WPIAL sends six wrestlers to regional as No. 1 seeds
Grant MacKay was surprised to hear that Class 2A wrestlers must compete in a regional tournament after the WPIAL tournament when he transferred from North Allegheny to Laurel.
“Moving from a [ Class] 3A school to a 2A school, I didn’t realize there was a regional tournament,” MacKay said after winning the 152-pound title at Saturday’s WPIAL Class 2A tournament at Canon-McMillan High School. “I’m excited. It will be my first regional tournament.”
Technically, MacKay has wrestled in a regional tournament, as the WPIAL Class 3A tournament is also designated as a PIAA Southwest Regional, because it’s the only district that competes in that region.
The PIAA Class 2A Southwest Regional will be held Saturday at IUP with the WPIAL competing with wrestlers from Districts 5 and 6.
Each weight class consists of eight individuals, half the size of previous tournaments, due to COVID-19 restrictions. The WPIAL and District 6 each has three entries in each weight class. District 5 has two entries.
MacKay (31-3) is one of six WPIAL wrestlers who are seeded No. 1 in their weight class.
“I have a shot to do something very special in the postseason,” said MacKay, who was a PIAA qualifier last year in Class 3A. “It’s just another step to accomplish my ultimate goal of winning a state title.”
MacKay was disappointed to hear that Bishop McCort’s Erik Gibson had been ruled ineligible after transferring from Forest Hills. Gibson is a two-time PIAA placewinner who would have been seeded in front of MacKay.
“I was really bummed out that Eric is not going to be in the bracket,” MacKay said. “I’m very good friends with him.”
The WPIAL’s other top seeds are South Park’s Joey Fischer (15-0 at 126 pounds), Blackhawk’s Kenny Duschek (19-2 at 145), Burrell’s A.J. Corrado (25-0 at 160), Quaker Valley’s Patrick Cutchember (24-4 at 189) and Mount Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer (33-2 at 215).
Fischer is a three-time regional finalist and two-time champ.
“It’s another stepping stone to my ultimate goal of getting back to the statefinals,” Fisher said after winning his third WPIAL title. “I use the same approachwith every tournament.”
Derry Area’s Tyler Cymmerman (28-4) is also a three-time regional finalist, but had to settle for a silver medal all three times. Cymmerman lost, 5-2, to Duschek in the WPIAL finals, thus ending his hopes of becoming a four-time champion.
Duschek has never placed higher than fourth in three previous regional appearances, but said he is confident after knocking off Cymmerman in the WPIAL title match.
“I have the mindset that I’m the best,” Duschek said. “I’m in a strong weight class, but I think I can beat anybody.”
Pitzer and Freedom’s Trent Schultheis (27-4) have also won a regional title. Pitzer won regional and state titles at 182 pounds in 2019, then missed last season with an injury.
Schultheis is a two-time regional finalist who won as a 152-pound sophomore and placed second last year at 170. Making a return trip to the regional finals will be tough, as he placed third in the WPIAL.
The other returning Southwest Region champs are Chestnut Ridge’s Calan Bollman (17-2 at 113), Forest Hills’ Jackson Arrington (20-0 at 132), Glendale’s Brock McMillen (13-0 at 138) and Meyersdale’s Jalen Stephens (5-0 at 285). Arrington is a three-time PIAA champion.
City League
Saturday’s City League wrestling championships were a bit disappointing, due to Carrick’s COVID-19 shutdown, but the 31st annual event did have a highlight.
Allderdice senior Troy Jacobson became the eighth wrestler in City League history to win four titles with his pin of Brashear’s Jermaine Williams at 3:34 of the 138-pound final.
“It was so exciting to reach that goal,” Jacobson said. “Winning four City League titles has been my goal since my brother Cameron won his third title in his senior year [in 2015]. I now have bragging rights in that category.”
Jacobson (6-0) is the third Allderdice wrestler to win four City League titles. The others are Harry Decarme (2004-07) and Ean DiSilvio (2010-13).
The other five four-time champs are Brashear’s trio of Jonathan Hanna (2007-10), Damian Link (200710) and Godwin Nyama (2009-12), and Carrick’s duo of Tom Ford (1990-93) and Mike Shaw (1997-2000).
Jacobson has one more goal to reach. “I’ve never wrestled at Hershey. Cameron qualified for the PIAA tournament twice.”
Jacobson will make his fourth appearance in the Class 3A Northwest Regional Saturday at Altoona.
With Carrick’s shutdown, the City League had only 17 participants in the tournament. Seven weight classes had only one wrestler; none were enteredat 145 pounds. All 17 participants qualify for the Northwest Regional.