Top wrestlers ahead of the PIAA tournament
Gabe Ballard has an entertaining, indescribable wrestling style. But the Northampton freshman has had to change things up the last two late Saturday afternoons.
That’s because the foe across the circle in the center of the mat has been there about a dozen times in Ballard’s career.
Bethlehem Catholic freshman Reef Dillard has forced Ballard to make adjustments because the gap is so small between the two.
“You have to change every single match,” Ballard said. “You can’t wrestle one match the same way you did previously. [Opponents] will catch onto little things. I can tell because when I wrestled [Dillard], it was a completely different way. I kind of had to.”
But Ballard is very good as wrestling an unorthodox style, so he has to stay true to who he is.
“You have to find a balance in every match,” he added. “That’s just how it goes.”
Ballard and Dillard are headed to Hershey’s Giant Center for the first time where they’ll be at opposite ends of the Class 3A 114-pound bracket.
If the two are to meet in another final, they will need to knock off a few studs. Ballard has Pennridge’s Colby Martinelli, a third-place finisher last year at 107, and Norwin standout freshman Landon Sidun in his half of the bracket.
Sidun was knocked off by Butler’s Santino Sloboda in last week’s Southwest Regional final.
Martinelli and Sidun would be quarterfinal foes with the winner potentially running into Ballard.
Dillard is in the bottom half of the bracket with Sloboda a potential quarterfinal foe and Manheim Township’s Kaedyn Williams, a four-time South Central regional champion who was first, third and fourth at the last three state meets, lurking in the semis.
Those six competitors are the top contenders for PIAA gold. The five other than Dillard have a combined four losses. Dillard has taken the biggest strides of all of them since December to put himself in that conversation.
It will be one of most enjoyable brackets to see play out this weekend.
Ballard and Dillard are just three more wins each away from meeting for a third consecutive late Saturday afternoon.
Here’s a look at the latest top 10 pound for pound rankings:
Lehigh Valley area top 10 wrestlers
1. Sr. Sean Kinney, Nazareth (35-1, 1): Has 95 career pins
2. Jr. Kollin Rath, Bethlehem Catholic (41-1, 2): Overall No. 1 seed at Class 3A 152
3. Fr. Joey Bachmann, Faith Christian (34-0, 3): Is in opposite half of 2A 107 bracket from Chestnut Ridge’s Dominic Deputy, the only other unbeaten at that weight.
4. So. Adam Waters, Faith Christian (39-4, 4): No. 1 overall seed at 2A 172
5. Sr. Mason Ziegler, Quakertown (45-3, 6): Has 162 career victories, 82 by pin
6. Jr. Collin Gaj, Quakertown (41-3, 7): A three-time sectional and regional champion
7. Jr. Gauge Botero, Faith Christian (26-2, 5): Returning state champion who has a quarterfinal date looming vs. 2022 state champion Louie Gill of Reynolds.
8. Sr. Ayden Smith, Notre Dame-GP (45-2, 8): Is four wins shy of school’s career wins mark (152)
9. So. Keanu Dillard, Bethlehem Catholic (37-5, 9): Could see Pennridge’s Cole Coffin in 3A 121 first round. Beat him 1-0 at Escape the Rock.
10. Fr. Gabe Ballard, Northampton
(38-1, 10): In same half of 3A 114 bracket as Pennridge’s Colby Martinelli and Norwin’s Landon Sidun.
Honorable mention (in alphabetical order): Gavin Carroll, Quakertown (41-6); Keegan Demarest, Pocono Mountain East (37-7); Reef Dillard, Bethlehem Catholic (33-12); Chase Hontz, Faith Christian (36-8); Jared Karabinus, Freedom (32-2); Calvin Lachman, Quakertown (44-4); Colby Martinelli, Pennridge (21-1); Tahir Parkins, Nazareth (37-2); Nick Salamone, Easton (32-6); Cael Weidemoyer, Faith Christian (20-2)