It's back to wrestling this week as the Class AA Southwest Regional hits the mats at Canon-McMillan this weekend. Action begins with the opening round at 3 p.m. on Friday, followed by quarterfinals and the first round of consolations. The top six placewinners in each weight class advance to the state tournament next week in Hershey.
I have provided a link to the brackets below as well as my analysis of each weight. My picks for the state qualifiers will appear in Friday's edition of the Bedford Gazette.
2016 SW Regional Brackets - http://live.pa-wrestling.com/2015-2016/region-south-west-aa/
Analysis
106 Pounds - Chestnut Ridge senior Aaron Burkett is a strong favorite to capture his first regional championship, as he has been ranked #1 in the state all season by both Off the Mat and PA Power Rankings. The Lehigh recruit has a bye in the first round and will meet the winner between Chartiers-Houston's Ty Mazutis and Westmont's Derrick Christie. The other district champions here are Mount Union's Josh Boozel and Freedom's Zach Ward. Burkett pinned Boozel in a first round bout last year. Those two could meet in the finals.
113 - Certainly a big edge here goes to Jefferson-Morgan sophomore Gavin Teasdale, who is still unbeaten in his high school career and is ranked #1 in the nation by several outlets. Last year's 106-pound state champion looks primed to get title number two next weekend. Chestnut Ridge district champion Dylan Williams is in the bottom half of the draw along with Penns Valley's Darren Yearick, the D6 champion. Williams was within 15-20 seconds of a spot at states last year here before losing that quarterfinal in overtime, then another one in the consolation bouts.
120 - The bottom half of this bracket is pretty tough to call. Northern Bedford's Zach Clark owns a pair of District 5 titles now and will look to get to the state tournament for the first time. Also on the bottom is West Branch's Joey Couteret, the District 6 champ. Also on the bottom is an interesting first round rematch from last year between Huntingdon's Izac Benson and McGuffey's Gage Nicolella. Benson pinned Nicolella in what was one of the surprises of last year's first day. Everett's Liam Flaherty is in the top of the bracket, along with Southmoreland's Tyler Griffiths, who won D7 and gets the bye at this weight.
126 - This is probably the most talked about weight in Class AA as we get set for regionals. How often do you get two returning state champions in one bracket at a regional tournament? But that's what we do have here with Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel and Central Cambria's Max Murin, who happen to be good friends as well. Murin, the 113-pound PIAA champ a year ago, got the bye here. Gabriel, who won it all at this same class in 2015, is in the bottom of the draw. It would be a shocker to not see this as a final. One first round bout of interest should be Portage freshman Cole Sossong against Ellwood City's Tyler Alberts. I haven't seen much of Sossong in person, but he's been highly talked about among freshmen, while Alberts was a state qualifier last season.
132 - Huntingdon senior Collin Glorioso, a two-time state placewinner, is in the top of the bracket with the bye at this weight. Nursing a broken nose in which he is wearing a protective mask, Glorioso won the D6 title that included a narrow 1-0 semifinal win over Central Cambria's Ian Ostrowski. Those two could meet in the regional semifinals as well. Down below, I'm looking forward to seeing Chestnut Ridge freshman Jared McGill without his mask, which was the result of a broken nose as well during the middle of January. McGill has been wrestling with it since but is now cleared to go without it. His high junior wrestling credentials coupled with a 10-8 win over Bedford's Gabriel in December made him the talk of the area for awhile. He'll probably see Mount Union's Jake Boozel in Friday's quarterfinals, in what could be a barnburner. McGill is ranked fifth in the state by Off the Mat and sixth by PA Power, while Boozel is eighth and 10th, respectively.
138 - The top half of this bracket appears stronger on paper, though it is easily led by Derry senior George Phillippi, who is a two-time state champion. He has the bye. Others on top who should make noise include Westmont's Carnell Andrews, Penns Valley's Curtis Decker, and Berlin's Joey Swank. Swank drew South Fayette's Shane Ging in an opening round bout and that will be a rematch of a bout last year where Swank was called for a slam and disqualified, while Ging came back from the injury and advanced to the state tournament. Down below, Chestnut Ridge sophomore Justin McCoy has been wrestling as well as anybody locally for a while in my mind. That said, Huntingdon's Tyler Scott and Ligonier Valley's Dalton Clark could provide threats to McCoy's shot at the finals. Scott has wrestled well of late, including an impressive performance in the D6 tourney a week after beating Reynolds' Seth Hogue in the state duals. Clark was a state qualifier last year.
145 - South Fayette's Mike Carr continues his quest for a second state championship and has the bye here. The likeliest biggest opposition in the top of the draw would be Central Cambria's Tommy Opdenhoff, though Carr has had Opdenhoff's number in several recent meetings. Down below, Somerset's Austin Hemminger, Huntingdon's Seth Baney, Freedom's Kody Komara, and Bentworth's Hunter Neely look like probable quarterfinalists. Hemminger won a D5 title last year and then went out rather quietly at Canon-Mac. We'll see what happens the second time around for the Somerset junior.
152 - A really good weight here. Ligonier Valley's Robby Patrick has the bye. The sophomore made it all the way to the state finals last season. Others to watch in the top would include Jeannette's GioVonne Sanders, South Fayette's Ben Previte, and North Star's Gus Strasiser. The bottom half of the draw is tough, with Chestnut Ridge's Morgan Deremer, Huntingdon's Jon Wagner, and Burrell's Damon Greenwald. Deremer and Wagner in a quarterfinal should be a good one. Deremer and Greenwald, should they meet in the semifinals, have split two bouts this season.
160 - South Park's Jake Wentzel, the state champion at 152 last year, is the favorite here though there are some names to know. They include Moshannon Valley's Larry Brown and Berlin's Braden Fochtman, the D6 and D5 champions, respectively. Others are Penn Cambria's Austin Farabaugh, South Allegheny's Cody Jenkins, Cambria Heights' Austin Gill, and Bellwood's Nate Claar.
170 - There's quite a bit of top quality in this weight. It includes the top three in the state by both ranking services, in Westmont's Anthony Walters, Huntingdon's Jacob Oliver, and Beth-Center's Anthony Welsh. Walters beat Oliver in the District 6 finals, while Welsh is unbeaten and has the bye as the D7 champion. Oliver is in the top bracket with him. Berlin's Storm McDonald, the D5 champ who is ranked sixth by Off the Mat and eighth by PA Power, is in the bottom half along with Walters. Northern Bedford's Lucas Kolinchak and Burrell's Anthony Marra also have state rankings tied to their names.
182 - Another defending state champion here with South Park's Greg Bulsak, who won it at 170 a year ago. He has the bye. The other district champions are Everett's Wes Graham (D5) and Penn Cambria's Jacob Driskel (D6). In my opinion, Graham along with Everett teammates Garret Cornell (106) and Liam Flaherty (120) received favorable draws for a potential state berth.
195 - Chestnut Ridge senior Conner Buttry is on a roll, having pinned 18 consecutive opponents. That streak could be put to the test this weekend at regionals, but the D5 champion and West Virginia bound Buttry will surely be satisfied with a title at Canon-Mac no matter how it's done. It's possible he'll see Burrell's Robert Scherer in the semifinals. Buttry has owned Scherer over the past couple of years, including wins over him in the regional and state tournaments last season and a pin for the Thomas Tournament title last month. In the bottom half are Jefferson-Morgan's Bill Bowlen and West Branch's Clayton Green of note. Bowlen interestingly moved up to 195 for the postseason, and that looked good for him last week in his decision over Scherer for the D7 crown.
220 - Two straight District 5 champs with the bye as it goes to Berlin's Toby Cahill at the 220-pound slot. Westmont's Josiah Jones is in the bottom half along with Burrell's Alex Moses. Jones won D6 and Moses took the D7 title. Others to watch could include South Fayette's Rasaun Culberson, West Branch's Vince McDowell, and Mount Union's D.J. Bookwalter.
285 - Southmoreland's Jake Beistel has his sights set on a state championship now that previous nemesis Allan Beattie has graduated. Beistel, ranked #1 in the state and a defending PIAA runner-up, has the bye and is the prohibitive favorite in a bracket that includes Mount Pleasant's Josh Lind, Berlin's Anthony Collins, and Southern Huntingdon's Nick Winfield. Lind, Collins, and Winfield, who are the next three highest ranked 285-pounders in the field, are all in the bottom half of the draw.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Verkleeren denied a wrestleoff
Word late this afternoon out of District 7 is that Belle Vernon star Jarod Verkleeren has been denied a chance to wrestleoff for a spot in the lineup for the postseason, which begins in the WPIAL this week with the sectional tournaments.
This has obviously been a hot topic in the WPIAL and across the state. Joe Tuscano of the Observer-Reporter has been on top of it and posted a story about the ruling here: http://www.observer-reporter.com/20160225/judge_denies_verkleeren_request_for_wrestleoff.
Verkleeren had filed an injunction in Westmoreland County seeking the wrestleoff within the Belle Vernon practice room, but the motion was turned down by Judge Alfred Bell. With that ruling, Verkleeren sees his season end with a record of 35-5.
The issue dates back to the PIAA Team Championships, where Verkleeren weighed in up from his normal class of 145 pounds. His older brother, Derek, was suffering from an injury, and Jarod Verkleeren weighed in up for the Leopards' Class AAA third-place match with Nazareth. He competed at 160 that day, losing to Nazareth's Travis Stefanik.
According to what Verkleeren has said, he was told by the Belle Vernon staff that weighing up for that match would not affect his status at 145 for the postseason. The Belle Vernon coaches and administration have not commented publicly on the matter as of yet.
Through some form of misinformation, what he was told was not correct. What Verkleeren, a state placewinner in March and Cadet World Champion last summer, weighed would not allow him to get back down to the 149.1 via his weight loss plan, which only allows wrestlers to lose a small percentage of their weight each week. He needed to be at that 149.1 to qualify for 145.
Verkleeren was then reportedly denied the opportunity to challenge at 152 or 160 for either of those spots, as he would have been permitted to compete at one of those. His brother is at 152, and Mitch Hartman is at 160. They are both seniors, while Jarod is a junior. His family went to court seeking the wrestleoff with Hartman at 160.
So what happens going forward?
I think the first obvious question is whether we will see Jarod Verkleeren wrestling for Belle Vernon as a senior. While I am not very close to the situation, it's hard to imagine he would be at this point. One would have to believe there's some animosity between Verkleeren and the coaches, etc.
Do those potential feelings smooth over? Sure, it's possible, but I'd honestly be surprised to see Verkleeren in Belle Vernon's lineup next season.
If he's not there, where does he go? It's highly unlikely that you would see him at another public school, certainly another one inside the WPIAL, because it would be nearly impossible for Verkleeren to argue that it's not for athletic intent.
Will we see Verkleeren at a prep school like Kiski or Wyoming Seminary? With his high wrestling credentials already, he'd surely fit in at such a place.
Hopefully, we can be done talking about all this stuff off the mat and turn our attention to what should be a great couple of weeks of wrestling.
This has obviously been a hot topic in the WPIAL and across the state. Joe Tuscano of the Observer-Reporter has been on top of it and posted a story about the ruling here: http://www.observer-reporter.com/20160225/judge_denies_verkleeren_request_for_wrestleoff.
Verkleeren had filed an injunction in Westmoreland County seeking the wrestleoff within the Belle Vernon practice room, but the motion was turned down by Judge Alfred Bell. With that ruling, Verkleeren sees his season end with a record of 35-5.
The issue dates back to the PIAA Team Championships, where Verkleeren weighed in up from his normal class of 145 pounds. His older brother, Derek, was suffering from an injury, and Jarod Verkleeren weighed in up for the Leopards' Class AAA third-place match with Nazareth. He competed at 160 that day, losing to Nazareth's Travis Stefanik.
According to what Verkleeren has said, he was told by the Belle Vernon staff that weighing up for that match would not affect his status at 145 for the postseason. The Belle Vernon coaches and administration have not commented publicly on the matter as of yet.
Through some form of misinformation, what he was told was not correct. What Verkleeren, a state placewinner in March and Cadet World Champion last summer, weighed would not allow him to get back down to the 149.1 via his weight loss plan, which only allows wrestlers to lose a small percentage of their weight each week. He needed to be at that 149.1 to qualify for 145.
Verkleeren was then reportedly denied the opportunity to challenge at 152 or 160 for either of those spots, as he would have been permitted to compete at one of those. His brother is at 152, and Mitch Hartman is at 160. They are both seniors, while Jarod is a junior. His family went to court seeking the wrestleoff with Hartman at 160.
So what happens going forward?
I think the first obvious question is whether we will see Jarod Verkleeren wrestling for Belle Vernon as a senior. While I am not very close to the situation, it's hard to imagine he would be at this point. One would have to believe there's some animosity between Verkleeren and the coaches, etc.
Do those potential feelings smooth over? Sure, it's possible, but I'd honestly be surprised to see Verkleeren in Belle Vernon's lineup next season.
If he's not there, where does he go? It's highly unlikely that you would see him at another public school, certainly another one inside the WPIAL, because it would be nearly impossible for Verkleeren to argue that it's not for athletic intent.
Will we see Verkleeren at a prep school like Kiski or Wyoming Seminary? With his high wrestling credentials already, he'd surely fit in at such a place.
Hopefully, we can be done talking about all this stuff off the mat and turn our attention to what should be a great couple of weeks of wrestling.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Early Postseason Thoughts
I haven't had a post on here since late last week when Chestnut Ridge was at the state team duals in Hershey. I kept busy while I was there covering the Lions, and received sad news over the weekend that someone close to me and my immediate family had passed away unexpectedly, so that and my normal job duties have taken up my time.
With the district and/or sectional tournaments taking place this weekend (D6-AA in Altoona already underway despite a delay with reported bracketing issues), here's a couple of tidbits.
Hopefully you've checked out my preview of tomorrow's District 5 Tournament, which was in today's Bedford Gazette. The tournament is a one-day only event at UPJ, beginning at 9 a.m. with the preliminary bouts.
In looking at sectional brackets around the state, a couple of things caught my eye. Jefferson-Morgan's Bill Bowlen has moved up to 195 pounds for the individual postseason. Bowlen, a state placewinner at 182 last season, had begun the year back there and finished second to Greenville's Blake Reynolds at the Thomas Tournament. There are two defending state champions at the weight, Franklin's Dakota Geer and South Park's Greg Bulsak.
One that I thought was a bit surprising is Reynolds' Seth Hogue deciding to go at 145. The state runner-up to Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel last year at 126 has wrestled at 145 a good bit during the team season, but I would have guessed he would be at 138 or even at 132 come mid-February. Hogue competed at 132 in the Powerade Tournament in late December.
I've been talking about 126 all season in Class AA and it's going to be be fun. Why, you ask? Because we have three, yes three, returning state champions at this weight for the postseason. Gabriel won 126 a year ago, while Central Cambria's Max Murin took the 113-pound crown, and Reynolds' Cole Matthews won it at 120.
I know there have been years where two state champions are at one weight class when we get back to Hershey, but has there ever been this loaded of a field with three of them? Besides those studs, we need to throw in Athens' Brian Courtney, the state runner-up to Matthews, and Lancaster Catholic's Joe Lobeck, the state runner-up to Murin. Wow!
We saw a mini-preview at the Thomas Tournament, with Gabriel beating Courtney 6-5 for the title while Courtney edged Murin by the same score in the semifinals.
It will be interesting to see this how this state bracket looks in three weeks. While the brackets are pre-drawn and randomly chosen, the state will separate state champions if there are two in a certain class. How will it look with three? Well, we can probably bet that Gabriel and Murin will wrestle in the Southwest Regional finals. Regional finalists are also placed in opposite halves of the state bracket. Let's say the regional champions will be either Gabriel or Murin in the Southwest, Matthews in the Northwest, Courtney in the Northeast, and Lobeck in the Southeast. That would leave the Gabriel-Murin loser hitting another of these standouts in the quarterfinals. As a fan, you don't want to miss this weight class.
With the district and/or sectional tournaments taking place this weekend (D6-AA in Altoona already underway despite a delay with reported bracketing issues), here's a couple of tidbits.
Hopefully you've checked out my preview of tomorrow's District 5 Tournament, which was in today's Bedford Gazette. The tournament is a one-day only event at UPJ, beginning at 9 a.m. with the preliminary bouts.
In looking at sectional brackets around the state, a couple of things caught my eye. Jefferson-Morgan's Bill Bowlen has moved up to 195 pounds for the individual postseason. Bowlen, a state placewinner at 182 last season, had begun the year back there and finished second to Greenville's Blake Reynolds at the Thomas Tournament. There are two defending state champions at the weight, Franklin's Dakota Geer and South Park's Greg Bulsak.
One that I thought was a bit surprising is Reynolds' Seth Hogue deciding to go at 145. The state runner-up to Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel last year at 126 has wrestled at 145 a good bit during the team season, but I would have guessed he would be at 138 or even at 132 come mid-February. Hogue competed at 132 in the Powerade Tournament in late December.
I've been talking about 126 all season in Class AA and it's going to be be fun. Why, you ask? Because we have three, yes three, returning state champions at this weight for the postseason. Gabriel won 126 a year ago, while Central Cambria's Max Murin took the 113-pound crown, and Reynolds' Cole Matthews won it at 120.
I know there have been years where two state champions are at one weight class when we get back to Hershey, but has there ever been this loaded of a field with three of them? Besides those studs, we need to throw in Athens' Brian Courtney, the state runner-up to Matthews, and Lancaster Catholic's Joe Lobeck, the state runner-up to Murin. Wow!
We saw a mini-preview at the Thomas Tournament, with Gabriel beating Courtney 6-5 for the title while Courtney edged Murin by the same score in the semifinals.
It will be interesting to see this how this state bracket looks in three weeks. While the brackets are pre-drawn and randomly chosen, the state will separate state champions if there are two in a certain class. How will it look with three? Well, we can probably bet that Gabriel and Murin will wrestle in the Southwest Regional finals. Regional finalists are also placed in opposite halves of the state bracket. Let's say the regional champions will be either Gabriel or Murin in the Southwest, Matthews in the Northwest, Courtney in the Northeast, and Lobeck in the Southeast. That would leave the Gabriel-Murin loser hitting another of these standouts in the quarterfinals. As a fan, you don't want to miss this weight class.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Thursday Thoughts from Hershey
As Chestnut Ridge gets ready for consolation action, here's a couple thoughts on the loss to Boiling Springs in Thursday's first round:
The coin toss was huge. This meant a great deal in this matchup, and Boiling Springs winning it meant the Lions were going to have to beat the Bubblers without dictating key matchups. Ridge coach Greg Lazor was hoping to get Morgan Deremer on A.J. Kostyak and Josh McGill against Nick Kostyak. That said, McGill wrestled well in a 10-7 loss to A.J., who is a returning state qualifier. Not having the flip hurt at the end as well, as the Lions would rather have put Justin McCoy on Cole Wetzel and Levi Hobson on Zach Martin. If Chestnut Ridge wins the toss, the Kollin Myers victory over Aaron Burkett might not have meant as much.
I thought even in not having the matchups, Chestnut Ridge fared well up top, down 18-14 when the lineup flipped over. I agree with Lazor sending Cody Brown at 106. Brown was someone you thought could get bonus and he did with a quick pin. Burkett had a good first period against Myers, but it was all Myers in the second and third, as he scored two sets of back points. I thought Boiling Springs was slightly favored at 126, and Tristan Hanshaw got a major there that put the Lions up against it with three to go.
Chestnut Ridge should not have much trouble with Lake Lehman this morning. Lake Lehman is expected to have two forfeits as well. After that, the Lions draw the Huntingdon-Reynolds loser. Reports say Huntingdon's Collin Glorioso may have an injury. You have to figure the Bearcats go all in, with Glorioso and/or Jacob Oliver taking the mat against the Raiders. I think that's the only way Huntingdon can get to the semifinals. If Huntingdon doesn't win, do they sit either or both in a consolation match against Chestnut Ridge, a match that won't mean as much given the individual district tournament is just a week away.
The coin toss was huge. This meant a great deal in this matchup, and Boiling Springs winning it meant the Lions were going to have to beat the Bubblers without dictating key matchups. Ridge coach Greg Lazor was hoping to get Morgan Deremer on A.J. Kostyak and Josh McGill against Nick Kostyak. That said, McGill wrestled well in a 10-7 loss to A.J., who is a returning state qualifier. Not having the flip hurt at the end as well, as the Lions would rather have put Justin McCoy on Cole Wetzel and Levi Hobson on Zach Martin. If Chestnut Ridge wins the toss, the Kollin Myers victory over Aaron Burkett might not have meant as much.
I thought even in not having the matchups, Chestnut Ridge fared well up top, down 18-14 when the lineup flipped over. I agree with Lazor sending Cody Brown at 106. Brown was someone you thought could get bonus and he did with a quick pin. Burkett had a good first period against Myers, but it was all Myers in the second and third, as he scored two sets of back points. I thought Boiling Springs was slightly favored at 126, and Tristan Hanshaw got a major there that put the Lions up against it with three to go.
Chestnut Ridge should not have much trouble with Lake Lehman this morning. Lake Lehman is expected to have two forfeits as well. After that, the Lions draw the Huntingdon-Reynolds loser. Reports say Huntingdon's Collin Glorioso may have an injury. You have to figure the Bearcats go all in, with Glorioso and/or Jacob Oliver taking the mat against the Raiders. I think that's the only way Huntingdon can get to the semifinals. If Huntingdon doesn't win, do they sit either or both in a consolation match against Chestnut Ridge, a match that won't mean as much given the individual district tournament is just a week away.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
State Duals - What to Look For
In about 24 hours, Chestnut Ridge will begin its quest for a third state team medal in the last four years. The Lions take on Boiling Springs in the first round of the tournament tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m., in the second wave of Class AA action for the opening day.
I posted some other things and my breakdown of the match with Boiling Springs yesterday, so scroll down on the blog to find that information. Here are some overall thoughts on the tournament:
— Is this Chestnut Ridge's year?
It very well could be, but I think this Class AA field is fairly deep and in my mind, there's not a clear cut favorite going in. I do think the #3 ranked Lions will finally get past Boiling Springs, who they've lost to in each of the last three years, including the state final last February, 36-21. That in itself should be serving as extra motivation for Greg Lazor's crew, given that the Bubblers are the first opponent tomorrow. I've said before that I think Chestnut Ridge has as much top level talent as anyone in the state, and it will be up to them to provide the needed wins and bonus points to lead the way.
— How good is Saucon Valley?
The District 11 champions are undefeated at 23-0. Their signature win was 36-33 over District 6 champ Huntingdon at the Juniata Duals. Other than that, the Panthers haven't really been tested in a dual meet. That bottom part of the bracket may be the toughest in the tournament, as #4 ranked Saucon would face either #5 Wyalusing Valley or #6 Fort LeBoeuf in the quarterfinals. This will be the fourth straight year for Saucon Valley in the state duals, so experience is there for the Panthers.
— Any darkhorse candidates?
If I were to pick one, it would be Fort LeBoeuf, though Northern Lebanon falls into that category as well. Of the top six or eight ranked teams, #6 LeBoeuf might be the least talked about team statewide to date. The Bison had an early lead on Reynolds before losing the District 10 final, 33-29. Fort LeBoeuf always tends to wrestle well in Hershey, and while I have them losing in the first round tomorrow to Wyalusing, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bison make some noise in the consolation matches.
— Spring's Class AA Predictions
My completed bracket is below, and you can click this link to Jeff Upson's predictions for PA Power Wrestling.
I posted some other things and my breakdown of the match with Boiling Springs yesterday, so scroll down on the blog to find that information. Here are some overall thoughts on the tournament:
— Is this Chestnut Ridge's year?
It very well could be, but I think this Class AA field is fairly deep and in my mind, there's not a clear cut favorite going in. I do think the #3 ranked Lions will finally get past Boiling Springs, who they've lost to in each of the last three years, including the state final last February, 36-21. That in itself should be serving as extra motivation for Greg Lazor's crew, given that the Bubblers are the first opponent tomorrow. I've said before that I think Chestnut Ridge has as much top level talent as anyone in the state, and it will be up to them to provide the needed wins and bonus points to lead the way.
— How good is Saucon Valley?
The District 11 champions are undefeated at 23-0. Their signature win was 36-33 over District 6 champ Huntingdon at the Juniata Duals. Other than that, the Panthers haven't really been tested in a dual meet. That bottom part of the bracket may be the toughest in the tournament, as #4 ranked Saucon would face either #5 Wyalusing Valley or #6 Fort LeBoeuf in the quarterfinals. This will be the fourth straight year for Saucon Valley in the state duals, so experience is there for the Panthers.
— Any darkhorse candidates?
If I were to pick one, it would be Fort LeBoeuf, though Northern Lebanon falls into that category as well. Of the top six or eight ranked teams, #6 LeBoeuf might be the least talked about team statewide to date. The Bison had an early lead on Reynolds before losing the District 10 final, 33-29. Fort LeBoeuf always tends to wrestle well in Hershey, and while I have them losing in the first round tomorrow to Wyalusing, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bison make some noise in the consolation matches.
— Spring's Class AA Predictions
My completed bracket is below, and you can click this link to Jeff Upson's predictions for PA Power Wrestling.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
PIAA Class AA Duals - Chestnut Ridge vs. Boiling Springs
Chestnut Ridge's first match at this year's State Duals is a very familiar opponent in Boiling Springs, who beat the Lions for last season's Class AA championship. Boiling Springs also defeated Chestnut Ridge in the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2014.
Class AA Team Duals - First Round
Chestnut Ridge (D5 Champion) vs. Boiling Springs (D3 Runner-up)
Thursday, 4 p.m. at Giant Center, Hershey
(Chestnut Ridge wrestlers listed first)
106 - Aaron Burkett, 28-1 or Cody Brown, 5-5 vs. Josiah Haulman, 5-12
113 - Burkett or Dylan Williams, 16-4 vs. Kollin Myers, 28-5
120 - Williams or Seth Harbaugh, 14-10 vs. Jalin Hankerson, 10-3
126 - Scotty Miller, 18-12 or Jared Pfaunmiller, 2-4 vs. Tristan Hanshaw, 18-10 or Caleb Holley, 1-2
132 - Jared McGill, 18-4 vs. Hanshaw, Holley or Lucas Shoop, 5-5
138 - Justin McCoy, 27-2 vs. Cole Wetzel, 18-6 or Cameron Palmer, 6-3
145 - Levi Hobson, 19-13 vs. A.J. Kostyak, 25-5
152 - Morgan Deremer, 25-4 vs. Kaiden Karper, 6-1 or Nick Kostyak, 10-13
160 - Josh McGill, 14-15 vs. Travis Wickard, 23-8 or Karper
170 - Brandyn Beaver, 15-7 vs. Cory Calaman, 7-14 or Wickard
182 - Austin Crouse, 13-13 or Kyle Nichols, 1-3 vs. Austin Taylor, 23-7
195 - Conner Buttry, 28-4 vs. Sam Geiling, 1-6 or Taylor
220 - Joel Evans, 10-11 or Brandon Clark, 5-18 vs. Rickie Ott, 15-12
285 - Landon Kensinger, 2-5 or Evans vs. Nick Trent, 3-4 or Ott
Analysis: Straight up, this could be a split in bouts, though I don't think it will be wrestled that way depending on the starting weight and/or the coin flip. I could see Chestnut Ridge using Brown at 106 and bumping top ranked 106-pounder Burkett up to take on Myers, who is ranked sixth at 113. Interestingly, Wetzel didn't even weigh in for Boiling Springs in the play-in match at Mount Union last night. He also missed time in the early rounds of the District 3 Duals, so his status bears watching. For what it's worth if they meet, McCoy defeated Wetzel 7-5 in the preseason Super 32 Tournament. I have Karper listed at 152 for the Bubblers, but he has only wrestled one of his seven bouts that low, so look for Holley or Palmer to be inserted down below. I give Boiling Springs a small overall edge in the upperweights.
Prediction: Chestnut Ridge, 32-24.
Class AA Team Duals - First Round
Chestnut Ridge (D5 Champion) vs. Boiling Springs (D3 Runner-up)
Thursday, 4 p.m. at Giant Center, Hershey
(Chestnut Ridge wrestlers listed first)
106 - Aaron Burkett, 28-1 or Cody Brown, 5-5 vs. Josiah Haulman, 5-12
113 - Burkett or Dylan Williams, 16-4 vs. Kollin Myers, 28-5
120 - Williams or Seth Harbaugh, 14-10 vs. Jalin Hankerson, 10-3
126 - Scotty Miller, 18-12 or Jared Pfaunmiller, 2-4 vs. Tristan Hanshaw, 18-10 or Caleb Holley, 1-2
132 - Jared McGill, 18-4 vs. Hanshaw, Holley or Lucas Shoop, 5-5
138 - Justin McCoy, 27-2 vs. Cole Wetzel, 18-6 or Cameron Palmer, 6-3
145 - Levi Hobson, 19-13 vs. A.J. Kostyak, 25-5
152 - Morgan Deremer, 25-4 vs. Kaiden Karper, 6-1 or Nick Kostyak, 10-13
160 - Josh McGill, 14-15 vs. Travis Wickard, 23-8 or Karper
170 - Brandyn Beaver, 15-7 vs. Cory Calaman, 7-14 or Wickard
182 - Austin Crouse, 13-13 or Kyle Nichols, 1-3 vs. Austin Taylor, 23-7
195 - Conner Buttry, 28-4 vs. Sam Geiling, 1-6 or Taylor
220 - Joel Evans, 10-11 or Brandon Clark, 5-18 vs. Rickie Ott, 15-12
285 - Landon Kensinger, 2-5 or Evans vs. Nick Trent, 3-4 or Ott
Analysis: Straight up, this could be a split in bouts, though I don't think it will be wrestled that way depending on the starting weight and/or the coin flip. I could see Chestnut Ridge using Brown at 106 and bumping top ranked 106-pounder Burkett up to take on Myers, who is ranked sixth at 113. Interestingly, Wetzel didn't even weigh in for Boiling Springs in the play-in match at Mount Union last night. He also missed time in the early rounds of the District 3 Duals, so his status bears watching. For what it's worth if they meet, McCoy defeated Wetzel 7-5 in the preseason Super 32 Tournament. I have Karper listed at 152 for the Bubblers, but he has only wrestled one of his seven bouts that low, so look for Holley or Palmer to be inserted down below. I give Boiling Springs a small overall edge in the upperweights.
Prediction: Chestnut Ridge, 32-24.
A Look at State Duals
Here's a closer look at this week's Class AA State Duals. Preliminary Round winners on Monday night were Boiling Springs, Fort LeBoeuf, Greenville, and Southern Columbia.
Thursday's First Round Matches (Link to Class AA Brackets), 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Northern Lebanon vs. Greenville
Brookville vs. Montoursville
Huntingdon vs. New Hope-Solebury
Reynolds vs. Southern Columbia
Chestnut Ridge vs. Boiling Springs
Burrell vs. Lake Lehman
Saucon Valley vs. Bishop McDevitt
Wyalusing vs. Fort LeBoeuf
The Favorite: Reynolds
The Contenders: Brookville, Chestnut Ridge, Saucon Valley, Wyalusing
Early Analysis: Yes, I know the first thing you see here is that I chose Reynolds as the favorite despite a 16-point loss to Brookville in the Ultimate Duals. I just have a hunch that Reynolds will win the rematch if it should take place in the semifinals on Friday night. The other three contenders I mention are all in the bottom half of the bracket. The key for Chestnut Ridge, and it's no secret, is to win the first match against Boiling Springs, which interestingly is a rematch of last year's state final. Boiling Springs has beaten Chestnut Ridge in each of the last three state team tournaments, though I think the Lions have the advantage going in this time. I'll break down the matchup in detail later this week in another blog post. Boiling Springs defeated Mount Union on Monday, 39-33, and that was without 138-pounder Cole Wetzel, who I was told didn't even weigh in for the match. Wetzel also missed early round action in District 3 last week, so his status bears watching. A Chestnut Ridge win means a likely quarterfinal with Burrell, and remember, the Lions defeated the Bucs at the Ultimate Duals by 18 points without regular starters Jared McGill and Brandyn Beaver. Beat Boiling Springs, and Chestnut Ridge should be in the semifinals.
Also down below are Saucon Valley and Wyalusing, and that could be a dandy of a quarterfinal to see who may get Chestnut Ridge in the final four. We're looking way ahead here, but if Chestnut Ridge were to reach a second straight championship match, keep in mind that its two losses are to Reynolds (47-18) and Brookville (37-30). Of course as stated before, McGill and Beaver were out of the lineup and that was certainly a big factor.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
District 5 Semifinals, Championship
2016 District 5 Duals
Semifinals
No. 1 CHESTNUT RIDGE 48, No. 5 SOMERSET 24
220 – James Rios, S, pinned Joel Evans, 3:05.
285 – Jack Hause, S, pinned Brandon Clark, 3:09.
106 – Aaron Burkett, CR, pinned Derek Talley, S, 3:40.
113 – Dylan Williams, CR, won by forfeit.
120 – Seth Harbaugh, CR, pinned Andrew Findley, 4:21.
126 – Quinn Cole, S, dec. Scotty Miller, 6-1.
132 – Jared Pfaunmiller, CR, won by forfeit.
138 – Jared McGill, CR, pinned Jansen Hemminger, 1:59.
145 – Justin McCoy, CR, dec. Austin Hemminger, 5-3.
152 – Tyler Krause, S, dec. Levi Hobson, 14-12.
160 – Morgan Deremer, CR, pinned Morgan Bell, 5:02.
170 – Brandyn Beaver, CR, dec. Daniel Balog, 4-1.
182 – Chase Marple, S, pinned Kyle Nichols, 3:58.
195 – Conner Buttry, CR, pinned Zach Yoder, 0:38.
No. 3 BERLIN 38, No. 2 BEDFORD 24
220 – Toby Cahill, BB, won by forfeit.
285 – Anthony Collins, BB, dec. Jorge Canales, 1-0.
106 – Logan Karns, B, won by forfeit.
113 – Brody Pugh, BB, dec. Noah Baughman, 4-2.
120 – Grant Browell, B, dec. Bryce Belcher, 4-2 OT.
126 – Jonathan Gabriel, B, won by forfeit.
132 – Austin Lee, BB, pinned Davey Hartman, 5:32.
138 – Joe Swank, BB, pinned Chance Dull, 1:44.
145 – Will Hartman, B, pinned Taylor Sager, 3:26.
152 – Josh Grimes, B, dec. Nick Brown, 3-0.
160 – Braden Fochtman, BB, maj. dec. Devon Karns, 15-4.
170 – Storm McDonald, BB, maj. dec. Daniel Brett, 17-8.
182 – Brody Moore, BB, dec. Ryan Wertz, 9-3.
195 – Jarred Reeves, BB, dec. Vinny Fernandez, 10-6.
Championship
No. 1 CHESTNUT RIDGE 47 , No. 3 BERLIN 24
285 – Collins, BB, maj. dec. Landon Kensinger, 9-0.
106 – Cody Brown, CR, pinned Pugh, 3:41.
113 – Burkett, CR, won by forfeit.
120 – Williams, CR, dec. Belcher, 10-4.
126 – Miller, CR, pinned Lee, 1:45.
132 – McGill, CR, inj. def. Jacob Fisher, 0:01.
138 – McCoy, CR, pinned Kyle Boyce, 1:50.
145 – Swank, BB, dec. Hobson, 6-0.
152 – Deremer, CR, tech. fall Brown, 18-1, 3:36.
160 – Fochtman, BB, tech. fall Josh McGill, 16-1, 5:01.
170 – McDonald, BB, pinned Logan Melius, 1:42.
182 – Beaver, CR, dec. Moore, 3-1 OT.
195 – Buttry, CR, pinned Reeves, 3:20.
220 – Cahill, BB, pinned Clark, 1:41.
Friday, February 5, 2016
District 5 Duals Saturday
District 5 Duals at Chestnut Ridge
Semifinals, 11 a.m.
Championship, 2 p.m.
Semifinal Matches
(1) Chestnut Ridge vs. (5) Somerset
(2) Bedford vs. (3) Berlin
Outlook
Top seed and three-time defending champion Chestnut Ridge is a prohibitive favorite to claim its fourth straight title tomorrow. That said, you never know. The Lions didn't get a chance to face Somerset this season as the scheduled regular season dual was scrapped by the snowstorm two weeks ago. The Golden Eagles wrestled well in Thursday's 43-30 first round win at Everett, but with all due respect, Chestnut Ridge is a completely different animal. Hard not to see the Lions winning big in this one.
On the other side, this is a match that could go either way based on individual matchups. Bedford has a lot of advantages down low and through the middle and that's where the Bisons will need some bonus points. Berlin will be relying on its upperweights to get the job done. I'm not sure how Berlin's two lowerweights that quit before Thursday fit into the Bedford matchup, but it doesn't help for sure. If the Mountaineers were to meet the Lions for the title in the afternoon, I could see Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor using Cody Brown at 106 and bumping Aaron Burkett and Dylan Williams up to try and maximize wins and/or bonus points. In the regular season dual, Ridge had pins from Burkett and Williams at 106 and 113 as part of of its 42-30 victory. The 120-pound bout between Seth Harbaugh and Bryce Belcher was 2-1 in favor of the Lion wrestler.
The Pick: Chestnut Ridge.
Looking Ahead
Obviously, we don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but the upcoming state duals will be intriguing, as I'm not sure there's a clear cut favorite in Class AA. The bracket is the same as last year, meaning the District 5 champion will face the winner of Monday's prelim between the District 3 and District 6 runner-ups on Thursday afternoon at Hershey's Giant Center.
In District 6, I think Huntingdon and Mount Union will be the two finalists, and while I'm still leaning toward the Bearcats to get the automatic bid to Thursday, it's pretty slight. They only beat the Trojans by five points during the regular season and I am hearing that Huntingdon would only use Jacob Oliver in an "if needed" situation. Oliver suffered an injury in January's Escape the Rock finals and has been out of the lineup since.
In District 3, it should be a barnburner final between Boiling Springs and Northern Lebanon. Last year, the Bubblers dominated the Vikings on their way to the state championship. But Boiling Springs lost a boatload of top talent while Northern Lebanon has a lot back and might be the slight favorite. This will be a final I'll be paying attention to.
There's still a ways to go until Thursday, but I think Chestnut Ridge would relish another shot at Boiling Springs if given the opportunity should they be 5-1 and 3-2 on Thursday. The Bubblers have been a thorn in the side of Bedford County for the last four years, beating Bedford in the 2012 state semifinals before defeating Chestnut Ridge in the 2013 and 2014 quarterfinals and of course last season's championship match.
Semifinals, 11 a.m.
Championship, 2 p.m.
Semifinal Matches
(1) Chestnut Ridge vs. (5) Somerset
(2) Bedford vs. (3) Berlin
Outlook
Top seed and three-time defending champion Chestnut Ridge is a prohibitive favorite to claim its fourth straight title tomorrow. That said, you never know. The Lions didn't get a chance to face Somerset this season as the scheduled regular season dual was scrapped by the snowstorm two weeks ago. The Golden Eagles wrestled well in Thursday's 43-30 first round win at Everett, but with all due respect, Chestnut Ridge is a completely different animal. Hard not to see the Lions winning big in this one.
On the other side, this is a match that could go either way based on individual matchups. Bedford has a lot of advantages down low and through the middle and that's where the Bisons will need some bonus points. Berlin will be relying on its upperweights to get the job done. I'm not sure how Berlin's two lowerweights that quit before Thursday fit into the Bedford matchup, but it doesn't help for sure. If the Mountaineers were to meet the Lions for the title in the afternoon, I could see Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor using Cody Brown at 106 and bumping Aaron Burkett and Dylan Williams up to try and maximize wins and/or bonus points. In the regular season dual, Ridge had pins from Burkett and Williams at 106 and 113 as part of of its 42-30 victory. The 120-pound bout between Seth Harbaugh and Bryce Belcher was 2-1 in favor of the Lion wrestler.
The Pick: Chestnut Ridge.
Looking Ahead
Obviously, we don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but the upcoming state duals will be intriguing, as I'm not sure there's a clear cut favorite in Class AA. The bracket is the same as last year, meaning the District 5 champion will face the winner of Monday's prelim between the District 3 and District 6 runner-ups on Thursday afternoon at Hershey's Giant Center.
In District 6, I think Huntingdon and Mount Union will be the two finalists, and while I'm still leaning toward the Bearcats to get the automatic bid to Thursday, it's pretty slight. They only beat the Trojans by five points during the regular season and I am hearing that Huntingdon would only use Jacob Oliver in an "if needed" situation. Oliver suffered an injury in January's Escape the Rock finals and has been out of the lineup since.
In District 3, it should be a barnburner final between Boiling Springs and Northern Lebanon. Last year, the Bubblers dominated the Vikings on their way to the state championship. But Boiling Springs lost a boatload of top talent while Northern Lebanon has a lot back and might be the slight favorite. This will be a final I'll be paying attention to.
There's still a ways to go until Thursday, but I think Chestnut Ridge would relish another shot at Boiling Springs if given the opportunity should they be 5-1 and 3-2 on Thursday. The Bubblers have been a thorn in the side of Bedford County for the last four years, beating Bedford in the 2012 state semifinals before defeating Chestnut Ridge in the 2013 and 2014 quarterfinals and of course last season's championship match.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
District Duals Across the State
Here is a look at where things stand around the state in Class AA as many of the district duals tournaments are already underway. Locally, District 5 begins tonight with the semifinals and final on Saturday at Chestnut Ridge. I have also indicated state rankings by PA Power Wrestling, as of last week, where applicable.
District 1 Semi, Final (champion advances to states)
Bristol vs. Pope John Paul II, winner to face New Hope-Solebury
District 2 Final (champion advances)
Hanover vs. Lake Lehman
District 3 Final (champion and runner-up advance)
Boiling Springs (PA Power #11) vs. Northern Lebanon (PA Power #7)
District 4 Quarterfinals (top three advance)
Montoursville (PA Power #8) vs. Warrior Run
Southern Columbia (PA Power #15) vs. Athens
Line Mountain (PA Power #18) vs. Lewisburg
Wyalusing (PA Power #5) vs. Towanda
District 5 First Round (champion advances)
Everett vs. Somerset, winner vs. Chestnut Ridge (PA Power #3)
Berlin vs. North Star, winner vs. Bedford (PA Power #22)
District 6 Semifinals (champion and runner-up advance)
Huntingdon (PA Power #10) vs. Penn Cambria
Mount Union (PA Power #19) vs. Central
District 7 Semifinals (top three advance)
Burrell (PA Power #12) vs. South Fayette
Derry (PA Power #25) vs. Freedom
District 9 Semifinals (champion advances)
Brookville (PA Power #1) vs. Brockway/Clarion winner
Redbank Valley vs. Coudersport
District 10 Quarterfinals (top three advance)
Reynolds (PA Power #2) vs. Cambridge Springs
Saegertown (PA Power #20) vs. Franklin (PA Power #13)
Fort LeBoeuf (PA Power #6) vs. Conneaut
Greenville (PA Power #9) vs. Harbor Creek
District 11 Quarterfinals (champion and runner-up advance)
Saucon Valley (PA Power #4) vs. North Schuylkill/Schuylkill Haven winner
Northwestern Lehigh vs. Northern Lehigh/Pine Grove winner
Lehighton vs. Palisades/Notre Dame Green Pond winner
Pen Argyl vs. Panther Valley/Williams Valley winner
State Team Tournament
Monday's Play-In Matchups
7-2 vs. 10-3
11-2 vs. 4-3
3-2 vs. 6-2
10-2 vs. 7-3
District 1 Semi, Final (champion advances to states)
Bristol vs. Pope John Paul II, winner to face New Hope-Solebury
District 2 Final (champion advances)
Hanover vs. Lake Lehman
District 3 Final (champion and runner-up advance)
Boiling Springs (PA Power #11) vs. Northern Lebanon (PA Power #7)
District 4 Quarterfinals (top three advance)
Montoursville (PA Power #8) vs. Warrior Run
Southern Columbia (PA Power #15) vs. Athens
Line Mountain (PA Power #18) vs. Lewisburg
Wyalusing (PA Power #5) vs. Towanda
District 5 First Round (champion advances)
Everett vs. Somerset, winner vs. Chestnut Ridge (PA Power #3)
Berlin vs. North Star, winner vs. Bedford (PA Power #22)
District 6 Semifinals (champion and runner-up advance)
Huntingdon (PA Power #10) vs. Penn Cambria
Mount Union (PA Power #19) vs. Central
District 7 Semifinals (top three advance)
Burrell (PA Power #12) vs. South Fayette
Derry (PA Power #25) vs. Freedom
District 9 Semifinals (champion advances)
Brookville (PA Power #1) vs. Brockway/Clarion winner
Redbank Valley vs. Coudersport
District 10 Quarterfinals (top three advance)
Reynolds (PA Power #2) vs. Cambridge Springs
Saegertown (PA Power #20) vs. Franklin (PA Power #13)
Fort LeBoeuf (PA Power #6) vs. Conneaut
Greenville (PA Power #9) vs. Harbor Creek
District 11 Quarterfinals (champion and runner-up advance)
Saucon Valley (PA Power #4) vs. North Schuylkill/Schuylkill Haven winner
Northwestern Lehigh vs. Northern Lehigh/Pine Grove winner
Lehighton vs. Palisades/Notre Dame Green Pond winner
Pen Argyl vs. Panther Valley/Williams Valley winner
State Team Tournament
Monday's Play-In Matchups
7-2 vs. 10-3
11-2 vs. 4-3
3-2 vs. 6-2
10-2 vs. 7-3
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Review and Preview: Feb. 2
The team postseason gets underway this week, which means things are heating up in wrestling. Of course, this past weekend's Thomas Chevrolet Tournament was a great appetizer for what's left this season.
Locally, the highlights were Jonathan Gabriel's fourth Thomas championship, and Chestnut Ridge's second straight team title and third in four years at the event. Today's Bedford Gazette sports pages had my "Cheap Tilts" column featuring more on both of those achievements, and included a photo feature of Gabriel's weekend. Certainly, many people were buzzing about what the Bedford stud accomplished in his home gym on Friday and Saturday.
I had one person tell me that the finals match against Athens' standout Brian Courtney was the best bout that they've ever seen Gabriel wrestle, and that came from somebody that has seen him in person at previous state and regional tournaments among most other events.
It turned into another fantastic Thomas Tournament in more ways than one, but we're on to the next thing, as the District Duals take place across the state beginning tonight in some cases.
For District 5, it appears as if seven teams could be in the bracket which gets underway with quarterfinals on Thursday. Chestnut Ridge should be the top seed and host for Saturday's semifinals and championship match.
Bedford, Berlin, Everett, North Star, Somerset, and Meyersdale are the other teams. Somerset and Meyersdale wrestle tonight, and that could have some implications on who are the #6 and #7 seeds. Below this post are the latest District 5 rankings, according to the district website.
Looking around the state, two areas to keep an eye on are District 3 and District 6, as the District 5 champion will face Monday's state play-in winner between the D3 and D6 runner-ups in the first round in Hershey next Thursday.
In District 3, defending state team champion Boiling Springs is the top seed, but the Bubblers just got past rival Bermudian Springs on Saturday, 34-31. They did so without 138-pounder Cole Wetzel, as the transfer and former two-time Maryland state finalist was out of the lineup.
The way the bracket fell, Bermudian is the fifth seed, and if the Eagles defeat #4 Newport in the first round tomorrow at 6 p.m, they would get a nightcap rematch with Boiling Springs in the semifinals.
On the other side of the draw, Northern Lebanon is the second seed and the trendy pick by many to finally end Boiling Springs' run on D3 titles. The Vikings were the runner-up last year and faced Chestnut Ridge in the state's first round after beating D6 champ Huntingdon in the play-in.
In District 6, things get started tonight with top seed Huntingdon and fourth seed Marion Center hosting three-team pods. Huntingdon gets the winner of Ligonier Valley and Cambria Heights, while Marion Center will see either Penn Cambria or Juniata. Tomorrow, second seed Mount Union will face either Moshannon Valley or Central Cambria, and third seed West Branch meets the survivor of Westmont-Hilltop and Central.
I would say Huntingdon is the favorite, but it is slight, given that the Bearcats only edged Mount Union in a dual meet, 33-28, and they could be without 170-pound stud Jacob Oliver. Oliver has missed the last couple of weeks of action, and there is no definite answer on whether he will be back.
Locally, the highlights were Jonathan Gabriel's fourth Thomas championship, and Chestnut Ridge's second straight team title and third in four years at the event. Today's Bedford Gazette sports pages had my "Cheap Tilts" column featuring more on both of those achievements, and included a photo feature of Gabriel's weekend. Certainly, many people were buzzing about what the Bedford stud accomplished in his home gym on Friday and Saturday.
I had one person tell me that the finals match against Athens' standout Brian Courtney was the best bout that they've ever seen Gabriel wrestle, and that came from somebody that has seen him in person at previous state and regional tournaments among most other events.
It turned into another fantastic Thomas Tournament in more ways than one, but we're on to the next thing, as the District Duals take place across the state beginning tonight in some cases.
For District 5, it appears as if seven teams could be in the bracket which gets underway with quarterfinals on Thursday. Chestnut Ridge should be the top seed and host for Saturday's semifinals and championship match.
Bedford, Berlin, Everett, North Star, Somerset, and Meyersdale are the other teams. Somerset and Meyersdale wrestle tonight, and that could have some implications on who are the #6 and #7 seeds. Below this post are the latest District 5 rankings, according to the district website.
Looking around the state, two areas to keep an eye on are District 3 and District 6, as the District 5 champion will face Monday's state play-in winner between the D3 and D6 runner-ups in the first round in Hershey next Thursday.
In District 3, defending state team champion Boiling Springs is the top seed, but the Bubblers just got past rival Bermudian Springs on Saturday, 34-31. They did so without 138-pounder Cole Wetzel, as the transfer and former two-time Maryland state finalist was out of the lineup.
The way the bracket fell, Bermudian is the fifth seed, and if the Eagles defeat #4 Newport in the first round tomorrow at 6 p.m, they would get a nightcap rematch with Boiling Springs in the semifinals.
On the other side of the draw, Northern Lebanon is the second seed and the trendy pick by many to finally end Boiling Springs' run on D3 titles. The Vikings were the runner-up last year and faced Chestnut Ridge in the state's first round after beating D6 champ Huntingdon in the play-in.
In District 6, things get started tonight with top seed Huntingdon and fourth seed Marion Center hosting three-team pods. Huntingdon gets the winner of Ligonier Valley and Cambria Heights, while Marion Center will see either Penn Cambria or Juniata. Tomorrow, second seed Mount Union will face either Moshannon Valley or Central Cambria, and third seed West Branch meets the survivor of Westmont-Hilltop and Central.
I would say Huntingdon is the favorite, but it is slight, given that the Bearcats only edged Mount Union in a dual meet, 33-28, and they could be without 170-pound stud Jacob Oliver. Oliver has missed the last couple of weeks of action, and there is no definite answer on whether he will be back.
| DISTRICT FIVE "AA" WRESTLING RATINGS | |||||
| RANK | TEAM | WON | LOST | POINTS | RATING |
| 1 | CHESTNUT RIDGE | 7 | 0 | 43 | 6.143 |
| 2 | BEDFORD | 11 | 1 | 66 | 5.500 |
| 3 | BERLIN | 7 | 1 | 42 | 5.250 |
| 4 | EVERETT | 9 | 3 | 54 | 4.500 |
| 5 | NORTH STAR | 7 | 3 | 42 | 4.200 |
| 6 | SOMERSET | 6 | 4 | 36 | 3.600 |
| 7 | MEYERSDALE | 5 | 4 | 30 | 3.333 |
| 8 | NORTHERN BEDFORD | 5 | 9 | 30 | 2.143 |
| 9 | TUSSEY MOUNTAIN | 3 | 7 | 18 | 1.800 |
| 10 | CONEMAUGH TWP. | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0.857 |
| 11 | HOPE FOR HYNDMAN | 1 | 7 | 6 | 0.750 |
| 12 | SHADE | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.000 |
| AS OF 2/1/2016 | |||||
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