Defending champions aren’t seeded as No. 1
Three former champions aren’t top entry; four others, though, are
Tyler Chappell and Ethan Lebin have two things in common.
Both won a WPIAL Class 3A wrestling title last year, but neither is the top seed in his weight class going into this weekend’s tournament, which begins Friday at Canon- McMillan High School.
Chappell, a Seneca Valley senior, is actually a two-time WPIAL champion. The reason he’s not the top seed is the 127-pound weight class features two two-time champions. Latrobe’s Vinny Kilkeary, a three-time finalist and two-time winner, is the top seed, while Chappell is seeded No. 2.
Lebin, a Hempfield senior, won a WPIAL title and placed second in the PIAA last year but is seeded No. 3 in the 133- pound weight class. Thomas Jefferson sophomore Maddox Shaw is the top seed at 133. The two met last week in the finals of the Eastern Sectional and Shaw recorded a 1-0 victory with an escape nine seconds into the third period.
Chappell, Kilkeary and Lebin are among seven entries in the two-day tournament who have won a previous WPIAL title. The other four are seeded No. 1 in their weight class.
Connellsville has the most entries with 12. West Allegheny and Canon-McMillan are tied for second with 11 each. Plum, Latrobe and Hempfield each have 10 entries. The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for the PIAA tournament, which begins March 9 at Giant Center in Hershey.
Here is a quick look at each weight class and the top entries:
107 pounds: Five of the top eight seeds are freshmen, including Butler’s Santino Sloboda (34-0), the top seed, who is one of five remaining unbeaten wrestlers in the WPIAL. CanonMcMillan’s Tanner Mizenko (34-8), a fourth-place finisher last year, is seeded No. 2. Hempfield’s Nico Kapusta (24-9) is seeded No. 3.
114: Latrobe’s Luke Willochell (30-2), last year’s 106pound champ, is the clearcut favorite at this weight class. Seneca Valley’s Connor Smith (26-6), a sixth- and fifth-place finisher the past two years, is seeded No. 2. Hempfield’s Tyler Kapusta (26-8), a bronze medalist at 106 last year, is seeded No. 3.
121: There is no clear-cut favorite in this weight class. Kiski Area’s Ryan Klingensmith (31-4) is the No. 1 seed, Connellsville’s Jacob Layton (23-9) No. 2. Others to watch are West Allegheny’s Connor Smith ( 25- 8), Latrobe’s Leo Joseph (25-8) and Trinity’s Dominic Canali (25-6).
127: Latrobe’s Kilkeary (21-0) has won WPIAL titles at 113 and 120 after placing second at 106 as a freshman. Chappell ( 27- 5) has won WPIAL titles the past two years at 106 and 113. CanonMcMillan’s Andrew Binni (39-4), the No. 3 seed, has placed third and fifth the past two years.
133: This weight class has more depth than the other 12. Thomas Jefferson’s Shaw (37-2) placed second at 126 last year. Bethel Park’s Mason Kernan (30-2), a fifth- and fourth-place finisher the past two years, is seeded No. 2. Hempfield’s Lebin (28-5), last year’s 126-pound champion, is seeded No. 3. Others to watch are West Allegheny’s Nick Jones (21-8) and Pine- Richland’s Anthony Ferraro (32-3). Ferraro is a two-time fourth-place finisher.
139: Latrobe’s Nate Roth (8-1) is seeded No. 1 despite missing most of the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Roth placed fourth in 2021. Hempfield’s Eli Carr ( 34- 6), a fourth-place finisher at 132 last year, is seeded No. 2. Trinity’s Blake Reihner (316) and Connellsville’s Lonzy Vielma (28-11) were bronze medalists last year.
145: Waynesburg’s Mac Church (28-2) is a prohibitive favorite. Church is a threetime WPIAL finalist and two-time champ who won at 132 last year. West Allegheny’s Nico Taddy (30-5), a bronze medalist at 152 last year, is seeded No. 2. Others to watch are Hempfield’s Charlie Messich (22-4) and Peters Township’s Chris Cibrone (25-10).
152: West Allegheny’s Ty Watters (31-0) placed second in the WPIAL and first in the PIAA last year at 145. Hempfield’s Lucas Kapusta (32-2), a bronze medalist last year
at 145, is seeded No. 2. Others to watch are Thomas Jefferson’s Bode Marlow (32-6), Waynesburg’s Nate Jones (28-9) and Pine-Richland’s Maclane Miller (33-6).
160: Chartiers Valley’s Dylan Evans ( 30- 3) won WPIAL and PIAA titles last year at 160. West Allegheny’s Shawn Taylor (30-2), a runner-up to Evans last year in the WPIAL, is seeded No. 2. Evans and Taylor have met twice this year with each posting a victory. Others to watch are Franklin Regional’s Gavyn Beck (29-5), North Allegheny’s A.J. Rohan (27-12) and Butler’s Levi Donnel (32-4).
172: Waynesburg’s Rocco Welsh (35-0) is a three-time WPIAL and PIAA finalist who won both titles last year. Canon- McMillan’s Matthew Furman (33-4) was a runner-up to Welsh last year after placing fifth and fourth the previous two years. Others to watch are Trinity’s Bode Morgan (338), Plum’s Antonino Walker (19-1) and Kiski Area’s Mark Gray (23-4).
189: Pine- Richland’s Vaughn Spencer (23-0) is unbeaten in his varsity debut after missing last season after shoulder surgery. CanonMcMillan’s Gabriel Stafford (20-7), a bronze medalist last year, is seeded No. 2. Others to watch are Waynesburg’s Brody Evans (25-10), Ringgold’s Jake Conroy (36-2) and Franklin Regional’s Juliano Marion (25-4).
215: Waynesburg’s Eli Makel (39-3), a fifth-place finisher last year, is the top seed. Armstrong’s Connor Jacobs (33-3), a fourth-place finisher last year, is seeded No. 2. Others to watch are Canon- McMillan’s Geno Calgaro (29-9), Penn-Trafford’s Owen Ott (30-6) and Latrobe’s Corey Boerio (335). Boerio placed third last year.
285: Trinity’s Ty Banco (34-3), the top seed, placed third as a sophomore and fifth last year while dealing with a hand injury. PineRichland’s Joseph Schneck (33-4), a sixth-place finisher last year, is seeded No. 2. Others to watch are PennTrafford’s Joe Enick (29-4), Kiski Area’s Jack Crider (288) and Butler’s Ethan Babay (31-9).