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Wrestling - AAA Preview - UPDATED STATE RANKINGS

R

RoverNation05

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2010
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With most District tournaments starting this weekend, wretling postseason is upon us. I've compiled some previews for each weight in AAA before we get started. There will likely be some weight changes in D7 and D11, and I'll make changes if there are big drops (I'd expect some movement either down from 160 to 152 or up from 145 to 152, plus some other miscellaneous ones). All state rankings I've used are from PaPower Wrestling. The national rankings are from FloWrestling and Intermat, with Flo listed first.

106
State Rankings
1. Kurt Phipps, Norwin (So. 30-0) S7
2. Brady Sherback, Greater Latrobe (Sr. 22-4)
3. Adam Jacob, East Pennsboro (So. 26-7)
4. Ben Monn, Cumberland Valley (So. 28-6)
5. Andrew Brest, General McLane (Jr. 24-3)
6. Carter Dibert, Franklin Regional (Fr. 24-6) JH1, JH2
7. Alejandro Herrera, Seneca Valley (Fr. 36-7)
8. Matt Mayer, Bethlehem Catholic (Fr. 15-8)
9. Peyton Brown, Emmaus (Jr. 24-2)
10. Tal-Reese Flemming, Liberty (Jr. 23-2)
Returning State Medalists: Phipps
Returning State Qualifiers: Phipps, Trenton Donahue, DuBois (So.)
Toughest Region: WPIAL (Southwest ): Phipps, Sherback, Dibert and Herrera

The opening weight class is one that is normally dominated by superstar freshmen or undersized seniors who have grinded for their careers. This year, we really don’t have either. Kurt Phipps is the latest in the family line of Phipps brothers to be a state title favorite and he probably fits the bill the closest as the big time underclassman. He slightly underperformed as a freshman, but has really looked the part this season. Beyond that, the weight is wide open. Bethlehem Catholic produced the big news in terms of entries when freshman Matt Mayer, who spent most of the season at 113 while Dillon Murphy was injured, beat state #4 Nathan Lackman in a wrestle off and will be the Golden Hawks postseason representative. Mayer was third in the state junior high tournament last year at 102 pounds. Mayer joins a class with Emmaus's Peyton Brown (brother of 2x state finalist Taylor Brown) and Liberty's Tal-Reese Flemming who are all medal threats. Ben Monn of Cumberland Valley and Adam Jacob of East Pennsboro have made the cut to 106 after wrestling 113 for most of the year. Jacob beat Monn in the Sectional Finals last weekend and shoots up Jeff Upson's rankings here. Out west, Sherback is the lone senior at 106 expected to contend. Carter Dibert is the next in line at Franklin Regional after winning a state junior high championship last season at 87 pounds. He may be slightly undersized for this year, but he’s the best freshman shot at a medal at a weight class typically dominated by young bucks. Fellow freshman Alejandro Herrera-Rondon of Seneca Valley was third last year at 92 pounds in junior high and has challenged both Phipps and Dibert this year. Also lurking is Altoona's Matt Sarbo, who won the 102 pound weight class in junior high last year over AA state title contender Gary Steen (and beat Mayer in a tight one in semis).

My Pick: Phipps
 
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113
State Rankings
1. Ryan Sullivan, Shaler (Jr. 31-1), S2
2. Luke Lucerne, Council Rock North (So. 25-7) S6
3. Will Betancourt, Manheim Central (So. 23-0) SQ
4. Killian Delaney, West Chester Henderson (So. 29-4) SQ
5. Cole Wilson, Northeastern (So. 26-2) SQ
6. Jordan Watters, West Allegheny (So. 25-3)
7. Frankie Bonura, Moon (Sr. 29-4) S5
8. Kyle Burkholder, Hempfield Area (Jr. 26-3) SQ
9. Sam Hanley, Northampton (Jr. 15-7) SQ
10. Matt Maloney, Liberty (Jr. 30-2)
Returning State Medalists: Sullivan, Frankie Bonura, Christian Fisher, Mifflin County (Jr. 25-7, S8)
Returning State Qualifiers: Sullivan, Betancourt, Delany, Wilson, Liam Logue, Father Judge (Jr. 24-4), Bonura, Burkholder, Hanley, Max Mendez, Council Rock South (Jr. 27-7); Nick Onea, Pottsville (Jr. 28-6)
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #1 Sullivan, #6 Watters, #7 Bonura, #8 Burkholder, #13 Frederick Junko, North Allegheny (So. 26-7)

This weight class returns a whopping ten wrestlers with state tournament experience. It lacks a national caliber hammer at the top, but that means that it should be a wide open and fun bracket in Hershey. Ryan Sullivan was state runner up to Doug Zapf at 106 pounds last season and is the presumptive favorite at the weight this year. He took 3rd and PowerAde, losing only to 8th grade phenom Nick Bouzakis of Lake Highland Prep (FL). Sullivan owns an 11-2 major over Bonura as his best win on the season. Luke Lucerne drops from 120 to 113 and should be the biggest threat from the east to knock off Sullivan. This weight easily goes 13 deep for potential titlists, as Becahi’s Dillon Murphy, CRS’s Max Mendez, and Nazareth’s Andrew Smith are all wrestlers outside the top 10 who could make noise in Hershey. Both the Southwest and Northeast are meatgrinder regions, with 13 of the top 19 coming from those two regions (5 from D7, 8 from D11/2/12). Only eight of those 13 will earn trips to states.

My Pick: Sullivan
 
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120
State Rankings
1. Logan Macri, Canon-McMillan (Sr. 29-2; UT-Chattanooga) S5, SQ, SQ
2. Sean Pierson, Nazareth (Jr. 36-6) S4
3. Doug Zapf, Downingtown West (Sr. 35-4; Penn) S1, SQ
4. Brandon Meredith, Spring-Ford (Sr. 32-1; Penn State) SQ, S4
5. Louis Newell, Seneca Valley (Sr. 33-3; Pittsburgh) S2, S2, S8
6. Brandon Kassis, Parkland (Jr. 22-4)
7. Wyatt Henson, Waynesburg (Fr. 33-8)
8. Matt Lackman, Bethlehem Catholic (So. 27-9) SCRATCH - INJURY
9. Darren Miller, Kiski Area (Jr. 32-7) S3
10. JJ Wilson, Cedar Cliff (Jr. 31-4) SQ, SQ
Returning State Champions: Zapf
Returning State Medalists: Macri, Pierson, Zapf, Meredith, Newell, Miller, Shane Hanson-Ashworth, Council Rock South (Jr., NP3rd, NP2nd); Cam Enriquez, Stroudsburg (Jr., 6th)
Returning State Qualifiers: Macri, Pierson, Zapf, Meredith, Newell, Miller, Enriquez, JJ Wilson, Cedar Cliff (Jr.); Josiah Gehr, Cocalico (Sr.); Macro DiBattista, Plymouth-Whitemarsh (Sr.); Josh Stahl, Quakertown (Jr.); CJ Morton, Twin Valley (Sr.); Rafaeal Portilla, Carlisle (So.)
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #1 Macri, #5 Newell, #7 Henson, #9 Miller, #12 Gave Wilochell, Greater Latrobe (So. 24-5)

Welcome to the deepest weight class in Pennsylvania! Eight returning state or National Prep medalists, thirteen former state qualifiers, plus one of the best freshmen in the country. The two favorites are Logan Macri and Sean Pierson, who own wins over most of the contenders here. Pierson did beat Macri on the opening weekend of the season up at 126, but Macri has been more consistent throughout the year. Pierson just dropped to 120 last weekend at state duals, and took out almost half of the top 10. Zapf and Newell are the only guys here with state finals experience, with Zapf winning 106 last year and Newell losing in finals to Sam Hillegas as 113 last year at to Tyson Klump at 106 two seasons ago. Wyatt Henson is the son of Sammy “The Bull” Henson, former NCAA champ and World Silver Medalists who is the head coach at West Virginia. He’ll definitely make noise. Kassis owns a win over AA state champ Jaret Lane in the Escape the Rock finals as may be the best athlete at the weight. He missed 2017 with an injury and looks loaded for bear this season. Hanson-Ashworth is a two-time national prep medalist at Malvern Prep, but has taken some lumps wrestling a PIAA schedule this year. The bad draw here is Enriquez, who lost in OT to Hillegas last year in state semis and has looked back on track after a shaky middle of the season. This one should be a ton of fun.
My Pick: Pierson
 
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126
State Rankings
1. #10/#12 Sam Hillegas, North Hills (So. 21-1) S1
2. #13/#15 Chris Wright, Central Dauphin (Sr. 41-1; Rider) S4, S4, S7
3. Ed Scott, DuBois (So. 27-2) S3
4. Caleb Morris, Waynesburg (Sr. 34-6) SQ, SQ, SQ
5. Patrick Noonan, Stroudsburg (So. 29-3) SQ -SCRATCH/KNEE INJURY
6. Kenny Hermann, Bethlehem Catholic (So. 30-9) S7
7. Dalton Rohrbaugh, Spring Grove (Sr. 37-1; Lock Haven) SQ, S3, SQ
8. Josh Mason, Blue Mountain (Sr. 29-1; Nebraska) SQ
9. Gunnar Fuss, Harry S Truman (Jr. 27-2) SQ
10. Jagger Condomitti, Northampton (Fr. 29-8) JH5
Returning State Champions: Hillegas
Returning State Medalists: Hillegas, Wright, Scott, Hermann, Rohrbaugh
Returning State Qualifiers: Hillegas, Wright, Scott, Caleb Morris, Waynesburg (Sr.); Patrick Noonan, Stroudsburg (So.); Hermann, Rohrbaugh, Gunnar Fuss, Harry S Truman (Jr.); Mason Franks, Connellsville (Sr.); Lukas Ritchie, Downingtown East (Jr.); Cade Balestrini, Shikellamy (So.); Nick Dolak, Parkland (Sr.); Nic Poulos, Archbishop Carroll (Sr.); Cal Schoffstall, Pottsville (So.); Tyler McKinney, Erie Cathedral Prep (Sr.); Antonio Martoccio, Pennsbury (Sr.)
Toughest Region: Northeast (D11/2/4/12): #5 Noonan, #6 Hermann, #8 Mason, #10 Condomitti, #14 Travis Brown, Liberty (Jr. 25-9), #15 Nick Dolak, Parkland (Sr. 15-4, SQ), #16 Cal Schofstall, Pottsville (So. 19-6, SQ) – 4 qualify for states

Our first heavy favorite comes in at 126 where North Hills sophomore Sammy Hillegas is one of the elite guys in the country. Hillegas became the 12th freshman to win a AAA state title with a 5-2 win over Louis Newell at 113 last year. He is 64-1 in his career, with his only loss coming to Wyoming Seminary’s Beau Bartlett in the PowerAde semis this year. He’ll be pushed by Central Dauphin’s Chris Wright and DuBois’s Ed Scott, but Hillegas should have no problem repeating. Scott is one of the best sophomores in the country and has a state title in his future, just not at the same weight as Hillegas. The same could be said for Hermannn, who has really jumped levels in year two on varsity. Tough break for Noonan, who is our with a knee injury after a breakout sophomore year. Condomitti also is a future star here and has had one of the better freshman years of any lightweight in PA.

The Pick: Hillegas
 
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132
State Rankings
1. Colton Camacho, Franklin Regional (Jr. 30-2) SQ
2. #16 Andrew Wert, Central Dauphin (Sr. 30-3; Army) S6, SQ, S5
3. Patrick Gould, East Stroudsburg South (Jr. 21-2) S8, S8
4. Jonathan Miers, Easton (So. 25-3) SQ
5. Devon Britton, Northampton (Jr. 32-6) SQ, SQ
6. Jared Papcsy, Bethlehem Catholic (Sr. 24-6) S4
7. Jeffrey Boyd, Erie McDowell (Jr. 27-2) SQ, SQ
8. Nick Coy, Penn-Trafford (Jr. 21-5) SQ, SQ
9. Tommy Traver, Tunkhannock (Jr. 34-2) SQ
10. AJ Tamburrino, William Tennent (So. 19-0)
Returning State Medalists: Wert, Gould, Papcsy,
Returning State Qualifiers: Camacho, Wert, Gould, Miers, Britton, Coy, Traver, Ryan O'Grady, Nazareth (Sr. 25-9, SQ), Clay Baker, Spring Grove (Jr.); Dalton Woodrow, DuBois (Jr.); Michael Cassidy, Cedar Cliff (Jr.); Ben Radner, Council Rock South (Sr.); Tyler Williams, Souderton (Jr.)
Toughest Region: Northeast (D11/2/4/12): #3 Gould, #4 Miers, #5 Britton, #6 Papcsy, #8 Traver, O'Grady - 4 qualify for states

This might be the most wide open weight in the state, with guys bunched here rather than go 126 with Sam Hillegas or 138 with Ryan Anderson. The result is a ton of contenders. Colton Camacho is ranked first based on a win over Wert at Super 32 back in October. His only in-state loss this year is a 4-3 decision to 3x AA state champ and Penn State commit Gavin Teasdale. Wert has won 20 of 21 since back-to-back losses at Beast of the East, though he does have a puzzling loss to Cesar Fountain of Father Judge. The rest of the contenders all hail from District 11 in what will be a crazy weight class at Districts and Regionals. The top dog right now is Patrick Gould, who is a two-time D11 champ, beating state champion Tyson Klump at 106 in 2016 and state third place finisher Ryan Anderson at 126 last year. Gould has had relatively disappointing state tournament appearances, but is looking to change that and become East Stroudsburg South’s first state champ. He is the only Pennsylvania wrestler to beat Miers this year, and Miers owns two wins over Papcsy, who has split matches this year with Britton. Papcsy, a Fargo All American, is the lone senior in the group. Miers, just a sophomore, is probably the most improved here, champ at the Hurricane Classic in December and lost a 3-2 match at Escape the Rock to national #4 Nick Raimo. Britton also has jumped levels after qualifying for states as a freshman and sophomore. With Andrew Cerniglia out with an injury, Nazareth will drop state qualifier and Brown commit Ryan O'Grady to 132, giving the weight class yet another experienced competitor.

The Pick: Miers
 
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138
State Rankings
1. #5/#4 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic (Jr. 18-3) S3
2. Seth Koleno, Bald Eagle Area (Sr. 28-0; Clarion) S5, S7, SQ
3. #10/#15 Jackson Henson, Waynesburg (Sr. 32-3; West Virginia) WV1, WV1
4. Noah Levett, Kiski Area (Sr. 36-4; Bucknell) S6, S6, SQ
5. Zach Ortman, Parkland (Sr. 25-5; Army) S4
6. Leno Ciotti, Erie McDowell (Sr. 23-5) S7, SQ
7. Steven Storm, Pocono Mountain East (So. 19-0)
8. TT Elhajj, Lower Dauphin (So. 27-4) SQ
9. Tim Hritsko, Canon-McMillan (Sr. 32-12)
10. Ceaser Fountain, Father Judge (Jr. 32-3)

Returning State Champions: Henson (West Virginia)
Returning State Medalists: Anderson, Koleno, Henson, Levett, Ortman, Ciotti
Returning State Qualifiers: Anderson, Koleno, Henson, Levett, Ortman, Ciotti, Robinson, Lilley, Nathan Swartz, Holidaysburg (Sr.); Brandon Connor, Wilson West Lawn (Jr.); Paul Feite, Northern York (Sr.); Jake Meyer, Spring Grove (Sr.)
Toughest Region: Northeast (D11/2/4/12): #1 Anderson, #5 Ortman, #7 Storm, #10 Fountain, #15 Nathan Stefanik, Nazareth (So. 21-8), #16 Andrew Evans, Freedom (Sr. 28-5), #21 Josh Brown, Coughlin (Sr. 30-6)

Super 32 Champion and Ironman third place finisher Ryan Anderson is a heavy favorite to stand on top of the podium in March. Anderson missed weight at Districts as a freshman, then stormed to a state 3rd in his first PIAA postseason, with a narrow loss to Spencer Lee last year in semis. Anderson is a go-er who puts a ton of pressure on opponents and racks up points from his feet. He majored Levett at state duals last week and has not lost to a Pennsylvania wrestler all season. Henson will certainly give him a match should they meet in semis or finals. The older son of Sammy “The Bull” Henson will wrestle for his dad at West Virginia next season and is a Beast of the East third place finisher. Koleno is the third potential finalist, if he and Henson end up on the opposite side of Anderson that will make a heck of a semi. Levett is a solid medal favorite, though I think he's a step behind the top three. Parkland's Zach Ortman drops here from 145. The super funky West Point recruit loves to leg pass, roll, and scramble and can be deadly on top. He's a weird match up and could upset one of the top guys. Anderson, Ortman, and undefeated sophomore Steven Storm will all lock horns three weeks in a row, so if Ortman does snag and upset, it'll likely be one of the western guys who don't see him very often. Also look for precocious freshman Ty Linsenbigler, who moved up from 132, to push the WPIAL contingent of Levett, Henson, and Tim Hritsko of Canon-Mac.

The Pick: Anderson
 
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145
State Rankings
1. #3/#4 (at 152) Sammy Sasso, Nazareth (Sr. 36-1; Ohio State) S1, S3, S2
2. Ryan Vulakh, Pope John Paul II (Jr. 18-4) S8
3. Kolby Ho, DuBois (Sr. 26-4) SQ, SQ
4. Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic (So. 26-7)
5. Cameron Connor, Kiski Area (Jr. 34-4) SQ
6. Job Chishko, Penn-Trafford (Sr. 28-6; Bucknell) SQ, S7, SQ
7. Nick Acuna, Moon (Sr. 29-3) S8
8. Micha Hoffman, Northern York (Sr. 27-3) SQ, SQ
9. Connor Finkey, Garden Spot (Sr. 25-1) SQ
10. Alec Bittler, Saint Mary's Area (Jr. 23-3) SQ
Returning State Champions: Sasso
Returning State Medalists: Sasso, Vulakh, Chishko, Acuna
Returning State Qualifiers: Sasso, Vulakh, Ho, Connor, Chishko, Acuna, Hoffman, Finkey, Bittler, Garrett Rigg, Bald Eagle Area (Sr. 28-3)
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #2 Kemerer, #6 Connor, #7 Chishko, #8 Acuna, #20 Nick Montalbano, Seneca Valley (Jr. 32-9)

Nazareth’s Sammy Sasso ruined everybody’s weekend in this weight class when he weighed in at 145 for state duals. Sasso, one of the best to come out of the Lehigh Valley, is a heavy favorite to win his second state title at whatever weight class he chooses. The Ohio State commit has a million ways to score from his feet, scrambles as well as any wrestler in the country, and is on a streak of 23 straight pins, which could last through the end of the season. Of his 36 wins, he has 31 pins, two techs, two forfeits, and a decision. His only loss in the last two seasons was the Beast of the East final to national #1 David Carr of Massolin Perry, Ohio up at 152 where Sasso bumped up specifically to get a shot at Carr. His only career losses in the PIAA state tournament are to Spencer Lee (finals his freshman year) and Luke Pletcher (quarterfinals his sophomore year), both 3x state champions who are in the mix for NCAA titles this year in college. Sasso will join that tier in college soon enough. Ryan Vulakh is back after sitting out his sophomore season as an athletic transfer under PIAA rules. He’s medaled as a freshman and is a threat to make finals if he’s on the other side of the bracket from Sasso. Handlovic has been wrestling as well as anybody, beating Connor at last week's state duals, and also could make waves (he’ll definitely be on the opposite side from Sasso coming out of the same region). Handlovic missed the second half of last year with a broken leg – had he been able to compete he’d likely be chasing his second state medal, and he’s a state title contender going forward.

The Pick: Sasso
 
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152
State Rankings
1. #15/#14 Luke Kemerer, Hempfield Area (Sr. 28-1; Pittsburgh) S6, S3
2. William Evanitsky, Scranton (Sr. 35-0) S5
3. Gage McLenahan, Bald Eagle Area (So. 26-3) S7
4. Brock Godzin, Belle Vernon (Sr. 24-5) S5
5. Trey Howard, Waynesburg (Jr. 30-7)
6. Jack Blumer, Kiski Area (So. 34-7)
7. Luca Frinzi, Bethlehem Catholic (Jr. 27-6) SQ
8. Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin (So. 27-2) SQ
9. Trey Kibe, Mifflin County (Fr. 33-5) JH1
10. Drake Breinze, Chambersburg (Sr. 26-5) SQ
Returning State Medalists: Kemerer, Evanitsky, McLenahan, Godzin
Returning State Qualifiers: Kemerer, Evanitsky, Godzin, McLenahan, Frinzi, Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin (So); Drake Breinze, Chambersburg (Sr.); Eddie Hay, Bangor (Sr.); Stefahn Mayo, Muhlenerg (Sr.); Dylan Reinert, Gettysburg (So.); Albert Taylor, Erie Cathedral Prep (Sr.)
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #1 Kemerer, #4 Godzin, #5 Howard, #6 Blumer, #14 Ty McGeary, West Allegheny (So. 29-5), #15 Cole Spencer, Pine-Richland (Fr. 22-2)

With Sasso dropping to 145, Luke Kemerer decided to move up from 145 to 152 and becomes the favorite at this weight class. The Pitt recruit owns wins over a handful of contenders down at 145, and should be able to handle the extra weight in the state series. Evanitsky is undefeated headed into the state series, but will have a real step up in schedule from Scranton's schedule to the Northeast Regional and PIAAs. McLenahan is one of the best guys in a loaded sophomore class state wide, and I would not be shocked if he’s a three-time champ before it’s all said and done. Luca Frinzi is a Fargo All American, though may be better in the Olympic styles than in folkstyle. There also are three hotshot freshmen who could come storming into the Giant Center in Trey Kibe, Cole Spencer of Pine-Richland, Lance Urbas of State College, and Lenny Pinto of Stroudsburg. Kibe is the most battle tested, with tight losses to Godzin, McLanehan, and Micha Hoffman (see 152) and a fourth place finish at PowerAde. Spencer probably has the highest upside of the group and Pinto is a pinner who can upset anybody in the bracket. If one of the young guns makes a run, this could be a really fun tournament.

The Pick: Kemerer
 
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160
State Rankings
1. #10/#10 Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep (Jr. 30-0) S2, S8
2. #20 Zach Hartman, Belle Vernon (Sr. 31-1; Bucknell) SQ, S5, S7
3. Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon-McMillan (So. 30-3) S3
4. Luke Stout, Mount Lebanon (So. 24-2) SQ
5. Jacob Burgette, Scranton (Sr. 29-6) SQ
6. AJ Wilson, Solanco (Sr. 29-1) SQ
7. Tyler Delorenzo, East Stroudsburg South (Sr. 20-5) SQ
8. Nick Delp, Kiski Area (So. 28-8)
9. Mikey Lewis, Bethlehem Catholic (Sr. 8-3; American)
10. Gaven Krazer, Easton (Jr. 18-8)

Returning State Medalists: Starocci, Hartman, Nijenhuis
Returning State Qualifiers: Starocci, Hartman, Nijenhuis, Stout, Burgette, Wilson, DeLorenzo, Daniel Labus, Bayard Rustin (Sr. 11-4); Ian Barr, State College (Sr. 12-5)
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #2 Hartman, #3 Nijenhuis, #4 Stout, #8 Delp,

Carter Starocci is another of the surest bets in Hershey. The junior is a double Fargo champ, winning Cadets in both Freestyle and Greco this summer, and has rolled through his in-season schedule this year. Starocci lost in state finals last year to national #1 and 3x state champion Cameron Coy. Starocci beat Zach Hartman comfortably in the PowerAde finals back in December, and has wrestled the toughest schedule of the 9 undefeated wrestlers heading into the state series. Hartman has owned his match ups with Gerit Nijenhuis this season and the two WPIAL wrestlers are the clear second tier at this weight class. A Starocci-Hartman-Nijenhuis finish is a pretty safe bet, with super soph Luke Stout (brother of state champion Kellan Stout) knocking on the door. He and Nijenhuis should have a nice rivalry in the coming years. Below that, four of the remaining top 10 are from the northeat region (Burgette, Delorenzo, Lewis, and Krazer) and should duke it out for three consecutive weeks, though the health of Lewis and Krazer has been up in the air, with Lewis out for the early part of the year with an injury and Krazer out since mid-January. But if healthy, all four should find spots on the podium.

The Pick: Starocci
 
170
State Rankings
1. #2 (at 182)/#3 Trent Hidlay, Mifflin County (Sr. 32-0; NC State) S1, S2, SQ
2. Cade Wilson, Nazareth (Sr. 33-4; Brown) S8, SQ
3. Kyle Homet, Waynesburg (Sr. 33-5) SQ, SQ
4. Scott Joll, Belle Vernon (Jr. 25-1)
5. Luke Nichter, Chambersburg (So. 28-7) S6
6. Ben Root, Solanco (Sr. 21-1; American) SQ
7. Jason Montgomery, Bethel Park (Sr. 26-3; Penn) S7
8. Cole Painter, Pottsville (Sr. 28-5)
9. Jesse Quatse, Greensburg-Salem (Sr. 28-3)
10. Nehemiah Diggs, Harrisburg (Jr. 16-1)

Returning State Champion: Hidlay
Returning State Medalists: Hidlay, Wilson, Nichter, Montgomery
Returning State Qualifiers: Hidlay, Wilson Homet, Nichter, Root, Montgomery
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #3 Homet, #4 Joll, #7 Montgomery, #9 Quatse, #16 Tyler Gross, Seneca Valley (Sr. 34-6)

Speaking of solid bets, Trent Hidlay is one of the elite wrestlers in this weight class nationally and should cruise to his second state title. Nobody in the country is better with underhooks, and he’ll force the position on just about everybody in his run to a title. He was a solid favorite at 182, and down a weight class should be even stronger. Cade Wilson has been on fire in the last month, storming through state duals with Nazareth and wrestling anywhere from 170 to 195. If on the opposite side from Hidlay, I feel good about him becoming the second Wilson brother from Nazareth to make a state final (Brock, now at Harvard, was runner-up to Cameron Coy in 2016). Nichter is the rising start here. Nichter was 6th last year at 160, an impressive accomplishment for a freshman. He’ll win a title before its all said and done. Homet, Joll, and Montgomery will all come out of the WPIAL, and should make for a nice series over the next few weeks.

The Pick: Hidlay
 
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182
State Rankings
1. #13/#17 Josh Stillings, Pennridge (Sr. 19-1; Drexel) S2, S4, SQ
2. #18/#15 Tim Wallace, Albert Gallatin (Sr. 30-2; Kent State) S3, SQ
3. Luigi Yates, Erie Cathedral Prep (Sr. 33-5; Gannon) S8
4. Donovan Ball, Cedar Cliff (Jr. 34-5)
5. Blake Barrick, Big Spring (Sr. 27-4; American) SQ
6. Damen Moyer, Liberty (Jr. 29-4) SQ
7. Harry Green, Upper Moreland (Sr. 26-0)
8. Justin Hart, Hampton (Fr. 33-1) JH1
9. Max Shaw, Thomas Jefferson (Jr. 13-1)
10. Chase Smith, Spring-Ford (Jr. 23-3) SQ
Returning State Medalists: Stillings, Wallace, Yates
Returning State Qualifiers: Stillings, Wallace, Yates, Barrick, Moyer, Smith
Toughest Region: Southeast (D1): #1 Stillings, #7 Green, #10 Smith, #11 Jacob Miller, Boyertown (Jr. 35-7), #13 Ethan Seeley, Great Valley (Jr. 31-1)

With Hidley gone, 182 becomes one of the most competitive weight classes at the top in the state. Pennridge’s Josh Stillings was a state finalist last season and Trent Hidley is the only Pennsylvania wrestler to beat Stillings in the last two seasons. Stillings was the Super 32 this fall and took third at Beast of the East. Wallace was third in this weight class a year ago, took second at PowerAde and third at Escape the Rock, and his only losses this season are to Hidley and Ryan Karoly of Malvern Prep. These two seem to be on a collision course in one of the most anticipated state finals. Luigi Yates is the best bet to spoil the party. Erie Cathedral Prep has wrestled one of the best schedules in the state and Yates will be battled tested to take on either Wallace or Stillings in semis. Donovan Ball of Cedar Cliff dropped here from 195 immediately becomes a high medal contender. Stillings nipped Ball 6-4 at Beast of the East and Ball owns a win over Jake Koser (top 5 at 195) and beat Blake Barrick in his sectional final last weekend. The exciting name to watch here is freshman Justin Hart of Hampton. Hart’s brother Jake won a state title in 2012 and the precocious freshman is an almost unheard of 33-1 at this weight class. Very rarely are freshman this successful in the upper weights, and look for his star turn to state with a strong state tournament debut.

The Pick: Stillings
 
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195
State Rankings
1. #20 (at 182) Luke McGonigal, Clearfield (Sr. 27-0; Lock Haven) S2, SQ, SQ
2. #8 Cole Urbas, State College (Jr. 21-1) S3
3. Elijah Jones, Boyertown (Sr. 30-3; Lehigh) S5, SQ
4. Jake Koser, Northern York (Sr. 22-3; Navy) S4, SQ
5. Dorian Crosby, Erie Cathedral Prep (So. 29-6) JH1
6. Robert Spezza, Bethlehem Catholic (Sr. 24-8)
7. Nate Stine, Blue Mountain (Sr. 32-2)
8. Danny Starr, Kiski Area (Sr. 31-3)
9. Nathan Ansell, Connellsville (Sr. 15-3) SQ
10. Shane Noonan, Hazleton (Jr. 34-5)
Returning State Medalists: McGonigal, Urbas, Jones, Koser, Ben Fromm (Sr. 33-3) S8
Returning State Qualifiers: McGonigal, Urbas, Jones, Koser, Fromm, Ansell, Tyler Neglia, Wallenpaupack (Jr. 18-6)
Toughest Region: Northwest (D10/9/6): #1 McGonigal, #2 Urbas, #5 Crosby, #17 Brandon Anderson, Phillipsburg-Osceola (Sr. 23-6)

Another weight class with two clear top dogs, with State College’s Cole Urbas and Clearfield’s Luke McGonigal your favorites to meet in the state final. Urbas was third last year as freshman at 182, losing in semis to Nino Bonnicorsi. His lone setback this season is to national #2 Michael Beard of Malvern Prep. McGonigal would be the 41st state champion from Clearfield – the most of any program in Pennsylvania. Dorian Crosby and Robert Spezza are two kids who have really surprised this season and have good shots at the podium. Crosby went from wrestling junior high last season as a freshman (where he won a state title at 187) to being a varsity starter with a good shot at a medal this season. Spezza was a JV wrestler for Becahi as a junior and now is a darkhorse state title contender. Elijah Jones of Boyertown was fifth here last year and is the other guy I could see knocking off one of the top two.

The Pick: Urbas
 
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220
State Rankings
1. #13/#20 Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands (Sr. 24-5) S2
2. Cole Forrester, Shippensburg (Sr. 27-0) SQ
3. Dennis Karas, Exeter (Sr. 33-2) SQ
4. Rocky McGeary, West Allegheny (Sr. 29-0)
5. Jake Slinger, Upper St. Clair (Jr. 29-1) SQ
6. Nate Schon, Selinsgrove (Fr. 20-0) JH2
7. Parker McLellan, Altoona (Sr. 23-4) SQ
8. Hunter Catka, Sun Valley (So. 28-1) SQ
9. Nick Chapman, Hatboro-Horsham (Sr. 28-1) SQ
10. Greg Bensley, Pocono Mountain West (Sr. 16-3) S8, SQ
Returning State Medalists: Edenfield, Bensley
Returning State Qualifiers: Edenfield, Forrester, Karas, Slinger, Catka, Chapman, Bensley, McClellan, Owen Verespy, North Penn (Sr. 28-3)
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #1 Edenfield, #4 McGeary, #5 Slinger, #13 Connor Forrest, Hopewell (Jr. 18-2)

Edenfield is a clear favorite here after losing in double overtime in the state final in 2017 to Brian Kennerly. He’s one of the best 220s in the country despite being the only person on his high school team. He medaled at Ironman, Beast of the East, and PowerAde this season. The rest of the class is largely unproven. Seven guys are qualifiers, with only Edenfield and Pocono Mountain West's Greg Bensley having been previous medalists. Bensley moves up to 220 from 195, where he'll be a contender for finals, versus more of a medal threat only at the weight class below. Ditto for Parker McClellan of Altoona, who also bumps up and will contend for a medal. Forrester, Karas, and McGeary are all battle tested seniors who will be tough outs. Schon is ranked amongst FloWrestling’s top 50 freshmen in the country. He lost to Dorian Crosby (see 195) in the junior high state finals last year, and has not lost a scholastic match since.

The Pick: Edenfield
 
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285
State Rankings
1. #5/#6 Isaac Reid, Kiski Area (Sr. 13-0; Lock Haven) S2, S6
2. Gerald Brown, West Mifflin (Sr. 31-1) S4
3. Kawan DeBoe, Erie Cathedral Prep (Jr. 32-1) S7, S7
4. Michael Wolfgram, Central York (Jr. 27-0) SQ, SQ
5. Nick Cooper, Bensalem (Sr. 28-1) SQ
6. Jesse Cook, Downingtown West (Sr. 32-7)
7. Ryan Cody, North Penn (Sr. 29-5) SQ
8. Michael Neyland, Roman Catholic (Sr. 22-2) SQ
9. Garret Zobel, LaSalle (Sr. 20-1; Villanova (FB)) S5
10. Nicholas Morelli, Meadville (Sr. 24-4)

Returning State Medalists: Reid, Brown, DeBoe, Zobel
Returning State Qualifiers: Reid, Brown, DeBoe, Wolfgram, Stewart, Zobel, Cooper, Cody, Leyland
Toughest Region: Southwest (D7): #1 Reid, #2 Brown, #11 Derick Devine, North Allegheny (Sr. 23-6), #13 Deshawn Butler, Penn Hills (Sr. 30-6), #14 Nathaniel Hoaglund, Mount Lebanon (Jr. 25-5), #17 Corey Dodson, Albert Galletin (Sr. 22-8)

Returning state runner-up Isaac Reid is the favorite in Hershey. Reid missed the early part of the season with an injury, but has been his dominant self in going undefeated since his return in January. West Mifflin’s Gerald Brown is a big, athletic, pinner who has not lost since being upset by Bergen Catholic’s Josh Hull at Beast of the East. Brown pinned Hull in a consolation match to avenge the loss. Trying to keep us from an all WPIAL final is Kawan DeBoe, who is one of a very few wrestlers to medal at heavyweight as a freshman and looks to become a 4x medalist. He’s suffered multiple close losses to both Reid and Brown, and will likely have to go through both to get a state title. Michael Leyland knocked off state medalist Garrett Zobel of LaSalle in the PCL finals last week, and both are contenders here for medals behind the big three. District 1 also has a big group of contenders in Cody, Cooper, and Cook. From outside the top 10, look for North Allegheny’s Derek Devine to give people fits. The 6’6 275 pound Virginia football recruit will be the biggest guy in the weight class and could give some of the more undersized, quicker heavyweights real problems.

The Pick: DeBoe
 
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Pre-Districts State Champs Picks

106: Kurt Phipps, Norwin (So.)
113: Ryan Sullivan, Shaler (Jr.)
120: Sean Pierson, Nazareth (Jr.)
126: Sammy Hillegas, North Hills (So.) - 2nd title
132: Jonathan Miers, Easton (So.)
138: Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic (Jr.)
145: Sammy Sasso, Nazareth (Sr.) - 2nd title
152: Luke Kemerer, Hempfield Area (Sr.)
160: Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep (Jr.)
170: Trent Hidlay, Mifflin County (Sr.) - 2nd title
182: Josh Stilling, Pennridge (Sr.)
195: Cole Urbas, State College (Jr.)
220: Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands (Sr.)
285: Kawun DeBoe, Erie Cathedral Prep (Jr.)

By Confidence Points
14: Sasso
13: Hidlay
12: Anderson
11: Starocci
10: Hillegas
9: Edenfield
8: Stillings
7: Phipps
6: Kemerer
5: Pierson
4: Urbas
3: Sullivan
2: DeBoe
1: Miers

Champs By District
D7: 5
D11: 4
D6: 2
D10: 2
D1: 1
 
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Rover :

What are your thoughts on the Uniionvlllie kid that just transferred in at 132 ? Is he good enough to do any damage at that weight class and do you agree that he should be allowed to wrestle ?
 
I don't see him as a threat to medal at states. Just through a quick scan of his results, at Virginia Duals when McDonough wrestled Nazareth, he got majored 14-2 by Ryan O'Grady. Now, O'Grady is a nice wrestler who has qualified for states in the past, but he's not really a threat to medal this year and will have to wrestle really well at regionals to get to Hershey.

He also was 2-2 at Beast and 1-2 at Ironman. At his weight, Papscy, Britton, and Wert all placed at Beast. Comparatively, he lost solidly to Noah Castillo from Lake Highland Prep (FL) at both tourneys, Britton beat Castillo 10-4 at Beast and Linsenbigler lost a tight match to him at PowerAde. So if I had t guess, Moreno is in the 11-16 range. He should qualify for states, particularly with how down D1 is this year, but I don't think he'll medal.

Not knowing anything about the situation, my gut is he shouldn't be able to wrestle. He's been at McDonough his entire career until just a couple weeks ago, it seems ridiculous that he can jump schools in February of his senior year and be eligible, unless there's something that I'm missing or don't know about. I'll freely admit I don't have all the info here.
 
Nice work Rover!! One question though. At 113, why do you have Logue ranked wayyyyy ahead of TJ England of Wood? TJ has beaten Logue twice in the past 2-3 weeks? I look for TJ to place 7th or 8th in Hershey.
 
16th&Georgetown said:
Nice work Rover!! One question though. At 113, why do you have Logue ranked wayyyyy ahead of TJ England of Wood? TJ has beaten Logue twice in the past 2-3 weeks? I look for TJ to place 7th or 8th in Hershey.
Click to expand...

I used Jeff Upson's rankings from PaPower Wrestling, they are not my own. He generally does a pretty good job and it's a useful snapshot, though I certainly don't agree with all of them (he's way low on some D11 guys, Zach Ortman from Parkland at 138, Matt Maloney from Liberty at 113, he had Handlovic around 15 until he ripped through a bunch of higher ranked guys at state duals) and I'm sure people in other quadrants of the state have similar nitpicks.

That 113 bracket at regionals is going to be brutal. Logue and England both are state qualifier type talents, Dillon Murphy from Becahi has been hurt most of the season, but is a really good wrestler who I think is fully 100%, Matt Maloney only has two losses on the year and is a darkhorse finalist contender, particularly with how good Liberty's lightweights are. Sam Hanley is a returning SQ who beat Maloney and stuck Murphy at District Duals, Andrew Smith from Nazareth beat Garret Kuchan, who is the favorite to win a Virginia State Title this weekend for national powerhouse Christiansburg and has been right there with Murphy and Maloney this year. And Easton has freshman Evan Gleason, who has a win over Smith this year and is a really good leg rider, which always is a formula for an upset or two. Logue beat Gleason 2-0 on a third period reversal to beat Gleason at Escape the Rock. I think all four guys that come out of this region will place, but it could be any combination of guys getting the four state berths.
 
District 11 Tourney Overview
106
Becahi suffered no drop off with freshman Matt Mayer in the lineup as he dominated his way to a title. Mayer went through Tal-Reese Flemming in semis and Peyton Brown in finals, winning 10-6 and 8-5. He's a contender state wide.
113
Nick Onea of Pottsville, D11 runner up at 106 last year, won a pair of tight decisions in semis and finals over Sam Hanley (Northampton) and Matt Maloney (Liberty) to claim his first title. Andrew Smith of Nazareth and Evan Gleason of Easton round out the regional qualifiers here, both beating pre-tourney favorite Dillon Murphy of Becahi on the back side, ending the Golden Hawk's season. This will be a monster weight class at regionals.
120
Sean Pierson looked like a state champ in a comfortable 10-5 win over Stroudsburg state medalist Cam Enriquez. Enriquez posted the biggest win in the beacket with a 9-5 over state #6 Brandon Kassis. Those three all will be medal contenders at states.
126
Josh Mason of Blue Mountain made me look smart with a tight 2-1 win over Kenny Hermann of Becahi. Mason dominated Northampton's Jager Condomitti in semis 9-2 while Hermann beat state qualifier Nick Dolan in a 4-3 match. Those two and Travis Brown of Liberty round out the qualifiers.
132
The marquee weight class lived up to its billing with one of the best semifinal rounds I've seen. State #3 Patrick Gould beat #5 Devon Britton 10-9 in a crazy, wide open barn burner, while #4 Jonathan Miers scored a takedown in sudden victory to win a tight, intense match with #6 Jarred Papscy. Miers beat Gould for the first time in four tries in the final, 3-2 on a beautiful double in the third period, denying Gould his third straight D11 title. The big story is Papscy, who lost his consi semi to Nazareth senior Ryan O'Grady and suffered a concussion in the waning moments of the bout. He had to forfeit his final match and finish 6th, ending his season.
138
Becahi's Ryan Anderson dominated as expected, capping his tourney with a 12-3 major over #5 Zach Ortman of Parkland. Nathan Stefanik beat fellow super soph Steven Storm for 3rd.
145
Sammy Sasso became the second Nazareth wrestler to win four D11 titles with a 15-6 major or #4 Cole Handlovic.
152
Luca Frinzi of Becahi survived a pair of wars in semis and finals to win his first D11 title. Frinzi held on to a 3-1 in rideouts against Bangor senior Eddie Hay in semis, then prevailed in a wild third period scramble to beat Stroudsburg freshman Lenny Pinto 3-2. Pinto and Frinzi is a super fun contrast in styles, the long and funky Frinzi against the farm boy strong Pinto, and I hope we get a lot more of those matches. Hay, Joey Guida, and Conner Herceg round out the regional qualifiers here.
160
Caden Wright of Emmaus won his first district title when Becahi's Mikey Lewis had to injury default after falling on his injured should in a second period mat return. Lewis has been out of the lineup most of the year and had the shoulder heavily braced all weekend. It was a scary moment and I hope it does not end his season. The surprise was ESS's Tyler DeLorenzo, ranked 5th in the state, finishing 4th, losing to Wright and Easton's Gaven Krazer.
170
Cade Wilson of Nazareth dominated his way to his second D11 title and looked like a state finalist. He rode Pottsville's Cole Painter for over 5 minutes his his 4-1 finals win. The other big story was Easton freshmen Dom Falcone, the 12 seed, taking 3rd place despite weighing in at 161 pounds. He is going to be a handful and a contender at the state level, maybe as soon as next year.
182
Damen Moyer of Liberty survived a late scramble with Becahi sophomore Tavion Banks to win a district title. Moyer dominated his way through the tournament and looked like a state medal contender. Banks, who will be a four star football recruit, knocked off the 2 and 3 seed on his way to finals.
195
#7 Nate Stine of Blue Mountain pinned his way through the tournament, capping things by sticking #6 Robert Spezza of Becahi in 2:33 in finals. It was Stine's only match that saw the second period.
220
Greg Bensley of Pocono Mountain West pinned Mike Saint Juste of Pottsville in 1:48 to win his second district title. Bensley was 8th in the state a year ago, and looked like a contender throughout the tourney.
285
Easton's Jonathan Pineda broke open a tight match with Becahi's Jase Crouse with a huge mat return to put Crouse on his back and pin him off the whistle in the second period (get hand control on bottom before you stand up kids). Pineda survived a 3-2 match in UTB to beat Stroudsburg's Sami Khamis, his second victory over Khamis in UTB this year. The big story her was expected top seed Jaden Freemen of Liberty broke his hand at practice and could not enter the tournament.
 
I understand that D12 is sending a female wrestler to regionals. Is it true that Beca doesn't allow their kids to wrestle girls? She is supposed to face Mayer in the first round at 106.

I actually feel bad for D12 getting sent to the northeast region where they will be overwhelmed. I guess it evens out in football and hoops.
 
The female situation will be interesting for sure. I actually feel bad for D11 and D2 that D12 gets to send 5 wrestlers in each class. D12 should only be allowed to send top 2 or 3 at most until they somehow prove otherwise.
 
It is apparently an archdiocese rule that boys at catholic school cannot wrestle girls. Earlier in the year, Becahi had to forfeit a match against Liberty when they went out a girl on their roster (there has been a big push in girls wrestling this year in the Valley, led by Dave Crowell at Nazareth).

However, I've also read that the archdiocese may make an exemption for the postseason. Mayer is a state medal threat, so even if he dropped into consis I think he'd still finish top 4.

As for D12, I'm more okay with D11 only sending 5 to regionals in the current set up than the old set up where NE only sent 3 to states and D1/12 got 4 to the state tourney. The 4th place finisher record was dreadful, while legitimate medal contenders had to sit home from the Lehigh Valley because we had one less spot. Really, from our 6th place finishers last week, Dillon Murphy and Jared Papscy were the two who were medal/title contenders whose seasons are over.
 
NE Region: If my math is correct, only 3 out of 70 District 12 wrestlers qualify for states. 2 finished 1st and the other 2nd in the District 12 championships. Like I said, only top 2 or 3 should be allowed to compete in the NE Regionals. I feel bad for the 28-42 wrestlers from D11 and D2 that missed out. Note: There were a handful of D12 wrestlers that placed 5th and 6th but still.....
 
Council Rock South and Erie Cathedral Prep each have the most wrestlers going to Hersey with 8. Becahi punched through 7, Nazareth got 6, Kiski Area, Lower Dauphin, and Central Mountain all have 5, then there are a bunch of teams brining 4 to Hershey.

Team race is probably Becahi [gap] Erie Cathedral Prep [gap] Nazareth, Kiski, Waynesburg. Bracket mechanics work out in Bethlehem Catholic's favor in a couple of weights. They'll definitely get Ryan Anderson to finals (heavy favorite to win), Cole Handlovic is on the other side from Sasso and Vulakh at 145 and very well could make finals out of the bottom half, Kenny Hermann has a nice first round and QF match up before hitting Hillegas in semis, Luca Frinzi has a nice path to semis at 152 with Kemerer getting upset at WPIAL semis, as does Spezza at 195.

Seeding the regional champs is a godsend! I know they had to redraw the brackets because they kept screwing stuff up (PIAA at its best) but the formula works, and you no longer have situations where Luke Pletcher-Sammy Sasso is a quarterfinal instead of the final (or Quentin Wright-Ed Ruth, Alex Krom-Coleman Scott, or any other match up of future All Americans you can think of that hit in the second round based on the stupid random draw).
 
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