Colonials’ Wallace, Leps’ Hartman drop close decisions in finals
HERSHEY — Albert Gallatin’s Tim Wallace and Belle Vernon’s Zach Hartman found out on Saturday evening in the finals of the PIAA Class AAA Individual Championships that wrestling is a humbling sport.
Wallace (37-4, 139-14) and Hartman (43-2, 170-25) suffered heartbreaking setbacks in the final match of their high school careers.
Laurel Highlands’ Ian Edenfield (5th at 220) suffered the same heartbreak in his semifinals match.
Belle Vernon’s Scott Joll (5th at 170), Connellsville’s Nate Ansell (6th at 195), Waynesburg Central’s Wyatt Henson (5th at 120) and Caleb Morris (7th at 126) also placed in the top eight to have seven local wrestlers reach the podium.
Wallace battled Pennridge’s Josh Stillings (31-1) tough and nail in the 182-pound finals, but lost a 3-1 decision. After a scoreless first period, Stillings escaped with 1:14 remaining in the second and scored a takedown with seven seconds left for a 3-0 advantage heading into the third.
Wallace nearly scored a reversal as time expired in the second. He also was in deep on several shot attempts that Stillings fought off.
“I left if fly, but I just couldn’t execute on my leg attacks,” Wallace said. “I had some chances and he fought them off. I was one takedown short. I did want to win it all, but I am still proud of how I finished.”
Wallace has been selected for the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic on March 25 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Field House. He will continue to wrestle in college for Kent State University.
“I am excited to wrestle for Kent State,” Wallace said. “I will probably wrestle at 184 next year. I will take some time off, then get back to training. I will most likely enroll in the fall.”
Wallace’s career record gives him one more win than former Albert Gallatin star Lance Bryson, who went 138-20 from 2004-08. Matt Lowry has 141 career victories, but 85 came at Morgan County, Georgia. Walace was also the first Colonials to wrestle in the state finals.
“We got snake-bit five or six times in the semifinals, and he is the first to get to the state finals, and we almost had our first state champion, but we are super proud of him,” Albert Gallatin coach Duane Dupont said. “He (Wallace) has been outstanding. I followed him from his elementary school through middle school and coached him in high school. He is a joy to coach.
“We couldn’t be more proud of him. He left everything out there on the mat. We had a couple of close calls, but what are you going to do? He just ran out of time. The effort was there and I’m super proud of him.
“It is great for our school and he is a great role model. Not too many guys can say they finished second in one of the toughest states in the country. He is only going to build on this for his college career. He has a great work ethic and I only expect him to get better. It will be a grind for him and he’s up for the job.”
Hartman had a 4-3 lead on Erie Cathedral Prep’s Carter Starocci (46-0) with 13 seconds remaining when he was called for his second stalling, and Starocci was awarded a point. The referees didn’t make too many fans happy over the weekend, and the crowd let it be known they were unhappy with the call.
The match went into sudden victory and Starocci secured a takedown with one second left and a 6-4 decision. Starocci had another controversial win in the semifinals over Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis when a questionable takedown was awarded.
Despite the loss and the controversy, Hartman remained upbeat and was pleased with his performance.
“I felt good out there,” Hartman said. “I wrestled my heart out, so I’m not sad about anything. It stinks I didn’t win a state title, but I think it will help me later in life. It gives me a mindset to know that I’m not the best. I really feel like I am going to be able to get far off this loss. He (Starocci) is a real nice kid.”
Hartman has also been selected for the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, and will wrestle in college for Bucknell University where he will study biology. He has the most career victories in Belle Vernon history.
“I’d be honored to even be on that team,” Hartman said. “I like being the underdog and let all the cannons fire. I am excited for it.”
Edenfield (33-7, 87-22) picked up a fall in the semifinals over eventual state champion Hunter Catka (41-1) of Sun Valley with 34 seconds left in the first, but the side judge ruled that Edenfield’s knee was out of bounds and the call was reversed after the Sun Valley coaches protested the fall. The main referee had already counted the fall.
Edenfield dropped into the fifth-place match after a 3-1 setback in the fifth round of consolations before a 2-1 victory over Exeter Township’s Dennis Karas (42-6). Edenfield scored a reversal with five seconds left in the win. The two met in the quarterfinals with the Mustang senior earning a 5-1 decision.
“Those are the toughest matches to wrestle when you lose in the semifinals and you got to come right back in 45 minutes or an hour in the consy semis,” Edenfield’s father and coach Chris said. “It is tough in general to lose that match, but to have a referee call a pin, and tell you that it wasn’t any good, it makes no sense to an 18-year-old kid.
“I can understand it. I’m an official, I know the rules and there is a lot of interpretation and subjective judgement. You can try and explain it all you want, but to a kid that is putting his heart and soul into this sport, it doesn’t always register.”
Edenfield will wrestle one final match in his career at the Pittsburgh Classic before heading to California University of Pennsylvania to play football and study special education.
“I am excited to go to Cal and play football and study so close to home,” Ian said. “I am probably going to take a few days off, then get into baseball.”
Edenfield’s wrestling career may be coming to an end, but he is the only Laurel Highlands wrestle to place in the state tournament with a runner-up finish last season and fifth this year.
“What happened here prepares me for the struggles that will come in leg,” Ian said. “I broke my leg my sophomore year and didn’t get to wrestle. I think I will look back on my career fondly in later years. My dad and cousin, Drew Hilk, who I call my uncle, have been with me every step of the way and I couldn’t ask for better role models.”
Chris believes the lessons Ian learned from wrestling will help him during his adult life.
“This is a humbling sport, and you can go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows,” Chris said. “Ian is very good with kids and I think 15-20 years down the road he could very well be in the chair coaching kids at this tournament. This sport emulates life so much.”
Joll (42-5) had a tough semifinal with a 13-5 major decision loss to eventual state champion Trent Hidlay (43-0) of Mifflin County, and after losing in the fifth round of consolations, the Belle Vernon junior earned an 8-5 decision over Downingtown West’s Maximus Hale (50-9) in his first trip to the state tournament. Joll defeated Hale, 5-1, in the quarterfinals.
“I think I wrestled pretty good,” Joll said. “I would have like to came back and get third. I would rather get fifth than fourth. I may do Flo Nationals, but I am not sure yet. I would like to wrestle 182 next year, so I know I want to get stronger. I want to come back and win the whole thing.”
Henson (43-12) earned his second victory of the tournament over Stroudsburg’s Cameron Enriquez (38-11) with a 3-1 decision in sudden victory. The freshman downed Enriquez, 5-4 in the ultimate tiebreaker during the first round. Enriquez defeated Henson earlier in the season at the Powerade Christmas Tournament.
“He (Enriquez) was tougher to score on earlier in the match,” Henson said. “I am usually better in the overtime matches. He beat me really bad (12-4) earlier in the year at Powerade, so it was nice to improve and get revenge on him.”
Henson, a year-round wrestler and the son of West Virginia University head wrestling coach Sammie Henson, plans to get back in the wrestling room to improve for next season.
“I will do most of my offseason training with my dad,” Henson said. “I think I need to work on getting more turns on top.”
Ansell (24-6) lost his final high school match, 3-1, to Erie Cathedral Prep’s Dorian Crosby (41-9) in the fifth-place match. Ansell finishes his career as a two-time state qualifier.
“I think I will be proud of how I did when I look back on my career,” Ansell said. “It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but I still had fun, and that’s all that matters. It is very special to wrestle for Connellsville. I really believe that we will have a great team moving forward.
“My coaches have been great, and huge role models. They also want to keep you motivated. They point out the bad, but also the good, and we are like a big family. I am not sure if I will wrestle in college or not. I am going to go to college if I find something I like.”
Morris (43-9) edged Harry S. Truman’s Gunnar Fuss, 5-3, in sudden victory. The senior picked up his first medal in his fourth trip to the state tournament.
“I learned in this tournament to pick your battles, know when to push through and when something doesn’t go your way, you can’t bottle up and not do anything about it,” Morris said. “I think I am happier with myself because I won my last match. Definitely, it has been a hard struggle to face since I didn’t win the tournament.”
Morris hasn’t yet decided on a choice of college, but would like to continue wrestling.
Morris has been wrestling since he was little and was proud to compete for the Raiders. He also looks forward to helping younger wrestlers out and believes the future is bright for Henson.
“It has definitely be fun to wrestle for Waynesburg, and I probably wouldn’t change a whole lot, but I will probably look back and say that I should have done something better,” Morris said. “It is definitely a good tradition here, and I look to hopefully come back some day to help the guys out.”