What a run
Falcons’ Gretz wrestles from prelims to finals at state tourney
HERSHEY — While the ending may not have gone his way, Connellsville junior Tommy Gretz wrestled from the preliminary round to the finals in the PIAA Class 3A Individual Wrestling Championships that culminated Saturday at the Giant Center.
Gretz (46-15, 105-32) defeated two regional champions, including No. 1 seed Matteo Gallegos (48-4, 88-9) of DuBois before falling to Norwin’s Landon Sidun (51-1, 124-3) in the 121-pound final to place second.
Gretz was the only wrestler in Classes 2A and 3A to reach the finals after starting in the preliminary round.
“I was happy with the tournament I had,” Gretz said. “It didn’t finish the way I wanted it to, but I was still happy to be in the finals. It was an awesome feeling to get to walk out for my match while being introduced. I am going to use this experience as incentive to get back here next year.”
Gretz opened his tournament Thursday afternoon with a 5-0 victory over La Salle College’s Cooper Helm before having to come back less than an hour later and face Wilson West Lawn’s Abramm Schaffer, who was the fourth seed after winning the South Central Regional Championship last weekend. Gretz trailed by three early in the first period but scored a takedown late in the third to rally past Schaffer, 5-4.
Gretz downed Emmaus’ Teagan Caciolo, 4-0, before edging Gallegos, 8-6 to set up the final against Sidun, who went on to earn his second state championship.
Gretz placed sixth in the state last year at 107, and looks forward to his senior season where he hopes to stand on the top of the podium.
The Falcons placed fifth in the team standings with 57 points.
Nolan Rice (127) and Daniel Smith (139) lost in the blood round, and Luke Lilley (152) fell in the second round of consolations.
“We did a great job as a team,” Gretz said. “I will rest a little bit, but then I will get right back to work because if you want it, you have to put in the work.”
West Greene’s Colin Whyte exorcised some past demons in placing third in Class 2A at 285 after a 3-1 victory over Bishop McCort’s Caleb Rodriguez in double overtime. Rodriguez (36-11, 71-22) defeated Whyte, 4-3, in last year’s consolation final.
“I always want to get the match over as quickly as I can,” Whyte said. “Obviously, I knew this was going to be a tough match, but I was glad it didn’t go to the ultimate tiebreaker. I just kept working on getting to my feet, and eventually, he had a second stalling call against him that gave me the winning point.”
Whyte (48-4, 164-34) had to rebound after he dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in the ultimate tiebreaker in the semifinals. He won his next bout, 4-0, to set up the showdown with Rodriguez.
“After the semifinals match, I talked about it with my coaches, but I knew I just had to move on and get ready for the next one,” Whyte said. “I had two matches today, so I was able to wrestle back and place as high as I can, which I was able to do. It feels good to finish my high school career with a victory.”
Whyte, a senior, will continue his academic and wrestling careers at Kent State University.
“This is a nice feeling, but I am going to get back to work on Monday,” Whyte said. “I am going to get after it, keep staying the course and keep training. I also want to thank my dad and uncle for being in my corner in high school. They are two great coaches.”
Frazier’s Jonah Erdely finished his high school career with a victory to place seventh in Class 2A at 152. The Seton Hill University commit dropped a 4-1 decision to General McClane’s Clay Kimmy in the quarterfinals during a match that was tied until the last five seconds before he won by default because Bald Eagle Area’s Dawson Lomison was injured in his previous bout and couldn’t compete.
“It hurt when I lost in the quarterfinals because I really wanted to get that spot on the podium without having to wrestle in the blood round,” Erdely said. “It was sad to see the guy I was going to wrestle get hurt like that, but I was glad to know I would be in the top eight in the state.”
Erdely was guaranteed a spot on the podium after advancing following the win over Lomison, but he lost a 1-0 decision to Bishop McCort’s Jackson Butler.
Erdely, like he has done his entire career, bounced back to edge Line Mountain’s Dalton Schadel, 3-1, in the seventh-place bout. Erdely escaped in the second period for a 1-0 lead before adding two near-fall points in the third. Schadel escaped but couldn’t secure the match-winning takedown.
“It feels good to get on the podium at states to finish my high school career,” Erdely said. “We always talked about finishing odd, and it felt good to do that here. It was a tough match to get it done, but I was able to push through and do it.”
Erdely looks forward to his collegiate career. He was 35-3 as a senior and 127-25 for his career. Erdely missed the majority of his sophomore season due to injury.
Southmoreland’s Zoey Murphy was in a battle with Panther Valley’s Brenda Banks for the first two periods, as she only trailed 1-0 entering the third, but Banks was able to record the fall in 4:43 to win her third PIAA Girls Individual Wrestling Championships at 235.
Murphy, a senior, closed her season at 26-3. She had a career mark of 76-21. Murphy placed seventh in the state as a freshman, but the event wasn’t sanctioned by the PIAA. She qualified as a sophomore in the first PIAA sanctioned girls championship tournament, but didn’t place. Murphy was state runner-up to Banks the last two years.
Banks, who is also a senior, was 37-0 this season and 110-2 for her career.
Albert Gallatin sophomore Jenna Chapman placed fourth at 235 in her first appearance in the state tournament.
Chapman lost her first bout in the tournament, 6-1, but battled back to win four straight matches to qualify for the consolation final.
“After that first match, I talked with my coaches, and they just said to forget about that one and focus on getting the next one,” Chapman said. “It was a little nerve wracking that first match because this was my first time wrestling in the state tournament in high school, but after that first match, it was fun.”
She scored a takedown with 1:16 remaining in the third period to top Makenzie O’Donnell of Council Rock, 4-1, before she won by fall in 41 seconds to clinch a spot on the podium.
Chapman won by major decision, 9-1, in her next consolation match before she recorded a second fall in the tournament in 3:51 to advance to the bronze-medal match.
Chapman lost to Hazleton Area’s Evelyn Sheer, but was pleased with her overall tournament, and how she was able to recover after losing her first match.
“It felt so good when I won that match to know I placed,” Chapman said. “I felt like I could have done better this tournament, but I will get back into the wrestling room and work hard for next season. I also have freestyle and Greco-Roman season coming up.”
Chapman was 22-8 this year. She has a career record of 38-17.