Expect the unexpected
Predictions for boys state championships
There is no telling how a wrestler’s body and mind will react when he steps on the mat this weekend at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Tougher still is knowing how wrestlers will react when their dreams of a state championship are crushed in the double-elimination tournament.
That is the fun of watching and predicting the results of the PIAA Wrestling Championships. It is even better when something so unexpected happens.
The electricity in the arena last March when Northampton’s Carson Wagner rallied late in the third period to beat Manheim Township’s Kaedyn Williams to reach his first Class 3A final in his fourth trip to states was awesome.
Watching Spencer Lee compete with a torn ACL in his bid to win a fourth state title in 2017 may have been the loudest I’ve ever heard the arena crowd.
It also may have been the last huge crowd. But this year’s attendance should be up considerably from the previous three seasons with girls conducting their first sanctioned state tournament simultaneously with the boys.
I’ve gone back and forth in my mind trying to predict several weight classes, none more so than Class 3A 114 pounds where at least six wrestlers have a legitimate shot to win gold.
Who is that third- or fourthplace regional finisher who will rebound to win a state title? That happens virtually every year. Who exacts revenge from a regional finals loss with a win against that same foe in the PIAA final?
So much drama. So many stories to be told. Predicting them is fun. Watching them unfold is even better.
Milestones
Nazareth’s Tahir Parkins (98 wins), Pocono Mountain West’s Brandon Stiehler (97) and Quakertown’s Gavin Carroll (95) are closing in on 100 career victories.
Stiehler needs one more win to break Greg Bensley’s school record. The senior 215-pounder is bidding to become the program’s first 100-match winner. Stiehler last week became the school’s third wrestler to medal twice at regionals (Josh Gonzalez 2010-11 and Bensley (2016-18).
PIAA Wrestling Championships predictions
Top four in each weight class plus a wild card
CLASS 2A
107: 1. Joey Bachmann, Faith Christian; 2. Dominic Deputy, Chestnut Ridge; 3. Sam Wolford, Northern Lebanon; 4. Tanner Guenot, Bald Eagle Area; Wild card: Thomas Boyce, Conwell-Egan
114: 1. Ayden Smith, Notre Dame-GP; 2. Will Detar, Trinity; 3. Brock Rothermel, Line Mountain; 4. Dalton Wenner, Cranberry; Wild card: Caden Judice, Bald Eagle Area
121: 1. Aaron Seidel, Northern Lebanon; 2. Gauge Botero, Faith Christian; 3. Louie Gill, Reynolds; 4. Landon Bainey, West Branch; Wild card: Josef Garshnick, United
127: 1. Jax Forrest, Bishop McCort; 2. Chris Vargo, Bentworth; 3. Gavin Green, Delone Catholic; 4. Jackson Rush, West Perry; Wild card: Nico Fanella, Indiana
133: 1. Camden Baum, Montgomery; 2. Camden Baum, Bishop McDevitt; 3. Mason Gibson, Bishop McCort; 4.
Charlie Robson, ConwellEgan; Wild card: Hayden Yacoviello-Andrus, Bermudian Springs
139:1. Bo Bassett, Bishop McCort; 2. Cooper Hornack, Burrell; 3. Mason Wagner, Faith Christian; 4. Noah Doi, Camp Hill; Wild card: Gaven Suica, Burgettstown
145: 1. Ryan Lawler, Bishop McDevitt; 2. Chase Hontz, Faith Christian; 3. Reagan Milheim, Warrior Run; 4. Mason Barvitskie, Southern Columbia; Wild card: Kole Doppelheuer, Belle Vernon 152: 1. Cameron Milheim, Warrior Run; 2. Max Stein, Faith Christian; 3. Melvin Miller, Bishop McCort; 4. Cody Hamilton, Grove City; Wild card: Gage Wentzel, Montoursville
160: 1. Conner Harer, Montgomery; 2. Cael Weidemoyer, Faith Christian; 3. Devon Magro, Bishop McCort; 4. Story Buchanan, Girard; Wild card: JoJo Przybycien, Fort LeBoeuf 172: 1. Adam Waters, Faith Christian; 2. Hunter Hohman, Grove City; 3. Caden Finck, Montgomery; 4. Keegan Ramsay, Notre Dame-GP; Wild card: Owen McMullen, Bishop McCort
189: 1. Lucas Lawler, Bishop McDevitt; 2. Caleb Close, Bald Eagle Area; 3. Garrett Garcia, Southern Columbia; 4. Andrew McMonagle, Huntingdon; Wild card: Cody Wagner, Faith Christian
215: 1. Austin Johnson, Muncy; 2. Rune Lawrence, Frazier; 3. Jason Singer, Faith Christian; 4. Josh Ryan, Mount Union; Wild card: Rowan Holmes, Somerset 285: 1. Brenan Morgan, Central Valley; 2. Carson Neely, Port Allegany; 3. Mark Effendian, Faith Christian; 4. Dylan Pitzer, Mount Pleasant; Wild card: Caleb Brewer, Wyomissing
CLASS 3A 107:
1. Dominick Morrison, Hatboro-Horsham; 2. Max Tancini, Perkiomen Valley;
3. Alex Diaz, Council Rock North; 4. Nick Salamone, Easton; Wild card: Wilmont Kai, Whitehall
114: 1. Landon Sidun, Norwin;
2. Santino Sloboda, Butler; 3. Gabe Ballard, Northampton;
4. Kaedyn Williams, Manheim Township; Wild card: Reef Dillard, Bethlehem Catholic 121: 1. Keanu Dillard, Bethlehem Catholic; 2. Mason Ziegler, Quakertown; 3. Luke Willochell, Greater Latrobe; 4. Myles Grossman, Gettysburg; Wild card: Tyler Kapusta, Franklin Regional
127: 1. Eren Sement, Council Rock North; 2. Andrew Binni, Canon-McMillan; 3. Dean Houser, Daniel Boone; 4. Trey Wagner, Northampton; Wild card: Ryder Campbell, Bethlehem Catholic
133: 1. Tahir Parkins, Nazareth; 2. Tyler Adams, York Suburban; 3. Gavin Sheridan, Boyertown; 4. Ben Fanelli, Easton; Wild card: Chris Dennis, Central Bucks West 139:1. Maddox Shaw, Thomas Jefferson; 2. Dalton Perry, Central Mountain; 3. Seamus Mack, Hempfield; 4. Brock Weiss, Jersey Shore; Wild card: Michael Turi, West Scranton
145: 1. Pierson Manville, State College; 2. Luke Simcox, Central Mountain; 3. Shane McFillin, Bethlehem Catholic; 4. Gavin Carroll, Quakertown; Wild card: Austin Noe, Northampton
152: 1. Kollin Rath, Bethlehem Catholic; 2. Collin Gaj, Quakertown; 3. Luke Sipes, Altoona; 4. Eli Carr, Hempfield; Wild card: Keegan Demarest, Pocono Mountain West
160: 1. Asher Cunningham, State College; 2. Nick Kunstek, Pottsville; 3. Ryan Garvick, Central Dauphin; 4. Charlie Scanlan, Bethlehem Catholic; Wild card: Gunnar Myers, Wallenpaupack
172: 1. Vaughn Spencer, Pine-Richland; 2. Bekhruz Sadriddinov, Council Rock South; 3. Sam Gautreau, Owen J. Roberts; 4. Brian Heard, Abington Heights; Wild card: Talan Hogan, Pennridge
189: 1. Tucker Hogan, Daniel Boone; 2. Cole Bartram, Northern York; 3. Cooper Roscosky, Kiski; 4. Jared Karabinus; Wild card: Roman Thompson, Pittsburgh Central Catholic
215: 1. Dillon Bechtold, Owen J. Roberts; 2. Caleb Marzolino, Abington Heights; 3. Aiden Hight, Chambersburg; 4.
Ryan McMillan, WilsonWest Lawn; Wild card: Geno Calgaro, Canon-McMillan 285: 1. Sean Kinney, Nazareth; 2. Nick Pavlechko, State College; 3. Calvin Lachman, Quakertown; 4. Shepard Turk, Thomas Jefferson; Wild card: Andrew Brennan, LaSalle