Local wrestlers do well as WPIALs get under way
CANONSBURG – WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinal and consolation round wrestling continued Friday at Canon-McMillan High School with most of the top two seeds advancing to today’s final rounds. Connellsville’s No. 2-seeded 171-pounder Jason Doppelheuer will not be in the semifinals, as he was upset by Kittanning junior Josh Serene.
Doppelheuer held a 2-0 advantage late in the bout, but Serene tied it with 15 seconds left on a reversal. The match continued into overtime, and Serene pulled out the upset in the rideout period, 3-2.
“You can’t give up reversals in a match and expect to win,” Connellsville coach Tommy Dolde said. “He was up against a good wrestler, too. That was not a guaranteed match.”
Many fans were hoping to see Doppelheuer advance to the finals to wrestle top-seeded Corbin Semple of Waynesburg.
The Waynesburg Central senior held up his end by defeating Albert Gallatin’s Charlie Belch, 5-1. Belch took a 1-0 lead in the second period after a scoreless first period, but Semple pulled ahead in the third.
“I thought Corbin did exactly what he was supposed to do,” Waynesburg head coach John Yates said. “He’s continuing to wrestle well and we’ll see if all three wrestlers we have left can advance, but tomorrow is when the competition gets real tough.”
Chris Neidermeier, a second-seeded Waynesburg senior and the only defending champion that was a No. 2 seed instead of No. 1, defeated Shaler’s Steve Fleming, 3-0. With the victory, Neidermeier headed closer to a rematch with top-seeded and undefeated Jay Ivanco, a junior from Gateway. Ivanco only won a 4-0 decision, but defeated Neidermeier in the North Hills Duals earlier in the season.
Dolde was pleased with most of the other matches, including one of the best bouts in the tournament so far in the middle of the 152-pound bracket, as Connellsville senior Buddy Sines was down 1-0 to Albert Gallatin freshman Lance Bryson through most of the bout, but Sines tied it at 1-1 with 40 seconds remaining.
“I figured they would call him for stalling eventually because he was doing it a lot toward the end of the match,” Sines said. “I just tried to keep my legs up and keep taking his shots, and I figured eventually I would pull ahead.”
After Bryson was called for stalling, Sines scored a go-ahead point 20 seconds later to win the match 5-1.
“I wrestled Bryson twice before. I beat him 6-3 earlier in the year, and he won in the sectionals. He’s a really good wrestler for a freshman. I think he’ll really be a force when he’s a junior and senior.” Sines said. “I usually don’t bother thinking about who I’m wrestling, but I stayed up late last night thinking about this match, and I knew I would have to take some shots and wait for my chance, and it worked out for me.”
Five Connellsville wrestlers advanced, including senior Steve Bell, a No. 2 seed at 125. He jumped out to an 8-2 lead over junior Brian Petrakis from Gateway on his way to a 20-4 technical fall at 4:25.
If Bell advances to tonight’s final and faces top-seeded Sean Clair from Plum, it will be one of the most-anticipated bouts in the finals. Clair won his bout with a pin at 1:43.
Connellsville junior Ashtin Primus, the No. 1 seed at 135 pounds, won a 10-0 major decision over Chartiers Valley senior Ross Ventrone, and Connellsville senior Josh Martin, No. 2 at 145 pounds, grabbed an 8-5 decision over Latrobe’ Ryan Goodman.
In other action, freshman Brian Knapp from Waynesburg had no trouble in defeating freshman Rob Runyan from Butler with a 12-0 decision in the 103-pound class, but freshman Tyler Nicholson from Connellsville lost to sophomore Corey James from Washington in a 7-0 decision.
In 112, Connellsville freshman Kody Pujia lost a 7-0 decision to sophomore Rudy Chelednik from Greensburg Central Catholic
In the 112-pound consolation, Laurel Highlands’ sophomore Cameron Muma handily defeated Jeff Stagon with a 16-0 technical fall at 1:39.
At 119, Waynesburg sophomore Nick Garber won with a 14-7 decision over Butler freshman Ian McLaughlin
Josh Klink from Laurel Highlands lost a 16-2 major decision to Josh Daniels from McGuffey in the 119 consolation round.
In the 125-pound consolation, Waynesburg junior Brian Leggett won an 8-3 decision over Pat Coyne from Seneca Valley, and sophomore Brad Zitney from Albert Gallatin lost 6-2 to freshman Jake Boyer of Elizabeth-Forward.
In 130, Connellsville’s Eric McGinnis lost a 17-5 major decision to Shaler’s Matt Nelson.
Waynesburg junior Dustin Henderson lost a 6-2 decision to Hempfield junior Mike Nudo in their 130-pound consolation, and Laurel Highlands senior Greg Hogan won a major decision, 15-2 over West Mifflin’s Josh Malloy
In the middle of the 135-pound bracket, Waynesburg sophomore Ethan Headlee lost a close 2-0 decision to Fox Chapel’s Brian Letters
Laurel Highlands’ freshman Nick Browne won by forfeit over Central Catholic junior Bill Loeffler in a 130-pound consolation.
Connellsville senior Zach Snyder pinned junior Eric Vone from Avonworth 2:41 into their 140-pound match.
Albert Gallatin junior Dave Bryson lost a 9-3 decision to No. 1 seed Mike Catalano of Canon-McMillan at 145.
Waynesburg sophomore Clint Podish battled Pine Richland senior Ryan Schleiden in a 152-pound consolation.
Albert Gallatin junior Mark Brown lost a close 3-1 decision to Greensburg Salem senior Patrick Hutchinson at 160.
At 189, Waynesburg senior Steven Ellis lost to Kiski’s Matt Riddle, 8-1, and Albert Gallatin junior Rob Blosser lost 3-0 to Greensburg Salem’s Andrew Halle, a No. 2 seed.
In a 189-pound consolation, Connellsville sophomore Alan Porter pinned Butler junior Ryan Eck at 3:83.
Connellsville junior Josh Brewer (215) lost to Kiski’s Quentin Taraszewski.
Waynesburg senior Zach Patton was pinned at 4:46 mark by Montour senior Joshua Verzi in their 215-pound consolation bout.
The unlimited (275-pound) bout between Connellsville junior Melvin Warrick and Central Catholic sophomore Stefen Wisniewski went into overtime tied 2-2 before Warrick pulled out a 4-2 victory.
Also in the unlimited class, Waynesburg senior Bill Morehead was pinned by Pine Richland sophomore Ben Scherer at the 1:18, and Albert Gallatin sophomore Allen Myers lost a 5-1 decision to Chartiers Valley senior Adam McKnight.
The tournament will wind up today at Albert Gallatin with a full day of wrestling beginning at 10:30 a.m. with second round consolation matches followed by the semifinals and third round consolation matches at noon.
Fourth round consolation matches begin 2 p.m.
The consolation finals begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Parade of Champions at 6:50 and the championships at 7.