewinner) and/or Athens' Brian Courtney (state runner-up behind Matthews) and/or others, this could be the weight to watch.

Review and Preview - Dec. 14

   Looking back on this past weekend, Chestnut Ridge highlighted the action with its second championship in as many appearances at the Jarvis Memorial Tournament at Athens.
   The Lions had four individual champions — Aaron Burkett (113), Justin McCoy (138), Morgan Deremer (152) and Conner Buttry (195) — and won the team title by 61 points over host Athens.
   Buttry's championship included his 100th career win, and it came over a Maine state champion from last season. My story on the newest member of the 100-win club will be in Tuesday's Bedford Gazette.
   Elsewhere, HOPE for Hyndman was at the Max Horz Invitational at Berkeley Springs on Friday and Saturday. I made the trip south to catch up on the Hornets on Friday. A day later, Lee Moskey was a winner in the round robin tournament at 182 pounds. The field was a little different from what was in my preview last week, as tournament officials said they had some late defections. Still, it seemed like a good early test for what Logan Sheldon has on his Hyndman roster this season.

This Week's Schedule
Tuesday
Bedford at Penn Cambria
Everett at Juniata Valley
HOPE for Hyndman at Mountain Ridge (Md.)
Northern Bedford at Tussey Mountain

Thursday
Bedford at Somerset
Moshannon Valley at Everett
Central at Tussey Mountain

Friday
Bedford at Chestnut Ridge
Northern Bedford at West Branch

   Looking ahead to the coming days, Bedford has a very interesting week with three road matches. And with the way the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference season has started, the Bisons have a chance to join the discussion about who is at or near the top. In big duals that have happened thus far, Penn Cambria defeated Westmont-Hilltop 40-33, but then lost to Somerset by the same score. Bedford is at Penn Cambria tomorrow and then visits Somerset on Thursday. I'm not sure how good the Bisons are just yet, though if they can get their lightweight lineup together (no 106 or 113 against Forest Hills), I'm not sure I'd bet too much against them in any of the league matches.

Weekend Tournaments

   A pair of tournaments involving teams from the county are taking place this weekend. Here's a closer look:

What: Jarvis Memorial Tournament at Athens
When: Saturday
    Chestnut Ridge returns to the Jarvis Tournament for the second straight season and will see good competition from teams in Pennsylvania and New York. Dylan Williams, Aaron Burkett, Justin McCoy, and Conner Buttry are all returning champs for the Lions, though Williams will probably not be in the lineup as he is still getting back to 100% after an offseason injury. Ridge coach Greg Lazor tells me Williams probably could wrestle now if needed, but they're taking it easy to make sure he's ready for more important events later in the season.
   Tournament host Athens, who will be a newcomer to January's Thomas Tournament at Bedford, is headlined by returning 120-pound state runner-up Brian Courtney. While it's not certain, Courtney could see Chestnut Ridge freshman stud Jared McGill in his bracket somewhere. Between possibly seeing Courtney and maybe Bedford state champ Jonathan Gabriel next week, we might get an early read on how good McGill is.
   Also in the field is Wyoming Seminary's "B" Team, which won't feature studs like Jake Riegel, Mason Manville, Christian Dietrich, or Nick Reenan, as all of them are on the "A" team that will compete at Ohio's prestigious Ironman Tournament this weekend. That said, I would assume the prep power will have some strong talent on the "B" side.
The Field:
Chestnut Ridge (D5-AA)
Athens (D4-AA)
Coughlin (D2-AAA)
Lake Lehman (D2-AA)
Sayre (D4-AA)
Wyoming Valley West (D2-AAA)
Wyoming Seminary "B" Team (Prep)
Johnson City (NY)
Deposit-Hancock (NY)
Alexander (NY)
Pal-Mac (NY)
Falconer (NY)
Massabesic (ME)

What: Max Horz Invitational at Berkeley Springs (WV)
When: Friday and Saturday
   HOPE for Hyndman takes part in the Max Horz Invitational at Berkeley Springs that begins on Friday afternoon, an event that features a collection of teams from different states.
   Also in the field are Maryland's Northern Garrett, a regular to the Thomas Tournament, and PA District 3 team Northern Lebanon, who reached the state duals last season (lost to Chestnut Ridge in opening round). Northern Lebanon on paper appears to be one of the better teams in that district again this season.
The Field:
HOPE for Hyndman (D5-AA)
Northern Lebanon (D3-AA)
Allegany (MD)
Frederick (MD)
Northern Garrett (MD)
Berkeley Springs (WV)
Hedgesville (WV)
Jefferson (WV)
James Wood (VA)
Loudoun Valley (VA)
Northwestern (VA)
Rural Retreat (VA)

Tuesday's Recap and More

A Local Look
   The first full night of local wrestling didn't find too many surprises. I was at Everett as the Warriors defeated an undermanned Glendale team, 48-25. There wasn't much to talk about, as the Vikings forfeited to many of Everett's better wrestlers. Everett coach Robbie Ripple is excited about many of his younger kids and he should be. The four freshmen starters along with sophomore and returning state qualifier Liam Flaherty give him a nice core to build on, as well as compliment veterans like Ben Stover and Wes Graham. One of the ninth graders, Evan Brennan at 113, had a solid win last night, while classmate Macen Akers was heading towards the victory at 138 before being caught in a late cement job.
   Elsewhere, Mount Union showed it will still be one of the best squads in District 6, dispatching Northern Bedford 49-18. The Black Panthers forfeited the three lowest weights, and that certainly didn't help against the Trojans.

Around the Region
   One final that sticks out from last night was Penn Cambria's 40-33 win over Westmont-Hilltop, which threw an early monkey wrench into the battle for the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference title. Quite a few in the know pegged Penn Cambria as a darkhorse team in that league and District 6-AA this season, but I didn't see this one coming. The Panthers won the toss, then took a huge win with Brock Talko's overtime pin of Trent Blackburn at 138.

Around the State
   Could you imagine Bedford and Chestnut Ridge not wrestling in a dual? Or Everett vs. Northern Bedford? Or any other big, close-knit rivalry?
   Seems hard to believe, but that's what's happening in one of the best areas in the nation for the sport.
   I came across rumors of this during the summer, and really still can't believe the powers that be in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference are completely misguided when it comes to making the wrestling schedules. The EPC is a two-year old league that took the place of the former Lehigh Valley and Mountain Valley conferences, combining those into an 18-team, two-division format.
   Wrestling lives in that area. Easton, Nazareth, and Northampton dominated the state for a long time, and more recently, Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland have emerged as year to year top contenders for PIAA's biggest prizes on the mat.
   But via the schedule for this season, some of the matchups that won't happen are Easton-Northampton, Easton-Parkland, Nazareth-Parkland, and Easton-Bethlehem Catholic. The one that really sticks out in my mind is no Nazareth-Northampton this winter.
   REALLY? Two schools separated by 12 miles in the cement belt of the Lehigh Valley. Two schools that everyone wanted to beat, because of their statewide and national standing. Back in the heyday of the 1980's and 90's, you had Hall of Fame coaches in each corner, Don Rohn of the Konkrete Kids, and the late Ray Nunamaker of the Blue Eagles. Unbelievable battles, and those two programs along with Easton made everyone better for it.
   It's just a real shame that this match and the others, for the fan bases if not for the wrestlers themselves, won't be happening in a single dual setting. Even the all-Bethlehem city match between Freedom, coached by former Tussey Mountain wrestler Brandon Hall, and Liberty had to be scheduled as an independent dual because of the stupid league setup.
   Some of these matches could take place in a one-day crossover that the EPC has set for late January, but as Brad Wilson of The Express-Times/lehighvalleylive.com says, "an all-day event in a neutral gym is no substitute for a one-off dual on a Saturday night."
   I really wonder how many of the coaches had any say in this, and would doubt that many would sign off on such a plan.

Review and Preview - Dec. 7

   The first full week of wrestling for the 2015-16 season is upon us. Before that, a pair of local teams have already seen action so let's do a review.
   Everett earned a nice 37-31 win at West Branch on Friday night. My blog post below has the recap. This is a nice boost to begin the year for Everett, beating the defending District 6-AA champions in their own gym. Individually, sophomore Liam Flaherty picked up a 7-5 decision in a rematch with West Branch's Joey Couteret. Couteret had defeated Flaherty in a consolation bout at last season's Southwest Regional.
   Also, a nod to Everett's four freshmen, who all won. Macen Akers (138) had a major decision, Shane  Clark (285) won by decision, and Garret Cornell (106) won by forfeit, before Evan Brennan clinched the victory at 113 with a pin.
   On Saturday, Claysburg's Tyler Elder was the bright spot for the Bulldogs in winning the St. Mary's Tournament title. Elder, sixth in District 6-AA at 220 last season, had three pins in three bouts.
   It looks to be a tough dual meet year for Claysburg, as only nine wrestlers are out for the team, with a number of last year's starters among those that are not. With them and one or two freshmen that third-year coach Dave Aungst was expected to have in the room, the Bulldogs certainly could have matched or bettered last season's 12-win team that included a district duals first round upset over Cambria Heights.

This Week's Schedule
Tuesday
Greater Johnstown at Bedford
Bellwood-Antis at Claysburg-Kimmel
Glendale at Everett
Northern Bedford at Mount Union
Tussey Mountain at Southern Huntingdon

Thursday
Bedford at Forest Hills
Chestnut Ridge at Philipsburg-Osceola
Everett at Claysburg-Kimmel
Southern Huntingdon at Northern Bedford
West Branch at Tussey Mountain

Friday
HOPE for Hyndman at Berkeley Springs (WV) Tournament

Saturday
Chestnut Ridge at Athens' Jarvis Memorial Tournament
HOPE for Hyndman at Berkeley Springs (WV) Tournament

Friday Night Scores

   Just one match on the card for the first night of winter sports, and it was a big win for Everett, 37-31 at West Branch.
   West Branch is the defending District 6-AA team champion and while they lost state champ Buzzy Maines to graduation, there are still plenty of veteran wrestlers for coach Jason Bainey. That also speaks to how far Everett has come in a few years. The Warriors keep getting better and deeper.
   Individually, what stands out is 126 pounds, where Liam Flaherty knocked off Joey Couteret in a 7-5 decision, in a battle of returning state qualifiers at 113. Couteret beat Flaherty 2-1 in last year's consolation rounds at the Southwest Regional, where the West Branch wrestler finished third and Flaherty was fifth. In this one, Flaherty used a pair of first period takedowns to build a lead.

EVERETT 37, WEST BRANCH 31

120 - Nick Sample, WB, pinned Landon Bambling, 3:02.

126 - Liam Flaherty, E, dec. Joey Couteret, 7-5.

132 - Dylan Confer, WB, dec. Dalton Klotz, 8-4.

138 - Macen Akers, E, maj. dec. Jon Gobbert, 14-4.

145 - Ben Stover, E, dec. Hunter Parks, 5-3.

152 - Derek Yingling, WB, maj. dec. Mahlon Akers, 11-0.

160 - Kyle Myers, WB, pinned Blair Burkholder, 5:25.

170 - Gavin Wills, E, pinned Seth Sankey, 1:23.

182 - Wes Graham, E, pinned Daniel Ryder, 1:56.

195 - Clayton Green, WB, pinned Zack Sigel, 1:16.

220 - Vince McDowell, WB, pinned Keithan O’Brien, 0:19.

285 - Shane Clark, E, dec. Trey Kalke, 4-1.
 106 - Garret Cornell, E, won by forfeit.
 113 - Evan Brennan, E, pinned Tylenochick, 2:44.

New PIAA Enrollment Numbers

   The PIAA released its new enrollment numbers on Monday. While wrestling remains with two classes, and in my opinion should stay that way, there was one difference among the District 5 schools as Somerset will be competing in Class AAA for at least the next two-year cycle.
   The Golden Eagles' number was just above the cutoff point, as only Shikellamy of District 4 is below them and still an AAA team.
   Among District 6 teams, there were no major changes. The six schools who are Class AAA in this current cycle — Altoona, Bellefonte, Central Mountain, Hollidaysburg, Mifflin County, and State College — will continue to be. Bald Eagle Area and Philipsburg-Osceola, Class AA size programs that decide to wrestle up in class, are still listed as AA though rumors have persisted about both of them choosing the Class AA side at some point. The deadline to notify PIAA of any such moves for the next two years is December 15.
   In District 6-AA, both Westmont-Hilltop and Juniata fell just below the cutoff. Westmont's number will be further split next year with the introduction of the Bishop McCort wrestling program.
   Here's a link to the new wrestling enrollment numbers: PIAA Wrestling: 2016-17 and 2017-18

Updated Bedford County Numbers

   Here's an updated all-time wins list among wrestlers from the six Bedford County Schools, as well as some other things at the bottom.

Top 10 in Wins - Bedford County
141 - Ryan Easter, Bedford
138 - Tyler Dibert, Chestnut Ridge
133 - Derrick Claar, Chestnut Ridge
132 - Trent Crouse, Chestnut Ridge
132 - Josh Snyder, Hyndman
129 - Brian Gibbons, Bedford
128 - Jake Bennett, Hyndman
128 - Cory Thomas, Bedford
126 - Brandon Reasy, Northern Bedford
122 - Eric Gibbons, Bedford

Record-Breaker
   Chestnut Ridge's Aaron Burkett has 111 wins entering his senior season. Given his talent and the loaded Lions' schedule, which give him a chance to earn at least 4-5 wins alone in events like the Athens Tournament, the Powerade Tournament, the Ultimate Duals, and postseason team and individual tournaments, Burkett is well within striking distance of Ryan Easter's mark of 141 set two years ago and could be the first county wrestler to get to 150 wins.
   The other two wrestlers that should crack 100 wins, and do it early in the upcoming season, are Chestnut Ridge's Conner Buttry and Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel. Buttry has 95 and Gabriel is at 91.

Bedford County State Champions
2015 - Jonathan Gabriel, Bedford
2008 - Gary Pfahler, Chestnut Ridge
1983 - Paul Clark, Everett
1977 - Jan Clark, Northern Bedford
1976 - Jan Clark, Northern Bedford
1975 - Jan Clark, Northern Bedford
1964 - Ron Hamilton, Bedford
1945 - John Heacock, Bedford

Long time since a Two-Time
   As you can see, the county hasn't had that many champions in its history, and Northern Bedford's Jan Clark was the last repeat winner nearly 40 years ago. The legendary Clark won three and was a four-time finalist.
   Can Gabriel become a two-time champion? It's certainly possible, though standing in the way at 126, where I believe the Bison star will finish the year, could be Central Cambria's Max Murin (champ at 113 last season), or maybe the likes of Reynolds' Cole Matthews (champ at 120), Athens' Brian Courtney (runner-up at 120) or Fort LeBoeuf transfer Charlie Lenox (AAA qualifier for Erie McDowell, owns a pin over Bethlehem Catholic's Luke Karam).
   Paul Clark and Gary Pfahler were seniors when they won their titles, so Gabriel was the first junior to win since Jan Clark's 1976 title.
   Including Gabriel, this has to be perhaps the area's best chance ever to have multiple state champions in one season. Burkett (2nd, 6th previously at 106) and Buttry (3rd at 195) will be among the favorites in their weight classes, while Chestnut Ridge sophomore Justin McCoy (6th at 120) can't be overlooked, and incoming freshman Jared McGill (2-time PJW champion, 5-time finalist) could contend.
 

Another Day, Another Local Stop

   I had time to get down to Hyndman today, where the Hornets are under new coach Logan Sheldon, a former state finalist and 120-bout winner with his hometown program. As expected, the overall numbers are low as I counted maybe a dozen or just over that in the wrestling room. That said, Sheldon is working hard to keep the tradition, and get as much attention as possible. My picture below is of the door to the wrestling room, which I must say proudly displays a photocopy of my recent Bedford Gazette story discussing his hiring, while under that is a flyer recruiting new wrestlers to the team. Sheldon is being assisted by former teammate and fellow Hornet standout Levi Hosselrode.
   Unfortunately for Sheldon, he'll be without heavyweight Brandon Greise this season. Greise went 17-6 and was a fourth-place finisher in District 5 as a sophomore. This is a case of someone's loss being someone else's gain, as Greise is now at Bedford and will certainly give a boost to the Bisons' upperweights.
   Speaking of Bedford, I had an informal chat with assistant coach Sam Carroll today, who said that numbers look pretty good with the Bisons so far and there is plenty of optimism. That's usually the case with Bedford, but there is no doubt that Jonathan Gabriel's state championship in March (first in 51 years at the school) still resonates and will for a long time.

The wrestling room door at HOPE for Hyndman.

Let the Season Begin!

   Officially, another high school wrestling season is underway with the start of PIAA practices on Monday afternoon. Really though, if you're like me, which you might be if you're a regular to my blog, discussion about what's coming shortly didn't start today. I was one of the recipients in a large group text message last night that stated "Happy Wrestling Eve," then another one from the same source this morning saying "Happy Wrestling Day." So I guess at least a few people are excited about the local season.
   Like I did last year, I'll try to get to as many of the county wrestling rooms as I can in person before the season begins. It's not a big number, but my regular duties at the Bedford Gazette do keep me quite busy, so I'll do my best. Today, I hung out at Everett for a little while to check in on the Warriors. Here's a few tidbits:

2015-16 Everett Warriors
   — Everett head coach Robbie Ripple was optimistic about the number of wrestlers in the room. I don't have an official roster yet, but my count showed somewhere in the mid 20's for varsity bodies. Among them are at least seven returning letterwinners, including sophomore Liam Flaherty, who was a state qualifier as a freshman while posting a 26-11 record.

   — It was awesome to see Zach Reed working out with his teammates. Reed underwent emergency intestinal surgery over the summer and was in and out of the hospital several times very early in his life. In June, three feet of his intestines had to be removed after scar tissue had built up from his previous surgeries. A story about Zach's journey and the community support he and his family have received was featured in October 22nd's sports section of the Bedford Gazette.

   — One tough break for the Warriors this winter will be the absence of heavyweight Kyle Peterson, who suffered a knee injury in the offseason and did not play football nor will he be able to take the mat. Peterson, a junior, showed signs of promise last season with a 14-8 record at 285.

Everett wrestlers work out on the first day of official practice on Monday.

District 5 Tournament Schedule

   As reported last week, the District 5 committee chose to hold this season's district individual wrestling tournament at Pitt-Johnstown's Sports Center. It will be a one-day event on Saturday, February 20.
   Below is the projected schedule for that day:

8:30 a.m. - Preliminaries
9:30 a.m. - Quarterfinals, followed by Semifinals and Consolations
5 p.m. - Consolation Finals and Championship Bouts

   The one-day model at UPJ was selected over the usual two-day format, which would have been held at either Bedford, Chestnut Ridge, or North Star this year due to construction at Windber. You can read about that decision in my blog posts below.
   This season's Class AA Southwest Regional will again be at Canon-McMillan High School, on March 4 and 5.

D5 opts for UPJ

   On Wednesday, the District 5 committee voted to have this season's district wrestling tournament at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown's Sports Center.
   The second point of that is it will be held all in one day, on Saturday, February 20, 2016.
   As reported by Spring Into Sports earlier this month, there were two options in regards to the district tournament after longtime host Windber Area High School is unable to have it this year due to ongoing construction at its campus.
   1) - A two-day tournament at either Bedford, Chestnut Ridge, or North Star, wrestled on the normal dates as usual (districts-regionals-states over three consecutive weekends)
   or
   2) - A one-day tournament at UPJ
   District officials opted for the latter, with D5 vice chairman Jeff Batzel saying that overall polling among coaches, athletic directors, and principals from the district schools was in favor of the UPJ deal.
   The one-day tournament does carry a couple of major differences with it, though. PIAA rules state that wrestlers can only compete in five bouts per day as a maximum.
   So pigtail round losers will see their season end rather than have at least one consolation bout. Wrestlebacks will only be contested from the quarterfinals on.
   Secondly, the date of February 20 means there will be a two-week break between the district tournament and the Southwest Regional, which is set to take place on March 4 and 5. This is like District 6-AA has dealt with for years as D6 holds both of its tournaments at the Altoona Fieldhouse.
   While the vote passed, not all coaches are enamored with the idea, one being Chestnut Ridge's Greg Lazor.
   "I definitely don't like it," he said. "Even with them restructuring it to have pigtail losers out, to have the tournament the week before just isn't something I wanted to see happen. That week in between (districts and regionals) means more time without live competition than we are used to. Usually, we already had a whole week or more of practice anyway before the district tournament. Now, it will be the other way around with a lot of teams finishing up their dual seasons right before the tournament, which is only the second biggest tournament of the year."
   As Lazor points out in that last quote, late-season scheduling could be forced to change. Among local schedules, Bedford wrestles Everett on February 16, and Chestnut Ridge faces Tussey Mountain on February 17, just a few days before the new date.
   "It's a concern for sure," said Lazor. "I know the district was in a tough spot this year. Windber would usually have a half-day of school too, so we could start earlier on Friday. I know either us or probably Bedford or North Star didn't have that built in, so we would be back to a later start and maybe have to use three mats.
   "In the end, it is what it is. It's not ideal in my opinion, but it will be a good tournament as always, regardless."

Sheldon takes over Hornets' program

UPDATE - I have a story on this for Friday's Gazette.

   It isn't all that surprising that Logan Sheldon would eventually land himself a head coaching opportunity.
   Since graduating from Hyndman in 2009, Sheldon has served as an assistant coach for several years at the school under Gary Satzer, Jake Snyder, and most recently Chadd Sines. With the departure of Sines to return to Meyersdale after one season, HOPE for Hyndman had an opening and Sheldon was recently hired to take over the reigns.
   I'll have more on this for the Bedford Gazette at an upcoming date, but I do know that Sheldon was the only applicant for the position. He was initially hesitant to move into the head chair as he has other time commitments, but when nobody else put in their name, Sheldon wanted to make sure there was a coach in place.
   To me, this is a win-win scenario for the school and for the former state runner-up. In being on staff for a number of years despite the change in school (public to charter), Sheldon has built a good rapport with the Hyndman kids. The Hornets always seem to struggle with filling weight classes, but they do tend to have standout wrestlers from time to time despite the low numbers. Sheldon was one of them for sure, and his experiences should benefit those athletes who are in the room.
   Sheldon's hire has added to a busy time amongst District 5 schools changing wrestling coaches. While we already knew of Sines' return to Meyersdale, Eric Knopsnyder recently reported that Somerset hired former D5 official Brandon Boburchock, while Conemaugh Township will have James Otten at the helm. That link is here - http://wrestlingpa.com/2015/10/new-coaches-in-district-5/.

Bedford Gazette File Photo

   Hyndman native Logan Sheldon, seen here in the 2009 state tournament where he finished second at 130 pounds, was recently named HOPE for Hyndman's varsity coach. Sheldon was a three-time state qualifier with the Hornets and won 120 bouts in his high school career.

Class AA State Team Rankings - Preseason Edition

   One month from today, wrestling teams in Pennsylvania can begin official practices for the 2015-16 high school season. Of course, there are plenty of happenings set to go already from a national standpoint, with the Who's No. 1 and Night of Conflict events taking place this weekend, and the Super 32 Tournament over the Halloween weekend.
   Locally, it is a much anticipated year with a number of storylines. I plan to have much more on those things in the coming days and weeks.
   Just to whet your appetite for now though, I've put together my top five preseason teams in Class AA.

Spring Into Sports Class AA Team Rankings - Oct. 16

1. Reynolds
   Why the Raiders are here - Reynolds, third in the state duals last season, is primed to do better this time around. Four state placewinners, including champion Cole Matthews (42-6 at 120) and runner-up Seth Hogue (41-6 at 126), are set to return. The other two are heavyweights Cole Rickert (36-11 at 220) and Gene Ringer (42-11 at 285), who were seventh and sixth in the state, respectively. Also back is Gage Bayless (34-13 at 113), while incoming freshman Beau Bayless (PJW qualifier) could make an strong impact in the lightweights. The key for Reynolds appears to be how the lineup from about 145-195 fills in.
2. Chestnut Ridge
   Why the Lions are here - The defending state runner-ups are definite title contenders again in 2015-16. With three returning state placewinners and some other good talent, Chestnut Ridge is positioned to be the best team in this region. Lehigh recruit Aaron Burkett is a two-time state medalist after taking second last year (41-6 at 106). West Virginia signee Conner Buttry took third at 195 (42-5), and Justin McCoy was sixth at 120 (38-8). Dylan Williams, Levi Hobson, and Morgan Deremer are other names to watch for the Lions. And we can't forget about freshman Jared McGill, who's a former PJW champion and multiple-time placewinner at the junior level. He was second last season. Buttry appears to be fully healthy after suffering another knee injury in February, while Williams also looks like he's on the quick mend after an offseason injury.
3. Wyalusing
   Why the Rams are here - Wyalusing was one of the surprises of last year's Class AA state duals, taking fourth after losing in the semifinals to Chestnut Ridge. The Rams are slated to have seven wrestlers who had at least 24 wins last year back, fronted by fourth-place state medalist Collin Edsell (44-7 at 138). Creighton Edsell (44-7 at 132) and Josh Haley (41-9 at 120) also had over 40 wins and were state qualifiers.
4. Montoursville
   Why the Warriors are here - I put another District 4 team in the mix here with Montoursville, where five state qualifiers, including three medalists, should be back on the mat. Keith Batkowski (38-6 at 138) and Gavin Hoffman (41-6 at 170) were sixth in Class AA, while Garrett Hoffman (44-3 at 182) was eighth after entering the state tournament undefeated. Overall, Montoursville has 12 potential returnees who won at least 10 bouts in 2014-15.
5. Bermudian Springs
   Why the Eagles are here - Three state qualifiers and 10 wrestlers who won in the double digits a season ago have Bermudian Springs as my top team in District 3 and No. 5 in my preseason state rankings. Austin Clabaugh (42-9 at 120), Noah Fleshman (30-13 at 160) and Brady Linebaugh (36-4 at 285) all reached Hershey, while Ashton West won 33 bouts at 152. Bayley Oberlander was 25-4 at 106, and would have likely been at least a state qualifier had he not suffered a season-ending injury. Bermudian should also have incoming PJW champion Chase Dull in the lineup.
Others to keep an eye on
 — Boiling Springs, Brookville, Greenville, Northern Lehigh, Saucon Valley, South Fayette

District 5 Tournament to relocate?

   It seems very likely that the District 5 Tournament will not be held at Windber in late February.
   Due to the ongoing construction project at WAHS, whether the gymnasium will be ready and the lack of parking because of it means the event will probably be held at a new location in 2016.
   Rumors have persisted regarding this for a few months, and I've had more than a handful of people in the past couple of weeks ask me about it.
   While nothing has been set in stone yet, there are two options that are reportedly being looked at.
— The tournament will be held at either Bedford, Chestnut Ridge, or North Star, and be run as a two-day event on February 26-27.
— The tournament will be a one-day event at UPJ on February 20. With this option, there would be a two-week break between the district and regional tournaments, as is the case each year with District 6-AA.
   I spoke with Bedford athletic director Dan Baker, who told me he hadn't yet been contacted about any such proposal, though he would welcome it with open arms. Of course, Bedford does hold the Thomas Subaru Tournament each January, which usually fields between 25 and 30 schools. Despite some drawbacks regarding seating, parking, and other variables, I think the Bedford people do an excellent job with it, and it would be a suitable alternative for the district tournament and its 12 teams. I would also think that Chestnut Ridge and North Star could be fine sites to use.
   In hindsight, if Everett had been able to construct a new gymnasium as part of its renovation project a couple of years ago, that probably would have been the alternative. At the time, before the gym idea was scrapped from the construction, I had all but confirmed that Everett and Windber would have held the district tournament on a rotational basis.

Heart, Desire land Buttry a Division I signing

   Throughout his high school wrestling career, Conner Buttry's been dealt his fair share of adversity.
   His way of battling through it, both on and off the mat, has been nothing short of remarkable. And over the weekend, the Chestnut Ridge senior secured a spot to wrestle at the next level in signing with West Virginia University.
   Buttry, who spoke to Sam Shuss for Monday's Bedford Gazette, has overcome two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in three years to get to this point — a 95-31 career record that includes a third-place state medal from last March, which was about a month after he tore the ACL in his right knee.
   "He never let his injuries dampen his mood or change his goals," said Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor.
   There's no doubt about that. After going 17-17 as a 160-pound freshman, Buttry hurt his left knee early in that offseason, but returned to post a 36-9 sophomore record at 182, which was the most improved win-loss mark of any wrestler in the county. He reached the state tournament for the first time. At 195 as a junior, he was 42-5, won a district championship and placed second in the Southwest Regional before getting third at states.
   As stated previously, the individual postseason saw Buttry wrestle on a torn ACL in his right knee, one which he suffered during the state team semifinal match with Wyalusing Valley. Buttry used all his injury time before coming back to pin his opponent and keep the Lions rolling on their way to a 45-21 victory to put them into the Class AA team finals.
   He's not playing football this fall, and he is likely to be cleared for wrestling later this week. He'll be at 195 pounds again, where he will certainly be among the favorites to claim gold in Hershey.
   Buttry's selection of West Virginia centered around the ability to be close to home, the school's nursing program that he will be a part of academically, and the opportunity to compete for WVU coach Sammie Henson, who is a former NCAA and world champion.
   His mom, Michelle, is a graduate of West Virginia and is in the nursing profession herself.
   "I am so proud and excited for his family," said Lazor. "It is so nice to see a great kid who has earned his success get rewarded by getting to wrestle for the college of his choice."
   Buttry's decision gives Bedford County three Division I wrestling commitments from the Class of 2016. Bedford state champion Jonathan Gabriel will attend the United States Naval Academy, while Buttry's teammate at Chestnut Ridge, Aaron Burkett, announced he is heading to Lehigh University.

———

   Taking my reporter's cap off for a moment or two, you won't find many young athletes who are more likeable or approachable than Conner Buttry. When I asked him about the next level at Friday's Chestnut Ridge football game, he said he was close to deciding, and obviously that was the case. I'm definitely pleased for him and his family, as I also am for Gabriel and Burkett. To have three top-level NCAA wrestling prospects from two schools in this area is quite a feat. And for Lazor to have two in his practice room is a tremendous achievement for the Lions' program.
   I know Buttry, who coincidentally shares the same birthdate as my son, is tired of hearing about his knee injuries, but you can't tell his story of desire and dedication without that aspect. The way he wrestled the final month of last season on a torn ACL without ever seeming to complain or waver to the injury is something I will long remember.

Photo by Ryan Spring

   Chestnut Ridge's Conner Buttry, seen here finishing off a pin in the state team semifinal match last February, will continue his wrestling career at West Virginia University.

Gene Mills Clinic at Claysburg-Kimmel

   Upcoming clinic on September 20 featuring the great Gene Mills, at Claysburg. Info at the link - Claysburg-Kimmel Clinic

Thoughts on Gabriel, Burkett commitments

   Over the years, I've made it a habit to talk to wrestling people (coaches, fans, parents, other media), check message boards, ranking websites, and anything else basically year-round to keep up with who's coming up through the local programs that should be worth watching for the future.
   And in recent days, two of the best current varsity wrestlers in Bedford County — Jonathan Gabriel and Aaron Burkett — have made their intentions known to compete collegiately at the Division I level. Gabriel will attend the U.S. Naval Academy, and Burkett is headed to Lehigh. I wrote blog posts on each commitment which you can scroll down to.
   Given what each of them has accomplished so far both on and off the mat, it's no surprise to me that institutions such as the two that they chose were interested.
   But what I knew about them three years ago is different from the similarities that they have produced in that time frame.
   I'll start with Gabriel, who was very much as I would say a "known commodity" in my view when he began his varsity career at 106 pounds.
   I knew quite a bit about him. He had won a Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling state title, and he had placed highly in several national events. And I had seen him several times in junior high matches. Certainly, Gabriel was already thought of as the next great Bedford wrestler by many, and he hasn't disappointed.
   As a freshman, Gabriel was 32-4 and won a district championship. He didn't make it to the state tournament, but that 106-pound bracket in the Southwest Regional is one of the hardest individual brackets I've seen. It also featured Huntingdon's Collin Glorioso, Forest Hills' Triston Law, Southmoreland's Austin Griffiths, Burgettstown's Austin McDermitt, and Jefferson-Morgan's Brendan Howard, with three of them finishing in the top six in the state the next weekend.
   The last two years for Gabriel speak for themselves, being a state finalist and then Bedford's first state champion since 1964. He's also Bedford's first three-time Thomas Subaru Tournament champion, an event which the Bison wrestlers always look to shine being that it's in their home gymnasium.
   On the other side, I didn't know as much about Burkett back in late 2012 as official practices for that season began. By all accounts, the 106-pounder was solid in junior high and time would tell as to what would happen.
   In speaking with Greg Lazor after Burkett committed to Lehigh, the Chestnut Ridge coach told me that while not being as well known as say a Ryan Easter, a Justin McCoy, or a Gabriel, Burkett always had the skill set to become one of the best in his room.
   And Burkett has done just that. Two state medals, two district championships, and within reach of becoming the county's first 150-bout winner will talk yourself into any conversation about the top local athletes.
   Like Gabriel's state title winning peterson roll in the final seconds of his championship bout, I also recall Burkett's late cement job in the state quarterfinals as a sophomore to secure his first PIAA medal. Lasting memories for those involved.
   My point here isn't to compare Gabriel and Burkett. It's only to say that no matter the expectations, whatever you want to accomplish can be had. From my coverage standpoint, it's fun to see the expected happen, like Gabriel's career. And it's fun to get the occasional surprise, as I have in Burkett. Congratulations to both of them on their collegiate choices.

Gabriel selects Naval Academy

   While Jonathan Gabriel still has more goals to accomplish before his high school wrestling career is done, the first step in life after high school has already been determined. Over the weekend, as he also celebrated a birthday, Gabriel chose the United States Naval Academy as his next destination.
   It's the second Division I commitment for a local wrestler in the past month, after Chestnut Ridge's Aaron Burkett selected Lehigh - see Lehigh lands Burkett below in my blog.
   Gabriel says the Naval Academy stood out in a couple of trips to the campus.
   "When I visited, I felt like it could be a second home to me. I felt comfortable and like I was already a part of their family."
   Gabriel, well accomplished in both the classroom and on the wrestling mat, added that a couple of other schools had shown interest in the Bedford state champion.
   In March, Gabriel became only the third PIAA champion from his school with an 8-4 victory in the 126-pound Class AA championship bout, defeating Seth Hogue of Reynolds with a dramatic five-point move off a peterson roll in the closing seconds of the third period. He became the first state champ from Bedford since 1964, and broke a streak that included the Bisons having nine state runner-up finishes in a row since Ron Hamilton won his title 51 years ago.
   Gabriel is a three-time District 5 champion and a three-time Thomas Subaru Tournament champion, and was second in the state as a sophomore 113-pounder. He's also closing in on 100 wins for his career and is a two-time Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic team member.
   Other than wrestling, where he projects as a 125-pounder at Navy, Gabriel aspires to be a pilot, but is keeping his academic options open.
   "I just want to be the best wrestler and best student that I can be, and represent the Navy as best as I can," he said.
   Of course, there's still one more season left in his high school colors, and Gabriel wants to see his name above all others again.
   "I want to be the first two-time state champion at Bedford. That's what I can focus on now that this is out of the way."
   Navy's 2014-15 roster included wrestlers from several states, but it also did include a former area competitor in Westmont graduate Don Shovestull.

Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel is seconds away from winning his first state championship 

after putting Reynolds' Seth Hogue on his back in the Class AA 126-pound final in March. 

Gabriel will compete collegiately at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Lehigh lands Burkett

   Greg Lazor has a wealth of hard workers in his Chestnut Ridge practice room, but he says Aaron Burkett can measure up to any of them.
   The senior-to-be is a prime example of that hard work paying off in more ways than one. Over the weekend, Burkett made a commitment to wrestle at the next level at Lehigh University.
   "It's great to see someone who has done everything right on and off the mat get this opportunity," said Lazor. "He's a perfect role model for everyone else in our school and community."
   Burkett is 111-23 in his career, coming off a 41-6 season. He's a two-time District 5 champion and two-time state placewinner, including a runner-up finish this past March at 106 pounds. And he's been a key member of the Lions' state team medal runs two of the last three years. Burkett projects at 125 pounds at Lehigh.
   While Burkett's wrestling credentials are high-level, he'll get a chance to be in the room with the Mountain Hawks because of classroom work as well. After his junior season, Burkett was named a first team All-Academic choice by the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association, as he was listed with a 4.0 GPA.
   "To be able to go to a place like Lehigh shows that Aaron has more than great ability on the wrestling mat," said Lazor. "He's such a great person to put up there in your program to show everyone else that the work pays off. He's just an all-around example of what you want your child to be."
   Burkett's resume currently speaks for itself, though he wasn't always mentioned among the top wrestlers to be coming up around the local area.
   "He's put a lot of work in, especially later in his wrestling life," added Lazor. "He's really improved throughout his junior high and varsity years, and has really made himself into something. He may not have been as well-known as some other kids in our program or some others in the area, but we knew we had something special when he got to our room."
   Burkett has a chance this coming season to make a little history on a few fronts. He's well within striking distance of the all-time win records for Chestnut Ridge (Tyler Dibert, 138) and the county (Bedford's Ryan Easter, 141). Also, should he reach the podium in Hershey again, Burkett would become the Lions' only three-time state medalist.

Chestnut Ridge's Aaron Burkett controls Benton's Alan Diltz during a win in the 106-pound state semifinals in March. Burkett, who went on to finish second, recently committed to wrestle at Lehigh University.

Bedford's Ed Clark a coaching legend

   Earlier this week, one of Bedford's longtime coaching icons, Ed Clark, passed away at the age of 89.
   I have a more detailed story for Saturday's edition of the Bedford Gazette, but here are some of Clark's highlight accomplishments.

— Posted a wrestling record in 17 seasons of 149-24-1.
— Coached state champion Ron Hamilton, who was Bedford's last PIAA winner (1964) until Jonathan Gabriel won this past season.
— Also coached wrestlers to 71 district championships and nine regional titles.
— Had two brilliant stretches in dual meets, going 45-3 between 1961 and 1966, and went 42-4 from 1971 to 1974.
— Was named PA Coach of the Year in 1974.
— After handing the wrestling reigns to Bill Creps, Eddie took over Bedford's golf program and had nine unbeaten teams in 17 years.
— PA Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame (1980) and Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame (2006) inductee.

    Clark, also well-known for his "Eddie-isms" as a coach and a health/physical education teacher, is survived by his wife Margie and three sons among other family members. His son Jim was an outstanding coach in his own right, having guided Chestnut Ridge to 342 dual meet wins in a 31-year career. The younger Clark is also a member of both Hall of Fames mentioned above.

AAU National Duals Updates

   In further action at the 2015 AAU Scholastic Duals at Disney World, Middle Atlantic Blue and Young Guns White met in a first round match in the medal rounds of the District All-Stars Division. Middle Atlantic Blue won the dual, 56-6. There were two bouts of note to local followers:

— At 126, Luke Karam (MAB) dec. Justin McCoy (YGW), 5-2. I didn't see this bout and it is the "offseason", but a three-point loss to a two-time state champion and three-time finalist isn't a bad result for the Chestnut Ridge stud, sixth in the state as a freshman.

— At 132, Jake Boozel (YGW) dec. Jonathan Gabriel (MAB), 7-4. Interesting result here, as Mount Union product Boozel (state qualifier at 132) scores a big win over Bedford state champ Gabriel (at 126).

AAU Disney Duals

   A few local wrestlers are competing this week in the AAU National Duals at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World. Here are results as of Monday:

Jonathan Gabriel - Bedford
Middle Atlantic Blue
132 pounds
   (4-0 in pool rounds): won by 12-2 major decision, won by fall in 3:37, won by 6-3 decision, won by 3-1 decision
— Middle Atlantic Blue went 6-0 in District All-Stars Division Pool C

Justin McCoy - Chestnut Ridge
Young Guns White
126 pounds
   (5-1 so far in pool rounds): won by 7-0 decision, won by fall in 3:34, won by 7-5 decision, won by 3-2 decision, won by 9-4 decision, lost by 6-0 decision
— Young Guns White went 5-1 in District All-Stars Division Pool D

Ryan Wertz - Bedford
Young Guns White
170 pounds
   (1-5 so far in pool rounds): won by 5-2 decision, lost by 13-5 major decision, lost by fall in 0.46, lost by 2-0 decision, lost by fall in 1:19, lost by 7-0 decision
— Young Guns White went 5-1 in District All-Stars Division Pool D

Chestnut Ridge Wrestling Camp

   Chestnut Ridge is holding its annual weeklong wrestling camp later this month at the high school. There is no cost to attend. See below for further information:
   Elementary, June 15 and 16 from 9-11 a.m.
   Advanced Elementary and Junior High, June 15-17 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
   Advanced Junior High and Varsity, June 17-19 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

   The camp consists of wrestling technique and live wrestling. It is run under the direction of Chestnut Ridge varsity head coach Greg Lazor, who has guided the Lions to a pair of top-four state team finishes in the last three seasons. Lazor was also named the 2012-13 PIAA Class AA State Coach of the Year.
 

Deremer wins MAWA title

   Chestnut Ridge sophomore Morgan Deremer won a Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association (MAWA) Eastern National wrestling championship this past weekend.
   Deremer competed at 152 pounds and won the Advanced Division crown. His championship was the highlight of a handful of other local wrestlers shining in both the Eastern Nationals and the Northeast Regional Freestyle Tournament.
   Ridge's Dylan Williams was also at Eastern Nationals and took 4th place in the Advanced Division at 115 pounds.
   At the Northeast Regional, held at East Stroudsburg University, Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel and Chestnut Ridge's Justin McCoy each had high finishes. Reigning PIAA champion Gabriel placed 2nd in the Junior Men's 132-pound bracket. McCoy ended up 3rd at 126 pounds in the Cadet Men's class.

 

All-Academic Wrestling Teams

   The 2014-15 PWCA All-Academic Wrestling Teams have been released. Below are those wrestlers from District 5 that were selected. They are listed by grade.

Seniors
   3rd Team - Tevin Mostoller, North Star
   Honorable Mention - Trent Crouse, Chestnut Ridge; Shane Davis, Chestnut Ridge; Jon Fabian, Somerset; Colby Hillegass, Chestnut Ridge; Luke Hobson, Chestnut Ridge

Juniors
   1st Team - Aaron Burkett, Chestnut Ridge
   2nd Team - Jonathan Gabriel, Bedford
   Honorable Mention - Dillian Charlton, North Star; Gus Strasiser, North Star

Sophomores
   1st Team - Dylan Williams, Chestnut Ridge

Bulldog and Dragon Camp

   The annual Bulldog and Dragon Tilts and Legs Camp is coming up soon. The camp will run from May 11-14 from 6:30-9 p.m. in the Auxillary Gymnasium at Claysburg-Kimmel High School.
   Camp Clinician is former Claysburg and current Central coach Dave Marko, and the counselors are Claysburg coach Dave Aungst and former District 6 standout A.J. Schopp. Schopp is a former PIAA state champion at Tyrone and that school's career wins leader, and he just finished up a stellar collegiate career at Edinboro University by becoming a three-time NCAA All-American. At last month's Division I Championships, Schopp placed third at 133 pounds.
   Cost for the camp is $60, and checks can be payable to either Claysburg or Central Wrestling Boosters.
   For more information, contact Marko at 931-8894 or Aungst at 381-5860.

NHSCA Championships

   The National High School Coaches Association Wrestling Championships are this weekend in Virginia Beach. Here are entries from District 5, according to the NHSCA website.

Freshman Nationals
120 - Liam Flaherty, Everett
126 - Austin Lee, Berlin
126 - Justin McCoy, Chestnut Ridge

Junior Nationals
106 - Aaron Burkett, Chestnut Ridge
132 - Joe Swank, Berlin
170 - Storm McDonald, Berlin

Senior Nationals
170 - Taylor Cahill, Berlin

Jonathan Gabriel - State Champion

Opening whistle.

Tight ride late in second period.

The winning move: Gabriel's "funky peterson."

And another view.

Celebration all around.

After 51 years, Bedford crowns a state champion.

State Wrestling Friday Scenes and Notes

   Some local news and notes from Friday at the Class AA state tournament:

- Chestnut Ridge's Aaron Burkett is the third-ever state finalist from his school. The others were Gary Pfahler (champion) in 2008 and Josh McDannell (runner-up) in 2009.

- Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel is his school's first two-time state finalist since 1964. That was also the last year the Bison program won a title, with Ron Hamilton doing the honors. He and John Heacock are Bedford's only state champions in history.

- Chestnut Ridge's four medalists (Burkett, Justin McCoy, Trent Crouse, and Conner Buttry) make this season's Lions the only Bedford County team in history to earn four indivdual state medals in a single PIAA tournament.

Scenes from the Day

Class AA Quarterfinal breakdown

   Here's a look at a few of the top quarterfinal round matchups of the PIAA Class AA Tournament on Friday morning. Updated brackets can be found at this link - PIAA Brackets

106 Pounds
Kevan Gentile, Jim Thorpe vs. Aaron Burkett, Chestnut Ridge
   The Skinny: On paper, Burkett probably has the best chance of any of the four Chestnut Ridge quarterfinalists to eventually reach the finals. But the Lion junior, a sixth place medalist last year, will first have to get past the unbeaten Gentile. The Jim Thorpe wrestler won the Southeast Regional and had a second period pin to open the state tournament earlier today, while Burkett rung up a major decision.

113 Pounds
Joe Lobeck, Lancaster Catholic vs. Nolan Link, Penn Cambria
   The Skinny: These two met last year in the first round at 106, when Lobeck earned a 2-1 win. In today's opening matchups, Lobeck won by fall and Link picked up a 5-0 decision.

120 Pounds
Cole Matthews, Reynolds vs. Collin Glorioso, Huntingdon
   The Skinny: Each of these wrestlers had a harder than believed to be first round bout on Thursday. Matthews pulled out a 6-4 win, while Glorioso survived a 9-7 decision. Matthews is one of the top freshmen in the state, while Glorioso has placed here twice.

126 Pounds
Sammy Hepler, Tri-Valley vs. Jonathan Gabriel, Bedford
   The Skinny: This will be a rematch of the Thomas Subaru Tournament final, where Gabriel claimed a 7-5 decision to win his third title in his home event. On Thursday, Gabriel was pushed by Brookville's Cole Aaron, as the bout was decided on a reversal and two-point nearfall, both for the Bison junior during the 30-second pair of tiebreaker periods.

160 Pounds
John Vaughn, Boiling Springs vs. Cody Mulligan, Saegertown
   The Skinny: A senior against a freshman here. In my picks for the Bedford Gazette, I went with the impressive Mulligan. Vaughn was tested by another freshman, Westmont's Anthony Walters, in a 3-2 decision in the opener, while Mulligan rolled to a technical fall victory.

Thursday scenes at PIAA Wrestling Championships

Photos by Ryan Spring

   Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel, top, Chestnut Ridge's Aaron Burkett, middle, and Chestnut Ridge's Derrick Claar compete on Thursday in the opening rounds of the PIAA Class AA wrestling tournament. On the right is District 5 official Mike Eichelberger, who was handling Class AAA action today.

Class AA State Bracket Analysis

   It's the final week of the high school wrestling season, as everything commences on Thursday morning for the Class AA state tournament in Hershey. Eight of my local wrestlers qualified through the Southwest Regional.
   The brackets can be found at this link - Class AA Brackets
   I have provided some bracket analysis below. Also, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Bedford Gazette each day this week for features, previews and predictions. Of course, I also plan on having some extra things on this blog as the tournament goes on, along with full coverage in the Gazette's print edition during the event.

Class AA Bracket Analysis
106 Pounds
   Jefferson-Morgan's Gavin Teasdale and Chestnut Ridge's Aaron Burkett have been ranked first and second in the state for pretty much all of this season. They met for the second time in the Southwest Regional final, with Teasdale taking a 3-0 win after beating Burkett in overtime at the Thomas Subaru Tournament in late January. Teasdale's path in the top half of the bracket shows perhaps Brookville's Gavin Park and Boiling Springs' Jalin Hankerson as his toughest potential opponents leading to the final.
   Burkett's in the bottom half and drew Harborcreek's Sam Sallot in the opening round. Win that and it's a likely quarterfinal with unbeaten Kevan Gentile of Jim Thorpe. Gentile has been ranked in the top five for awhile but he seems a bit of an unknown. The little bit I've read on the junior is that he's having a breakout year after battling injuries in the past. Also down below is Benton's Alan Diltz. Two years ago at state duals, Burkett pinned Diltz. Of course, that's quite a long time ago and Diltz appears to have greatly improved since.

113 Pounds
   This is one of the more interesting weights in my opinion. I could see any one of six wrestlers win the title. On the top half is Central Cambria's Max Murin, Muncy's Angelo Barberio, and Jamestown's Farris Messai, while Lancaster Catholic's Joe Lobeck, Penn Cambria's Nolan Link, Reynolds' Gage Bayless, Brockway's Ryan Carlson, and Line Mountain's Cameron Newman down below. If you're looking ahead to quarterfinals, Lobeck beat Link in a close first-rounder at 106 last year. One of the great stories to come out of regionals for me was Everett freshman Liam Flaherty, who finished fifth to earn a ticket to the Giant Center. Flaherty, who attends school at Southern Fulton but wrestles at Everett in a co-op, drew Southern Columbia's Shane Casey in one of the new pigtail bouts for this season. The winner gets Lobeck.

120 Pounds
   The four region champions here are the likely top contenders to win it all, but it is a fairly deep weight  class. Brookville's Taylor Ortz, Athens' Brian Courtney, Bishop McDevitt's John Pipa, and Huntingdon's Collin Glorioso will all face pigtail round winners. Darkhorses here could include Jefferson-Morgan's Brendan Howard, Tri-Valley's Caleb Bordner, and Reynolds' Cole Matthews. Howard and Bordner will meet on Thursday. Chestnut Ridge's Justin McCoy drew Trinity's Andrew Wert, with the winner likely seeing Ortz in the quarterfinals.

126 Pounds
   The top half of this bracket is a beast, with Forest Hills' Triston Law, Reynolds' Seth Hogue, and Boiling Springs' Grant Bond there among others. Hogue and Bond could meet in a quarterfinal. At the state duals, Hogue beat Bond, who appears healthy after missing a good bit of the regular season. Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel, who lost to Law on Saturday night, gets Brookville's Cole Aaron in the first round in the bottom half of the draw. Win there and the state runner-up at 113 last year should see Tri-Valley's Sammy Hepler, who defeated Bond in the Southeast Regional final. Gabriel earned a close victory over Hepler to win his third Thomas Subaru championship earlier this season.

132 Pounds
   Defending state champion Korbin Myers would be a solid bet to come out of the top half here as the bottom side looks to be a tougher choice. Those attempting to knock off the Boiling Springs' senior would be Derry's George Phillippi, a former state champ, Schuylkill Valley's Josh Giorgio, Reynolds' Mike Bartolo, and Warrior Run's Zack Lebarron. Giorgio was a state finalist last year at 126, while Lebarron is still unbeaten.

138 Pounds
   Another Boiling Springs ace, Kyle Shoop, is one of the favorites in this weight. His path to the finals probably sees a potential roadblock in Saegertown's Tyler Vath. Down below, we have South Fayette's unbeaten Mike Carr and Wyalusing's Collin Edsell. Locally, Chestnut Ridge's Derrick Claar has a pigtail bout with Smethport's Adam Shunk. The winner of that one orders up a tall task in the tiltmaster Shoop.

145 Pounds
   The top half of this bracket looks pretty wide open to me, and I could definitely see Ligonier Valley's Robby Patrick in the state finals as a freshman. The bottom is tougher on paper, with Southern Columbia's Kent Lane, a finalist last year, Saegertown's Nick Monico, and Biglerville's Nate Newberry among the contenders.

152 Pounds
   In no particular order, Southern Columbia's Billy Barnes, Brookville's Jimmy Miller, and Huntingdon's Jacob Oliver are the top half's best bets, but don't be surprised if Chestnut Ridge's Trent Crouse or Annville-Cleona's Jeff Inman make some noise. Crouse took Oliver to the limit in a 9-8 regional semifinal loss. The Lion senior seems to have drawn a favorable first round date with Tri-Valley's Anthony Snyder, before probably seeing Miller next. Crouse and Miller did not meet in the Ultimate Duals. Down below, South Park's Jake Wentzel and Pius X's Michael Comunale appear headed for a semifinal showdown. On a side note, Pius X is closing its doors after this school year, so maybe Comunale has a little extra motivation to send his school out with a champion.

160 Pounds
   This bracket is a minefield. I do think Berlin's Bryce Fochtman put himself in a good spot by winning the Southwest Regional. Slotted at the very bottom of the draw, Fochtman could see the semifinals where probably either John Vaughn of Boiling Springs or Cody Mulligan of Saegertown will await. Mulligan is an impressive freshman. Up top, Mifflinburg's Cole Walter is one possibility, though he'll probably have to beat Blairsville's Drew Doak and South Fayette's J.J. Walker just to get to the final. Walker was the runner-up at this same weight last March. I don't know much about Redbank Valley's Keshon Truitt, but the fact he beat Mulligan for the Northwest Regional title means he can't be much of a slouch.

170 Pounds
   Another very good weight here with no definitive favorite from my perspective. I would say South Park's Greg Bulsak and Bermudian Springs' Briton Shelton are slight top picks from each side of the bracket, but I wouldn't be sleeping on names such as Gavin Hoffman, Jason Lynch, or Levi Niebauer to mention a few. Hoffman is another impressive upperweight freshman in Class AA, and he'll see Lynch in Round One, with the winner likely getting Bulsak. Niebauer, a sixth place medalist last season, could battle Shelton in the quarterfinals. Bedford's Daniel Brett has had a really good postseason so far and his first state tournament bout will be against Boiling Springs' Travis Wickard.

182 Pounds
   Gavin Hoffman's big brother Garrett is a likely selection to emerge from the top half at 182. The Montoursville junior is 42-0. Down below, Bermudian Springs' Colton Dull and Penns Valley's Corey Hazel are the regional champions. Though third in the Northwest Regional, Greenville's Gage Gladysz could be a darkhorse from that part of the bracket.

195 Pounds
   In the top half here, regional champions Alek Hummel of North Schuylkill and Dylan Reynolds of Saegertown are a combined 88-1 this season. Also up top are Benton's Logan Womelsdorf, Chestnut Ridge's Conner Buttry, and Berlin's Toby Cahill. Buttry's first rounder is against Canton's Tyler Cole. Win that and it should be a date with Reynolds, who defeated the Lion junior at the Powerade Tournament. On the bottom, Blairsville's unbeaten Scott Thompson is the likely bet to await whomever in the championship round.

220 Pounds
   Bermudian Springs' Sam McCollum and West Branch's Buzzy Maines are both unbeaten and on opposite sides here. But there are several other contenders, including Kittanning's Jacob Robb, Reynolds' Cole Rickert, and Wyalusing's Dylan Otis. Robb was leading Maines 7-4 in the Southwest Regional final when the West Branch returning state finalist put Robb on his back for a pin.

285 Pounds
   Burrell's Allan Beattie and Southmoreland's Jake Beistel are the top two ranked kids at heavyweight . Beattie defeated Beistel for the Southwest title and thus they are are opposite sides of the draw. Beattie could have an interesting quarterfinal against the winner between Bermudian Springs' Brady Linebaugh and Reynolds' Gene Ringer.