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Eli Makel, a 215-pound junior, helped Waynesburg earn its third consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title Saturday with victories against Canon-McMillan in the semifinals and Connellsville in the title match.
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PIAA team wrestling tournament under way

Marc Billett/Tri-State Sports & News Service

PIAA team wrestling tournament under way

The PIAA team tournaments are back in the month of February after last year’s six-week delay due to COVID-19 scheduling changes. Both tournaments began Monday with a 20-team bracket.

Four preliminary round matches were held in each class on Monday at various sites. The four winners and the other 12 teams in each bracket advance to Thursday’s first round, with the remainder of the tournament being held at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Both tournaments switch to a double-elimination format in Hershey, with the goal of determining the top four teams in each class. The finals and consolation finals will be held Saturday.

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Waynesburg and Reynolds are the defending champions, but only one has a chance to repeat. Reynolds’ five-year run as Class 2A champ has come to an end, as the Raiders did not qualify for the state bracket after losing to Saegertown in the District 10 tournament.

Latrobe's Nate Roth, top, has moved up to No. 2 in the WPIAL Class 3A rankings at 138 pounds. Roth had a late start to the season after recovering from shoulder surgery.
Ken Wunderley
Post-Gazette team and individual wrestling rankings

Waynesburg has advanced to the Class 3A title match the past two seasons. The Raiders lost, 38-21, to Nazareth in the 2020 title match, then dominated Central Dauphin in last year’s title match, 42-3. It was Waynesburg’s first PIAA team title.

“Defending our WPIAL and PIAA team titles were two of the goals we set at the start of the season,” said first-year coach Kyle Szewczyk, who served as an assistant at Waynesburg for 19 years prior before taking over as head coach.

Waynesburg reached the first of those goals last Saturday by claiming its third consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title with a 35-18 win against Connellsville. The Raiders enter the tournament with a 16-0 record and face District 3 fourth-place finisher Dallastown in the first round.

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“We need to have a good week of practice and keep our weight under control,” said Szewczyk, when asked about the state tournament. “However the bracket breaks down, we have to be ready to wrestle.”

Waynesburg senior Rocco Welsh believes the Raiders can reach their second goal.

“We are putting it together just in time for states,” said Welsh, who recorded his 100th win in Saturday’s title match. “I think we are going to win states. We still have a little more coming together as a team. We are going to peak at the right time.”

Welsh was one of two Raider wrestlers who joined the WPIAL Century Club on Saturday. Junior Mac Church claimed his 100th win in the Raiders semifinal win against Canon-McMillan, then notched No. 101 in the title match.

Defending its PIAA title will not be easy for Waynesburg, as the Raiders are ranked No. 3 in the state by papowerwrestling.com. Bethlehem Catholic (13-0) is ranked No. 1. The Golden Hawks claimed the District 11 title with a 32-22 win against No. 2-ranked Nazareth (14-2).

“Bethlehem Catholic has to be considered the favorite after beating Nazareth twice this season,” said papowerwrestling.com owner Jeff Upson, who compiles the website’s rankings. “Waynesburg has a good team, but defending its title will not be easy, especially since they do not have anybody at 106 pounds. That means they start every match down, 6-0. That’s hard to overcome when you are facing teams like Bethlehem Catholic and Nazareth who have a solid starter at all 13 weight classes.”

Waynesburg is in the same half of the bracket with Nazareth. That means the two teams will meet in the semifinals if both claim victories in the opening two rounds.

WPIAL runner-up Connellsville, third-place finisher Latrobe and fourth-place finisher Canon-McMillan are in the upper half of the bracket with Bethlehem Catholic.

Connellsville (18-2) faces District 12 champion LaSalle College in Thursday’s first round. The winner will most likely face Bethlehem Catholic in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Latrobe (13-1) posted a 68-6 win against City League champion Carrick on Monday in the preliminary round. The Wildcats will face District 1 champion Council Rock South in the first round on Thursday.

Canon-McMillan (12-5) recorded a 44-14 win in its preliminary round match against District 3 third-place finisher Cumberland Valley. The Big Macs, who are making their 11th PIAA appearance, have the unfortunate task of facing Bethlehem Catholic in the first round.

“It will be interesting to see how far we can go in the state tournament,” Mears said. “Our goal all year was to be a top six finisher in the state. That goal has not changed. District 11 and the WPIAL [District 7] are the two strongest districts. Bethlehem Catholic and Waynesburg have to be considered the favorites.”

Waynesburg is one of only five WPIAL teams that have won a PIAA team tournament title in the 24-year history. Connellsville became the first to win a title in 2005. Canon-McMillan won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. Franklin Regional matched the Big Macs achievement with titles in 2014 and 2015. Burrell is the only Class 2A team from the WPIAL to win a state team title, as the Bucs won in 2008.

Winning a PIAA Class 2A title will be much tougher, as the WPIAL’s three entries — Quaker Valley (17-3), Burrell (11-5) and Burgettstown (15-1) — are not ranked among the top five in papowerwrestling.com’s state rankings.

“It’s the same story in Class 2A,” Upson said. “District 11 has the two best teams. Notre Dame-Green Pond is clearly the team to beat and Saucon Valley is No. 2.”

Notre Dame-Green Pond (11-3) beat Saucon Valley (19-2) twice, including a 50-5 domination in the District 11 title match, but the Panthers had three starters out with injuries.

“It will be a tough road for any of the WPIAL entries,” Upson said. “Especially since the WPIAL champion [Quaker Valley] will face Saucon Valley in the first round. And it’s not any easier for the WPIAL runner-up [Burrell].”

Burrell will face District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt in the first round, with the winner most likely facing Notre Dame-Green Pond in the quarterfinals. The Buccaneers are making their 19th consecutive appearance in the PIAA team tournament.

“This is only our second time in the PIAA tournament and our first time at Hershey,” said Quaker Valley coach Mike Heinl, referring to the Quakers first appearance in 2020 which ended quickly after a loss in the preliminary round. “It doesn’t matter where we are in the bracket. There is no easy path to the finals in the state tournament. It will be a good learning experience for the team and our kids.”

Injury report

Seven of the eight teams that competed at Saturday’s WPIAL semifinals and finals had a key member of their starting lineup miss at least one of the two matches for various health concerns. Six of the seven missed both matches.

In Class 3A:

• Waynesburg has been without senior Cole Homet most of the season due to a severe injury to his left arm sustained in an automobile accident. Homet, a three-time PIAA placewinner who entered the season with a 121-17 record, missed the semifinal match, but did wrestle in the title match. It was only Homet’s second appearance this season.

• Canon-McMillan did not have Gabe Stafford, a junior and three-year starter who has competed at 189 most of the season. Stafford missed all four of the Big Macs matches last week. He has a 20-7 record for the season and a 66-33 career mark.

• Latrobe did not have the services of junior heavyweight Wyatt Held last week due to a case of mononucleosis. Held is ranked No. 5 with a 22-8 record.

• Connellsville had to shuffle its lineup due to the loss of Hunter Claycomb, a 172-pound senior who sustained a knee injury during practice last Thursday. He has a 21-5 record this season and is 44-24 for his career.

In Class 2A:

• Burgettstown did not have sophomore Gavin Suica, who is ranked No. 1 at 126 pounds with a 22-2 record. He missed all three of the Blue Devils matches last week. Suica has a 45-11 career record.

• Mount Pleasant has had senior Luke Geibig out of the lineup since Jan. 8. Geibig is a four-year starter who has placed second in the WPIAL twice. Geibig had a 10-4 record this season at 145 and an 84-36 career mark. This is the second season that injuries have limited his participation.

• Quaker Valley did not have the services of senior Amir McCracken, a three-year starter who has been out of the lineup since Dec. 15 with a knee injury. McCracken had a 3-2 record this season, while competing at 215 and 285, and has a career mark of 43-32.

Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic

The Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic will be held March 25 at a new site. Peters Township High School will host the 48th annual event — known as “The Rose Bowl of Wrestling” — which is considered the most prestigious high school all-star wrestling meet in the country.

The feature match showcases an all-star team of the best high school seniors in the country against a Pennsylvania all-star team. The preliminary match will feature a WPIAL all-star team and an all-star team from the state of Indiana. The preliminary match will begin at 6 p.m. with the feature match to follow at 8 p.m.

“The new venue is ideal for accommodating the loyal Wrestling Classic fan base.” said co-director Phil Mary. “With any change like this comes a new set of decisions. The local organizing committee is working through all the details with the athletic department to ensure everyone involved in the event has a positive experience.”

The Wrestling Classic is usually held at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House, but it is not available this year.

“The Indiana wrestling community is very excited to compete again in this prestigious event,” said Joe Caprino, wrestling coach at Carroll High School and founder of IndianaMat.com. “We have a very strong senior class with nationally ranked wrestlers at almost every weight. I’m confident our kids will be ready to challenge the best wrestlers from the WPIAL.”

Tickets are on sale at three outlets — Wright Automotive Group on Route 19, Peters Township High School and Franklin Regional High School during normal business and school hours.

Tickets can also be purchased on the internet by visiting: https://www.papowerwrestling.com/pittsburgh-wrestling-classic/information/

First Published: February 9, 2022, 10:00 a.m.

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Eli Makel, a 215-pound junior, helped Waynesburg earn its third consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title Saturday with victories against Canon-McMillan in the semifinals and Connellsville in the title match.  (Marc Billett/Tri-State Sports & News Service)
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