WPIAL Class AAA wrestling championships
Eight local boys advance to state meet in Hershey IRWIN – The WPIAL Class AAA wrestling tournament concluded Saturday with an all-day affair at Norwin High School.
Altogether, there were 56 third-round consolation matches, 28 fourth-round consolation matches, 56 semifinal matches, the consolation round finals and the championship finals.
Twenty-one schools placed teams in the finals (championship and consolation finals) with Waynesburg joining two other schools (Kiski Area, Greensburg Salem) with four wrestlers in the final rounds.
Connellsville joined six schools having two or more wrestlers in the final round with two wrestlers in the championship final and one in the consolation final.
Albert Gallatin placed one in the championship round and one in the consolation finals. Usually, at least one team places three or more boys in the finals, but this year, no school achieved the feat.
This year’s tournament carried an extra-special meaning, as only the top three wrestlers, (two finalists and consolation winner) from each weight class advance to the PIAA Tournament in Hershey this weekend.
Favorite Jarrod King (39-3), a junior from Connellsville, and one of the best wrestlers in the state, defeated senior Taylor Letters (36-2) from Shaler, 6-5, in the 152-pound weight class.
“I think Jarrod was in control the entire match,” Connellsville head coach Tommy Dolde said. “He has speed you can’t teach and I thought the match was not as close as the score indicated.”
King defeated Greensburg Central Catholic junior Justin Smith from to advance to the finals, and is now looking forward to next week’s state tournament.
“I knew I had to be aggressive and watch some of the big moves he (Letters) tries,” King said. “I had to stay alert because he can be dangerous and I was able to control the match.”
Albert Gallatin’s John Ptak was pinned by Valley’s Logan Downes in the 160-pound semifinals.
“That was a tough match to lose,” Albert Gallatin head coach Dwayne Dupont said. “We got a little careless and he sprung that move on us and we ended up getting pinned.”
Ptak came back to defeat sophomore Shaler’s Mickey Moran in a high-scoring 11-6 consolation bout to advance to the states.
Waynesburg sophomore Chris Neidermeier (33-6) lost a tough 2-1 decision to senior Bill Spencer (31-0) from Highlands in the championship match in the 103-pound weight class.
“We wanted to stay more aggressive on our feet, but were not able to,” Waynesburg head coach John Yates said. “It was a tight match throughout, but Spencer got a nice takedown toward the end of a period that made the difference in the match.”
Neidermeier defeated Albert Gallatin junior Jon Bittinger 10-4 to advance to the finals and qualify for the state tournament.
Bittinger dropped to the consolation round, but defeated sophomore Brandon Skonieczny of Fox Chapel, 5-3, to recover and take third place, which qualifies him for an invitation to the state tournament in Hershey.
“The key to the victory was Jon not holding back and giving his all,” said Albert Gallatin head coach Dwayne Dupont. “He did a great job to recover and take that match.”
Bittinger defeated senior Dave Thorn from Ringgold on a close 3-2 decision to advance to the third-place final bout.
Junior Coleman Scott from Waynesburg easily defeated senior Michael Goslicky from Thomas Jefferson in an 8-2 decision to take the championship in the 112-pound weight class.
“He (Scott) defeated that opponent before, and it was not close then either, so Coleman went into the match with a lot of confidence,” Yates said. “He pretty much had control of the entire match.”
Scott defeated junior Spencer Kahrig from Trinity on an 8-0 major decision to advance to the championship match.
“I was pretty much in control of both matches today, and that’s the way I like it,” Scott said. “I just wrestled my style and stayed aggressive.”
Sophomore Steve Bell from Connellsville defeated freshman Zach McKendree on a 6-0 decision in the consolation round final of the 112-pound weight class bout to take third place and also earn a trip to Hershey.
“Steve (Bell) took what he was given and we’re real happy he’s now going to states,” Dolde said. “He’s a real hard-working kid and he puts a lot of time into his sport.”
After losing Friday night to senior Goslicky in the semifinal, Bell defeated sophomore Brian Pogel from Hampton on a 9-8 decision to advance to the third place bout in the consolation round.
Connellsville freshman Ashtin Primus was defeated by sophomore Sean Clair from Plum in a 6-2 119-pound decision in the championship match, but still qualifies for the state tournament.
“Ashtin was a little too anxious and was not patient enough on his feet,” Dolde said. “I think he lost focus a little and lost the match.”
“He was a good opponent, but I think I used my tournament experience to my benefit,” Clair said. “I was satisfied with my performance.”
Primus defeated senior Drew Headlee from Waynesburg to advance to the semifinals after winning a 7-3 decision in the 119 pound weight class.
Headlee was then eliminated when he was defeated by senior Mark McKnight from Chartiers Valley on a 6-4 decision in the third-place bout of the consolation round.
Headlee was a defending state champion, but will not be traveling to the state championship this year.
“We’re real disappointed about Drew not going to the states this year,” Yates said. “He was the heart and soul of our program, so it’s a shame not seeing him go to Hershey this year.”
Headlee defeated senior Kerry Regner from Blackhawk on a fall at 4:26 mark to advance to the bout.
Waynesburg junior Mark Throckmorton pinned J.J. Zanetta at 1:16 of the consolation round bout to take third place in the 130-pound weight class.
“These kids have wrestled before and usually when they are matched against each other, whoever scores first has a good chance of winning the match,” said Yates. “I think tonight, Mark came out much more aggressive and was able to take the match.”
Throckmorton lost to sophomore Donnie Jones of Greensburg Salem on a 7-1 decision earlier, which dropped him to the consolation round.
“I wasn’t planning on using the move I did to win the bout,” Throckmorton said. “He (Zanetta) was fighting one way, so I just took him the other way and was able to pin him.”
Junior Kyle Martin from Connellsville lost to senior Bill Morosetti from Washington on a 2-2 overtime ride-out loss and then lost to Greensburg Salem junior Jacob Zeoli in the semifinal of the consolation bracket on an 8-6 decision in the 140-pound class.
In the consolation bracket of the 152-pound class, Albert Gallatin senior Jared Hirtz defeated senior Nate Picarsic from Penn Trafford on a 6-3 decision, but was knocked out of the tournament after losing to junior Justin Smith from Greensburg Central Catholic on a 9-5 decision.
In the same bracket, sophomore Corbin Semple from Waynesburg won by default over Joe Malone from Pine Richland, but lost to senior Albert Miles from Cannon MacMillan on a 4-2 decision.
In the 215-pound class, senior Marc Berry from Albert Gallatin lost to senior Chris Glomb from North Allegheny on an 8-1 decision to get knocked out of the consolation bracket on Saturday afternoon.
In the heavyweight (275 and over) class, senior Ryan Martelli from Albert Gallatin was defeated by junior Zach Herbert from North Allegheny on a 5-2 decision and was knocked out of the consolation round.
The PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championship will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Giant Center in Hershey.