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PIAA Wrestling Tournament 2019

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RoverNation05

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2010
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Kicking off preview thread - facts, qualifiers, and wrestlers to watch


Most Qualifiers
Council Rock South - 9
Nazareth – 8
Bethlehem Catholic, Liberty – 7
Northampton, Erie Cathedral Prep – 6
Easton, Chambersburg - 5
Council Rock North, Spring-Ford, Boyertown, Owen J. Roberts, Stroudsburg, Cedar Cliff, Dallastown, Central Dauphin, Mifflin County, DuBois, Bellefonte - 4

Returning Champions
113: Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Seneca Valley (Champ at 106 in 2018)
132: Sammy Hillegas, North Hills (Champ at 113 in 2017 and 126 in 2018)
132: Julian Chlebove, Northampton (Champ at 113 in 2016 and 126 in 2017)
138: Jeffrey Boyd, Erie McDowell (Champ at 132 in 2018)
145: Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic (Champ at 138 in 2018)
170: Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township (Champ at 152 in 2017 and 170 in 2018)
182: Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep (Champ at 170 in 2018)
220: Hunter Catka, Sun Valley (Champ at 220 in 2018)


Returning Runners Up
120: Killian Delaney, West Chester Henderson (lost to Ryan Sullivan at 113 in 2018)
120: Kurt Phipps, Norwin (lost to Herrara-Rondon at 106 in 2018)
126: Colton Camacho, Franklin Regional (lost to Boyd at 132 in 2018)
170: Luke Nichter, Chambersburg (lost to Trent Hidlay at 170 in 2018)
195: Cole Urbas, State College (lost to Luke McGonigal at 195 in 2018)
285: Kawaun Deboe, Erie Cathedral Prep (lost to Isaac Reid at 285 in 2018)

Wrestlers Going for their Fourth Medal
170: Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township (8, 1, 1)
182: Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep (8, 2, 1)
285: Kawaun Deboe, Erie Cathedral Prep (7, 7, 2)

Nationally Ranked Wrestlers
113: #2 Alejandro Herrera, Seneca Valley
132: #6 Sammy Hillegas, North Hills
132: #8 Julian Chlebove, Northampton
132: #13 Kenny Hermann, Bethlehem Catholic
138: #12 Ed Scott, DuBois
145: #1 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic
145: #18 Cameron Robinson, Council Rock North
145: #19 Jagger Condomitti, Northampton
152: #12 Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic
160: #20 Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin
170: #4 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan
170: #10 Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township
170: #11 Luke Nichter, Chambersburg
182: #2 Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep
182: #9 Luke Stout, Mount Lebanon
195: #4 Cole Urbas, State College
195: #9 Max Shaw, Thomas Jefferson
220: #3 Hunter Catka, Sun Valley
285: #7 Michael Wolfgram, Central York
285: #11 Kawaun Deboe, Erie Cathedral Prep

Recruiting Rankings - Class Rankings
Freshmen
120: #61 Cole Homet, Waynesburg
126: #65 Jared Keslar, Connellsville
106: #100 Dante Frinzi, Bethlehem Catholic

Sophomores
113: #5 Alejandro Herrera, Seneca Valley
160: #22 Trey Kibe, Mifflin County
145: #29 Jagger Condomitti, Northampton
220: #49 Nate Schon, Selinsgrove
170: #56 Lenny Pinto, Stroudsburg
195: #80 Justin Hart, Hampton

Juniors
170: #12 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan
132: #13 Sammy Hillegas, North Hills
220: #20 Hunter Catka, Sun Valley
182: #28 Luke Stout, Mount Lebanon
132: #42 Kenny Hermann, Bethlehem Catholic
132: #45 Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic
170: #59 Luke Nichter, Chambersburg
160: #68 Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin
145: #83 Cameron Robinson, Council Rock North
138: #89 Ed Scott, DuBois
126: #94 Patrick Noonan, Stroudsburg
120: #97 Killian Delany, West Chester Henderson

Seniors
132: #10 Julian Chlebove, Northampton
182: #15 Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep
145: #27 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic
285: #34 Michael Wolfgram, Central York
170: #68 Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township
120: #80 Sean Pierson, Nazareth
195: #84 Cole Urbas, State College
152: #85 Dan Mancini, Owen J. Roberts
126: #96 Patrick Gould, East Stroudsburg South
 
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That’s a lot of returning champs. All have solid shots of repeating. My “best chance” or locks to repeat would be both Ruth and Catka. Saw Catka this past weekend at Regionals and this kid looks like Ivan Drago. Can’t ever remember a 17 year old that looks like him. Just a chiseled monster.
 
Catka is excellent - I think he's a pretty solid favorite at 220. That bracket is also very weird - pretty much all of the major contenders are on his side, his toughest matches may be in the round of 16 and quarters rather than finals.

Ruth is in one of the toughest brackets in the country. I'm a huge Gerrit Nijenhuis fan, and when I post my picks once I've finished writing them, I think that's where I'm leaning at 170. Ruth has shown that he's the clear favorite against Nichter in the last two weeks, but Nijenhuis is one of the best kids in America.

I think Herrera is the biggest lock in the tournament. His only loss is 2-1 in Ironman finals to Richie Figueroa of California, the #1 wrestler in the country at the weight. He's beaten most of the contenders at both 120 and 113 this year. I also think Starocci is a very solid favorite, though he'll have Fargo Champ Luke Stout in finals. Going in to February, I would have said Anderson is the biggest lock, but he took a loss to Condomitti at team states, and Condomitti has given him great matches in the D11 and NE regional final (I'll see if I can find video of the inside trip Condomitti hit in the D11 final that almost put Anderson on his back. It was a thing of beauty). I think Anderson wins, but I also think he wouldn't be said if Cameron Robinson beat Condomitti in the other semi and he had a fresh face to wrestle.

The wild card is Boyd. He defaulted out of the NW Regional final and I've heard that he's pretty seriously hurt - he had to gut out the tournament just to qualify for states and wasn't going to push any more than he had to (similar to Devon Britton at the same weight). Makes me lean towards picking a healthy Ed Scott
 
106
The Favorite
#1 Dylan Chappell, Seneca Valley
Chappell went 37-10 as a freshman, competing at 113 and advancing to regionals while Alejandro Herrera was down winning a state title at 106. With Herrera up at 113, Chappell is down to his more natural weight. Chappell is 39-4 on his sophomore year, with only two of his losses coming to Pennsylvania wrestlers (Reynolds state champ Gary Steen in PowerAde finals and Bethlehem Catholic’s Matt Mayer at state duals up at 113). His leg defense is exceptional and he clearly benefits from training with Herrera in his top/bottom work.

Regional Champions
Southcentral: #5 Aiden Lewis, Cedar Cliff (So., 35-4)
Northeast: #8 Braxton Appello, Easton (Fr., 25-9)
Southeast: #3 Kyle Hauserman, Council Rock North (So., 37-5)
Southwest: #1 Dylan Chappell, Seneca Valley (So., 39-4)
Northwest: #6 Nic Allison, Mifflin County (Fr., 34-3)
Lewis was a state qualifier as a freshman and is back again at 106 and expected to do damage. Appello has been on fire in the postseason, avenging two regular season losses to Dante Frinzi in back-to-back weeks. Hauserman majored Appello at Escape the Rock and is a big, physical 106 who was in the blood round last year at this weight. Chappell owns a win over Hauserman and has been in the back half of the national rankings. And Nic Allison was third in the state in the Junior High tournament at 82 pounds. He has tons of skills, but is a little undersized at the state level.

Best First Round Match Up
#4 Kyle Waterman, Council Rock South vs. #9 Dante Frinzi, Bethlehem Catholic
Waterman was 5th in the state last year as a sophomore and is one of the most experienced guys at the weight. One of the few guys he won’t have a size advantage against is Frinzi, who is a good 5’9, 106 pounds. He’s been ranked in the top 7 in the state all year, before dropping district and regional finals the last two weekends. Frinzi is brutal on top, with one of the best cross face cradles in the state, and he’s wrestled a killer schedule. Waterman won this match on February 8th back at state duals (2-0) where Frinzi could not get out from bottom.

Predicted Semis
#2 Carter Dibert, Franklin Regional vs. #3 Kyle Hauserman, Council Rock North
#1 Dylan Chappell, Seneca Valley vs. #9 Dante Frinzi, Bethlehem Catholic
Dibert will hit Lewis in quarters, whom he majored at PowerAde. The Franklin Regional sophomore is one of the best kids in the state on top, with a killer tight waist tilt and bar series (out of Franklin Regional?! Never seen that before). Hauserman has a tough first matchup likely with Mason Prinkey of Connellsville, then should get a second match with Appello. On the bottom, Chappell should cruise in to semis, while I think Frinzi flips the result against Waterman (if he can generate a little more offense from his leg attacks) then he should be able to out-physical Allison in quarters.

Predicted Final
#2 Carter Dibert, Franklin Regional vs. #1 Dylan Chappell, Seneca Valley
We’ve primed for the series with these two. Dibert should have too much offense for Hauserman, though the size of the CRS wrestler may keep things close. Frinzi is killer on top, but you have to score points to win matches, and I don’t think he has enough offense to beat Chappell. This sets up the all-WPIAL final.

Predicted Champ
#2 Carter Dibert, Franklin Regional
Dibert has been closing the gap all year, and had a million good leg attacks last week in the southwest regional final. I think he finally converts at the state tournament and winds up on top of the podium.
 
113
The Favorite
#1 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Seneca Valley
The Ironman runner-up and PowerAde champion is ranked second nationally by FloWrestling and is a heavy favorite to win his second PA State title in two years. He’s one of the elite scramblers in the country, who converts leg attacks to his own offense very well. He has tremendous feel and is a very good athlete. He’s probably the safest bet in the tournament.

Regional Champions
Southwest: #1 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Seneca Valley (So., 44-1)
Northwest: #11 Jude Swisher, State College (Fr., 27-7)
Southeast: #5 Max Mendez, Council Rock South (Sr., 37-6)
Southcentral: #7 Ben Monn, Cumberland Valley (Jr., 35-7)
Northeast: #3 Tal-Reese Flemming, Liberty (Sr., 33-1)
Herrera-Rondon majored #2 Kyle Burkholder of Hempfield Area in the Southwest Regional final. He’s had that kind of season. Swisher made a Cinderalla run through the Northwest region after finishing second in District 6, upsetting super freshman Braden Bower of Williamsport in quarters and District 10 champ Vince Rinella in finals. Mendez is in the state tournament for the third time, but seeking his first medal. He owns wins over Monn and Becahi’s Matt Mayer. Monn was sixth last year at 106. He’s been up as high as 126 this year and is a brutal match up for the undersized 113s. Flemming came through the toughest region, which has three of the top six wrestlers in the state. He had a 31 match win streak snapped in the D11 finals, but avenged the loss with an overtime win in regional finals last week.

Best First Round Match Up
#3 Tal-Reese Flemming, Liberty vs. #8 Finn Solomon, Franklin Regional
For his troubles, Flemming draws super freshman Finn Solomon in his first round match up. Solomon is a load on the mat, and it will be instrumental that Flemming can get out from bottom – and area where he’s struggled against Nazareth’s Andrew Smith, who is stylistically similar to Solomon. Flemming probably has a little too much experience for Solomon, but it’s a great early test for both wrestlers.

Predicted Semis
#1 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Seneca Valley vs. #6 Matt Mayer, Bethlehem Catholic
#2 Kyle Burkholder, Hempfield Area vs. #3 Tal-Reese Flemming, Liberty
Herrera-Rondon has a nasty quarterfinal with #4 Andrew Smith from Nazareth. Smith was sixth at this weight last year, and is pound for pound one of the strongest wrestlers in this tournament. He’s a load on top and might be the toughest match up for Herrera-Rondon in the tournament. Mayer has a rematch with Mendez in the quarters, and I like the funky Becahi wrestler to flip the result from state duals. On the bottom, Burkholder has a clear path to quarters, then awaits the winner of the Ben Monn/Braden Bower/Nick Onea triumvirate. He’ll see a tough opponent, but one who has had to surive at least one war. Flemming will have a close one with Solomon, then should comfortably get by the Vince Rinella-Sam McMonagle winner.

Predicted Final
#1 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Seneca Valley vs. #3 Tal-Reese Flemming, Liberty
Herrera-Rondon should comfortably beat Mayer, he a nightmare match up for him. Flemming and Burkholder will be one of the most fun matches of the tournament. I think Flemming is a little more athletic and can do more things on a wrestling mat. If he doesn’t get bullied by Burkholder, I think he makes finals.

Predicted Champ
#1 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Seneca Valley
I have Herrera-Rondon going through all three District 11 wrestlers. Ironically, I think the toughest one for him will be the quarter with Smith. But the superstar sophomore will be halfway to his goal of four state titles after this weekend.
 
120
The Favorite
#1 Kurt Phipps, Norwin
Phipps is 107-8 in his three years, and has been ranked 1st in the state at some point during all three seasons. His only losses this season are to Ian Oswalt from Burrell (AA) and in a supermatch with Herrera-Rondon. He owns wins over #2 Cam Enriquez and has split matches with Oswalt. He was the state runner up as a junior, with his only loss coming in UTB in state finals to Herrera-Rondon.

Regional Champions
Southwest: #1 Kurt Phipps, Norwin (Jr., 34-2)
Northwest: #19 Lane Aikey, Bellefonte, (So., 32-8)
Southeast; #8 Shane Hanson-Ashworth, Council Rock South (Sr., 39-8)
Southcentral: #5 Will Betancourt, Manheim Central (Jr., 36-3)
Northeast: #2 Sean Pierson, Nazareth (Sr., 36-3)
Phipps cruised through his regional with three bonus point wins and a 4-1 decision in finals. Aikey was a surprise champion out of the Northwest, though was the beneficiary of an injury default in semis and a forfeit by state medalist Christiain Fisher in finals. Hanson-Ashworth is a Brown recruit who was a high medalist at National Preps as a freshman and sophomore at Malvern Prep before transferring to CRS last season. He beat returning state finalist Killian Delany in the southeast regional final last week. He dropped from 126 in February. Betancourt was the surprise SC Regional Champ, beating favored Cole Wilson in finals. Betancourt was 7th in the state last year. Pierson was 4th in the state as a sophomore and 3rd last season. The Princeton recruit is an excellent scrambler and has wrestled the best schedule of this bunch.

Best Thursday Match Up
#3 Cam Enriquez, Stroudsburg vs. #6 Cole Wilson, Northeastern
Enriquez beat defending champion Ryan Sullivan at PowerAde (who is out with a broken hand) and won a District 11 title two weeks ago. He lost his finals match to Pierson in regionals last week, which drops him in to a brutal first round match with Wilson, who was upset by Will Betancourt in the SC final. Both of these wrestlers have legitimate finals hopes in a wide open weight class, one of which will be dashed by 4 PM on Thursday.

Predicted Semifinals
#3 Cam Enriquez, Stroudsburg vs. #4 Matt Maloney, Liberty
#5 Will Betancourt, Manheim Central vs. #2 Sean Pierson, Nazareth
Enriquez and Phipps meet in quarters in a rematch of the PowerAde final, won by Phipps 6-5. Whoever wins that is the likely finalist from the top half of the bracket. Lock Haven recruit Matt Maloney, the NE Region champ and state 5th last year, is a brutal draw for both regional champs. On the bottom, Betancourt will see a game Eammonn Logue of Father Judge and likely Luke Lucerne of CRN, both of whom he should get past. Pierson has a tricky first match with excellent freshman Cole Homet of Waynesburg, then will see the winner between state medalists Killian Delany and Christian Fisher (Mifflin County).

Predicted Final
#3 Cam Enriquez, Stroudsburg vs. #2 Sean Pierson, Nazareth
Enriquez put it on Maloney in the D11 final and I think is a bad match up for the Hurricane. He’ll be the first state finalist for Stroudsburg coach (and former Easton great) Sean Richmond, who is one of the rising stars in the state. Pierson will have an incredibly onerous path to finals, but he has so many tools in his bag I see him getting through the Homet/Delaney/Betancourt side of bracket thanks to excellent leg defense and turns from top. That should set up our second intra-District final of the night, and extend Nazareth’s streak to 16 straight years with a state finalist and Dave Crowell’s streak to 19 straight years with a state finalist (16 at Nazareth and his final 3 years at Wilson).

Predicted Champ
#2 Sean Pierson, Nazareth
I just think this is Pierson’s year. He’s been a state title contender the last two seasons, and probably would be going for his fourth state medal had he not been bumped out of the lineup as a freshman when state champ Tyson Klump dropped down from 113 for the postseason. He had an overtime match with Enriquez at District Duals, but was clearly the better guy in the regional final last week.
 
126
The Favorite
#1 JJ Wilson, Cedar Cliff
Wilson, a Cornell recruit, is the tentative favorite in arguably the most wide open weight class in the tournament. Wilson was fourth here at 120 last year and is undefeated against in-state competition in 2018-19. Wilson is an exceptional mat wrestler who has the widest variety of turns at weight. In class District 3 form, he’s brutal with cross wrist titls and thrives on backpoints.

Regional Champions
Southwest: #2 Colton Camacho, Franklin Regional (Sr., 37-3; Pitt)
Southeast: #12 Braden Ricchini, Council Rock South (Sr., 36-14)
Northeast: #4 Patrick Noonan, Stroudsburg (Jr., 36-7)
Northwest: #9 Matt Sarbo, Altoona (So., 35-3)
Southcentral: #1 JJ Wilson, Cedar Cliff (Jr., 37-2; Cornell)
Camacho was the runner up last year at 132, but has cut down to avoid the logjam of two-time state champs up there. He’s 1-2 against fellow WPIAL star Darren Miller, but knocked off Miller in the Southwest Regional final last week. Ricchini won a big match in sudden victory over Neshaminy’s Colt Jordan to earn a regional title. Noonan qualified for states as a freshman, but suffered an ankle injury and missed the entire postseason last year. He recovered enough to win NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and is likely to make an impression in Hershey. Sarbo doesn’t wrestle a great schedule at Altoona, but is one of the more talented sophomore lightweights in the state, and medaled last year at 106. Wilson is the favorite, though he has a brutal path to finals.

Best Thursday Match Up
#1 JJ Wilson, Cedar Cliff vs. #6 Jared Keslar, Connellsville
The Southwest Region did Wilson no favors, landing him third place finisher Jared Keslar of Connellsville. Keslar is probably the best freshman in AAA, and has been right there with Camacho and Miller in the WPIAL. Because Wilson is so good on top, where freshman often struggle the most on bottom, I think Wilson survives. But this very well might be Keslar’s last loss on the front side of a state tournament bracket.

Predicted Semifinals
#2 Colton Camacho, Franklin Regional vs. #4 Patrick Noonan, Stroudsburg
#5 Patrick Gould, East Stroudsburg South vs. #3 Darren Miller, Kiski Area
Camacho and Noonan both have greats draws to semis and should be written there in ink. This bracket is incredibly unbalanced, but with most of the studs in the bottom half. Speaking of, the bottom of this bracket is b-a-n-a-n-a-s. Miller has #7 David Krokowski of Wyoming Valley West in his opening round match, then Sarbo in quarters. Keslar and Wilson hit in the round of 16, then the winner gets East Stroudsburg South’s Patrick Gould in quarters. As a charter member of the Gould fanclub, I think he beats Wilson – Gould has too much on his feet and is equally adept on bottom. Miller should get through to semis with a few bumps and bruises.

Predicted Finals
#5 Patrick Gould, East Stroudsburg South vs. #2 Colton Camacho, Franklin Regional
I’m tempted to go for an all Pocono final, but that’s probably crossing the D11 homer line. Camacho and Noonan should be one of the best semis of the session on Saturday morning though. Camacho is a little better mat wrestler, which is often the difference in Hershey. Gould and Miller also should be excellent, with Gould, a Kent State recruit, my pick to make his first state final.

Predicted Champ
#5 Patrick Gould, East Stroudsburg South
After medaling as a freshman and sophomore, Gould had a nightmare trip to Hershey last year, going 1-2 and failing to place after losing a blood round match to eventual third place finisher Devon Britton of Northampton. As a freshman, Gould beat eventual state champ Tyson Klump in the D11 finals before watching the Nazareth wrestler win states two weeks later. As a sophomore, Gould beat Becahi’s Ryan Anderson in the D11 final, but it was Anderson who has a state title on his resume. I think this is the weekend Gould puts it all together. When he’s going, he’s a national caliber kid, and I think we see that this weekend. Gould also has been as high as 138 this year before coming down for the state series, and he might weigh 140 pounds on Saturday night for the final.
 
132
The Favorites
#1 Sammy Hillegas, North Hills
#2 Julian Chlebove, Northampton
For just the second time in state history, two two-time state champions will be in the same bracket. Hillegas is on track to win four champions, taking the 113 pound crown as a freshman and winning 126 last year. Chlebove won 113 as a freshman in 2016 and rolled through 126 in his sophomore season, but missed his entire junior year with off the mat issues (otherwise we’d be talking about a 3x champ). Because Chlebove didn’t wrestle last season, this will be a semi instead of the most highly anticipated final since Joey Ecklof-Donnie Jones. The two come in with a combined high school record of 269-7.

Regional Champions
Southwest: #1 Sammy Hillegas, North Hills (Jr., 38-0; Virginia Tech)
Northeast: #2 Julian Chlebove, Northampton (Sr., 45-3; Arizona State)
Southcentral: #8 Michael Cassidy, Cedar Cliff (Sr., 35-4; Edinboro)
Southeast; #6 Lukas Richie, Downingtown East (Sr., 33-3)
Northwest: #5 Cade Balestrini, Shikellamy (Jr., 32-2)
Hillegas, a future Virginia Tech Hokie, is the best top wrestler in Pennsylvania, with a punishing series from a figure-4 ride. Chlebove has incredible feel from his feet and is the best scrambler in Pennsylvania and maybe the country. The two have rolled through the postseason, as excpected. Cassidy is a grinder from a very good Cedar Cliff team. Richie won the toughest region with a 6-4 over state medalist #7 Gunnar Fuss. Balestrini rolled through the Northwest and is making his third trip to Hershey.

Best Thursday Match Up
#6 Lukas Richie, Downingtown East vs. #13 Drew Clearie, Nazareth
Richie’s reward for winning the Southeast regional is a very game sophomore from Nazareth, Drew Clearie. Clearie was a state champ in Junior High, and has really blossomed in his second year as a varsity starter. Of his 11 losses, seven are to Devon Britton, Patrick Gould, and Kenny Hermann, all of whom I’m picking to be state finalists on Saturday. He also has wins over likely state medalists Patrick Noonan and Marckis Branford. He’s a really battle tested guy who could give Richie a real run.

Predicted Semifinals
#1 Sammy Hillegas, North Hills vs. #2 Julian Chlebove, Northampton
#4 Gabe Willochell, Greater Latrobe vs. #3 Kenny Hermann, Bethlehem Catholic
Both Hillegas and Chlebove should roll in the top half, setting up the best semifinal in state history. On the bottom, Willochell and Hermann have been in the shadows of Hillegas and Chlebove all year (six of Hermann’s eight losses are to Chlebove). Willochell should knock off the Richie/Clearie winner, while Hermann is going to have to crab ride through a tough Bryce Brennan from Red Land and Balestrini. He won’t score a ton of points, but he’ll win both matches.

Predicted Finals
#2 Julian Chlebove, Northampton vs. #3 Kenny Hermann, Bethlehem Catholic
When Julian Chlebove is wrestling his best, he is arguably the best high school wrestler in America. It took him some time this year to get going, both after time off the mat last season and the dislocated elbow he suffered at Super 32. But he’s firing on all cylinders right now and I think he has more ways to win the match than Hillegas does in their semi. Hermann is a state champion caliber wrestler in just about any other 132 bracket in the country. He’s really hard to score on and brutal on top, and I think that gets him by Willochell for his 7th crack at Chlebove this season.

Predicted Champion
#2 Julian Chlebove, Northampton
Finals will be a formality for whoever wins the semi between Chlebove and Hillegas. I like Julian to become the second three time state champion in KKids history
 
138
The Favorite
#1 Ed Scott, DuBois
The unfortunate story at 138 is the injuries to the top competitors. Defending state champion Jeffrey Boyd from Erie McDowell forfeited the regional final to Scott last week due to a pretty significant lower leg injury he is battling. In the northeast, returning 3rd place finisher Devon Britton tore his meniscus on January 5th and is nowhere near 100%. He also defaulted out of his regional final. The beneficiary is Scott, who I picked to win a state title in this space last season. He was 3rd at 113 as a freshman before a state tournament from hell last year where he went 0-2. He’s been lights out as a junior, undefeated on the year and one of the most talented guys at the weight.

Regional Champions
Southeast: #4 Ty Williams, Souderton (Sr., 36-2; Drexel) S6, SQ
Northeast: #5 Deshawn Farber, Nazareth (Fr., 35-7) GA1, GA1
Southcentral: #9 TT Elhajj, Lower Dauphin (Jr., 30-4) SQ, SQ
Northwest: #1 Ed Scott, DuBois (Jr., 35-0, NC State) SQ, S3
Southwest: #3 Nick Coy, Penn-Trafford (Sr., 34-4; Virginia) S5, SQ, SQ
Williams was clearly the class of District 1 this year and is a bear from top. Farber grew up in East Stroudsburg, but moved to Georgia for the first two years of high school where he won two state titles. He’s back in PA and has been wrestling exceptionally well in the postseason. Elhajj is a two-time state qualifier whose only loss to a Pennsylvania wrestler this year is to Williams. Scott is undefeated on the year, and hammered Ohio state champion Bryce Hepner of St. Ed’s in the PowerAde final back in December. Coy is a four time state qualifier who can really defend and is a tough match up for some of the high octane guys here.

Best Thursday Match Up
#2 Jeffrey Boyd, Erie McDowell vs. #7 Ty Linsenbigler, Hempfield Area
We’ll see how healthy Boyd is right off the bat. Linsenbigler is one of the premier 10th graders in the state and wrestles at a really high pace. The defending state champ will be need to be sharp here or he’ll get upset.

Predicted Semifinals
#2 Jeffrey Boyd, Erie McDowell vs. #5 Deshawn Farber, Nazareth
#1 Ed Scott, DuBois vs. #6 Devon Britton, Northampton
If Boyd gets past Linsenbigler, I think he’s going to be healthy enough to get to semis. Farber is really good, I think he breaks out a little on the state stage this weekend. In the bottom half, Coy is about the best possible match up for Britton in quarters of the elite guys at this weight. Scott should roll.

Predicted Finals
#2 Jeffrey Boyd, Erie McDowell vs. #6 Devon Britton, Northampton
I’d be hesitant to lay actual money on this, but the way things shake out I have a walking wounded final. I would take Scott over anybody but Britton, but alas they meet in semis and I think the redhead from Northampton is the guy this year. Boyd can outgrind Farber on the top half.

Predicted Champ
#6 Devon Britton, Northampton
Like Pierson at 120, I think it’s the year for the Northampton senior. Fully healthy, I think he’s the clear favorite here. With the status of knee, he’ll have to battle, but I think Britton is the best guy at the weight.
 
145
The Favorite
#1 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic
Ryan Anderson comes is as the consensus national #1 at 145 pounds and a clear favorite to win his second PA state title. He’s a Tasmanian Devil on his feet, who reminds me of Jimmy Gulibon in how he overwhelms guys early with his pace and his push-pull offense on his feet. He’s super strong, which really shows itself in his single leg finishes and when he’s clicking he wrestles at a pace that few can match. He also has about the least imposing physique of any elite 145 pounder I’ve ever seen, and was hilariously wearing a “Cutting Weight Sucks” t-shirt last week at regionals. It does, and he therefore doesn’t do it (famously, he missed weight at 132 at Super 32 last year, so went up to 138 and won the tournament anyway).

Regional Champions
Northeast: #1 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic (Sr., 35-1) S1, S3
Southwest: #13 Antonio Amelio, Seneca Valley (So., 30-13)
Southcentral: #6 Tate Nichter, Chambersburg (So., 31-4)
Northwest: #15 Paniro Johnson, Erie Cathedral Prep (So., 35-5)
Southeast: #2 Cameron Robinson, Council Rock North (Jr., 33-4)
Anderson was third in the state as a sophomore and won a title last year. He’s the Ironman champ this season and won Escape the Rock in January. Amelio was a surprise champ out of the WPIAL, stunning Waynesburg senior Trey Howard in the final. Nichter had an awful sectional tournament, but rebounded to win the South Central region last week. Johnson was a state medalist last year as a freshman, and is quietly lurking in the bottom of the bracket. And Robinson dropped the Escape the Rock final to Anderson, but has been the presumed #2 guy here all year after finishing 5th as a sophomore.

Best Thursday Match Up
#2 Cam Robinson, Council Rock North vs. #5 Nathan Stefanik, Nazareth
Robinson and Stefanik were both medalists last season, with Robinson beating Stefanik for 5th last year at 138. Stefanik looked like he hit another gear in the early part of the year before breaking his leg against Northampton, from which he did not return until the District Duals, while Robinson has been consistently excellent all year. Both figure to be high medalists, but one will have to rip through the consolation bracket to do so.

Predicted Semifinals
#1 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic vs. #6 Tate Nichter, Chambersburg
#4 Jagger Condomitti, Northampton vs. #2 Cameron Robinson, Council Rock North
Anderson should get to the semis with bonus points in both matches, though AJ Tamburrino will medal at this weight. Nichter also should cruise to semis. On the bottom half, Condomitti will have to go through fellow sophomore Paniro Johnson, who medaled last year at 126 while Condomitti went a surprising 0-2. Robinson has a brutal path, with Nathan STefanik and Trey Howard before a potential date with Condomitti.

Predicted Finals
#1 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic vs. #4 Jagger Condomitti, Northampton
I think we get another excellent chapter in this rivalry. Anderson is a big favorite against Nichter, while Condomitti and Robinson met in a 6-4 Robinson win back at Escape the Rock. However, I think Condomitti has hit a new level of confidence since beating Anderson. He’s always been talented, but he’s really willing to let it fly right now.

Predicted Champ
#4 Jagger Condomitti, Northampton
Fortune favors the bold. Condomitti had a third period lead and faded late against Anderson in their first matchup in December. He beat him at state duals where he totally outwrestled Anderson (weird penalty points aside). In their D11 final, Anderson hit a pretty dump for four, but Condomitti also hit a wicked inside trip that nearly put Anderson on his back and won him the match. And in the regional final, Condomitti scored the tying takedown in the final 30 seconds, but after a weird stoppage to “make sure the clock was right (and give Anderson a nice lung timeout)” Anderson escaped for the win. Point being, this has been WAY too close of a series for one guy to win five of the six match ups. Condomitti is right there and has nothing to lose. And what fun is it to pick the national #1 anyway?
 
152
The Favorite
#1 Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic
Handlovic is the cousin of two-time state champion Kegan Handlovic and is the more talented of the brothers. Jeff Karam has compared Handlovic’s development to Mike Labriola, now of Nebraska, who was a solid state medalist his first two years, then hit another level as a junior (then was the #1 wrestler in the country at his weight as a senior). Handlovic was stunned in the first round of the state tournament last year, but wrestled back to finish 6th at 145. This season, he medaled at Ironman, and was a finalist at Beast of the East and Escape the Rock, losing to AA favorite Ryan Vulakh in both tournaments. He has won by bonus points in 14 straight matches since losing in the ETR final to Vulakh.

Regional Champions
Southwest: #2 Cam Connor, Kiski Area (Sr., 46-2; Penn)
Northwest: #13 Ethan Richner, Bellefonte (So., 35-4)
Southeast: #3 Dillon Sheehy, Council Rock North (Jr., 34-9)
Southcentral: #6 Tanner Updegraff, Hershey (Jr., 28-2)
Northeast: #1 Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic (Jr., 39-5)
Connor took 7th last season and is the top seed of the regional champs. His only losses are to Dan Mancini and Ryan Vulakh, who both spent most of the year at #1 at this weight in AAA and AA. Richner has bonus in all but two of his wins this year and is brutal from top. Sheehy pulled off the stunner last weekend, upsetting state #1 Dan Mancini in the District 1 semis. Updegraff was a state qualifier last year for Bishop McDevitt. Handlovic majored #4 Jeremiah Oakes of Scranton in the Northeast Regional final last week.

Best Thursday Match Up
#5 Jeremiah Oakes, Scranton vs. #8 Colton Zimmerman, Carlisle
Oakes got a rude awakening last week when he met Handlovic in his regional final. Both of these wrestlers were state qualifiers last year and have been strong favorites to medal all year.

Predicted Semifinals
#2 Cam Connor, Kiski Area vs. #13 Ethan Richner, Bellefonte
#4 Dan Mancini, Owen J. Roberts vs. #1 Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic
Connor should have little trouble getting to Saturday morning’s round. Richner is a wild card pick. Sheehy had such a big weekend last weekend, it’s very possible to have a Hershey letdown, particularly when wrestling somebody as dangerous as RIchner. On the bottom, Updegraff and Mancini is a great quarter, while Handlovic should roll Jackson Erb on his way to semis.

Predicted Finals
#2 Cam Connor, Kiski Area vs. #1 Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic
For most of the season, Dan Mancini and Cole Handlovic was a presumed state final, as these two felt head and shoulders above the field. Sheehy beating Mancini threw the bracket in to chaos and makes it a semi. Handlovic is so complete of a wrestler on his feet and has wrestled such an awesome schedule, I don’t see how he loses, knowing full well how talented Mancini is. UP top, Connor has been the most consistent guy and ends the Richner Cinderella run.

Predicted Champ
#1 Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic
Handlovic should clinch the fifth state title for his family (Kegan won two at Easton and their uncles John and Troy each won one at Wilson). He’s kind of boring in how good he is, but he’ll be one of the most highly recruited wrestlers in PA in the class of 2020.
 
160
The Favorite
#1 Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin
The mulleted junior from Lower Dauphin was fifth last year at 152 pounds and is the slight favorite in a wide open weight class. As a junior, Ulrey lost to eventual state champion Will Evanitsky in the semifinals on a caution point in overtime. Ulrey has a huge gas tank and is known for furious pace at the end of matches. He’s also a great scrambler and will cause real problems for guys who do not finish cleanly. His only loss on the season is a one point defeat by Luca Frinzi in the Escape the Rock semis, and he owns wins over Nick Feldman (National Preps finalist at Malvern Prep), Lenny Pinto (regional champ at 170) and state medalist Ethan Bainey.

Regional Champions
Southcentral: #1 Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin (Jr., 37-1)
Northeast: #4 Conner Herceg, Nazareth (Jr., 37-4)
Southeast: #7 John Crawford, Strath Haven (Sr., 35-2)
Northwest: #2 Trey Kibe, Mifflin County (So. 37-1)
Southwest: #3 Jack Blumer, Kiski Area (Jr., 41-3)
Ulrey earned the top seed, but was not done a lot of favors by the points system. Connor Herceg of Nazareth spent most of the year bouncing between 170 and 182, then came down to 160 for the postseason. He is one of the strongest guys at the weight, and has really jumped levels working under Dave Crowell. Crawford was a slight surprise as the champ coming out of the Southeast. His only loss on the year is to Max Hale of Downingtown West, a contener at 170. Trey Kibe is one of the best sophomores in America and I would not be surprised if this tournament is his coming out party. Kibe took state champion Will Evantisky to overtime in the first round of last year’s state tournament, then lost a blood round match with state bronze medalist Luke Kemerer. Blumer hasn’t lost since PowerAde. He’s one of the most prolific pinners in the state and a real threat to make finals.

Best Thursday Match Up
#13 Ty McGeary, West Allegheny vs. #2 Trey Kibe, Mifflin County
McGeary was sixth in the state last year, but had a brutal regional tournament where he slipped all the way to fourth in the WPIAL, and draws Kibe in the first round. Kibe has been consistently excellent all year, but will have to be sharp right from the first whistle on Thursday.

Predicted Semifinals
#1 Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin vs. #4 Conner Herceg, Nazareth
#2 Trey Kibe, Mifflin County vs. #3 Jack Blumer, Kiski Area
I like Ulrey to get by Jake Richardson in his quarter, who had an excellent WPIAL tournament. Herceg has a rough draw with Colby Morris from Waynesburg and Crawford, but he’s been on fire in the postseason and can win matches against multiple styles. On the bottom, Kibe should get through on the top half, while Luca Frinzi and Jack Blumer will wrestle in a barn burner in the other quarter. Frinzi is all funk and rolls, while Blumer is super physical – a style that has given Frinzi problems the last two weeks.

Predicted Finals
#4 Conner Herceg, Nazareth vs. #2 Trey Kibe, Mifflin County
Ulrey is super talented, but Herceg is the exact type of wrestler to beat him – really strong, fundamentally sound, and a great finisher who doesn’t allow scrambles. If they start rolling, Ulrey is going to win. But Herceg has really frustrated Frinzi by outhorsing him in scrambles and not getting in to funk positions in the first place. Kibe and Blumer also will be an excellent semi, but Kibe has a few more tricks up his sleeve.

Predicted Champion
#2 Trey Kibe, Mifflin County
Kibe has all the makings of a three time state champion. Herceg is kind of a Cinderella, going from a non-qualifer last year to a potential finalist, but Kibe is a blue chipper who is starting a very long resume with a win this weekend in Hershey.
 
170
The Favorite
#1 Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township
Any time you come in to a tournament with a 102 match winning streak you tend to be a favorite. Ruth, a Lehigh recruit and the younger brother of 3x NCAA champ Ed Ruth, is an exceptional athlete who has won a pair of AA state titles. With Susquehanna Township moving up in classification in this cyle, he has a change to add a AAA gold. However, he’ll be in one of the most loaded brackets in the county.

Regional Champions
Southcentral: #1 Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township (Sr., 30-0; Lehigh)
Northwest: #9 Dillon Keane, Bradford (Sr., 35-0)
Northeast: #5 Lenny Pinto, Stroudsburg (So., 38-5)
Southeast: #4 Maximus Hale, Downingtown West (Jr., 39-2)
Southwest: #2 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan (Jr., 40-3; Purdue)
Ruth has looked aweome in the sectional and regional portion of the postseason, posting convincing wins over returning state finalist and nationally ranked Luke NIchter of CHambersbuerg. Keane has quietly put together an undefeated season, thoug the state tournament will be his first major tests of the year. Pinto was a state qualifier as a freshman and is an absolute monster, with 27 falls on the year. He might be a year away, but he’s going to be a national caliber guy. Hale was sixth last year at 170, and his only losses this year are to Nichter and Gerrit Nijenhuis. Nijenhuis is a two-time third place finisher and a Super 32 finalist. He cut down from 182 for the postseason and is one of the best juniors in the country.

Best Thursday Match Up
#7 Angel Garcia, Mariana Bracetti vs. #3 Luke Nichter, Chambersburg
A rematch of the Escape the Rock final where Garcia led the match for 5 minutes and 50 seconds. Garcia did not have the regional tournament he wanted, losing in semis to Emmaus’s Caden Wright, but he’ll have a crack at getting revenge on Nichter.

Predicted Semifinals
#1 Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township vs. #5 Lenny Pinto, Stroudsburg
#3 Luke NIchter, Chambersburg vs. #2 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan
Ruth should cruise against Easton’s Isaiah Reinert and North Allegheny’s Jon Hoover in his first two matches (though Hoover has been hitting his stride in the postseason). Pinto will get a revenge match against Nick Delp, the Kiski star who beat him back in December at PowerAde. Pinto is farm boy strong and has added leg attacks to his dangerous upper body game. On the bottom half, Nichter has already majored Hale, while Nijenhuis will roll through the bottom of the bracket.

Predicted Finals
#1 Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township vs. #2 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan
Pinto will meet his match in Ruth, who has too much slickness for Pinto’s power. On the bottom half, as good as Nichter is, Nijenhuis is on another level. He’s a brute, who is physically the strongest guy at the weight, who on top of that is a tremendous hand fighter and can really set up his own offense.

Predicted Champion
#2 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan
This is going to be the best final of the bunch. Styles make fights, and this is very Oklahoma State vs. Iowa in terms of what these guys do well. Nijenhuis has only lost to Carter Starocci at the state tournament, and I think this is the year he finally breaks through and wins it, denying Ruth a third title.
 
Yes, thought Hauserman too. He looked tough last week. I also liked Cam R. and McNair from Methacton. He has that “it factor” and I think is capable of beating anyone.
 
Also, TJ England (formerly from AB Wood) looked really good last week. Looks like he gave Phipps a tough match.
 
Relayer said:
He wrestles at AA for PJP. Bummed to see Hauserman lose his first match. Thought he could go far.
Click to expand...

Live by the leg pass die by the leg pass. That got him in trouble in the second period, then Prinkey won the scramble in OT. The boot scoot he hit to tie it in the third was b-e-a-utiful. I also liked Waterman to get to semis. Selfishly, he put it on Appello at Escape the Rock, and I think he’s a bad match up for the Easton freshman, so I’m not sad to see him get Prinkey in the quarters instead.

And yes, PJP is 2A this cycle. They reevaluate every two years. That’s why Edmond Ruth is in 3A with Susquehanna now.

Robinson put it on Stefanik in his opener! Looking forward to a potential match with Condomitti Saturday morning.
 
My two cents... Gerrit Nijenhuis from Canon McMillan is one the best I have seen in a long time to come out of that program and that's saying a lot. Watched him beat Stout who is a flat stud. The Hale kid out of DW wont win but is tough as nails( only a Jr.) in probably the most loaded weight class.

Slinger out of USC is my dark horse for 285, bumped up from 220 and is a very athletic for that weight, hell of a football player and if interested could of ended up D1 somewhere. I just don't see the ECP kid matching his raw strength and technical discipline.
 
Soup13 said:
My two cents... Gerrit Nijenhuis from Canon McMillan is one the best I have seen in a long time to come out of that program and that's saying a lot. Watched him beat Stout who is a flat stud. The Hale kid out of DW wont win but is tough as nails( only a Jr.) in probably the most loaded weight class.

Slinger out of USC is my dark horse for 285, bumped up from 220 and is a very athletic for that weight, hell of a football player and if interested could of ended up D1 somewhere. I just don't see the ECP kid matching his raw strength and technical discipline.
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Big Slinger fan - he’s going to wrestle at George Mason (Mason Beckman from Reynolds/Lehigh is recruiting the hell out of Pennsylvania getting Slinger/Vulakh/Josh Jones). His semi tomorrow morning with Wolfgram should be awesome.
 
RoverNation05 said:
Big Slinger fan - he’s going to wrestle at George Mason (Mason Beckman from Reynolds/Lehigh is recruiting the hell out of Pennsylvania getting Slinger/Vulakh/Josh Jones). His semi tomorrow morning with Wolfgram should be awesome.
Click to expand...
Love this time of year... anything can happen!
 
195 completely blew up today with Urbas and Shaw losing. Catka getting beat also makes 220 wild
 
Shaw blew through a double in the first minute, then totally shut down his offense. Let Ball hang around, then he hit a low single in the last ten seconds off of a restart. Shaw had beaten him twice this year and in the 3rd and 4th place match last year.

I was on the Shaw-Ball match and missed the Urbas-Coles match, I need to watch it before semis this morning, but Coles is a crazy athlete who is super fun to watch and very unorthodox. He headlocked Urbas for 5 at one point and won a big scramble early.

Southern Columbia wrapped up the AA team title last night. Gaige Garcia should win a title at 195, though he looked sluggish in his semi.

AAA semis start at 9 for those of you watching on FloWrestling. This round has the biggest bout of the tournament - Sammy Hillegas and Julian Chlebove. They should wrestle around 9:50
 
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Stray thoughts from the weekend

106
Carter Dibert is so slick from top. Turn in the finals was beautiful and totally changed that match. He also went from down 1-0 to up 10-1 what seemed like seconds in his semifinal. Connellsville coaches need to have their head examined putting Prinkey underneath to start that period. Was thrilled to see Appello medal for Easton - I thought his headlock on Prinkey was in bounds in their quarter, which would have put him in semis. Obviously lost in OT, then gutted out a win over Nic Allison in OT of the blood round. Surprising that there were no freshmen making a huge impact at 106. Appello was the only one to medal. Odd year at this weight.

113
Herrera-Rondon is just better than everyone here. Not particularly fun to watch, but incredibly effective. Tal-Reese Flemming going 1-2 when he was a predicted finalist was an encapsulation of an awful weekend for Liberty, which was too bad after a great season. The real story was Karl Shindledecker of Chambersburg coming out of nowhere to place third.

120
Happy to see Pierson break through and win a title. I think he gave up backs in the spladle, but did a great job getting the reversal to minimize the damage, then the rideout in the final minute was epic. Nice tournament for the Council Rock school district here with Lucerne and Hanson-Ashworth wrestling in the consolation final.

126
I felt really good about my Patrick Gould pick when he beat JJ Wilson in quarters, but then he ran in to the buzzsaw that was Darren Miller this weekend. Hard to believe he's only Kiski's third state champ. The Keslar kid from Connellsville was 0-2, but he's going to be a problem going forward.

132
The super match lived up to the hype. What was interesting was everybody all week said that Hillegas had the advantage on the mat and Chlebove on their feet, but it was Chlebove with a reversal and a brutal ride in both the second and the third that propelled him to victory. I need to rewatch the match, but the reversal was so slick. Then he was able to clamp on a hammerlock and Hillegas had no chance to go anywhere. It was definitely locked hands on Chlebove before the escape at the end of the match, however, if the official called it, I think Julian would have been smart enough to just clamp down on the lock and not relase, which is what allowed Hillegas to escape.

138
This was my favorite final. Farber hit that blow through double early, Scott hit a really nice dump for 2+2, then obviously the wicked left handed headlock that ended the match. I predicted after Scott's freshman year that he was a definite state champ in the future, and he proved me right last night. I still can't believe his match with Devon Britton in semis however. Britton was shaking Scott off of his leg ride, and actually had Scott reversed to his back, but the official called a stalemate AS BRITTON WAS COMPLETING THE REVERSAL. Scott was able to ride out the match for the win. The ref docking Northampton a team point for Seth Lisa justifiably blowing a gasket was awful, if you blow a call that big, that blatantly, in that big of a spot, you have to be willing to take some heat.

145
Ryan Anderson is a national treasure. Very few kids have as much fun as he does, and he ripped through this weight class. Robinson made some nice adjustments to keep himself within striking distance this time (he only got hit with Anderson's Dresser Dump once, rather than the three times at ETR). But Robinson never could get to any offense. Robinson had one of my favorite matches - an absolute barnburner with Paniro Johnson in the semis. Robinson dominated early with a takedown and a title, but Johnson came storming back on his feet. LIke at 106, he made the puzzling decision to take bottom in the third, and Robinson turned him again to give himself some breathing room. I think Johnson wins if they wrestle the third period on their feet.

152
Dan Mancini dominated in the state final, no real surprise as the true final was his semi with Cole Handlovic. Weird match, no offensive points but tons of action. Both guys are incredible scramblers, and the whole thing was leg passes, rolls, and funky positions. I thought the officials made the right call waving Handlovic's takedown off in the 1st, which the Becahi corner was not happy about. Weird exchange at the end of OT, looked like Handlovic at least escaped if he didn't get the reversal, but those short time reversal situations are really, really hard.

160
Ulrey-Kibe was a great clash in styles. Ulrey was able to get in on Kibe's legs a ton, but he only converted to score once, Kibe is such a good defender, which you saw when when he scored on Ulrey's final shot attempt to clinch the match. He's only a sophomore too, certainly looks like a 3-timer. Strath Haven got their first ever state medalist and their coaching staff was justifiably pumped after quarters.

170
I picked Nijnehuis to win, I did not think he was going to put it on Edmond Ruth the way he did. Ruth had a 105 match winning streak coming in to the match, and it was never close. Ruth also was really pushed in his semi by Lenny Pinto of Stroudsburg. Pinto had a 3-1 lead at one point, and was tied 4-4 in the third. He's a guy I'm really excited to watch going forward, particularly after he avenged two regular season losses by hammering Nick Delp and Luke Nichter this weekend.

182
Carter Starocci is so damn good. Stout is a national caliber kid and a Fargo champ, and Starocci picked him apart. Cael will do wonders with him. Joey Milano from Spring-Ford is another one of my favorites, he took 4th here, but he has state champ written all over him.

195
This weight class absolutely blew up on Friday afternoon, with national #4 Cole Urbas and national #10 Max Shaw both losing within seconds of each other in quarters. Shaw gave up a late takedown to Donovan Ball, while Urbas lost a wild match to Jameel Coles (who only wrestles wild matches). I was talking with a handful of college coaches Friday night who all wanted to know what Coles's situation was. Coles nearly beat eventual champ Kyle Swartz in the semi, came up about 30 seconds short. Swartz and Ball was another barnburner of a final, with Ball hitting a takedown that seemed like it was going to send teh bout to OT in the last 30 seconds, but Swartz reversed as time expired to win (and replay showed that the call was good).

220
No surprise in Nate Schon winning, he's one of the best sophomore upper weights in teh country, but I was surprised in his finals opponent. Huter Catka losing to Dorian Crosby was a shock. Honestly, I think Catka forgot the injury time rule when he took his second one, which gave Crosby choice and allowed him to take a lead on the escape point. He also had a single leg to finish and win in the last 30 seconds, but couldn't get it done. The other story was obviously Easton's Andrew Balukas, who didn't even wrestle last year but found himself in state finals. Balukas won his prelim, then comfortably beat state #6 Jamal Brandon of Dallastown. Then the fun start on Friday - Balukas cement jobbed and pinned Kyle Weinzen of Norwin in quarters, then launched Crosby with a lateral drop for a fall in 46 seconds to advance to state finals. Balukas broke his nose and needed stitches in his chin following the Crosby match, and his final was a bloody mess. He also ran into Nate Schon, who pinned his way to finals before settling for a 14-1 win. Schon was Catka's only loss last season, and I would love to see those two wrestle again (though Catka probably moves up to heavyweight next year).

285
Heavyweight had a pretty clear 1-2-3 all year. I was not surprised Jake Slinger beat Michael Wolfgram, but I was surprised how easily he did it. That had lots of buzz that he was going to dominate Kawaun Deboe in the final. However, Deboe wrestles like a college heavyweight, and used a great second period rideout to comfortably defeat Slinger.
 
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RoverNation05 said:
Stray thoughts from the weekend

106
Carter Dibert is so slick from top. Turn in the finals was beautiful and totally changed that match. He also went from down 1-0 to up 10-1 what seemed like seconds in his semifinal. Connellsville coaches need to have their head examined putting Prinkey underneath to start that period. Was thrilled to see Appello medal for Easton - I thought his headlock on Prinkey was in bounds in their quarter, which would have put him in semis. Obviously lost in OT, then gutted out a win over Nic Allison in OT of the blood round. Surprising that there were no freshmen making a huge impact at 106. Appello was the only one to medal. Odd year at this weight.

113
Herrera-Rondon is just better than everyone here. Not particularly fun to watch, but incredibly effective. Tal-Reese Flemming going 1-2 when he was a predicted finalist was an encapsulation of an awful weekend for Liberty, which was too bad after a great season. The real story was Karl Shindledecker of Chambersburg coming out of nowhere to place third.

120
Happy to see Pierson break through and win a title. I think he gave up backs in the spladle, but did a great job getting the reversal to minimize the damage, then the rideout in the final minute was epic. Nice tournament for the Council Rock school district here with Lucerne and Hanson-Ashworth wrestling in the consolation final.

126
I felt really good about my Patrick Gould pick when he beat JJ Wilson in quarters, but then he ran in to the buzzsaw that was Darren Miller this weekend. Hard to believe he's only Kiski's third state champ. The Keslar kid from Connellsville was 0-2, but he's going to be a problem going forward.

132
The super match lived up to the hype. What was interesting was everybody all week said that Hillegas had the advantage on the mat and Chlebove on their feet, but it was Chlebove with a reversal and a brutal ride in both the second and the third that propelled him to victory. I need to rewatch the match, but the reversal was so slick. Then he was able to clamp on a hammerlock and Hillegas had no chance to go anywhere. It was definitely locked hands on Chlebove before the escape at the end of the match, however, if the official called it, I think Julian would have been smart enough to just clamp down on the lock and not relase, which is what allowed Hillegas to escape.

138
This was my favorite final. Farber hit that blow through double early, Scott hit a really nice dump for 2+2, then obviously the wicked left handed headlock that ended the match. I predicted after Scott's freshman year that he was a definite state champ in the future, and he proved me right last night. I still can't believe his match with Devon Britton in semis however. Britton was shaking Scott off of his leg ride, and actually had Scott reversed to his back, but the official called a stalemate AS BRITTON WAS COMPLETING THE REVERSAL. Scott was able to ride out the match for the win. The ref docking Northampton a team point for Seth Lisa justifiably blowing a gasket was awful, if you blow a call that big, that blatantly, in that big of a spot, you have to be willing to take some heat.

145
Ryan Anderson is a national treasure. Very few kids have as much fun as he does, and he ripped through this weight class. Robinson made some nice adjustments to keep himself within striking distance this time (he only got hit with Anderson's Dresser Dump once, rather than the three times at ETR). But Robinson never could get to any offense. Robinson had one of my favorite matches - an absolute barnburner with Paniro Johnson in the semis. Robinson dominated early with a takedown and a title, but Johnson came storming back on his feet. LIke at 106, he made the puzzling decision to take bottom in the third, and Robinson turned him again to give himself some breathing room. I think Johnson wins if they wrestle the third period on their feet.

152
Dan Mancini dominated in the state final, no real surprise as the true final was his semi with Cole Handlovic. Weird match, no offensive points but tons of action. Both guys are incredible scramblers, and the whole thing was leg passes, rolls, and funky positions. I thought the officials made the right call waving Handlovic's takedown off in the 1st, which the Becahi corner was not happy about. Weird exchange at the end of OT, looked like Handlovic at least escaped if he didn't get the reversal, but those short time reversal situations are really, really hard.

160
Ulrey-Kibe was a great clash in styles. Ulrey was able to get in on Kibe's legs a ton, but he only converted to score once, Kibe is such a good defender, which you saw when when he scored on Ulrey's final shot attempt to clinch the match. He's only a sophomore too, certainly looks like a 3-timer. Strath Haven got their first ever state medalist and their coaching staff was justifiably pumped after quarters.

170
I picked Nijnehuis to win, I did not think he was going to put it on Edmond Ruth the way he did. Ruth had a 105 match winning streak coming in to the match, and it was never close. Ruth also was really pushed in his semi by Lenny Pinto of Stroudsburg. Pinto had a 3-1 lead at one point, and was tied 4-4 in the third. He's a guy I'm really excited to watch going forward, particularly after he avenged two regular season losses by hammering Nick Delp and Luke Nichter this weekend.

182
Carter Starocci is so damn good. Stout is a national caliber kid and a Fargo champ, and Starocci picked him apart. Cael will do wonders with him. Joey Milano from Spring-Ford is another one of my favorites, he took 4th here, but he has state champ written all over him.

195
This weight class absolutely blew up on Friday afternoon, with national #4 Cole Urbas and national #10 Max Shaw both losing within seconds of each other in quarters. Shaw gave up a late takedown to Donovan Ball, while Urbas lost a wild match to Jameel Coles (who only wrestles wild matches). I was talking with a handful of college coaches Friday night who all wanted to know what Coles's situation was. Coles nearly beat eventual champ Kyle Swartz in the semi, came up about 30 seconds short. Swartz and Ball was another barnburner of a final, with Ball hitting a takedown that seemed like it was going to send teh bout to OT in the last 30 seconds, but Swartz reversed as time expired to win (and replay showed that the call was good).

220
No surprise in Nate Schon winning, he's one of the best sophomore upper weights in teh country, but I was surprised in his finals opponent. Huter Catka losing to Dorian Crosby was a shock. Honestly, I think Catka forgot the injury time rule when he took his second one, which gave Crosby choice and allowed him to take a lead on the escape point. He also had a single leg to finish and win in the last 30 seconds, but couldn't get it done. The other story was obviously Easton's Andrew Balukas, who didn't even wrestle last year but found himself in state finals. Balukas won his prelim, then comfortably beat state #6 Jamal Brandon of Dallastown. Then the fun start on Friday - Balukas cement jobbed and pinned Kyle Weinzen of Norwin in quarters, then launched Crosby with a lateral drop for a fall in 46 seconds to advance to state finals. Balukas broke his nose and needed stitches in his chin following the Crosby match, and his final was a bloody mess. He also ran into Nate Schon, who pinned his way to finals before settling for a 14-1 win. Schon was Catka's only loss last season, and I would love to see those two wrestle again (though Catka probably moves up to heavyweight next year).

285
Heavyweight had a pretty clear 1-2-3 all year. I was not surprised Jake Slinger beat Michael Wolfgram, but I was surprised how easily he did it. That had lots of buzz that he was going to dominate Kawaun Deboe in the final. However, Deboe wrestles like a college heavyweight, and used a great second period rideout to comfortably defeat Slinger.
Click to expand...
Great info and perspectives...
 
Did anybody catch the FloWrestling broadcast of the matches this weekend? Would be interested to hear how it was watching the tournament at home.
 
Some of the matches are spilling onto YouTube now. I think all AA final matches are there. Only saw a handful of AAA matches posted last night
 
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