It's certainly no secret that high school wrestling in Pennsylvania has been in a decline over the past several years.
Are there still great individuals and teams that rival anywhere in the country?
Yes and Yes.
But from a big picture perspective, some things need to be addressed.
A lack of numbers seems to keep rising and attendance at the big events keeps falling.
So what needs done?
If you've spoken to me or read my past blog posts, you know that I haven't been in favor of many of the changes the PIAA has made in recent years. Let's examine those first.
Attendance
It wasn't all that long ago that the individual state tournament weekend drew an overall crowd of over 60,000 people to Hershey. That number has been in a steady decline of late. I wasn't at this year's state tournament last week, but the crowds were thin from what I saw and it was reportedly just around 41,000 total for the Class AA and AAA sessions. That's a dramatic dip.
I think two changes that I have been critical of haven't helped this situation — running the finals with the other medal bouts, and 20-man brackets.
I haven't come across many people that like the four-mat scenario for the last session in each class. Pennsylvania used to showcase those 28 championship bouts, on one mat for everyone to see. Why fix something that isn't broken? (at least to me)
In 2016, Brian Courtney made history in beating three returning state champions to win his first title at 126 pounds in Class AA. While most in the Giant Center had their eyes on his 3-2 win over Max Murin for the championship, it still had to share the floor with bouts for third, fifth, and seventh places. That, or a fourth title from Gavin Teasdale last year shouldn't have to share the focus.
Four years ago, the state brackets were expanded by four wrestlers each, going from 16 to 20. Again, I was outspokenly critical of this move. Here's a link to my posting from March 28, 2014: http://springintosports.blogspot.com/2014/03/no-sense-in-20-man-bracket.html
Looking back, this hasn't worked. PIAA executive director Robert Lombardi now is quoted as saying the change was "awful."
Sure, are there occasions where a sixth-placer from the Southeast or Southwest Region, or fourth-placers from the Northeast or Northwest become state medalists? Yes, but that's far more the exception than the rule, which was my argument five years ago.
This year, the PIAA signed a four-year deal with FloWrestling to stream both the state team duals and the individual tournament. In the past, finals in both events had been broadcast on television by the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN).
Many have been critical of that deal. Personally, I think it was a lot of good and a little bad at the same time. FloWrestling does a great job of promoting the sport and streaming wrestling competitions from around the world at all levels. So to have every session on Flo I don't believe was a bad thing last weekend. But I would have liked to see PCN still show the finals to the casual wrestling fans, people who don't want to shell out extra money for a subscription, or those that can't make the trip to the Giant Center but still have a rooting interest. Reportedly, the two media outlets did have some discussion about a joint broadcast, but talks broke down.
Just because it's new doesn't mean it's better. Let's revert to one-mat finals and 16-man brackets.
And while we're at it, seed the entire tournament, 1-16 at each weight.
Seeding the regional champions has helped, along with making the brackets a secret until after the regional tournaments are completed. But let's go further. (Seed the team tournament too, but that's another story)
There are too many situations where semifinals look like finals. I'm not naive enough to say it will be perfect, but you can't convince me that a total seeding of every weight class will hurt anyone.
Numbers
From a team perspective, wrestling has taken a downward turn when we look at overall rosters. I can't tell you the amount of matches I typed in for a newspaper report that had four or many more forfeits. Gone are the days where practice rooms were filled with full varsity teams, junior varsity teams, and still some others who were vying for spots.
Years ago, the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) changed the weight structure, which now is 14, up from 13 and features more upperweight classes than before. When I was in school, the final four weights were 160, 171, 189, and 275 (285) with more condensed in the middle. Currently up top from that point, we have 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, and 285.
With forfeits more of the talk than actual wrestling these days, the total of 14 needs to be reduced. Lombardi says he'd like to see it at 12, as he doesn't think 13 would solve the issue.
College has 10 and seems to be just fine. Is that the number? I'm not sure, but 12 or 13 seems like a move in the right direction.
Final Word
Wrestling is still a great sport, and it always will be. But it can improve again in Pennsylvania, and my hope is that the powers that be can hit that standing switch to get the reversal it needs.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Class AA Tournament Preview
Here's my synopsis and picks for the Class AA Tournament in Hershey this weekend.
106 - There's some pretty good depth and a lot of youth here as usual, but I like the four regional champions to probably meet in the semifinals. The top half of the bracket has a very intriguing semifinal if it comes off between Reynolds' Gary Steen, the defending state champion, and Biglerville freshman Levi Haines. On the bottom, look for a battle of unbeatens between Troy's Sheldon Seymour and South Park's Joey Fischer for a right to be in the finals. Steen and Haines are getting most of the publicity here, but Seymour is actually ahead of them in Intermat's latest national rankings. Seymour is third, Steen seventh, Haines 11th, and Fischer 14th.
Spring's championship pick - Haines over Seymour.
113 - This is pretty wide open in my book, but I think Elizabeth Forward's Ryan Michaels is probably the favorite. I got a good look at him in the Southwest Regional and he impressed. The bottom half where Michaels is though is no picnic, with Eisenhower's Logan Jaquay and Southern Columbia's Kole Biscoe among potential challengers. Up top, I'd say flip a coin.
Spring's championship pick - Michaels over East Pennsboro's Adam Jacob.
120 - A really top-heavy bracket here with three wrestlers above the rest in my opinion. Of those three, I'd give Notre Dame's Ryan Crookham the favorite's nod over Burrell's Ian Oswalt and Reynolds' Beau Bayless. A potential Crookham-Oswalt semifinal would have a lot of eyes on it. I've seen Oswalt a bunch this year and I really like his style, but hard to go against the freshman phenom.
Spring's championship pick - Crookham over Bayless.
126 - The top half of this draw is very interesting, with Glendale's Brock McMillen, Brockway's Anthony Glasl, Upper Dauphin's Bronson Garber, and Muncy's Bryce Vollman all contenders. Down below, I think Bishop McDevitt's Chase Shields is a cut above.
Spring's championship pick - Shields over Garber.
132 - What a weight class we have here with nine former state medalists. Up top, everyone seems to be eyeing a Josh Jones vs. Kaden Cassidy semifinal. Cassidy likely will have to beat Quaker Valley's Conner Redinger tomorrow, as Redinger was sixth in a brutal SW Regional bracket. Remember that Saucon Valley's Jones and Bedford's Cassidy are set to be future collegiate teammates at new MAC member George Mason. Down below, the smart money is on Cambridge Springs' Tye Varndell, but don't sleep on whoever also reaches the semifinal there, likely either Sullivan County's Nate Higley, Everett's Garret Cornell, or St. Joseph's Academy's Zack Witmer.
Spring's championship pick - Jones over Varndell.
138 - The Southwest Regional gave me the chance to see Hopewell's Jacob Ealy for the first time, and I was impressed. I had picked him to beat Forest Hills' freshman Erik Gibson in the regional final, but thought it would be a closer bout. I don't see a real challenge for Ealy up top. In the bottom of the draw, look for Gibson, Wilson's Marckis Branford, and Saegertown's Kenny Kiser to be the main players.
Spring's championship pick - Ealy over Kiser.
145 - How about a returning state champion against a returning state runner-up? But not in the finals. That would take place on Friday morning in a quarterfinal with Palisades' Nathan Haubert, last year's winner at this weight, against St. Joseph's Academy's Caleb Dowling, who was second last March at 138. Even with that potential showdown taking the top headline here, there's a lot of firepower that includes Notre Dame's Andrew Cerniglia and Southern Columbia's Gavin Garcia in the same half as Haubert and Dowling, and Pequea Valley's Gabe Miller the top dog on the bottom.
Spring's championship pick - Miller over Dowling.
152 - This bracket is kind of like 113 in my opinion, with a lot of good talent but perhaps a bit below some of the other weights. That said, Pope John's Ryan Vulakh might be one of the best wrestlers that most might not know much about. That includes me, though I've read a lot of good stuff about him.
Spring's championship pick - Vulakh over Freedom's Trent Schulteis.
160 - Like the previous weight, one name stands out to me and that is defending champion Thayne Lawrence. The Frazier junior should get to the finals up top, while down below, I think St. Joseph's Academy's Tyler Stoltzfus is the favorite, but keep an eye on Saucon Valley's Matt Arcioulo, Kane's Alec English, and Southern Columbia's Cade Linn.
Spring's championship pick - Lawrence over Stoltzfus.
170 - About the only thing Jared McGill hasn't done is win a state title. It's hard not to like the unbeaten Chestnut Ridge senior this weekend. He already has beaten five of the wrestlers in the other half of the draw at some point this season.
Spring's championship pick - McGill over McGuffey's Christian Clutter.
182 - One of the themes of the Class AA upperweights in my opinion is the top-notch freshmen, and that begins with Mount Pleasant's Dayton Pitzer. I can't seen anyone making a serious challenge to him in the bottom of this bracket. Up top, I could see a number of scenarios, with names to watch including Jersey Shore's Hunter O'Connor, Ellwood City's Austin Walley, Brockway's Garrett McClintick, and Freedom's Bryson Miller.
Spring's championship pick - Pitzer over McClintick.
195 - A good group here, led by regional champions Gaige Garcia, Colin Fegley, Kolby Franklin, and Cael Black. Up top, Southern Columbia's Garcia would be favored, but keep an eye on Eisenhower's Black, North Star's Hunter Tremain and Bentworth's John Vargo. Down below, St. Joseph's Academy's Franklin and Mahanoy's Fegley appear headed for a semifinal battle. While freshmen Franklin and Black should have stellar careers when it's all said and done, a state title will have to wait for either of them this time around.
Spring's championship pick - Garcia over Franklin.
220 - Derry's Dom DeLuca and Greenville's Jacob McMaster are likely to meet in the finals here, but there are other names to watch. Reynolds' Wyatt Owen, Montoursville's Cameron Wood, and Lewisburg's Dakotah Snyder are a few of them.
Spring's championship pick - McMaster over DeLuca.
285 - There's a lot of intrigue with the big boys, where athleticism among the top contenders has replaced the usual push back and forth we see a lot of times at this weight. The top names include Mount Union's Jake Ryan in the upper half of the draw, and Brookville's Colby Whitehill, Meyersdale's Jalen Stephens, and Southern Huntingdon's Kole Winfield down below.
Spring's championship pick - Whitehill over Ryan.
106 - There's some pretty good depth and a lot of youth here as usual, but I like the four regional champions to probably meet in the semifinals. The top half of the bracket has a very intriguing semifinal if it comes off between Reynolds' Gary Steen, the defending state champion, and Biglerville freshman Levi Haines. On the bottom, look for a battle of unbeatens between Troy's Sheldon Seymour and South Park's Joey Fischer for a right to be in the finals. Steen and Haines are getting most of the publicity here, but Seymour is actually ahead of them in Intermat's latest national rankings. Seymour is third, Steen seventh, Haines 11th, and Fischer 14th.
Spring's championship pick - Haines over Seymour.
113 - This is pretty wide open in my book, but I think Elizabeth Forward's Ryan Michaels is probably the favorite. I got a good look at him in the Southwest Regional and he impressed. The bottom half where Michaels is though is no picnic, with Eisenhower's Logan Jaquay and Southern Columbia's Kole Biscoe among potential challengers. Up top, I'd say flip a coin.
Spring's championship pick - Michaels over East Pennsboro's Adam Jacob.
120 - A really top-heavy bracket here with three wrestlers above the rest in my opinion. Of those three, I'd give Notre Dame's Ryan Crookham the favorite's nod over Burrell's Ian Oswalt and Reynolds' Beau Bayless. A potential Crookham-Oswalt semifinal would have a lot of eyes on it. I've seen Oswalt a bunch this year and I really like his style, but hard to go against the freshman phenom.
Spring's championship pick - Crookham over Bayless.
126 - The top half of this draw is very interesting, with Glendale's Brock McMillen, Brockway's Anthony Glasl, Upper Dauphin's Bronson Garber, and Muncy's Bryce Vollman all contenders. Down below, I think Bishop McDevitt's Chase Shields is a cut above.
Spring's championship pick - Shields over Garber.
132 - What a weight class we have here with nine former state medalists. Up top, everyone seems to be eyeing a Josh Jones vs. Kaden Cassidy semifinal. Cassidy likely will have to beat Quaker Valley's Conner Redinger tomorrow, as Redinger was sixth in a brutal SW Regional bracket. Remember that Saucon Valley's Jones and Bedford's Cassidy are set to be future collegiate teammates at new MAC member George Mason. Down below, the smart money is on Cambridge Springs' Tye Varndell, but don't sleep on whoever also reaches the semifinal there, likely either Sullivan County's Nate Higley, Everett's Garret Cornell, or St. Joseph's Academy's Zack Witmer.
Spring's championship pick - Jones over Varndell.
138 - The Southwest Regional gave me the chance to see Hopewell's Jacob Ealy for the first time, and I was impressed. I had picked him to beat Forest Hills' freshman Erik Gibson in the regional final, but thought it would be a closer bout. I don't see a real challenge for Ealy up top. In the bottom of the draw, look for Gibson, Wilson's Marckis Branford, and Saegertown's Kenny Kiser to be the main players.
Spring's championship pick - Ealy over Kiser.
145 - How about a returning state champion against a returning state runner-up? But not in the finals. That would take place on Friday morning in a quarterfinal with Palisades' Nathan Haubert, last year's winner at this weight, against St. Joseph's Academy's Caleb Dowling, who was second last March at 138. Even with that potential showdown taking the top headline here, there's a lot of firepower that includes Notre Dame's Andrew Cerniglia and Southern Columbia's Gavin Garcia in the same half as Haubert and Dowling, and Pequea Valley's Gabe Miller the top dog on the bottom.
Spring's championship pick - Miller over Dowling.
152 - This bracket is kind of like 113 in my opinion, with a lot of good talent but perhaps a bit below some of the other weights. That said, Pope John's Ryan Vulakh might be one of the best wrestlers that most might not know much about. That includes me, though I've read a lot of good stuff about him.
Spring's championship pick - Vulakh over Freedom's Trent Schulteis.
160 - Like the previous weight, one name stands out to me and that is defending champion Thayne Lawrence. The Frazier junior should get to the finals up top, while down below, I think St. Joseph's Academy's Tyler Stoltzfus is the favorite, but keep an eye on Saucon Valley's Matt Arcioulo, Kane's Alec English, and Southern Columbia's Cade Linn.
Spring's championship pick - Lawrence over Stoltzfus.
170 - About the only thing Jared McGill hasn't done is win a state title. It's hard not to like the unbeaten Chestnut Ridge senior this weekend. He already has beaten five of the wrestlers in the other half of the draw at some point this season.
Spring's championship pick - McGill over McGuffey's Christian Clutter.
182 - One of the themes of the Class AA upperweights in my opinion is the top-notch freshmen, and that begins with Mount Pleasant's Dayton Pitzer. I can't seen anyone making a serious challenge to him in the bottom of this bracket. Up top, I could see a number of scenarios, with names to watch including Jersey Shore's Hunter O'Connor, Ellwood City's Austin Walley, Brockway's Garrett McClintick, and Freedom's Bryson Miller.
Spring's championship pick - Pitzer over McClintick.
195 - A good group here, led by regional champions Gaige Garcia, Colin Fegley, Kolby Franklin, and Cael Black. Up top, Southern Columbia's Garcia would be favored, but keep an eye on Eisenhower's Black, North Star's Hunter Tremain and Bentworth's John Vargo. Down below, St. Joseph's Academy's Franklin and Mahanoy's Fegley appear headed for a semifinal battle. While freshmen Franklin and Black should have stellar careers when it's all said and done, a state title will have to wait for either of them this time around.
Spring's championship pick - Garcia over Franklin.
220 - Derry's Dom DeLuca and Greenville's Jacob McMaster are likely to meet in the finals here, but there are other names to watch. Reynolds' Wyatt Owen, Montoursville's Cameron Wood, and Lewisburg's Dakotah Snyder are a few of them.
Spring's championship pick - McMaster over DeLuca.
285 - There's a lot of intrigue with the big boys, where athleticism among the top contenders has replaced the usual push back and forth we see a lot of times at this weight. The top names include Mount Union's Jake Ryan in the upper half of the draw, and Brookville's Colby Whitehill, Meyersdale's Jalen Stephens, and Southern Huntingdon's Kole Winfield down below.
Spring's championship pick - Whitehill over Ryan.
Friday, February 8, 2019
Lions showing strong again in Hershey
Prior to tonight's state semifinal against Southern Columbia, I posted a warmup photo of Chestnut Ridge on social media along with writing that the Lions would need their best effort of the season (to pull off the upset).
And did the Lions ever come close. In the end, the second-ranked Tigers had a couple more guns than the sixth-ranked Lions did and were able to escape with a 34-31 victory. On paper, I had Southern as probably a 10-12 point favorite at worst.
That said, what Chestnut Ridge is doing this weekend is impressive.
But in reality, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised. After all, this is what the Lions do when they come to Hershey. Now in their seventh appearance in the Class AA state duals, Chestnut Ridge has an overall record of 20-11. And they have three medals - fourth in 2013, second in 2015, and third last year.
The impressive part to me is what we're seeing out of the newcomers and younger wrestlers on the team. While they've had almost a full season of hard competition, this tournament is still a different animal sometimes. I wouldn't have said it was a rebuilding year for Chestnut Ridge, but I viewed it as perhaps a transition year, with four freshmen starters and having to replace a state champion (Justin McCoy) and several other key contributors.
And you could have understood if the pressure of a state semifinal got to them. But it didn't. The Lions were right there, and they had the Tigers on their heels for awhile.
That's a testament to Jared McGill and the other leaders on the team, as well as Greg Lazor and the rest of his coaching staff for staying focused and wrestling well inside the circle. I'm not sure I've seen Lazor as animated, all in a positive way, as much as he has been this weekend in quite some time.
So on we go to tomorrow, where Chestnut Ridge can win a team medal for the second straight season, which would be another first for the program.
And it should be no surprise if the Lions finish that job again.
And did the Lions ever come close. In the end, the second-ranked Tigers had a couple more guns than the sixth-ranked Lions did and were able to escape with a 34-31 victory. On paper, I had Southern as probably a 10-12 point favorite at worst.
That said, what Chestnut Ridge is doing this weekend is impressive.
But in reality, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised. After all, this is what the Lions do when they come to Hershey. Now in their seventh appearance in the Class AA state duals, Chestnut Ridge has an overall record of 20-11. And they have three medals - fourth in 2013, second in 2015, and third last year.
The impressive part to me is what we're seeing out of the newcomers and younger wrestlers on the team. While they've had almost a full season of hard competition, this tournament is still a different animal sometimes. I wouldn't have said it was a rebuilding year for Chestnut Ridge, but I viewed it as perhaps a transition year, with four freshmen starters and having to replace a state champion (Justin McCoy) and several other key contributors.
And you could have understood if the pressure of a state semifinal got to them. But it didn't. The Lions were right there, and they had the Tigers on their heels for awhile.
That's a testament to Jared McGill and the other leaders on the team, as well as Greg Lazor and the rest of his coaching staff for staying focused and wrestling well inside the circle. I'm not sure I've seen Lazor as animated, all in a positive way, as much as he has been this weekend in quite some time.
So on we go to tomorrow, where Chestnut Ridge can win a team medal for the second straight season, which would be another first for the program.
And it should be no surprise if the Lions finish that job again.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Lions roll into state quarterfinals
For all that Chestnut Ridge has accomplished over the last six-plus years, the Lions haven't been able to win a state team medal two years in a row.
That could change this weekend, and they got past the first hurdle earlier today with a 51-21 domination of Freedom in the Class AA first round.
The second half of the dual was right in Chestnut Ridge's wheelhouse with its run of strong upperweights. And the Lions got pins in five of six weights, from Seth Holderbaum, Jared McGill, Austin Crouse, Duane Knisely, and Dalton Seace, respectively, to pull away from the Bulldogs.
While that was impressive, even more so in my opinion were the efforts of Gryphon Callihan at 126, Luke Moore at 138, and Baltzer Bollman at 145.
Callihan drew Z.J. Ward, a two-time state qualifier. We didn't see Ward at the Thomas Chevrolet Tournament two weeks ago, but he was in the lineup today. And the Freedom wrestler took a 5-1 lead in the second period. Callihan fought back to 5-4 and had a chance at a takedown in the third period, losing just 7-5.
After Trevor Weyandt won by fall, Moore took the mat and promptly countered Kenny Duschek's shot for his own takedown. Duschek, also a prior state qualifier, never trailed again but had to fight off Moore's aggressiveness. Moore had a slow start to his freshman season, but he's quietly coming along as crunch time is here.
Then at 145, Bollman gave up four takedowns to Jake Pail, but didn't give up any more than that. The Lions gave up just 15 points to that trio plus Freedom's Trent Schulteis (152), a returning state medalist.
While I believe Chestnut Ridge would have had enough to win the match anyway, the start of it couldn't really have gone much better for Greg Lazor's group.
As for a quarterfinal with Hamburg tomorrow, it should be interesting. Shameless plug, but I was eight for eight today with my first round picks, which you can see in my last blog post. I also said the Hamburg/Greenville match was close to call, and it was with the Hawks winning 36-34 on a technical fall from one of the Gimbor twins, both returning state qualifiers who transferred in this year from Brandywine Heights.
Also of note is Hamburg had the largest and loudest crowd of any Class AA school by far at the Giant Center. I would imagine a similar showing of fans of the District 3 champions on Friday.
- Make sure you see my match coverage from today's match in the Friday edition of the Bedford Gazette. Pick up a copy or go online. And if you're here in Hershey, the online version is free access, so make it a great read over the breakfast table before you head to the Giant Center for the quarterfinals.
That could change this weekend, and they got past the first hurdle earlier today with a 51-21 domination of Freedom in the Class AA first round.
The second half of the dual was right in Chestnut Ridge's wheelhouse with its run of strong upperweights. And the Lions got pins in five of six weights, from Seth Holderbaum, Jared McGill, Austin Crouse, Duane Knisely, and Dalton Seace, respectively, to pull away from the Bulldogs.
While that was impressive, even more so in my opinion were the efforts of Gryphon Callihan at 126, Luke Moore at 138, and Baltzer Bollman at 145.
Callihan drew Z.J. Ward, a two-time state qualifier. We didn't see Ward at the Thomas Chevrolet Tournament two weeks ago, but he was in the lineup today. And the Freedom wrestler took a 5-1 lead in the second period. Callihan fought back to 5-4 and had a chance at a takedown in the third period, losing just 7-5.
After Trevor Weyandt won by fall, Moore took the mat and promptly countered Kenny Duschek's shot for his own takedown. Duschek, also a prior state qualifier, never trailed again but had to fight off Moore's aggressiveness. Moore had a slow start to his freshman season, but he's quietly coming along as crunch time is here.
Then at 145, Bollman gave up four takedowns to Jake Pail, but didn't give up any more than that. The Lions gave up just 15 points to that trio plus Freedom's Trent Schulteis (152), a returning state medalist.
While I believe Chestnut Ridge would have had enough to win the match anyway, the start of it couldn't really have gone much better for Greg Lazor's group.
As for a quarterfinal with Hamburg tomorrow, it should be interesting. Shameless plug, but I was eight for eight today with my first round picks, which you can see in my last blog post. I also said the Hamburg/Greenville match was close to call, and it was with the Hawks winning 36-34 on a technical fall from one of the Gimbor twins, both returning state qualifiers who transferred in this year from Brandywine Heights.
Also of note is Hamburg had the largest and loudest crowd of any Class AA school by far at the Giant Center. I would imagine a similar showing of fans of the District 3 champions on Friday.
- Make sure you see my match coverage from today's match in the Friday edition of the Bedford Gazette. Pick up a copy or go online. And if you're here in Hershey, the online version is free access, so make it a great read over the breakfast table before you head to the Giant Center for the quarterfinals.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Breaking Down the Class AA State Duals
The state team tournaments have begun with play-in matches having been wrestled last night, and we're down to 16 teams in each class.
Here's my quick thoughts on Class AA, and my completed bracket is below that. (I'm no Tony Romo, so don't take this as anything more than a guessing game)
Class AA First Round
— I think the Hamburg-Greenville match is really close to call and will probably be one of the two closer first round duals along with Saucon Valley-Muncy. I went with Hamburg here, but wouldn't be surprised at all to see Greenville in the quarterfinals.
— I went with Saucon Valley in the killer #3 vs. #4 (rankings according to PA Power Wrestling) first-round match. Outside of a trip to the finals in 2016 (loss to Brookville), I've thought that Saucon has largely underachieved at the state duals over the years. The Panthers wrestle a strong schedule and are well-coached. This year may be an exception, I look for the D11 champs to be a factor in Hershey.
Class AA Quarterfinals
— I went again with Saucon Valley in what should be another barnburner for them against Burrell in the Friday afternoon quarters. See my above comments on Saucon Valley.
Finals Rematch?
— On paper, I think Southern Columbia and Reynolds look to be the most complete teams in the field, so yes, I believe a rematch of last year's championship match will happen. Reynolds usually gets it done on the big stage, but I like Southern Columbia, especially with Gavin Garcia and Cade Linn back in the lineup.
Darkhorse Candidate
— Notre Dame-Green Pond. The Crusaders came close to beating Saucon Valley for the District 11 title last weekend, then beat Boiling Springs in a Monday play-in to advance into the main bracket. They draw Reynolds on Thursday, which is no easy task. But this is a program on the rise and it has enough firepower to make things interesting with anyone. Of course, that idea brings up the public/private battle with PIAA member schools, as Notre Dame has more than half its lineup from nearby districts. Boiling Springs' coach Rod Wright called Notre Dame GP "Beca Jr." after the play-in match last night, in reference to Bethlehem Catholic.
Local Angle
— I think Chestnut Ridge got a favorable spot in the bracket. That doesn't mean I think a medal, which would be its fourth in seven years, is a sure thing. But I like the way the Lions' younger kids have wrestled in recent weeks. And getting Mason McVicker back on the roster and Brodie Harbaugh back from injury gives Greg Lazor more options in the upperweights. Chestnut Ridge will probably have to beat some combination of Southern Columbia, Saucon Valley, Muncy, Burrell, and/or Notre Dame GP to get that medal.
My Class AA Bracket
— Again, take this for what it's worth.
Here's my quick thoughts on Class AA, and my completed bracket is below that. (I'm no Tony Romo, so don't take this as anything more than a guessing game)
Class AA First Round
— I think the Hamburg-Greenville match is really close to call and will probably be one of the two closer first round duals along with Saucon Valley-Muncy. I went with Hamburg here, but wouldn't be surprised at all to see Greenville in the quarterfinals.
— I went with Saucon Valley in the killer #3 vs. #4 (rankings according to PA Power Wrestling) first-round match. Outside of a trip to the finals in 2016 (loss to Brookville), I've thought that Saucon has largely underachieved at the state duals over the years. The Panthers wrestle a strong schedule and are well-coached. This year may be an exception, I look for the D11 champs to be a factor in Hershey.
Class AA Quarterfinals
— I went again with Saucon Valley in what should be another barnburner for them against Burrell in the Friday afternoon quarters. See my above comments on Saucon Valley.
Finals Rematch?
— On paper, I think Southern Columbia and Reynolds look to be the most complete teams in the field, so yes, I believe a rematch of last year's championship match will happen. Reynolds usually gets it done on the big stage, but I like Southern Columbia, especially with Gavin Garcia and Cade Linn back in the lineup.
Darkhorse Candidate
— Notre Dame-Green Pond. The Crusaders came close to beating Saucon Valley for the District 11 title last weekend, then beat Boiling Springs in a Monday play-in to advance into the main bracket. They draw Reynolds on Thursday, which is no easy task. But this is a program on the rise and it has enough firepower to make things interesting with anyone. Of course, that idea brings up the public/private battle with PIAA member schools, as Notre Dame has more than half its lineup from nearby districts. Boiling Springs' coach Rod Wright called Notre Dame GP "Beca Jr." after the play-in match last night, in reference to Bethlehem Catholic.
Local Angle
— I think Chestnut Ridge got a favorable spot in the bracket. That doesn't mean I think a medal, which would be its fourth in seven years, is a sure thing. But I like the way the Lions' younger kids have wrestled in recent weeks. And getting Mason McVicker back on the roster and Brodie Harbaugh back from injury gives Greg Lazor more options in the upperweights. Chestnut Ridge will probably have to beat some combination of Southern Columbia, Saucon Valley, Muncy, Burrell, and/or Notre Dame GP to get that medal.
My Class AA Bracket
— Again, take this for what it's worth.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Geography, Pre-bracketing are issues with state team duals
It's nothing new that the way teams are chosen for the state team tournaments doesn't sit well with many people in the Pennsylvania wrestling community.
And as another set of PIAA team tournaments are on tap beginning tonight with several play-in matches leading to the main event in Hershey from Thursday-Saturday, those same arguments will certainly be heard again.
To me, there are two glaring issues — bigger districts getting more entries, and the tournament's brackets being predetermined for a two-year cycle even before that first season of the new cycle begins.
We'll start with geography. Currently, both the fields in Class AA and Class AAA have 20 teams that receive berths based on district tournament finishes. In AA, Districts 3, 4, 7, and 10 each get three teams. In AAA, Districts 1 and 3 get four teams.
And I never have understood the prebracketing. At least in the individual postseason, the PIAA made a change several years ago now to have a certain number of different brackets and then reveal them after the regional tournaments were completed, rather than have them available for all to see well beforehand.
But this needs to happen on the team level too.
Nothing will please everyone. That said, here's what I would propose.
— Go back to 16 teams apiece: Get rid of the play-in matches. The state duals used to be two days, then it went to three and if you include the play-ins, that's four. I'm all for watching as much wrestling as I can, but I think it can be scaled back, and my other points emphasize this.
— Only district champions get automatic berths in Hershey: No matter the size or history of a district in wrestling, let's make this a starting point for filling the field. In both classes, there are 11 district champions crowned around the state. (District 8 does not in Class AA, District 5 does not in Class AAA).
Win your district title, and you get the reward of a trip to the state tournament. But you have to win your district, that's the only absolute way to be included. The obvious question — Ryan, you know that's only 11 teams, an odd-man bracket, right?
Yes, so here's the other part.
— Make the other five spots for at-large selections: You have your 11 automatic bids, then take the next five best squads that didn't get in via the district tournaments.
In determining those choices, use a combination of rankings, a coaches committee, other knowledgeable wrestling people on the committee, etc. to get it as right as possible.
I'm sure some would say five seems like too many. I feel like it's a better solution than just taking away a couple of the spots that get in now (via prebracketing) and make them wild cards.
— Drop the prebrackets: In my opinion, this is just silly and doesn't need to be released ahead of time. Currently, everyone knows where they will be and who they'll see early, and possibly further along in the tournament.
This year's Class AA bracket, for example. In the top quarter of the bottom half of the bracket, you'll have the third, fourth, and fifth-ranked teams in the state according to PA Power Wrestling. Burrell is ranked fifth, and should the Bucs defeat the Newport/Danville winner, will get either third-ranked Saucon Valley or fourth-ranked Muncy in the quarterfinals. So #3 vs. #4 in a first-round match, survive that and likely get #5 in the quarters. That's a rediculous draw.
Unrest in D11
Much of the distaste this time around with the state duals format is in Class AAA, where District 11 has perhaps four of the top five or six teams in the state and only gets two berths. On Saturday, it was a hotly contested tournament that saw Bethlehem Catholic beat Liberty in the final. D11 has a true second-place format, so Northampton got the other bid by getting past Liberty in that match.
PA Power updated their state rankings earlier today. In Class AAA, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, Liberty, and Nazareth are all in the top five. But only those first two will be in Hershey, because District 11 gets only two slots based on the geographical numbers. And I've heard from people in the know down there that D11 would probably only have one team make it but has fought for at least a second bid in the current format of the event.
Under my proposal, only Bethlehem Catholic would be a guarantee because the Golden Hawks won their district title. Just going off the rankings though, all three of the others would almost assuredly get at-large bids.
Certainly, every year is different and may not look like five teams around the state deserve an at-large. But if say you only had two spots, which one of those other three gets left out in this case? Liberty handed Bethlehem Catholic its only loss, then beat Nazareth on Saturday for the second time in three matches this season. Nazareth owns that earlier win over Liberty at the Virginia Duals and also defeated Erie Prep (ranked 6th) there. Northampton lost to Becahi in the semifinals, but rebounded by beating both Nazareth and Liberty for the second spot, doing it without one of its best wrestlers in Devon Britton. Everyone has a case.
Again, nothing will please everyone. I think most of us can agree that there needs to be some sort of changes. Whether it happens is anybody's guess.
And as another set of PIAA team tournaments are on tap beginning tonight with several play-in matches leading to the main event in Hershey from Thursday-Saturday, those same arguments will certainly be heard again.
To me, there are two glaring issues — bigger districts getting more entries, and the tournament's brackets being predetermined for a two-year cycle even before that first season of the new cycle begins.
We'll start with geography. Currently, both the fields in Class AA and Class AAA have 20 teams that receive berths based on district tournament finishes. In AA, Districts 3, 4, 7, and 10 each get three teams. In AAA, Districts 1 and 3 get four teams.
And I never have understood the prebracketing. At least in the individual postseason, the PIAA made a change several years ago now to have a certain number of different brackets and then reveal them after the regional tournaments were completed, rather than have them available for all to see well beforehand.
But this needs to happen on the team level too.
Nothing will please everyone. That said, here's what I would propose.
— Go back to 16 teams apiece: Get rid of the play-in matches. The state duals used to be two days, then it went to three and if you include the play-ins, that's four. I'm all for watching as much wrestling as I can, but I think it can be scaled back, and my other points emphasize this.
— Only district champions get automatic berths in Hershey: No matter the size or history of a district in wrestling, let's make this a starting point for filling the field. In both classes, there are 11 district champions crowned around the state. (District 8 does not in Class AA, District 5 does not in Class AAA).
Win your district title, and you get the reward of a trip to the state tournament. But you have to win your district, that's the only absolute way to be included. The obvious question — Ryan, you know that's only 11 teams, an odd-man bracket, right?
Yes, so here's the other part.
— Make the other five spots for at-large selections: You have your 11 automatic bids, then take the next five best squads that didn't get in via the district tournaments.
In determining those choices, use a combination of rankings, a coaches committee, other knowledgeable wrestling people on the committee, etc. to get it as right as possible.
I'm sure some would say five seems like too many. I feel like it's a better solution than just taking away a couple of the spots that get in now (via prebracketing) and make them wild cards.
— Drop the prebrackets: In my opinion, this is just silly and doesn't need to be released ahead of time. Currently, everyone knows where they will be and who they'll see early, and possibly further along in the tournament.
This year's Class AA bracket, for example. In the top quarter of the bottom half of the bracket, you'll have the third, fourth, and fifth-ranked teams in the state according to PA Power Wrestling. Burrell is ranked fifth, and should the Bucs defeat the Newport/Danville winner, will get either third-ranked Saucon Valley or fourth-ranked Muncy in the quarterfinals. So #3 vs. #4 in a first-round match, survive that and likely get #5 in the quarters. That's a rediculous draw.
My solution here: Seed the teams 1-16 and play it out from there. Let's get the best matchups we can further along in the tournament, not in the first round.
Unrest in D11
Much of the distaste this time around with the state duals format is in Class AAA, where District 11 has perhaps four of the top five or six teams in the state and only gets two berths. On Saturday, it was a hotly contested tournament that saw Bethlehem Catholic beat Liberty in the final. D11 has a true second-place format, so Northampton got the other bid by getting past Liberty in that match.
PA Power updated their state rankings earlier today. In Class AAA, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, Liberty, and Nazareth are all in the top five. But only those first two will be in Hershey, because District 11 gets only two slots based on the geographical numbers. And I've heard from people in the know down there that D11 would probably only have one team make it but has fought for at least a second bid in the current format of the event.
Under my proposal, only Bethlehem Catholic would be a guarantee because the Golden Hawks won their district title. Just going off the rankings though, all three of the others would almost assuredly get at-large bids.
Certainly, every year is different and may not look like five teams around the state deserve an at-large. But if say you only had two spots, which one of those other three gets left out in this case? Liberty handed Bethlehem Catholic its only loss, then beat Nazareth on Saturday for the second time in three matches this season. Nazareth owns that earlier win over Liberty at the Virginia Duals and also defeated Erie Prep (ranked 6th) there. Northampton lost to Becahi in the semifinals, but rebounded by beating both Nazareth and Liberty for the second spot, doing it without one of its best wrestlers in Devon Britton. Everyone has a case.
Again, nothing will please everyone. I think most of us can agree that there needs to be some sort of changes. Whether it happens is anybody's guess.
Friday, February 1, 2019
District Duals to Watch
The high school wrestling season is getting serious now, with state team qualifiers being determined this weekend across Pennsylvania.
I'll be at Chestnut Ridge for the District 5-AA semifinals and final, where the host Lions will be shooting for their seventh consecutive title as the heavy favorite once again. Of course, you can read my coverage in the Bedford Gazette.
While I'm not sure there will be a whole lot of intrigue from a dual meet perspective in Fishertown, there are plenty of other districts that will have my eye. Here's a look at that:
District 3-AA
The quarterfinals and semifinals have been wrestled and the two teams standing in the championship bracket are Newport, who was the fourth seed, and Hamburg, the third seed. Newport knocked off unbeaten Northern Lebanon 35-27 in the semifinals. On the other side of the draw, Hamburg beat perennial D3 powers Boiling Springs (40-24) and Bermudian Springs (43-24) in back-to-back matches.
So both the Buffaloes and Hawks have clinched berths in Hershey, while those other three along with Upper Dauphin will battle in the consolation bracket to determine third place, which advances to a state play-in dual on Monday night.
When the new state brackets came out for this cycle, the champions from D3 and D5 were potentially matched up in a quarterfinal, which of course could have meant another chapter in the Boiling Springs-Chestnut Ridge rivalry.
That won't happen, at least not in that round this year after the Bubblers lost to Hamburg. Instead, the D3 champ could have an interesting first round match with either the District 6 runner-up or the District 10 third placer before a possible state quarter draw with 5-1 or 7-2.
District 6-AA
Earlier this afternoon, the semifinalists were determined after the cold weather this week caused matches to be moved.
Huntingdon is the top seed, and the Bearcats moved into the final four at Tyrone with a 41-18 win over Bald Eagle Area. They will meet fourth seed Glendale in the semifinals.
The other semi will be a conference rematch between second seed Westmont Hilltop and sixth seed Forest Hills. The Rangers knocked off Penns Valley on Friday. In their regular season dual, Westmont beat Forest Hills, 39-29.
District 11-AAA
While my newspaper coverage is directed towards the Class AA side of things, the District 11-AAA Duals looks like the best place to be tomorrow.
Here's your semifinalists: Liberty, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, and Nazareth.
And the latest state rankings by PA Power: Liberty, 2nd; Bethlehem Catholic, 3rd; Northampton, 5th; Nazareth, 6th.
In the semis, Liberty gets Nazareth while Becahi and Northampton battle. Liberty and Nazareth split a pair of duals this season so far, including one on criteria, while Bethlehem Catholic owns a six-point win over Northampton. And Liberty handed Bethlehem Catholic a rare defeat a few weeks ago.
Frankly, all four of these teams deserve a berth in Hershey, but only two will get there.
I'll be at Chestnut Ridge for the District 5-AA semifinals and final, where the host Lions will be shooting for their seventh consecutive title as the heavy favorite once again. Of course, you can read my coverage in the Bedford Gazette.
While I'm not sure there will be a whole lot of intrigue from a dual meet perspective in Fishertown, there are plenty of other districts that will have my eye. Here's a look at that:
District 3-AA
The quarterfinals and semifinals have been wrestled and the two teams standing in the championship bracket are Newport, who was the fourth seed, and Hamburg, the third seed. Newport knocked off unbeaten Northern Lebanon 35-27 in the semifinals. On the other side of the draw, Hamburg beat perennial D3 powers Boiling Springs (40-24) and Bermudian Springs (43-24) in back-to-back matches.
So both the Buffaloes and Hawks have clinched berths in Hershey, while those other three along with Upper Dauphin will battle in the consolation bracket to determine third place, which advances to a state play-in dual on Monday night.
When the new state brackets came out for this cycle, the champions from D3 and D5 were potentially matched up in a quarterfinal, which of course could have meant another chapter in the Boiling Springs-Chestnut Ridge rivalry.
That won't happen, at least not in that round this year after the Bubblers lost to Hamburg. Instead, the D3 champ could have an interesting first round match with either the District 6 runner-up or the District 10 third placer before a possible state quarter draw with 5-1 or 7-2.
District 6-AA
Earlier this afternoon, the semifinalists were determined after the cold weather this week caused matches to be moved.
Huntingdon is the top seed, and the Bearcats moved into the final four at Tyrone with a 41-18 win over Bald Eagle Area. They will meet fourth seed Glendale in the semifinals.
The other semi will be a conference rematch between second seed Westmont Hilltop and sixth seed Forest Hills. The Rangers knocked off Penns Valley on Friday. In their regular season dual, Westmont beat Forest Hills, 39-29.
District 11-AAA
While my newspaper coverage is directed towards the Class AA side of things, the District 11-AAA Duals looks like the best place to be tomorrow.
Here's your semifinalists: Liberty, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, and Nazareth.
And the latest state rankings by PA Power: Liberty, 2nd; Bethlehem Catholic, 3rd; Northampton, 5th; Nazareth, 6th.
In the semis, Liberty gets Nazareth while Becahi and Northampton battle. Liberty and Nazareth split a pair of duals this season so far, including one on criteria, while Bethlehem Catholic owns a six-point win over Northampton. And Liberty handed Bethlehem Catholic a rare defeat a few weeks ago.
Frankly, all four of these teams deserve a berth in Hershey, but only two will get there.
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