Plum star delivers statement
Citrano uses experience to top TJ’s nationally ranked freshman
The 132-pound title match at the 20th Annual Allegheny County Championships featured a highly touted freshman and a senior who was making his third appearance in the finals.
Thomas Jefferson’s Maddox Shaw is a freshman. He was ranked No. 1 in WPIAL Class 3A at 126 pounds after placing second at the prestigious Powerade Christmas tournament.
He moved up to the 132pound weight class for the county tournament and faced Plum’s Vince Citrano in the title match. Citrano was ranked No. 4 in the WPIAL at 132 despite two previous appearances in the county finals.
When the final buzzer sounded, Citrano celebrated a 3-2 victory thus claiming his second county title. His takedown with 22 seconds left in the first period was the difference.
“I’ve had to face a lot of adversity over the last two years,” Citrano admitted. “I had lost my confidence after not reaching my goals. To beat a Powerade tournament runner-up who’s nationally ranked shows that I can reach my goals. Winning this title is a big boost to my confidence.”
Mt. Lebanon’s Mac Stout also made his third appearance in the finals. The Blue Devils senior claimed his third title in four years with a convincing 11-3 win over Quaker Valley senior Patrick Cutchember at 189 pounds in the final match of the event. Stout was named outstanding wrestler of the tournament.
“It feels good to win again,” Stout said. “I just another stepping stone to my ultimate goal of winning a state title.”
North Allegheny claimed its seventh team title with 222.5 points, while Quaker Valley was a close second with 209. The Tigers had nine wrestlers place among the top eight in their weight class, including two champs and three runners-up.
Winning titles for North Allegheny were sophomore Casey Walker and senior Dylan Coy. Placing second for the Tigers were sophomore Travis Stipetich, junior A.J. Rohan and sophomore Aidan Buggey.
Walker claimed the 106pound title with a 10-6 win over Plum junior Rylen Campbell.
Coy made his second appearance in the finals and claimed his first title with a 4-0 win over Pine-Richland junior Anthony Ferraro at 126 pounds.
“Coach [Sanshiro] Abe put a little extra pressure on me before the bout,” Coy said. “He told me that we would secure the team title if I won. I love being under pressure.”
Stipetich was pinned in the 145-pound final by Highlands senior Jrake Burford, who claimed his second title. It was the fifth pin for Burford.
“This title means more to me than the first,” Burford said. “It proves the first wasn’t a fluke. Being seeded third gave me more incentive to win.”
Rohan dropped a 5-2 decision to Chartiers Valley senior Christopher Beatty at 160 pounds. Buggey lost, 4-0, to Thomas Jefferson senior Brian Finnerty, who moved up a weight class win at 215 pounds.
Cutchember was one of three finalists for Quaker Valley. Sophomore Jack Kazalas and senior Mason Diemert won titles for the Quakers, who had never placed higher than seventh in the team standings. And both recorded a pin.
Jack Kazalas recorded the fastest fall of the finals as he needed only 35 seconds to pin Bethel Park sophomore Aiden Bench in the 113pound final.
Diemert pinned Montour senior Aaron DeLuca at 1:49 of the 172-pound final. It was the fifth pin for Diemert.
Anthony Ferraro was one of four finalists for Pine-Richland. Senior Kelin Laffey and junior Joey Schneck won titles for the Rams, while sophomore Dominic Ferraro placedsecond.
Laffey made his second appearance in the finals and came away with his first gold medal with a 3-2 win over Chartiers Valley junior DylanEvans at 152 pounds.
Schneck pinned Keystone Oaks junior Christian Flaherty at 2:56 of the heavyweight final. It was his fifth pin, which earned him the award for the most pins in the least amount of time at 10:51.
“I’ve been wrestling since I was in fifth grade and I’ve never had five pins in a tournament,” Schneck said.
Dominic Ferraro dropped a 6-5 decision to Bethel Park’s Mason Kernan in the 120-pound final.
Also winning a title was Thomas Jefferson freshman Bode Marlow, who posted a 6-2 win over Montour junior Peter Chacon at 138.