Trailblazer
Leopards’ Brown wins 1st state title in program history
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
HERSHEY — The way Elijah Brown walked off the mat, those who did not know the result would have thought he lost.
Despite the melancholy reaction, the Belle Vernon junior not only won his initial state championship, but the first in program history.
“I have never really been someone to showboat,” said Brown in reference to why he didn’t have an elaborate celebration. “Even after Fargo (where he won a national title), I think I clapped like four times after the match. I want to stay humble.”
The University of Pittsburgh recruit edged Kiski Area’s Cooper Roscosky, 4-3, in the finals at 215 pounds on Saturday in the PIAA Class 3A Individual Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.
It was the fifth meeting between Brown and Roscosky, and despite Brown not losing in the series, the matches have been close.
Brown finished his season with a record of 48-1. He has a career mark of 127-19. Brown qualified for the state tournament last season in Class 2A, but was sick and didn’t reach the podium.
Brown’s lone loss this year was to Ringgold’s Jake Conroy, who finished fourth. He avenged that loss in the finals of the section tournament, and defeated Conroy two more times, including a 6-3 victory in the state semifinals.
Although he made program history and wrestled 49 matches, Brown doesn’t plan on taking much time off.
“I plan on being back at practice Monday,” Brown said. “I have freestyle season coming up, so I have to get ready for that.”
West Greene’s Colin Whyte placed fourth at 285 in Class 2A after suffering a controversial 4-3 loss in the consolation finals to Bishop McCort’s Caleb Rodriguez. The match was tied at 1-1 when Rodriguez was awarded the takedown with 20 seconds remaining in the third period.
The Pioneers’ coaches protested the call, arguing that Rodriguez was out of bounds, but the takedown was awarded for a 4-1 advantage. Whyte was awarded a penalty point and escaped to cut the deficit to one.
Frazier’s Jackson Angelo placed eighth at 172 in Class 2A. Angelo was fifth last year as a sophomore in his first trip to the state tournament.
Southmoreland junior Zoey Murphy wrestled to the finals in the girls division at 235, but lost to Panther Valley’s Brenda Banks to finish as runner-up.