Powerade wrap

If you missed this year's PowerAde Christmas Wrestling tournament, then shame on you for six weeks.
I steal Mike Lange's cliché because it is most appropriate.
Each year, there is something to love in this event. This year, it was the bout between Luke Pletcher of Latrobe and George Phillippi of Derry. It was a wonderful match, full of great defensive moves and the crowd showed their appreciation. Phillippi is great at doing just enough to win - just ask A.C. Headlee about that - but couldn't score enough to beat Pletcher. Everyone knew it was headed to ultimate tiebreaker and Pletcher escaped for a 2-1 win.

Gavin Teasdale, a freshman from Jefferson-Morgan, was magnificent in tearing up Patrick Glory of Delbarton, N.J. 13-3 in earning his first title. Only five wrestlers have become four-time winners in this event. Teasdale was quick and smooth, showing the roots of a great freestyler. If he plays to those strengths, there is no ceiling to what he can accomplish.

Spencer Lee of Franklin Regional showed off his superior skills with an utterly dominating performance in a 15-4 victory over Tyler Agaisse of Delbarton, N.J. at 120 pounds. What's especially impressive is that Lee beat a New Jersey state champion who was undefeated last year. And he did by barely breaking a sweat.

Finally, there was Franklin Regional's strong showing, winning the second straight team title. Great teams don't come along very often so it's nice to watch, and appreciate the collection of talent.

Final Powerade Results

Team Standings
1. Franklin Regional 199; 2. Buchanan, Calif., 196.5; 3. Archer, Ga., 181.5; 4. Belle Vernon 123.5; 5. Latrobe 112.5; 6. Waynesburg 109.5; 7. Hempfield 104.5; 8. Saegertown 102.5; 9. Delbarton, NJ 101.5; 10. Reynolds 96.5

Local Teams
20. Jefferson-Morgan; 22. Canon-McMillan; 40. Peters Township; 45. Trinity

Invididual Finals
106–Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan) dec. Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) 13-3
113–Devin Brown (Franklin Regional) dec. Charles Lenox (Erie McDowell) 5-1
120–Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) dec. Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) 15-4
126–D.J. Dloren (Buchanan, Calif.) dec. Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional) 2-1
132–Luke Pletcher (Latrobe) dec. George Phillippi (Derry) 2-1 UTB
*138–Sam Krivus (Hempfield) dec. Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford) 1-0
145–Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional) dec. Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County) 5-2
152–Vincenzo Joseph (Central Catholic) dec. Jake Wentzel (South Park) 5-3
160–Josh Shields (Franklin Regional) dec. Cole Walter (Mifflinburg) 3-1
170–Dan Bullard (Archer, Ga.) dec. Austin Bell (Belle Vernon) 10-4
182–Kellan Stout (Mt. Lebanon) dec. Cade Belshay (Buchanan, Cal.) 7-0
195–Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown) dec. Youn Woo An (Buchanan, Cal.) 3-2
220–Fred Mantsch (Hempfield) dec. Nick Miller (Good Counsel, Md.) 3-2 3 OTs
Hvy–Al Beattie (Burrell) dec. Elliott Lee (Archer, Ga.) 1-0

Third  & Fourth

106–Humphreys (Hu) dec. Burkett (CR) 3-0
113–Planta (St.P) dec. Manley (A) 7-0
120–Hartman (BV) dec. Monday (A-M) 13-0
126–McCoy (L) dec. Ortz (B) 2-0
132–Headlee (Wbg) dec. Dias (Ar) 4-0
138–Wilson (Wbg) dec. Vath (Sae) 7-6
145–Budock (GC) dec. Verkleeren (BV) 3-2
152–Maruca (FR) dec. Tavaso (Del) 3-1
160–Hollingshead (A) dec. Bullard (Ar) 5-4
170–McGee (AF) pinned Bulsak (SP) 4:58
182–McCracken (Wbg) pinned Provance (Con) 2:23
195–Phipps (N) dec. Snyder (GC) 4-2
220–Miller (Ar) pinned Robb (K) 2:20
Hvy–Hensley (Moe) dec. ringer (R) 3-0

Fifth & Sixth
106–Diltz (Bent) dec. Park (B) 4-1
113–Donahue (P) dec. Bayless (R) 9-4
120–Matthews (R) dec. Howard (JM) 4-2
126–Friedman (St.P) dec. Lizak (P) 6-4 OT
132–Ridgeway (N) dec. Esquibel (Bu) 7-0
138–Gaxiola (Bu) dec. Hartman (BV) 8-5
145–Monico (Sae) dec. Taylor (A-M) 5-0
152–Vitale (Bent) dec. Anderson (PG) 4-0
160–Dunn (BP) dec. Stewart (MC) 2-1
170–Shaffer (L) dec. Montalvo (Bu) 3-1
182–Colello (CC) dec. McAleavey (PT) 3-2
195–Hartsock (MC) dec. Buttry (CR) 4-0
220–Enmon (AF) dec. Haddad (P) 2-1 3 OTs
Hvy–Levatino (Bu) dec. Zaynullaev (Mt.L)4-3

Seventh & Eighth

106–Macri (CM) pinned Morris (Wbg) 4:52
113–Distefanis (He) pinned Baxter (PR) 3:11
120–Spears (P) dec. Ziegler (Moe) 7-2
126–Kenney (Con) dec. Johnson (WJ) 7-4
132–Oblock (CM) dec. Anderson (PG) 2-1 UTB
138–Potter (A-M)dec. Reynodls (T) 6-0
145–Dean (Stras) by default Hansen (Bu)
152–Smith (L) dec. Bullard (Ar) 13-3
160–Austin (PTr) dec. Miller (B) 3-1
170–Walters (wH) dec. Dailey (EM) 12-3
182–Kobaly (BV) dec. James (CM) 5-4
195–Scherer (Bur) dec. Chefren (P) 3-2
220–Meyer (Moe) dec. Stacy FR) 3-0
Hvy–Furman (CM) dec. Wolfe (JM) 2-1 UTB
  Semifinals
106–Teasdale (JM) dec. Park (B) 8-2; Glory (Del) dec. Diltz (Bent) 7-5
113–Brown (FR) tech fall Bayless (R) 22-7; Lenox (EM) dec. Planta (St.P) 1-0
120–Lee (FR) pinned Hartman (BV) :52; Agaisse (Del) dec. Matthews (R) 9-4
126–Lloren (Bu) dec. Lizak (Park) 2-1; Solomon (FR) dec. McCoy (L) 4-2 OT
132–Pletcher (L) dec. Diaz (Ar) 4-2; Phillippi (D) dec. Headlee (Wbg) 1-0
138–Krivus (He) dec. Vath (Sae) 7-1; Coy (PTr) pinned Wilson (Wbg) 4:39
145–Kemerer (FR) pinned Taylor (A-M) 1:09; Hidlay (MC) dec. Monico (Sae) 3-0
152–Joseph (PCC) tech fall Vitale (Bent) 27-9; Wentzel (SP) dec. Maruca (FR) 5-1
160–Shields (FR) dec. Hollingshead (A) 7-3; Walter (M) dec. Bullard (Ar) 6-3
170–Bullard (Ar) dec. Shaffer (L) 3-2; Bell (BV) dec. Bulsak (SP) 3-0
182–Stout (Mt.L) dec. McCracken (Wbg) 8-0; Belshay (Bu) dec. Provance (Con) 4-2
195–Reynolds (Sae) dec. Hartsock (MC) 3-2; An (Bu) dec. Phipps (N) 1-0
220–Miller (GC) dec. Haddad (P) 3-2 2 OTs; Mantsch (He) dec. Enmon (AF) 5-1
Hvy–Beattie (Bur) pinned Levatino (Bu) :33; Lee (Ar) pinned Zaynullayev (Mt.L) 1:28

Powerade Key – Admiral Farragut, Fla. (AF); Altoona (A); Archer, Ga. (Ar); Arlington-Martin, Texas (A-M); Belle Vernon (BV); Benton (Bent); Bethel Park (BP); Blue Mountain (BM); Brookville (B); Buchanan, Cal. (Bu); Burrell (Bur); Canon-McMillan (CM); Cedar Cliff (CC); Pittsburgh Central Catholic (PCC); Chestnut Ridge (CR); Connellsville (Con), Dalbarton, N.J., (Dal); Derry (D); Erie McDowell (EM); Father Ryan (FRy); Fort Leboeuf (FL); Franklin Regional (FR); Good Counsel (GC); Hempfield (He); Huntington, W.Va., (Hu); Jefferson-Morgan (JM); Kittanning (K); Latrobe (L); Mifflinburg (M); Mifflin County (MC ); Moeller (Mo); Mt. Lebanon (Mt.L); Norwin (N); Parkland (P); Parkersburg, W.Va. (Park); Penn Trafford (PTr); Peters Township (PT); Pine Richland (PR); Pleasant Grove, Utah (PG); Reynolds (R); Saegertown (Saeg); South Park (SP); St. Paul’s, Md. (St.P); Strasburg, Va. (S); Trinity (T); Walsh Jesuit (WJ); Waynesburg (Wbg); Westmont Hilltop (WH)

Picking the winners of Powerade

My column on who I think will win at Powerade.


http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20141227/COLUMN0104/141229621#.VKA7tl4AAA


Also, Powerade results can be found here.


www.poweradewrestling.com

Powerade seeds

106

Top 4 seeds – 1. Gavin Teasdale, Jefferson-Morgan, 2. Aaron Burkett, Chestnut Ridge, 3. Alan Diltz, Benton, 4. Gavin Park, Brookville.

113

Top 4 seeds – 1. Devin Brown, Franklin Regional, 2. Charles Lenox, Erie McDowell, 3. Dan Planta, St. Paul’s, Md., 4. Jared Donahue, Parkersburg, W.Va

120

Top 4 seeds – 1. Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional, 2. Ty Agaisse, Delbarton, N.J., 3. Alex Mackall, Walsh Jesuit, Ohio, 4. Logan Grass, Huntington, W.Va.

126

Top 4 seeds – 1. Jacob Lizak, Parkland, 2. Ethan McCoy, Latrobe, 3. Tate Ortz, Brookville, 4. Ryan Friedman, St. Paul’s, Md.

132

Top 4 seeds – 1. Luke Pletcher, Latrobe, 2. A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg, 3. George Phillippi, Derry, 4. Jordan Allen Huntington, W.Va.

138

Top 4 seeds – 1. Sam Krivus, Hempfield, 2. Cam Coy, Penn-Trafford, 3. Grant Aycox, Archer, Ga., 4. Tyler Vath, Saegertown

145

Top 4 seeds – 1. Michael Kemerer, Franklin Regional, 2. Hunter Dean, Strasburg, Va., 3. Travis Vasquez, Delbarton, N.J., 4. Hayden Hidlay, Mifflin County

152

Top 4 seeds – 1. Vincenzo Joseph, Central Catholic, 2. Josh Maruca, Franklin Regional, 3. Jake Wentzel, South Park, 4. Connor Francis, Buchanan, Calif.

160

Top 4 seeds – 1. Josh Shields, Franklin Regional, 2. Thomas Bullard, Archer, Ga., 3. Cole Walter, Mifflinburg, 4. D.J. Hollingshead, Altoona

170

Top 4 seeds – 1. David Bullard, Archer, Ga., 2. Donte McGee, Admiral Farragut, Fla., 3. Austin Bell, Belle Vernon, 4. Jake Shaffer, Latrobe

182

Top 4 seeds – 1. Kellen Stout, Mount Lebanon, 2. Josh Colella, Cedar Cliff, 3. Donovan McAfee, Good Counsel, Md., 4. Milton Kobaly, Belle Vernon

195

Top 4 seeds – 1. Dylan Reynolds, Saegertown, 2. Kevin Snyder, Good Counsel, Md., 3. Drew Phipps, Norwin, 4. Bakhtiyar Zaynullaev, Mount Lebanon

220

Top 4 seeds – 1. Omar Haddad, Parkland, 2. Fred Mantsch, Hempfield, 3. Robert Enmon, Admiral Farragut, Fla., 4. Jacob Robb, Kittanning

Hvy

Top 4 seeds – 1. Allen Beattie, Burrell, 2. Elliott Lee, Archer, Ga., 3. Zeynul Zaynullayev, Mount Lebanon, 4. Patrick Mayernik, Belle Vernon

Team Rankings 12-22-14

Class AAA

1. Latrobe
2. Belle Vernon
3. Franklin Regional
4. North Allegheny
5. Canon-McMillan
6. Kiski
7. Connellsville
8. Waynesburg
9. Penn-Trafford
10. Hempfield

Note: Franklin Region was upset by Belle Vernon in the Franklin Regional Duals. Kemerer out with infected finger. Be back soon.



 Class AA
1. South Fayette
2. Burrell
3. McGuffey
4. Burgettstown
5. Jefferson-Morgan

Headlee wins Beast of the East (Updated)

A.C. Headlee, a senior at Waynesburg High School, won his weight class at the Beast of the East wrestling tournament Sunday.

Headle won a 3-1 decision from T.K. Megonigal of James Madison (Va.) at 132. He was the only local wrestler to place.
Headlee won a 7-1 decision over William Kui of DePaul, 7-1 in the semifinals and grabbed an 8-0 major decision over Peter Simonetti of St. Peter Preparatory of Jersey City, N.J.
Waynesburg finished in 20th place. Blair Academy outdistanced Bethlehem Catholic, 203-152, for the team title.



http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-7045159932884796265/wrestling-complete-2014-beast-of-the-east-medal-round-results/

10-year-old blind wrestler

A heart-touching news story about a blind 10-year-old who loves wrestling.

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Im-Lucky-Blind-Boy-Beats-The-Odds-On-Wrestling-Mat-285454531.html

Top active winners

An interesting list posted by Bruce Closson on WPIALwrestling.net. An active list of 100-plu winners in wrestling. Wins are entering this season.

Devin Brown, Franklin Regional, 127
Sam Krivus, Hempfield, 126
Josh Shields, Franklin Regional, 122
A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg, 122
Josh Maruca, Franklin Regional, 120
Michael Kemerer, Franklin Regional, 120
Brendan Howard, Jefferson-Morgan, 113
Austin McDermitt, Burgettstown, 113
Jared Walker, South Fayette, 113
Austin Griffiths, Southmoreland 109
Zach Smith, North Allegheny, 108
Allen Beattie, Burrell, 108
Vincenzo Joseph, Central Catholic, 105
Kellen Stout, Mt. Lebanon, 100

Team Rankings 12-15-14

Class AAA


1. Franklin Regional
2. Latrobe
3. Belle Vernon
4. North Allegheny
5. Canon-McMillan
6. Kiski
7. Connellsville
8. Hempfield
9. Waynesburg
10. Penn-Trafford




Class AA
1. Burrell
2. South Fayette
3. McGuffey
4. Burgettstown
5. Jefferson-Morgan

Tournament results of local wrestlers

McGuffey wins 5

McGuffey High School’s wrestling team captured five bouts in the Marshall Duals Saturday. The Highlanders downed Ripley, 49-18, Buckhannon, 58-14, John Marhsall, 54-21, Oak Glen, 31-28, and East Fairmont, 48-24.

Going 5-0 in the event were Gage Nicolella at 120, Connor Thompson at 170 and Liam McElhoes at 220

McGuffey has a 9-2 record.

West wins title at NCC

Robert West captured the 220-pound title at the North Coast Wrestling Classic in Independence, Ohio, with a 12-4 decision over Josh Maxon of Padua. The senior from Trinity High School won his third title, had seven pins and was named Outstanding Wrestler.

Ryan Yocum took second at 132 for THS after falling 4-1 to Vince Citiello of Bay Village in the finals.
Austin Fife went 4-4 in finishing eighth at heavyweight and Michael Kolosky also took eighth at 113.
Brunswick, Ohio won the team title and Greensburg Salem finished second. Trinity was 12th.

CM’s Oblock 8th at Ironman

Matt Oblock, a sophomore at Canon-McMillan High School, finished eighth at 132 pounds in the Ironman tournament at Walsh Jesuit High School. Oblock lost 3-2 to Ben Anderson of Pleasant Grove, Utah.

C-M finished in 20th place. St. Paris Graham, Ohio won the team tournament. Blair Academy of New Jersey was second.

Interesting night

Got to watch Gavin Teasdale for the first time Friday night and he looks like the real deal. Quick, technically sound, strong for a freshman. At 106 pounds, this freshman from Jefferson-Morgan seems quite mature for his 16 years on and off the mat.
Despite the hype, Teasdale will not be the next Cary Kolat , and that's a good thing. The two wrestlers have very different styles at this stage of their careers. Kolat depended on his power and strength as a freshman and Teasdale depends on his quickness and maneuverability. They are not the same wrestler. That's not to say Teasdale can't have the same type of success, but the comparisons to Kolat should end because they are not applicable.
The other pleasurable aspect of the night was A.C. Headlee, a 132-pound senior at Waynesburg. He thrilled the packed crowd at Jefferson-Morgan's gym with a move he learned off YouTube called the Magic Stick. It's a situation where you propel yourself behind your opponent with a leap over his head. Should be called the Magic Frog for the leaping ability required.
Both wrestlers will be competing in the Christmas PowerAde Tournament at Canon-McMillan. It's worth the trip.

Ironman, King of Mountain update

Here's a link:

http://papowerwrestling.com/king-of-the-mountain-and-ironman-updates/

Wins for Canon-Mac, McGuffey

Canon-McMillan blows out Trinity

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20141210/SPORTS01/141219926#.VIo4mTHF_qU

McGuffey makes statement in AA by beating Jefferson-Morgan

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20141210/SPORTS01/141219916#.VIo4ujHF_qU

Thomusseit No. 1, Wiercioch 24th

Off to a 10-0 start this season, which includes three wins over top-10 opponents, redshirt senior Max Thomusseit  is the consensus No. 1 ranked wrestler at 184 pounds in all of this week’s individual polls.

Since TheOpenMat, one of six wrestling publications, began releasing individual rankings during the 2009-10, no other Panthers great has accomplished the feat. The closest was former two-time All-American and Pitt assistant coach Matt Wilps, who spent 13 weeks ranked second at 197 pounds to begin the 2012-13 season.
In addition to Thomusseit’s individual achievement, the Panthers joined the top-10 for the first time this year in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. They are one of three Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the top-11 and one of four in the top-21. Overall, Pitt still has five top-25 teams remaining on its schedule.
Freshman Cody Wiercioch, a Canon-McMilan graduate, jumped one spot to 24th at 165 pounds.

Ty Moore dies (Updated)

Reports on social media say Ty Moore, one of the most decorated wrestlers in WPIAL history, has died.
Moore, a four-time PIAA champion from North Allegheny, apparently died in his sleep, according to a Facebook post by his brother Teague.
In his Facebook post, Teague Moore said his brother had been fighting a "long battle."
Moore had a 146-1 record and was a three-time WPIAL champion. He had 113 pins before heading to North Carolina. He was a four-year starter for the Tar Heels and a three-time Division I qualifier.

Good story on Closson

Bill Closson, a former wrestler at Plum, was hired at Norwin. Closson's father, Bruce, runs wpialwrestling.net

Here is the link to the story:
http://triblive.com/sports/hssports/wrestling/7259573-74/closson-pounds-season#axzz3LRqF50JA

Teasdale debut a success, or was it?

The debut of Gavin Teasdale could be termed a success by the fans, wrestlers and coaches of Jefferson-Morgan's wrestling team. Whether the officials who run the Eastern Area Tournament at Gateway High School think so, is, well, anyone's guess.
The results sent to the media showed that Teasdale, the most heralded wrestler to emerge from J-M since you know who, had lost by a 25-8 technical fall to Job Chishko of Penn Trafford in the 106-pound finals. If the name sounds familiar, Chishko is the brother of Solomon Chishko, who won two state titles at Canon-McMillan.
A flurry of phone calls determined that the Eastern Area Tournament scorekeepers are not as good as the media guide says they are. They also misspelled Chishko's name.
Since there was no activity on Twitter proclaiming Teasdale's loss - and we're pretty sure there would have been - it was reasonable to assume a mistake had been made.
Anyway, for posterity's sake, it should be noted that Teasdale won four bouts, two by fall and two others by technical fall. Oh, and maybe the most mysterious part of the process was that Teasdale was seeded second behind . . . yep, Chishko.

Chartiers-Houston results

Chartiers-Houston Tournament

Team Standings

1. Oak Glen 181, 2. West Allegheny 175.5, 3. Butler 144, 4. Peters Township 125.5, T5. Annville-Cleona and Upper St. Clair 119, 7. North Hills 113, 8. Albert Gallatin 102, 9. Beth-Center 102, 10. South Fayette 98, 11. Chartiers-Houston 85, 12. Elizabeth Forward 83.5, 13. SS Beaver 82, 14. Bentworth 83.5, 15. Freedom 74, 16. South Park 64.5, 17. Avella 64, 18. Chartiers Valley 49, 19. Beaver 46, 20. Jeannette 36, 21. Fort Cherry 31.5, 22. Brashear 29, 23. Central Valley 9, 24. California 6, 25. Charleroi 1.

Individual Finals

106–Debee (OG) pinned Florentino (PT) 3:37
113–John (SF) dec. Wallace (AG) 4-3
120–Neely (Bent) dec. Schaefer (WA) 11-9
126–Curry (NH) dec. Kuslock (CH) 9-3
132–Mary (PT) tech. fall over Palm (USC) 16-1
138–Carr (SF) dec. Lawson (NH) 7-1
145–Sanders (J) dec. Komara (Free) 5-1
152–Wentzel (SP) dec. Inman (AC) 10-0
160–Hall (WA) dec. Bortmas (But) 11-0
170–Welsh (BC) dec. Wilding (USC) 5-4
182–Bahr (WA) dec. McAleavey (PT) 11-4
195–Fournier (EF) dec. Grape (USC) 6-0
220–Seifert (WA) dec. Price (OG) 7-4
Hvy–Bright (NH) dec. Mills (OG) 7-2

Class AAA preview

The following is a brief look at the local Class AAA wrestling teams:

Canon-McMillan

Key Losses - Brendan Price (113, 37-7), Dalton Macri (126, 40-2, PIAA champ), Josiah Hritsko (132, 24-12), Alex Hutchin (138, 23-11), Malachi Krenzelak (138, 32-7), Solomon Chishko (145, 27-3, PIAA champ), Alec Rideout (220, 11-5)

Key Returns -  Cam Fontenot (106, 19-11, So.), Matt Oblock (120, 32-11, So.), Jessee Lesko (12, 21-13, Sr.), Brendan Furman (Hvy, 21-13, So.)
Comment -  The rebuilding process begins. Lots of talent in the pipeline.

Peters Township

Key Losses - Tyler Buckiso (132, 31-7, 6th in PIAA), Italo Merante (138, 30-6), Sammy Florentino (145, 28-12), Mac Oberschelp (182, 20-9), Lucas Cervenak (Hvy, 27-10).

Key Returns - Danny Florentino (106, 25-10, So.), Phillip Mary (126,, 26-6, Sr.), Mike McAleavy (160, 20-13, Jr.), Mitch Fitzgerald (182,, 17-8, Sr.)

Comment - Finding talent through middle of lineup is crucial to success.

Ringgold

Key Losses - Ken Tarpley (132, 34-7), Branden Heinzelman (152, 27-9), Devin Fallenstein (170, 30-4)

Key Returns - Doug Gudenburr (113, 27-7, Jr.), Jake Gerard (138, 25-12, Sr.), Taylor Bass (Hvy, 26-7, Sr.)

Comment - Rams lost 109 bout wins to graduation. Lots of questions.

Trinity

Key Losses - Tristan Buxton (106, 25-12)

Key Returns - Mike Kolosky (113, 18-5, So.), Cam Reynolds (120, 22-16, Sr.), Ryan Yocum (126, 18-9, Jr.), Justin Ritter (152, 19-8, Jr.), Robert West (195, 32-6, Sr.)

Comment - West the leader of young lineup. Eleven possible starters underclassmen.

Waynesburg

Key Losses - None

Key Returns - Cole Rush (106, 25-13, Jr.), Shaun Wilson (120, 25-10, Jr.), A.C. Headlee (126, 39-6, 3rd in PIAA), Logan Henderson (132, 19-12, Jr.), Terry Victor (145, 22-8, Jr.), Colin McCracken (160, 30-8, So.)

Comment - Headlee top-ranked in country by Intermat. Expectations high for North Carolina commit.

Class AA Preview - Part 2

The following is a brief look at the local Class AA wrestling teams:

Jefferson-Morgan

Key Losses - John Demaske (126, 42-3, 6th in PIAA), Jason Miller (138, 28-5), Ryan Zalar (160, 35-10)

Key Returns - Gavin Teasdale (106, 0-0, Fr.), Brendan Howard (113, 35-10, Sr.), Trevor Kniha (152, 29-22), Jr.), Bill Bowlen (170, 40-6, Jr.), Ian Wolfe (Hvy, 32-11, Sr.)
Comment - Teasdale the talk of the WPIAL

Mapletown

Key Losses - Colby Kincell (126, 18-13)

Key Returns - Brian Brady (106, 16-14, So.), Noah Hixon (120, 19-11, Jr.), Adam Hein (182, 15-14, Sr.), Harlee Gee (220, 16-13, Jr.), Zack Brown (Hvy, 11-3, Sr.)
Comment - Steady overall improvement for the Maples since program restarted.

McGuffey

Key Losses - Tyler Harris (145, 28-8)

Key Returns - Gage Nicolella (106, 24-9, Jr.), Teague Nicolella (113, 20-14, So.), Aaron Harris (126, 21-10, Sr.), Nate Whipkey (170, 20-11, Sr.), Liam McElhoes (220, 21-14, Sr.)
Comment - The drop to Class AA brings expectations to higher level.

South Fayette

Key Losses - Grant Fetchet (152, 44-6, 4th in PIAA), Jack Previte (170, 16-12), Zach Walker (195, 14-2)

Key Returns - Andrew John (106, 34-15, Sr.), Jasper Wolfe (113, 20-12, Jr.), Mike Carr (132, 44-2, Sr., 5th in PIAA), Shane Ging (138, 29-19, Jr.), Brett Beltz (145, 35-11, Sr.), Jared Walker (160, 43-2, Sr, 2nd in PIAA)
Comment - Lions are strong, talented and have a lot of depth. What's not to like?

Washington

Key Losses - George Rogers (145, 11-10), Shawn Hughes (160, 13-9)

Key Returns - Kurt Adkins (132, 17-14, Jr.), Keirs Gloady (Hvy, 13-13, Sr.)
Comment - Another year of hurdles for the program.

West Greene

Key Losses - Dalton Wildman (182, 28-8), Jeffrey Isiminger (195, 15-13)

Key Returns - Sheldon Phillips (120, 19-10, Sr.), Will VanNorman (220, 25-9, Sr.)
Comment - Sophomores and seniors dot lineup. Lots of room for growth here.

Editor's note: Class AAA preview will be posted later in the week.