2018 All-Area Wrestling Team
The following is the 2018 All-Area Herald-Standard Wrestling Team. The individuals on the team were mostly selected on their performance in the post-season, however there may be a exceptions due to injury.
Class AA
Co-wrestlers of the Year: Gavin Teasdale, Jefferson-Morgan; Thayne Lawrence, Frazier. The Rockets’ 126-pound senior won his fourth straight PIAA title. He is the 13th wrestler to accomplish the feat in the state tournament’s 81 years. Teasdale, who also won the Outstanding Wrestling Award, finishes his high school career with a record of 162-2 after going 40-2 his senior campaign. He will wrestle for Penn State University in college.
Lawrence (30-2, 67-8) had his way with Chestnut Ridge’s Justin McCoy (45-2, 167-18) in an 8-1 decision to win the Commodores’ first state championship.
The sophomore had previously lost to McCoy, 10-1, in the Southwest Regional Final, but cam back with a vengeance to win the gold at 152 pounds. Lawrence was the Outstanding Wrestler on many ballots for scoring the biggest upset in the tournament. He also rallied after trailing 5-0 in the semifinals.
Coach (staff) of the Year: Mike Lesko, Jefferson-Morgan. Lesko, who announced his coaching retirement following Teasdale’s victory, not only guided the 13th wrestler to win four state titles, but got the Rockets to the fifth-place qualifier out of Section 2-AA. He also coached two other wrestlers that qualified for the regional tournament. It may seem easy to coach a wrestler of Teasdale’s caliber, but there is much more that goes on behind the scenes. The pressure to produce is all that more of a challenge, which is the reason Lesko gets the nod.
106: Ryan Michaels, Elizabeth Forward, state qualifier
113: Doug Bittner, Mount Pleasant, regional qualifier
120: Manny Dovshek, Bentworth, seventh place at state tournament
126: Mike Keister, Elizabeth Forward, WPIAL qualifier
132: Al Miscovich, Mount Pleasant, state qualifier
138: Noah Hunnell, Elizabeth Forward, regional qualifier
145: Tyler Griffiths, Southmoreland, third place at state tournament
152: Nick Hunnell, Elizabeth Forward, WPIAL qualifier
160: Kevin Hayes, Mapletown, WPIAL qualifier
170: Jaden Datz, Southmoreland, fifth place at state tournament
182: Jon Vargo, Bentworth, fifth place at state tournament
195: Zack Charlesworth, Mount Pleasant, regional qualifier
220: Connor Main, West Greene, state qualifier
285: Cody Vokes, Mount Pleasant, state qualifier
Honorable Mention: Beth-Center, Jimmy Gwyer (120), regional qualifier, Dominic Fundy (182), season-ending injury prior to post-season tournaments, Jacob Baker (195), regional qualifier, Ronnie White (285), regional qualifier in his first year of wrestling; Elizabeth Forward, Fred Howard (113), WPIAL qualifier, Jordan Devine (120), regional qualifier, Chris Bruce (145), WPIAL qualifier; Jefferson-Morgan, Josh Agnew (132), regional qualifier, Nate Bilonick (138), regional qualifier, Jonathan Wolfe (182), WPIAL qualifier; Mount Pleasant, Damian George (106), regional qualifier, Southmoreland, Kullen McCoy (152), WPIAL qualifier, Ryan Mauro (220), state qualifier; West Greene, Isaac Courtwright (160), WPIAL qualifier; Yough, Jake Sever (170), WPIAL qualifier.
Class AAA
Co-wrestlers of the Year: Albert Gallatin, Tim Wallace; Belle Vernon, Zach Hartman. Wallace (139-21) made history in becoming the first Colonial to wrestle in the state finals at 182. The Kent State Univesity recruit came up short in the finals to Pennridge’s Josh Stillings, 3-1, but had a solid senior season.
Hartman (170-25) held a 4-3 lead in the state finals over Erie Cathedral Prep’s Carter Starocci, but a questionable stalling call sent the match to overtime. Hartman was taken down with one second remaining in sudden victory, but the Bucknell University recruit was pleased to be second in the state at 160. He also won his second WPIAL title, and has the most career victories in program history.
Coach (staff) of the Year: Joe Throckmorton, Waynesburg Central. The Raiders are technically a Class AA school in terms of size, but always choose to wrestle up. Throckmorton led his team to a fourth-place finish in the WPIAL Team Tournament, had two wrestlers place in the state tournament and four qualifiers.
106: Mason Prinkey, Connellsville, WPIAL qualifier
113: Alex Tuchek, Connellsville, WPIAL qualifier
120: Wyatt Henson, Waynesburg Central, fifth at state tournament
126: Caleb Morris, Waynesburg Central, seventh at state tournament
132: Luca Augustine, Waynesburg Central, WPIAL qualifier
138: Jackson Henson, Waynesburg Central, state qualifier
145: Colby Morris, Waynesburg Central, WPIAL qualifier
152: Brock Godzin, Belle Vernon, WPIAL qualifier
160: Casper Hinklie, Connellsville, WPIAL qualifier
170: Scott Joll, Belle Vernon, fifth at state tournament
182: Mason Nickelson, Belle Vernon, WPIAL qualifier
195: Nate Ansell, Connellsville, sixth at state tournament
220: Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands, fifth at state tournament
285: Corey Dodson, Albert Gallatin, WPIAL qualifier
Honorable Mention: Albert Gallatin, Hunter Milligan (145), WPIAL qualifier; Belle Vernon, Logan Seliga (126), Chad Metikosh (220), WPIAL qualifier; Connellsville, Dylan Keefer (120), WPIAL qualifier, Dylan Ross (132), WPIAL qualifier, Colin Franks (138), WPIAL qualifier; Ringgold, Bo Haines (195), WPIAL qualifier; Waynesburg Central, Hunter Shriver (106), WPIAL qualifier, Trey Howard (152), WPIAL qualifier, Kyle Homet (170), state qualifier, Darnell Johnson (182), WPIAL qualifier, Ryan Howard (285), WPIAL qualifier.
Seven at Dapper Dan Classic: Teasdale and Hartman have been selected to represent Team Pennsylvania in a dual meet against Team USA on Sunday at the University of Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Field House. Only senior wrestlers are eligible for the event. The Team Pennsylvania-USA match will be the main event, while a team of WPIAL All-Stars will battle a team of All-Stars from Indiana in the opening dual meet. Ansell, Edenfield, Griffiths, Morris and Wallace will represent the WPIAL team. The main event starts at 6 p.m. while the opening bout is at 4.
NOTE: Wrestlers of the year in both classifications were not awarded the top spot in their weight class. For example, Teasdale is the top wrestler at 126 pounds in Class AA, but due to being the top Class AA wrestler in the area, he has his own category.
Sports writer Jonathan Guth covers high school wrestling for the Herald-Standard. He can be reached at jguth@heraldstandard.com