Mar 7, 2007 By Jim Carlson For The 4 min read

HERSHEY – A trio of area wrestlers who are ranked third in the state in their respective weight classes hope to climb that rankings ladder by a couple of steps this weekend at the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships.

Ascending to the top by Saturday night won’t be easy, but that’s what makes these AAA championships the spectacle that they are. Connellsville, which has had seven wrestlers win 11 titles since 1991, hopes to claim another with heavyweight Justin Haines, a junior with a 33-5 record. He’ll be the only wrestler representing Connellsville.

Waynesburg has two qualifiers in Nick Garber at 130 and third-ranked Ethan Headlee at 152. Belle Vernon has Jacob Weslager at 140 and Donnie Tasser at 145, and Albert Gallatin’s hopes are with third-ranked Lance Bryson at 171.

Haines, who scored shutout victories in the WPIAL semifinals and finals, will face Nick Irwin of Parkland in Thursday’s opening round.

Other top contenders in Haines’ half of the bracket are Marcus Zimmerman of Manheim Central, Tyler Cowman of Wyoming Valley West and Bruce Augustine of Upper Perkiomen. Cowman’s brother, Trevin, won last year’s heavyweight title. On the other side of the bracket sit No. 1-ranked Brad Ladd of Dallastown and Brian Ellixson of Haverford.

“With the weight the way it is, we’re just going into it one match at a time,’ said Connellsville coach Tom Dolde Jr. “The only important match is the one you’ve got next; it’s a different type of focus this year.’

Dolde, who last year coached Ashtin Primus to his second straight title, said that Haines, a junior, has yet to peak this season. “If he peaks this weekend, he’ll be tough to beat,’ Dolde said.

“Justin is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever had in 20 years of coaching. You want to see a kid who works hard earn what he works for.

“That’s what we strive to teach kids,’ Dolde said, “that hard work equals success not only on the mat but in life.’

Waynesburg’s Headlee, whose brother, Drew, won at 112 in 2002 and won an Eastern Wrestling League title at 133 pounds last weekend for Pitt, opens at 152 against Matt Gregg (31-11) of Lewistown. A victory there and it’s a likely meeting with two-time defending champ Tim Darling, a Penn State recruit from Nazareth.

Headlee stoked his confidence in the WPIAL tournament by taking defending state champ Ryan Goodman of Latrobe into the rideout segment of overtime before falling.

“It was a great match and both kids wrestled well,’ said Waynesburg coach John Yates. “The score 2-2 doesn’t sound like much but there were some great flurries. They rode each other in the first two tiebreakers but Ethan couldn’t get away in the rideout.

“He’s a hard worker, he’s healthy and he should be able to do well,’ Yates added. “If he goes to overtime with a returning state champ, his chances are as good as anybody’s.’

Waynesburg’s Garber might be in the middle of the best weight class in Class AAA. Those ranked 1 through 12 at 130 are in the field, including Middletown’s Tyler Nauman, last year’s runner-up. Nauman also is this year’s No.1-ranked wrestler, a Pitt recruit and Garber’s first-round opponent.

“I think 130 is probably one of the best weight classes there,’ Yates said. “Nick’s talented and dangerous, and never count him out. He’s been to states twice and he’s won his first round both times. At that level, every round is hard, every kid is good.’

Belle Vernon qualified a pair in Weslager and Tasser, a qualifier in Class AA last year who lost to West Greene’s Kory Bissett in the consolations.

Weslager (38-4) draws Northeast Region champ Andrew Ritchie (42-4) of Nazareth in the preliminary round at 140, another loaded weight class. Tasser (42-2) will meet Jason Kadelski (32-4) of Methacton.

The top four ranked wrestlers in the state at 171 were all from the WPIAL and Albert Gallatin’s Bryson (32-4) emerged as WPIAL runner-up. He’ll face Cory Baker (31-10) of Spring Grove in the first round.

Returning AAA champs, along with Goodman and Darling, are Upper Perkiomen’s Zach Kemmerer, the state’s all-time winningest wrestler (140), Colin Johnston (125) of Canon McMillan, and Jordan Oliver (119) of Easton.