Fi: Pennsylvania State AAA Preview
Fi: Pennsylvania State AAA Preview
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2014 PIAA 3A Individual Championships Preview
By: Corey Haddad, Flo Insider
Dessert is the best part of a meal and is always consumed last. In high school wrestling, the best state in the nation for wrestling finishes their season on the last weekend of the Winter sport schedule.
Ten individuals in this tournament have been state champions, but two weight classes have a pair of returning champs and the beauty of Pennsylvania is that even former state gold medalists are not guaranteed to return on the top of the podium.
Ethan Lizak is a three-time finalist and has won back-to-back titles will have to find a way to get to the final before he gets his third shot at beating Luke Pletcher, a returning champion at 106 last year.
145 features two of the top seniors in America: Joe Galasso and Solomon Chishko. Both have been hampered by injuries at different times during the season. Once again, only one will be a two-time state champ come Saturday evening in “Chocolatetown, USA”.
The biggest storyline is the swan song for Chance Marsteller, who is arguably the most talented wrestler ever to step on a mat from the Keystone state, and his quest to become a four-time, undefeated state champion. Even with the well-reknown depth in PA, it's somewhat of a formality for Marsteller to have another gold medal around his neck. He must make weight and make sure no one tears off a limb.
Then there is Thomas Haines. He is also aiming for his fourth state championship. Haines will go down as the most decorated upper weight competitor in the state’s history.
The reason Pennsylvania is the best is due to the depth of the tournament. Returning champions are guaranteed to not earn consecutive titles, but the battles in the consolations are more heated than most other state’s championship finals. The blood, sweat, and tears are worth it to have the honor of being called a Pennsylvania State Champion.
On to the weight class breakdowns...
106:
The Favorite: #3 Devin Brown, Franklin Regional - ’13 2A State Champ, Powerade Champ
Top Contenders:
#2 Gage Curry, North Hills - ’13 State 4th, Super 32 Runner-Up
Charlie Lenox, McDowell - Powerade 4th (113), King of the Mountain 2nd (113)
Kordell Rush, Pennridge - Escape The Rock 4th, Cadet Freestyle Nationals 6th
Brett Kulp, Exeter
Connor Sheehan, Solanco - ’13 State Runner-Up, Powerade Runner-Up, Beast of the East 6th (113)
Dan Moran, Northampton - Escape The Rock 2nd
Dark Horse: Tyson Klump, Nazareth
Skinny: Brown was the 2A champion for Saegertown last season and looks to win again at the same weight, but this time in the big school division for Franklin Regional. The top-half of the bracket has one potential quarterfinal bout between Lenox and the winner of Curry/Sheehan. Sheehan, a senior, is returning finalist at this weight and has had a mediocre by the standards of a state silver medalist. Moran beat Sheehan at Escape The Rock in the semifinal and was handled easily by Brown 12-3 in the Powerade final. For third place at the tournament, Sheehan did beat SE region champ Rush 4-1. Lenox went two and out last year at this weight, but gave only lost 9-3 to Brown at the state duals. Klump was at 112 until he dropped for the postseason and though his record is deceiving, he is long and is difficult to score on, which will create trouble for his opposition. Curry lost his first match in Hershey last season and came back to win four matches in the consolations before placing fourth. The SW region final between Curry and Brown was 2-1 match won by Brown and expect that to be the final match at this weight on Saturday evening. This should be a one score bout and whoever gets a takedown will be your champion since both are terrific with their riding ability.
Corey’s Picks 1. Brown 2. Curry 3. Lennox 4. Moran
113:
The Favorite: #1 Spener Lee, Franklin Regional - Ironman Champ, Powerade Champ, FILA Cadet Freestyle Champ
Top Contenders:
Jacob Lizak, Parkland - Cadet Freestyle Nationals 4th, Powerade 3rd (106)
Dylan Chatterton, Central York - ’13 State 5th
Tyshawn White, Central Dauphin - Beast of the East 3rd
Joe Wheeling, General McLane - King of the Mountain Champ
Derek Gulotta, Owen J Roberts - ’13 State 8th
Mike Scheetz, Northampton - ’13 State 7th, Bethlehem Holiday Class Champ
Dark Horse: Ryan Hayes, Spring Ford
Skinny: This weight begins and ends with Spencer Lee. He has dominated every one this season and before you can blink he will have his opponent on their back earning a fall. With Lee in the top-half of the bracket , the others will be competing for third and the bottom-half winner will be pleased to just be in the final. Gulotta placed eighth at this weight last year and could very well be in the semifinal with Wheeling, who has had a tremendous season. Wheeling went 1-2 at 106 in 2013. Chatterton was third in the SC region and is a returning fifth place finisher at 106 after making the semifinal. He is a pinner and can reel off a bunch of wins to place high this weekend. Lizak has a win over Gulotta at Escape The Rock in the third place match. White finished third at Beast of the East after losing in the quarter’s and beat some highly regarded national competitors to do so.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Lee 2. Wheeling 3. White 4. Chatterton
120:
The Favorite: #2 Luke Pletcher, Greater Latrobe - ’13 State Champ, Powerade Champ, Super 32 Champion
Top Contenders:
#6 Ethan Lizak, Parkland - 2x State Champ, FILA Junior Freestyle World Team
#5 Scott Parker, Pennridge - ’13 State 3rd, Escape The Rock 2nd
Tyrone Klump, Nazareth - ’13 State 3rd
#9 Jake Gromacki, Catheral Prep - ’13 State 4th, FloNationals 4th
Michael Marino, Garnet Valley - ’13 State 6th
Dark Horse: Zach Ulerick, Middletown - ’12 State 6th
Skinny: The meat grinder weight class of the tournament. It may not just be the best weight class in the state but in any state in the entire country! Four, count ‘em four, top-ten nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class. The first potential quarter to watch for is Klump/Gromacki in the top-half of the bracket with the winner getting Pletcher, who has won everything he has competed in this season. Parker beat Lizak at Escape The Rock and Pletcher beat Lizak twice this year at KOTM and Powerade. Ulerick is a dangerous matchup for Parker in the first round. Think about these potential semifinals: Gromacki/Pletcher and Parker/Lizak…wow! Pletcher is just so hard to score on and has a great arsenal of moves from neutral that will earn him his second state championship over Lizak finishing off the sweep for Pletcher.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Pletcher 2. Lizak 3. Parker 4. Gromacki
126:
The Favorite: #1 Sam Krivus, Hempfield - ’13 State Champ, Super 32 Champ (132), Powerade Runner-Up (132)
Top Contenders:
Zach Valley, Northampton - ’13 State 4th, Escape The Rock 3rd, Beast 7th (132)
Shae Bloom, DuBois - King of the Mountain 6th
Rodney Sunday, Dallastown - ’13 State 5th, Escape The Rock 4th
#9 Dalton Macri, Canon McMillan - ’13 State 2nd, Ironman 3rd, Powerade Champ
Ben Ross, Pennridge - ’13 State 5th, Beast of the East 4th, Escape The Rock 5th
A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg - ’13 State 6th, Beast of the East 3rd, Powerade 3rd
Dark Horse: DJ Fehlman, Warren - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: Macri has been on a tear this season and it continued with his regional final win over Krivus. Sam Krivus dropped from 132 to get away from Tyler Smith, who beat him in both of their meetings in the regular season. Rodney Sunday will be a great match for Krivus in the quarter and Zach Valley should face Krivus in the semi of the top-half of the bracket. Ross/Headlee is round one looks captivating but Headlee is on a roll after beating out Dom Forys for the third spot out of the WPIAL. Expect an all district 7 semi between Macri and A.C. Headlee. Krivus lost his first match in Hershey as a freshman and has not lost since that. Krivus and Macri will meet again in the final with Krivus staying in great position and not getting off balance to keep Macri at bay and win his second title.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Krivus 2. Macri 3. Headlee 4. Valley
132:
The Favorite: #2 Tyler Smith, Franklin Regional - ’13 State Champ, Powerade Champ
Top Contenders:
Matthew Grossmann, Manheim Twp. - ’12 State Runner-Up
#12 Chase Zemenak, Nazareth - ’13 State 6th, Beast of the East 5th, Super 32 5th
Alex Wolfe, Cumberland Valley - Beast of the East 8th (138)
Cameron Coy, Penn Trafford - King of the Mountain Runner-Up, Powerade 3rd
Zach Elvin, Central Dauphin - ’13 State 6th, Beast of the East 4th
Ty Buckiso, Peters Township - Powerade 7th
Dark Horse: Trevor Corl, Bellefonte - King of the Mountain 6th, ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: The potential quarter in the top-half between Smith/Zemenak will be a rematch of a state duals bout that was won by Smith 1-0. Coy upset Smith in the SW region final, but Smith took all the shots in that one and Coy scored off counters. The freshman Coy is dangerous from the top position and will ride his opponents like Seabiscuit. Elvin jumped from 106 to 132 this season and has had a stellar season to date. Buckiso is a dangerous matchup for Elvin in the quarters. On the top-half, Grossmann was a state 2nd as a sophomore and will a tough out for any opponent in the first two rounds. Corl/Grossmann in the first round is going to be one of the best and is what makes the tournament so special. Smith will step his game up for this three-day span to earn back-to-back state championships and beat Coy when it counts in the final match wearing the navy blue and gold singlet for the Panthers of Franklin Regional.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Smith 2. Coy 3. Zemenak 4. Grossmann
138:
The Favorite: #2 Michael Kemerer, Franklin Regional - ’13 State Runner-Up, Ironman Runner-Up, Powerade Champ
Top Contenders:
#3 Vincenzo Joseph, Pittsburgh CC - ’13 State 3rd, Ironman 4th (145), Powerade Runner-Up
#8 Pat Duggan, Cumberland Valley - ’13 State Runner-Up
Joey Alessandro, Hempfield Area - King of the Mountain 3rd, Powerade 5th
Jimmy Saylor, Easton - NHSCA Freshman Nationals Runner-Up
Hayden Hidlay - Powerade 4th, King of the Mountain Champ, Cadet Freestyle Nationals Runner-Up
Colby Ems - East Stroudsburg South - ’13 State Qualifier
Cortlandt Schuyler, Manheim Twp. - Beast of the East Runner-Up, Escape The Rock Runner-Up
Dark Horse: Kaleb Young, Punxsutawney - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: Kemerer has finished second in too many tournaments over the last two years and this is his year to be on top of the podium, but it won’t be an easy road. He is built for a tournament like this with his in-your-face style to grind out victories against high-quality invidiuals. Schuyler/Ems in the quarters has potential to be a great match. Hidlay was double-Fargo finalist last summer and should face Kemerer in the quarterfinal. Schuyler faced the nation’s #1 138 Joey McKenna twice this season, so he is battle tested. Saylor vs. Young in round one features two of the best sophomores in the state. Saylor is a pinner and Young likes the Iowa-style where he controls the ties and is heavy on the head. That is a match to watch for sure. Duggan is a favorite to face Joseph in the semifinal, though he has a tough match with Alessandro in the first round. Joseph is a dynamo and his match with Duggan will feature two, top-ten nationally ranked wrestlers. This weight class is stacked! Not like that is anything new for the PA state tournament. Kemerer gets his gold medal in a close match versus Duggan.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Kemerer 2. Duggan 3. Joseph 4. Schuyler
145:
The Favorites: #7 Solomon Chishko, Canon McMillan - ’13 State Champ
Top Contenders:
#4 Joe Galasso, Father Judge - ’13 State Champ
Francesco Fabozzi, Central Bucks East - ’13 State 5th
Josh Maruca, Franklin Regional - ’13 State 5th, Powerade Runner-Up
Chad Wickard, Big Spring - ’13 State 7th
Max Good, Cedar Cliff - ’12 State Qualifier, Beast of the East 6th, Powerade 4th
Dark Horse: Charles Sell, Bangor
Skinny: Two retuning state champions lead the pack at 145. Kudos to Chishko and Galasso for relishing the opportunity to face off in the state final with one getting their second title. The Maruca/Wickard first round match features state place winners with the winner getting Galasso in the quarter. Fabozzi made a name for himself at last year’s state tournament and would hit Galasso in the semifinal. Max Good was heralded coming into high school and is now a senior that will likely face the winner of Sell/Verkleeren in another quarter.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Galasso 2. Chishko 3. Maruca 4. Good
152:
The Favorite: #4 TC Warner, Cumberland Valley - ’13 State Runner-Up, Beast of the East Runner-Up (160)
Top Contenders:
Elijah Brown, Easton - Manheim Holiday Tournament Champ
D.J. Hollingshead, Altoona - Powerade 3rd, Cadet Freestyle Nationals 5th
Jake Shaffer, Greater Latrobe - Powerade 4th, ’13 State Qualifier
Mike Springer, Norristown - ’12 State 8th, Beast of the East 8th, Escape The Rock 3rd
Tyler Tarsi, Nazareth - Beast of the East 4th, ’13 State Qualifier
Mason Bentzel, Spring Grove - ’13 State 7th, King of the Mountain 2nd
#10 Josh Shields, Franklin Regional - ’13 State 3rd, Powerade Champ, Ironman 6th
Josh Ortman - Parkland - ’13 State 8th, King of the Mountain 7th
Dark Horse: Noah Stweart, Mifflin County - Powerade 7th, King of the Mountain 4th
Skinny: It is time for Warner to get his first state gold. He is a two-time runner-up and is strong favorite. Brown is explosive and can score at anytime, so if Warner wants his gold, he will have to earn it the hard way by possibly beating two regional champs in Brown and Hollingshead, who has really come on since his strong performance in Fargo. The bottom-half has two great first round matches with Tarsi/Springer and Bentzel/Stewart where the winners of those will face off to get in the semifinal versus Shields, who is looking for his elusive first state finals match. Ortman is a great mat wrestler who uses fancy top moves to score points galore. In the end, the two, top ten nationally ranked guys will hit each other in the championship bout and Warner gets his hand raised in the end.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Warner 2. Shields 3. Hollingshead 4. Bentzel
160:
The Favorite: #2 Garrett Peppelman, Central Dauphin - ’13 State Runner-Up, ’12 State Champ, Beast of the East Runner-Up (170)
Top Contenders:
Ehrin Lee, Titusville - ’13 State Qualifier
Bobby Fehr, Northampton - ’13 State 6th, Escape The Rock Champ
Austin Bell, Belle Vernon - Powerade 4th, NHSCA Freshman Nationals 3rd
#11 Dom Scalise, Greater Latrobe - Powerade Champ, King of the Mountain 3rd
Chad Reese, Central Mountain - Escape The Rock 3rd, King of the Mountain 4th
Kyle Gentile, Pennridge - Escape The Rock 4th, Beast of the East 8th
Dark Horse: Gregg Harvey, Boyertown - King of the Mountain 7th
Skinny: It is not often that two nationally ranked wrestlers meet in the first round, which is the case with Peppelman and Scalise. Peppelman dropped to 160 to ride off into the sunset as a state champion. Gentile is only a 10th grader and has had a quality season that may turn into a potential semifinal meeting with Peppelman. Austin Bell is another sophomore that will have to navigate through a semifinal match with the prototypical Northmapton-style wrestler Fehr. Fehr knows how to win close matches and that is what it takes to get through the state tournament: finding a way to win at all costs. Don’t sleep on Harvey who is young but has all the skills to make a deep run, too. The first round match between Shannon/Harvey will be one to keep an eye on. Bell continues his hot streak to have a matchup with Peppelman in the state final.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Peppelman 2. Bell 3. Scalise 4. Fehr
170:
The Favorite: #1 Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale - Undefeated, 3x State Champ
Top Contenders:
Kyle Coniker, Pittsburgh CC - Powerade 3rd
John Dambro, Garnet Valley - ’13 State Qualifier
Idris White, Father Judge - Powerade 6th
Cody Seibert, Big Spring - ’13 State Qualifier, Bethlehem Holiday Classic 4th
John Jakobsen, Stroudsburg - King of the Mountain 3rd, Bethlehem Holiday Classic 5th
Noah Wilps, Chartiers Valley - ’13 State 6th, Powerade 2nd
Dark Horse: Rashon Lusane, Norristown - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: This is tournament is Chance Marsteller’s victory lap for his historical scholastic career. Wilps should face Chance in the one semi, but the top-half of the bracket is wide open for a relatively unknown to be Chance’s sacrificial lamb in the final. A first round match that catches attention is White/Seibert. Lusane qualified as a freshman and could give Zdarko a heck of a match in the first round. Coniker has came on strong in his senior year and all his hard work throughout his four years of high school should pay off with a trip to face Marsteller in the final.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Marsteller 2. Coniker 3. Wilps 4. Dambro
182:
The Favorite: #3 Zack Zavatsky, Greater Latrobe - ’13 State 3rd, Powerade Champ, Super 32 Champ
The Contenders:
Kyle Koser, Northern York
Tyree Spearman, McDowell - ’13 State 5th, Powerade 3rd, King of the Mountain 2nd
Alex Price, North Penn - King of the Mountain 4th, ’13 State Qualifier
Nicolino Sevi, Nazareth - ’13 State 8th, Beast of the East 5th
#20 Kellan Stout, Mt. Lebanon - Powerade 2nd, ’13 State Qualifier
Josh Colello, Cedar Cliff - Powerade 6th, Beast of the East 8th
Clay Byerly, North Allegheny
Dark Horse: Trey Hartsock, Mifflin County - King of the Mountain 7th, Powerade 8th
Skinny: If it weren’t for a man by the name of Chance Marsteller, Zavatsky may have been a state finalist last year. That’s how great he is! Koser burst on the scene this year and has an intriguing first round match with Spearman who has grown into a physical specimen after placing last year at 152. Sevi has all the tools to get through a tournament like this, but must first maneuver his way past a quarterfinal match with nationally ranked Stout in the quarter’s. Colello is young and will have to face Zavatsky in the quarter’s, but he has plenty of time to be a state champ one day. Zavatsky will make the final and when all is said and done have a SW region final rematch with Stout to finally get his first title in Hershey.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Zavatsky 2. Stout 3. Spearman 4. Sevi
195:
The Favorite: #14 Tom Sleigh, DuBois - ’13 State 3rd, King of the Mountain Champ, Super 32 5th
Top Contenders:
Jan Johnson, Governor Mifflin - ’13 State 3rd
Zach Smith, North Allegheny - Ironman 4th
Jordan Wertz, Boyertown - Beast of the East 7th, King of the Mountain 3rd
Drew Phipps, Norwin - ’13 State Qualifier, Super 32 4th
#15 Nezar Haddad, Parkland - Escape The Rock Champ, Powerade 2nd, King of the Mountain 2nd
Cole Macek, Montour - ’13 State Qualifier
Jovon Reyes - ’13 State 6th
Dark Horse: Chris Laird, General McLane - ’13 State Qualifier, King of the Mountain 5th
Skinny: Another weight loaded with depth. There are quite possibly seven different guys who can win at 195. Sleigh owns a win over Haddad earlier this season at KOTM by the slimmest of margins, 2-1. Macek comes in undefeated and won a match here last year at 220. Since Montour has a weak in-season schedule it is tough to judge his record, but he beat a very ‘game’ Phipps in the SW region final. Johnson is overlooked on the national scene since he is also a star football player in the Fall. Last year as a sophomore, he finished third at this weight and has a quarterfinal match looming with Sleigh, which could decide who will get into the finals. Miller/Phipps in round one should be a dandy. Phipps is a super sophomore and Miller is a raw talent who stands close to 6 feet 4 inches tall. Johnson makes a name for himself to the entire state and gets college coaches across the country drooling at his potential on the next level after this weekend.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Johnson 2. Haddad 3. Macek 4. Sleigh
220:
The Favorite: #3 Jordan Wood, Boyertown - ’13 State Runner-Up, Beast of the East Champ, Super 32 Champ
Top Contenders:
Omar Haddad, Parkland - Powerade Champ, King of the Mountain 3rd, Escape The Rock 2nd
Bo Spiller, Solanco - Powerade 3rd, Escape The Rock 3rd, Beast of the East 6th
#10 Michael Boykin, Coatsville - ’13 State 3rd
Antonio Pelusi, Lasalle - Super 32 8th, Beast of the East 5th
Jake Gunning, Liberty - Bethlehem Holiday Classic Runner-Up, Super 32 5th
Hunter Hatlee, Wilson - ’13 Sate Qualifier
Tyler Worthing, Kiski Area - Super 32 3rd
Dark Horse: Dylan Davis, Greater Latrobe - Powerade 4th
Skinny: When news spread before the season started that Haines was making the move to heavyweight, Wood became the probative favorite at 220 after his finals appearance last year. Someone forgot to tell Michael Boykin that Jordan Wood was supposed to be a state champion as a sophomore since he handled Wood in the Southeast regional final 5-2 with two takedowns and an escape to Wood’s two escapes. This is a very deep weight class, but the others are going to have to earn their medals in the consolation bracket. Worthing was at 195 all season but made the jump to 220 for the postseason. He will see Wood in the quarterfinal, which is too bad since Worthing might be the third best in this weight. Omar Haddad, the younger brother of Nezar at 195, beat Spiller twice this season and have a potential quarterfinal match. Keep an eye out for Gunning who has developed by leaps and bounds since losing all of his twenty-five matches in a season as a freshman. Hatlee is making his third state appearance and has a tough first round match with Mantsch from Hempfield Area.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Boykin 2. Wood 3. Worthing 4. Gunning
285:
The Favorite: #2 Thomas Haines, Solanco - 3x State Champ, Beast of the East Champ
Top Contenders:
Shane Kuhn, Kiski Area - ’13 State 3rd
Tracey Green, Methacton - ’13 State 6th
Scot Augustine, McDowell - Powerade 2nd, King of the Mountain 3rd
Joey Goodhart, Hempfield - ’13 State Qualifier
Zeynul Zaynullayev, Mt. Lebanon - Powerade 7th
Ryan Monk, Dallas - NE Region Champ
Dark Horse: Sean Snodgrass, Downingtown East - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: The three best in this weight class are all in the top-half of the bracket in Kuhn, Green, and Haines. It is a shame that Kuhn and Green, who may be the second and third best, will square off in the quarterfinal with the winner taking on Haines for a bid into the final. Augustine has had a banner season and is a clear favorite on the other side of the bracket. Goodhart has been in Hershey before and getting experience as an underclassman in a upper weight always pays dividends later in careers. Monk beat Lance in the Northeast regional final and could be a bracket buster into the semifinals looming with Goodhart or Augustine. Haines owns this weight and will close out the 2014 version of the PA state tournament with his fourth championship.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Haines 2. Augustine 3. Kuhn 4. Green
Team Predictions: 1. Franklin Regional 2. Greater Latrobe 3. Nazareth 4. Parkland
By: Corey Haddad, Flo Insider
Dessert is the best part of a meal and is always consumed last. In high school wrestling, the best state in the nation for wrestling finishes their season on the last weekend of the Winter sport schedule.
Ten individuals in this tournament have been state champions, but two weight classes have a pair of returning champs and the beauty of Pennsylvania is that even former state gold medalists are not guaranteed to return on the top of the podium.
Ethan Lizak is a three-time finalist and has won back-to-back titles will have to find a way to get to the final before he gets his third shot at beating Luke Pletcher, a returning champion at 106 last year.
145 features two of the top seniors in America: Joe Galasso and Solomon Chishko. Both have been hampered by injuries at different times during the season. Once again, only one will be a two-time state champ come Saturday evening in “Chocolatetown, USA”.
The biggest storyline is the swan song for Chance Marsteller, who is arguably the most talented wrestler ever to step on a mat from the Keystone state, and his quest to become a four-time, undefeated state champion. Even with the well-reknown depth in PA, it's somewhat of a formality for Marsteller to have another gold medal around his neck. He must make weight and make sure no one tears off a limb.
Then there is Thomas Haines. He is also aiming for his fourth state championship. Haines will go down as the most decorated upper weight competitor in the state’s history.
The reason Pennsylvania is the best is due to the depth of the tournament. Returning champions are guaranteed to not earn consecutive titles, but the battles in the consolations are more heated than most other state’s championship finals. The blood, sweat, and tears are worth it to have the honor of being called a Pennsylvania State Champion.
On to the weight class breakdowns...
106:
The Favorite: #3 Devin Brown, Franklin Regional - ’13 2A State Champ, Powerade Champ
Top Contenders:
#2 Gage Curry, North Hills - ’13 State 4th, Super 32 Runner-Up
Charlie Lenox, McDowell - Powerade 4th (113), King of the Mountain 2nd (113)
Kordell Rush, Pennridge - Escape The Rock 4th, Cadet Freestyle Nationals 6th
Brett Kulp, Exeter
Connor Sheehan, Solanco - ’13 State Runner-Up, Powerade Runner-Up, Beast of the East 6th (113)
Dan Moran, Northampton - Escape The Rock 2nd
Dark Horse: Tyson Klump, Nazareth
Skinny: Brown was the 2A champion for Saegertown last season and looks to win again at the same weight, but this time in the big school division for Franklin Regional. The top-half of the bracket has one potential quarterfinal bout between Lenox and the winner of Curry/Sheehan. Sheehan, a senior, is returning finalist at this weight and has had a mediocre by the standards of a state silver medalist. Moran beat Sheehan at Escape The Rock in the semifinal and was handled easily by Brown 12-3 in the Powerade final. For third place at the tournament, Sheehan did beat SE region champ Rush 4-1. Lenox went two and out last year at this weight, but gave only lost 9-3 to Brown at the state duals. Klump was at 112 until he dropped for the postseason and though his record is deceiving, he is long and is difficult to score on, which will create trouble for his opposition. Curry lost his first match in Hershey last season and came back to win four matches in the consolations before placing fourth. The SW region final between Curry and Brown was 2-1 match won by Brown and expect that to be the final match at this weight on Saturday evening. This should be a one score bout and whoever gets a takedown will be your champion since both are terrific with their riding ability.
Corey’s Picks 1. Brown 2. Curry 3. Lennox 4. Moran
113:
The Favorite: #1 Spener Lee, Franklin Regional - Ironman Champ, Powerade Champ, FILA Cadet Freestyle Champ
Top Contenders:
Jacob Lizak, Parkland - Cadet Freestyle Nationals 4th, Powerade 3rd (106)
Dylan Chatterton, Central York - ’13 State 5th
Tyshawn White, Central Dauphin - Beast of the East 3rd
Joe Wheeling, General McLane - King of the Mountain Champ
Derek Gulotta, Owen J Roberts - ’13 State 8th
Mike Scheetz, Northampton - ’13 State 7th, Bethlehem Holiday Class Champ
Dark Horse: Ryan Hayes, Spring Ford
Skinny: This weight begins and ends with Spencer Lee. He has dominated every one this season and before you can blink he will have his opponent on their back earning a fall. With Lee in the top-half of the bracket , the others will be competing for third and the bottom-half winner will be pleased to just be in the final. Gulotta placed eighth at this weight last year and could very well be in the semifinal with Wheeling, who has had a tremendous season. Wheeling went 1-2 at 106 in 2013. Chatterton was third in the SC region and is a returning fifth place finisher at 106 after making the semifinal. He is a pinner and can reel off a bunch of wins to place high this weekend. Lizak has a win over Gulotta at Escape The Rock in the third place match. White finished third at Beast of the East after losing in the quarter’s and beat some highly regarded national competitors to do so.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Lee 2. Wheeling 3. White 4. Chatterton
120:
The Favorite: #2 Luke Pletcher, Greater Latrobe - ’13 State Champ, Powerade Champ, Super 32 Champion
Top Contenders:
#6 Ethan Lizak, Parkland - 2x State Champ, FILA Junior Freestyle World Team
#5 Scott Parker, Pennridge - ’13 State 3rd, Escape The Rock 2nd
Tyrone Klump, Nazareth - ’13 State 3rd
#9 Jake Gromacki, Catheral Prep - ’13 State 4th, FloNationals 4th
Michael Marino, Garnet Valley - ’13 State 6th
Dark Horse: Zach Ulerick, Middletown - ’12 State 6th
Skinny: The meat grinder weight class of the tournament. It may not just be the best weight class in the state but in any state in the entire country! Four, count ‘em four, top-ten nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class. The first potential quarter to watch for is Klump/Gromacki in the top-half of the bracket with the winner getting Pletcher, who has won everything he has competed in this season. Parker beat Lizak at Escape The Rock and Pletcher beat Lizak twice this year at KOTM and Powerade. Ulerick is a dangerous matchup for Parker in the first round. Think about these potential semifinals: Gromacki/Pletcher and Parker/Lizak…wow! Pletcher is just so hard to score on and has a great arsenal of moves from neutral that will earn him his second state championship over Lizak finishing off the sweep for Pletcher.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Pletcher 2. Lizak 3. Parker 4. Gromacki
126:
The Favorite: #1 Sam Krivus, Hempfield - ’13 State Champ, Super 32 Champ (132), Powerade Runner-Up (132)
Top Contenders:
Zach Valley, Northampton - ’13 State 4th, Escape The Rock 3rd, Beast 7th (132)
Shae Bloom, DuBois - King of the Mountain 6th
Rodney Sunday, Dallastown - ’13 State 5th, Escape The Rock 4th
#9 Dalton Macri, Canon McMillan - ’13 State 2nd, Ironman 3rd, Powerade Champ
Ben Ross, Pennridge - ’13 State 5th, Beast of the East 4th, Escape The Rock 5th
A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg - ’13 State 6th, Beast of the East 3rd, Powerade 3rd
Dark Horse: DJ Fehlman, Warren - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: Macri has been on a tear this season and it continued with his regional final win over Krivus. Sam Krivus dropped from 132 to get away from Tyler Smith, who beat him in both of their meetings in the regular season. Rodney Sunday will be a great match for Krivus in the quarter and Zach Valley should face Krivus in the semi of the top-half of the bracket. Ross/Headlee is round one looks captivating but Headlee is on a roll after beating out Dom Forys for the third spot out of the WPIAL. Expect an all district 7 semi between Macri and A.C. Headlee. Krivus lost his first match in Hershey as a freshman and has not lost since that. Krivus and Macri will meet again in the final with Krivus staying in great position and not getting off balance to keep Macri at bay and win his second title.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Krivus 2. Macri 3. Headlee 4. Valley
132:
The Favorite: #2 Tyler Smith, Franklin Regional - ’13 State Champ, Powerade Champ
Top Contenders:
Matthew Grossmann, Manheim Twp. - ’12 State Runner-Up
#12 Chase Zemenak, Nazareth - ’13 State 6th, Beast of the East 5th, Super 32 5th
Alex Wolfe, Cumberland Valley - Beast of the East 8th (138)
Cameron Coy, Penn Trafford - King of the Mountain Runner-Up, Powerade 3rd
Zach Elvin, Central Dauphin - ’13 State 6th, Beast of the East 4th
Ty Buckiso, Peters Township - Powerade 7th
Dark Horse: Trevor Corl, Bellefonte - King of the Mountain 6th, ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: The potential quarter in the top-half between Smith/Zemenak will be a rematch of a state duals bout that was won by Smith 1-0. Coy upset Smith in the SW region final, but Smith took all the shots in that one and Coy scored off counters. The freshman Coy is dangerous from the top position and will ride his opponents like Seabiscuit. Elvin jumped from 106 to 132 this season and has had a stellar season to date. Buckiso is a dangerous matchup for Elvin in the quarters. On the top-half, Grossmann was a state 2nd as a sophomore and will a tough out for any opponent in the first two rounds. Corl/Grossmann in the first round is going to be one of the best and is what makes the tournament so special. Smith will step his game up for this three-day span to earn back-to-back state championships and beat Coy when it counts in the final match wearing the navy blue and gold singlet for the Panthers of Franklin Regional.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Smith 2. Coy 3. Zemenak 4. Grossmann
138:
The Favorite: #2 Michael Kemerer, Franklin Regional - ’13 State Runner-Up, Ironman Runner-Up, Powerade Champ
Top Contenders:
#3 Vincenzo Joseph, Pittsburgh CC - ’13 State 3rd, Ironman 4th (145), Powerade Runner-Up
#8 Pat Duggan, Cumberland Valley - ’13 State Runner-Up
Joey Alessandro, Hempfield Area - King of the Mountain 3rd, Powerade 5th
Jimmy Saylor, Easton - NHSCA Freshman Nationals Runner-Up
Hayden Hidlay - Powerade 4th, King of the Mountain Champ, Cadet Freestyle Nationals Runner-Up
Colby Ems - East Stroudsburg South - ’13 State Qualifier
Cortlandt Schuyler, Manheim Twp. - Beast of the East Runner-Up, Escape The Rock Runner-Up
Dark Horse: Kaleb Young, Punxsutawney - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: Kemerer has finished second in too many tournaments over the last two years and this is his year to be on top of the podium, but it won’t be an easy road. He is built for a tournament like this with his in-your-face style to grind out victories against high-quality invidiuals. Schuyler/Ems in the quarters has potential to be a great match. Hidlay was double-Fargo finalist last summer and should face Kemerer in the quarterfinal. Schuyler faced the nation’s #1 138 Joey McKenna twice this season, so he is battle tested. Saylor vs. Young in round one features two of the best sophomores in the state. Saylor is a pinner and Young likes the Iowa-style where he controls the ties and is heavy on the head. That is a match to watch for sure. Duggan is a favorite to face Joseph in the semifinal, though he has a tough match with Alessandro in the first round. Joseph is a dynamo and his match with Duggan will feature two, top-ten nationally ranked wrestlers. This weight class is stacked! Not like that is anything new for the PA state tournament. Kemerer gets his gold medal in a close match versus Duggan.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Kemerer 2. Duggan 3. Joseph 4. Schuyler
145:
The Favorites: #7 Solomon Chishko, Canon McMillan - ’13 State Champ
Top Contenders:
#4 Joe Galasso, Father Judge - ’13 State Champ
Francesco Fabozzi, Central Bucks East - ’13 State 5th
Josh Maruca, Franklin Regional - ’13 State 5th, Powerade Runner-Up
Chad Wickard, Big Spring - ’13 State 7th
Max Good, Cedar Cliff - ’12 State Qualifier, Beast of the East 6th, Powerade 4th
Dark Horse: Charles Sell, Bangor
Skinny: Two retuning state champions lead the pack at 145. Kudos to Chishko and Galasso for relishing the opportunity to face off in the state final with one getting their second title. The Maruca/Wickard first round match features state place winners with the winner getting Galasso in the quarter. Fabozzi made a name for himself at last year’s state tournament and would hit Galasso in the semifinal. Max Good was heralded coming into high school and is now a senior that will likely face the winner of Sell/Verkleeren in another quarter.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Galasso 2. Chishko 3. Maruca 4. Good
152:
The Favorite: #4 TC Warner, Cumberland Valley - ’13 State Runner-Up, Beast of the East Runner-Up (160)
Top Contenders:
Elijah Brown, Easton - Manheim Holiday Tournament Champ
D.J. Hollingshead, Altoona - Powerade 3rd, Cadet Freestyle Nationals 5th
Jake Shaffer, Greater Latrobe - Powerade 4th, ’13 State Qualifier
Mike Springer, Norristown - ’12 State 8th, Beast of the East 8th, Escape The Rock 3rd
Tyler Tarsi, Nazareth - Beast of the East 4th, ’13 State Qualifier
Mason Bentzel, Spring Grove - ’13 State 7th, King of the Mountain 2nd
#10 Josh Shields, Franklin Regional - ’13 State 3rd, Powerade Champ, Ironman 6th
Josh Ortman - Parkland - ’13 State 8th, King of the Mountain 7th
Dark Horse: Noah Stweart, Mifflin County - Powerade 7th, King of the Mountain 4th
Skinny: It is time for Warner to get his first state gold. He is a two-time runner-up and is strong favorite. Brown is explosive and can score at anytime, so if Warner wants his gold, he will have to earn it the hard way by possibly beating two regional champs in Brown and Hollingshead, who has really come on since his strong performance in Fargo. The bottom-half has two great first round matches with Tarsi/Springer and Bentzel/Stewart where the winners of those will face off to get in the semifinal versus Shields, who is looking for his elusive first state finals match. Ortman is a great mat wrestler who uses fancy top moves to score points galore. In the end, the two, top ten nationally ranked guys will hit each other in the championship bout and Warner gets his hand raised in the end.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Warner 2. Shields 3. Hollingshead 4. Bentzel
160:
The Favorite: #2 Garrett Peppelman, Central Dauphin - ’13 State Runner-Up, ’12 State Champ, Beast of the East Runner-Up (170)
Top Contenders:
Ehrin Lee, Titusville - ’13 State Qualifier
Bobby Fehr, Northampton - ’13 State 6th, Escape The Rock Champ
Austin Bell, Belle Vernon - Powerade 4th, NHSCA Freshman Nationals 3rd
#11 Dom Scalise, Greater Latrobe - Powerade Champ, King of the Mountain 3rd
Chad Reese, Central Mountain - Escape The Rock 3rd, King of the Mountain 4th
Kyle Gentile, Pennridge - Escape The Rock 4th, Beast of the East 8th
Dark Horse: Gregg Harvey, Boyertown - King of the Mountain 7th
Skinny: It is not often that two nationally ranked wrestlers meet in the first round, which is the case with Peppelman and Scalise. Peppelman dropped to 160 to ride off into the sunset as a state champion. Gentile is only a 10th grader and has had a quality season that may turn into a potential semifinal meeting with Peppelman. Austin Bell is another sophomore that will have to navigate through a semifinal match with the prototypical Northmapton-style wrestler Fehr. Fehr knows how to win close matches and that is what it takes to get through the state tournament: finding a way to win at all costs. Don’t sleep on Harvey who is young but has all the skills to make a deep run, too. The first round match between Shannon/Harvey will be one to keep an eye on. Bell continues his hot streak to have a matchup with Peppelman in the state final.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Peppelman 2. Bell 3. Scalise 4. Fehr
170:
The Favorite: #1 Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale - Undefeated, 3x State Champ
Top Contenders:
Kyle Coniker, Pittsburgh CC - Powerade 3rd
John Dambro, Garnet Valley - ’13 State Qualifier
Idris White, Father Judge - Powerade 6th
Cody Seibert, Big Spring - ’13 State Qualifier, Bethlehem Holiday Classic 4th
John Jakobsen, Stroudsburg - King of the Mountain 3rd, Bethlehem Holiday Classic 5th
Noah Wilps, Chartiers Valley - ’13 State 6th, Powerade 2nd
Dark Horse: Rashon Lusane, Norristown - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: This is tournament is Chance Marsteller’s victory lap for his historical scholastic career. Wilps should face Chance in the one semi, but the top-half of the bracket is wide open for a relatively unknown to be Chance’s sacrificial lamb in the final. A first round match that catches attention is White/Seibert. Lusane qualified as a freshman and could give Zdarko a heck of a match in the first round. Coniker has came on strong in his senior year and all his hard work throughout his four years of high school should pay off with a trip to face Marsteller in the final.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Marsteller 2. Coniker 3. Wilps 4. Dambro
182:
The Favorite: #3 Zack Zavatsky, Greater Latrobe - ’13 State 3rd, Powerade Champ, Super 32 Champ
The Contenders:
Kyle Koser, Northern York
Tyree Spearman, McDowell - ’13 State 5th, Powerade 3rd, King of the Mountain 2nd
Alex Price, North Penn - King of the Mountain 4th, ’13 State Qualifier
Nicolino Sevi, Nazareth - ’13 State 8th, Beast of the East 5th
#20 Kellan Stout, Mt. Lebanon - Powerade 2nd, ’13 State Qualifier
Josh Colello, Cedar Cliff - Powerade 6th, Beast of the East 8th
Clay Byerly, North Allegheny
Dark Horse: Trey Hartsock, Mifflin County - King of the Mountain 7th, Powerade 8th
Skinny: If it weren’t for a man by the name of Chance Marsteller, Zavatsky may have been a state finalist last year. That’s how great he is! Koser burst on the scene this year and has an intriguing first round match with Spearman who has grown into a physical specimen after placing last year at 152. Sevi has all the tools to get through a tournament like this, but must first maneuver his way past a quarterfinal match with nationally ranked Stout in the quarter’s. Colello is young and will have to face Zavatsky in the quarter’s, but he has plenty of time to be a state champ one day. Zavatsky will make the final and when all is said and done have a SW region final rematch with Stout to finally get his first title in Hershey.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Zavatsky 2. Stout 3. Spearman 4. Sevi
195:
The Favorite: #14 Tom Sleigh, DuBois - ’13 State 3rd, King of the Mountain Champ, Super 32 5th
Top Contenders:
Jan Johnson, Governor Mifflin - ’13 State 3rd
Zach Smith, North Allegheny - Ironman 4th
Jordan Wertz, Boyertown - Beast of the East 7th, King of the Mountain 3rd
Drew Phipps, Norwin - ’13 State Qualifier, Super 32 4th
#15 Nezar Haddad, Parkland - Escape The Rock Champ, Powerade 2nd, King of the Mountain 2nd
Cole Macek, Montour - ’13 State Qualifier
Jovon Reyes - ’13 State 6th
Dark Horse: Chris Laird, General McLane - ’13 State Qualifier, King of the Mountain 5th
Skinny: Another weight loaded with depth. There are quite possibly seven different guys who can win at 195. Sleigh owns a win over Haddad earlier this season at KOTM by the slimmest of margins, 2-1. Macek comes in undefeated and won a match here last year at 220. Since Montour has a weak in-season schedule it is tough to judge his record, but he beat a very ‘game’ Phipps in the SW region final. Johnson is overlooked on the national scene since he is also a star football player in the Fall. Last year as a sophomore, he finished third at this weight and has a quarterfinal match looming with Sleigh, which could decide who will get into the finals. Miller/Phipps in round one should be a dandy. Phipps is a super sophomore and Miller is a raw talent who stands close to 6 feet 4 inches tall. Johnson makes a name for himself to the entire state and gets college coaches across the country drooling at his potential on the next level after this weekend.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Johnson 2. Haddad 3. Macek 4. Sleigh
220:
The Favorite: #3 Jordan Wood, Boyertown - ’13 State Runner-Up, Beast of the East Champ, Super 32 Champ
Top Contenders:
Omar Haddad, Parkland - Powerade Champ, King of the Mountain 3rd, Escape The Rock 2nd
Bo Spiller, Solanco - Powerade 3rd, Escape The Rock 3rd, Beast of the East 6th
#10 Michael Boykin, Coatsville - ’13 State 3rd
Antonio Pelusi, Lasalle - Super 32 8th, Beast of the East 5th
Jake Gunning, Liberty - Bethlehem Holiday Classic Runner-Up, Super 32 5th
Hunter Hatlee, Wilson - ’13 Sate Qualifier
Tyler Worthing, Kiski Area - Super 32 3rd
Dark Horse: Dylan Davis, Greater Latrobe - Powerade 4th
Skinny: When news spread before the season started that Haines was making the move to heavyweight, Wood became the probative favorite at 220 after his finals appearance last year. Someone forgot to tell Michael Boykin that Jordan Wood was supposed to be a state champion as a sophomore since he handled Wood in the Southeast regional final 5-2 with two takedowns and an escape to Wood’s two escapes. This is a very deep weight class, but the others are going to have to earn their medals in the consolation bracket. Worthing was at 195 all season but made the jump to 220 for the postseason. He will see Wood in the quarterfinal, which is too bad since Worthing might be the third best in this weight. Omar Haddad, the younger brother of Nezar at 195, beat Spiller twice this season and have a potential quarterfinal match. Keep an eye out for Gunning who has developed by leaps and bounds since losing all of his twenty-five matches in a season as a freshman. Hatlee is making his third state appearance and has a tough first round match with Mantsch from Hempfield Area.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Boykin 2. Wood 3. Worthing 4. Gunning
285:
The Favorite: #2 Thomas Haines, Solanco - 3x State Champ, Beast of the East Champ
Top Contenders:
Shane Kuhn, Kiski Area - ’13 State 3rd
Tracey Green, Methacton - ’13 State 6th
Scot Augustine, McDowell - Powerade 2nd, King of the Mountain 3rd
Joey Goodhart, Hempfield - ’13 State Qualifier
Zeynul Zaynullayev, Mt. Lebanon - Powerade 7th
Ryan Monk, Dallas - NE Region Champ
Dark Horse: Sean Snodgrass, Downingtown East - ’13 State Qualifier
Skinny: The three best in this weight class are all in the top-half of the bracket in Kuhn, Green, and Haines. It is a shame that Kuhn and Green, who may be the second and third best, will square off in the quarterfinal with the winner taking on Haines for a bid into the final. Augustine has had a banner season and is a clear favorite on the other side of the bracket. Goodhart has been in Hershey before and getting experience as an underclassman in a upper weight always pays dividends later in careers. Monk beat Lance in the Northeast regional final and could be a bracket buster into the semifinals looming with Goodhart or Augustine. Haines owns this weight and will close out the 2014 version of the PA state tournament with his fourth championship.
Corey’s Picks: 1. Haines 2. Augustine 3. Kuhn 4. Green
Team Predictions: 1. Franklin Regional 2. Greater Latrobe 3. Nazareth 4. Parkland
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