Waynesburg a perfect fit for PIAA title
Dominates match against District 3 Central Dauphin
The Waynesburg wrestling team put a stamp on its perfect season with a 42-3 domination of District 3 champion Central Dauphin in the PIAA Class 3A title match Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School.
It’s the first PIAA team tournament title for Waynesburg and the first by a WPIAL team since 2015. And the 39point margin is the secondbiggest margin of victory in a titlematch in PIAA history.
Waynesburg finished the season with one of the most dominating performances in PIAA history. The Raiders posted a 16-0 record and outscored opponents 943-102.
“Friday night we talked about where this team ranks in Waynesburg history, and this has to be the most dominant team in school history,” Waynesburg coach Joe Throckmorton said. “And it has to be considered one of the best teams in PIAA history.”
It’s also Waynesburg’s second state title in two weeks as the Raiders claimed the team title at the PIAA individual tournament at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. And the Raiders dominated that tournament, too, as they almost doubled the score of their nearest competitor.
“Our goal from the start of the season was to win both state titles,” Throckmorton said. “We wanted there to be no doubt who was the best teamin the state.”
A one-point loss at 189 pounds kept Waynesburg from recording the second shutout in PIAA finals history. Central Dauphin’s only win was recorded by Timmy Smith, who recorded a reversal midway through the third period for a 2-1 win against Waynesburg’s Eli Makel. “We knew we were capable of doing that,” said
Throckmorton, when asked about winning 12 of the 13 bouts.
Waynesburg’s biggest wins cameat 126 and 138.
The Raiders’ Mac Church moved up a weight class to 126 and posted a 2-1 win against Matt Repos. At 138, Cole Homet took a 5-3 win against Central Dauphin’s Josh Miller.
“We knew their best kids were at 126 and 138,” Throckmorton said. “Those were big wins.”
Colton Stoneking (132) recorded a pin for Waynesburg, while Luca Augustine (172) registered a technical fall. Zander Phaturos (120), Wyatt Henson (145) and Rocco Welsh (152) had major decisions for the Raiders.
Waynesburg earned its return trip to the finals with a 5013 domination of District 4 champion William sport (14-8). Waynesburg won 9 of 11 bouts. The Raiders recorded four pins, three major decisions and one technical fall.
Central Dauphin (19-1) earned its first title berth since 2013 with a 32-26 win against District 1 champ Spring-Ford. A first-period pin by Nathaniel Mosey at 285 provided the winning points.
Class 2A
Burrell won seven of the 13 bouts in its semifinal match against District 10 champion Reynolds, but two forfeits were the Buccaneers’ downfall in a 35-30 loss. Cooper Hornack (106) recorded a pin for Burrell.
In the consolation, Burrell (14-2) posted a 26-13 win against District 3 champion Boiling Springs (14-3). The Buccaneers won 8 of 12 bouts, including two major decisions by Cooper Hornack (106) and Nicholas Salerno (132).
In the championship , Reynolds (19-1) rallied from a 22-3 deficit with wins in the final seven bouts to defeat District 4 champion Southern Columbia (16-1), 31-22. It’s the fifth consecutive title for Reynolds and the fourth in a row against Southern Columbia.