Wrestlers ready for big weekend
Western Pennsylvania wrestlers face their final tests before Hershey this week, and while I am still a relative newbie in terms of wrestling coverage, I feel compelled to share some thoughts rolling around in my head in terms of what I have already seen this individual postseason, and what could be on the horizon on Friday and Saturday.
Starting in Class AA, it looks like Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale’s first test won’t come until he reaches the Giant Center for the PIAA Championships. One wrestler in this year’s PIAA Southwest Regional Tournament was able to give the world champion Rocket a test last year, and that is Chestnut Ridge senior Aaron Burkett.
Twice in last year’s postseason, Burkett pushed Teasdale to his limit, before ultimately falling 3-0 in the regional finals, and 4-2 in the state title match. Unfortunately, fans won’t get a rematch between the two, as the Lehigh recruit is staying at 106 pounds, where he is the top seed for this year’s regional championships at Canon-McMillan High School. Teasdale will compete at 113 pounds.
There may still be a highly entertaining clash between Chestnut Ridge and Jefferson-Morgan on Saturday, however. Rocket senior Billy Bowlen has been having a great senior year, even by his standards. He received the No. 2 seed at 195 pounds and is expected to battle top-seeded Conner Butry, a West Virginia recruit, for the regional crown. The two did not run into each other during the 2014-15 postseason, as Bowlen was competing at 182 pounds.
The Mapletown Maples continued to make noticeably positive steps in the restoration of their program by qualifying three wrestlers for the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional tournament. Senior Shawn Hennessey (182), sophomore Tanner Weston (195) and senior Harley Gee (285) will be competing for a ticket to the state finals.
The Maples will bring as many wrestlers to Canonsburg as Jefferson-Morgan (Teasdale, Bowlen and senior 160-pounder Trevor Kniha) and one more than West Greene, which boasts junior Colton Hamilton at 170 pounds and sophomore Connor Main at 195 pounds.
Moving up to Class AAA, Waynesburg Central secured a tournament-high five Section 4-AAA titles at Trinity last Saturday and will look to put together some of their best performances at the right time of year. A few of those Raider champions will have some pretty steep tests if they want to add WPIAL gold to their respective postseason hauls.
Sophomore Caleb Morris finds himself in the unenviable position of being in the same 120-pound bracket as world-class stud, and one of the few holdovers from last year, all-time great Franklin Regional Spencer Lee. Lee is just four matches into an injury-shortened season, but is not only the biggest favorite in the field for a WPIAL title, but also a state crown and at least one world title later this year.
Like Morris, senior Shaun Wilson received the No. 2 seed at 138 pounds and would have to beat one of the best in the country if he wants that District 7 gold medal. Sitting at the top of the bracket is Latrobe senior Luke Pletcher, an Ohio State recruit and two-time state champion. Why is Pletcher not a three-time champ? Because he was bested by then-Waynesburg senior A.C. Headlee in last year’s 132-pound title tilt. So, as if Pletcher needed any more motivation, he could have revenge on his mind, should he square off with another Waynesburg stud.
I’m going to move outside of the county for my final point which deals, appropriately enough, with heavyweights.
Just how good are the 285-pounders out of Section 4-AAA? Despite Canon-McMillan junior Brendan Furman pinning Montour senior Zach Jablonski in less than a minute on Saturday, the two are still seeded one-two for this weekend’s action at Penn Hills High School. Jablonski, who blitzed the consolation competition en route to a third-place finish, should have ample motivation if a rematch falls into place.
Ironically, Furman was not even the top seed in his section, and neither was Jablonski. That honor went to Trinity senior Austin Fife, who placed second to Furman after getting pinned in the first period. Jablonski was seeded third.