AG wrestling team building around 12 lettermen
YORK RUN – Anybody involved in construction will tell you that the first step must be building a good strong foundation and then work on from there. Duane Dupont isn’t a construction engineer, but he has a good solid base on which to start building his Albert Gallatin wrestling program.
The fifth year head coach is working a lineup that includes 12 lettermen – five of whom are back for their fourth year, with three letters earned already.
Dupont said, “We have a real good nucleus to start with, and those five who have wrestled for us since they were freshmen, bring back to our team some very valuable experience that can help them and our younger wrestlers as well.”
The fourth-year wrestlers are John Ptak (171), who set a school winning record last year with a 29-7 card, including the 152-pound Section 2-AAA championship, second in the Southwest Regionals and advanced to the state quarterfinals at Hershey; Marc Berry (215); Ryan Howell (145), whose 22-8 record included third place in the section; Jared Hirtz (152) and Brandon Radicic (140).
Dupont said, “This experience has helped our team very much, and I’m happy with the senior leadership and experience they are passing to the others. Radicic missed part of the season with an injury, but he is back and ready to go. He was second in the section as a junior.”
Other lettermen include:
Seniors – Ryan Martelli (275).
Juniors – Jon Bittinger (112), a two-year letterman whose 26-8 record included third in the section. He reached the regional consolation semifinals before losing, just one win away from Hershey and Andrew McIntire (152), Jeff Lawrence (125) a two-year letterman; Jason Williams (135) and Justin Williams (125).
Sophomores – Charlie Belch (160).
Completing the roster are:
Seniors – Ryan Benninger (215), Drew Dindl (275) and Jon Chapman (160).
Juniors – Jerod Chapman (135), Tom Karpency (189), Bob Hollowood (160) and Daryll Shea (175).
Sophomores – Scott Plaski (152), Josh Allison (130) and Tyler Jones (152).
Freshmen – Dave Bryson (119) and Mark Brown (130).
An experienced coaching staff is helping groom the Colonials. John Saniga, who wrestled at Connellsville, is an 8-year aide, and Randy Wilson, an ex-German Township wrestler, is a 5-year assistant.
The junior high programs have been merged into one this year with 42 prospects working out for John Kochis, Matt Pavlovich and Lee Donaldson, all former AG wrestlers.
Dupont said. “I’m real pleased with this staff. They have been with us for a while and they know how to work with the teams.”
Dupont continued, “Most of our wrestlers were committed to our weight program and worked to get stronger and build themselves up. Many of those not in this program were in training with football and cross-country, so they were conditioning themselves there. I’m real pleased with our physical condition.
“Also real pleasing is the progress our freshmen have made. They were successful last year in junior high, and they competed in the Junior Olympics to pick up some good experience that can help them.”
On the other side of the coin, the Colonials “don’t have a lot of depth in the lower weights, so we must avoid injuries there. We have some good prospects on the way up, but they just aren’t completely ready yet for varsity competition.”
The Colonials, 10-4 last year and second in the section for the second year, have added a new tournament to their schedule, The Big Spring Team Duals, where they join Dover, Halifax, Whitehall, Lower Dauphin, State College, Susquenita and host Big Spring.
Dupont said, “This is a good strong field, led by State College, one of the state’s top teams, and that is going to give us a good strong test right at the start.”
In Section 2-AAA, Dupont said, “Connellsville lost some good wrestlers, but they have good replacements and they are on the top until somebody knocks them out of there. Ringgold and Belle Vernon have some good returnees, and Laurel Highlands could get in there. I think we will have a balanced section. Our own hopes rest on avoiding injuries in the smaller weights where we are not blessed with a lot of backups.”
Ironically, the first section test for the Colonials comes Dec. 4 at Connellsville.
Overall, the veteran coach says, “We have come a long way in a short time, but we still have to get over the hump, which I think is a mental thing. As long as they progress like they have been, the other things will take care of themselves.”
And maybe get the Colonials over that hump.
The schedule (all 7 p.m. unless noted):
Section 2-AAA – Dec. 4, at Connellsville; Dec. 11, Uniontown; Dec. 13, at Elizabeth-Forward (7:30); Dec. 18, at Belle Vernon; Jan. 8, McKeesport; Jan. 15, at Ringgold; and Jan. 22, Laurel Highlands.
Non-Section – Nov. 30, at Big Spring Team Duals; Dec. 6-7, at Chartiers-Houston Tournament; Dec. 14, at McGuffey; Dec. 20, Highlands (1 p.m.); Jan. 9, Bentworth; Jan. 29, at Peters Twp.; Feb. 5, Norwin; Feb. 8, at Sharon Duals with Sharon, Ridgeway, and Shaler.