2022 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championship

2022 PIAA AA Lightweight Preview

Preview of the light weights in AA at the 2022 PIAA State Wrestling Championships.

Mar 9, 2022 by Brock Hite

The PIAA Championships return to FloWrestling March 10-12. All bouts will be streamed live starting with AA on Thursday morning at 9am EST. This four part series will preview each bracket for lightweights (106-138) and heavyweights (145-285) on both the AA and AAA side. AA release will be followed by AAA. Check into the event hub for all written and video content.

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106

Returning Qualifiers:

#4 Parker Sentipal, 10th, Burgettstown

Returning Medalists:

#1 Louie Gill, 10th, Hickory 1st 106

#3 Ayden Smith, 10th, Notre Dame-GP 4th 106

Top Bracket:

Returning state champion Louie Gill (Hickory) is the top seed. He is rewarded with the toughest path possible as Ayden Smith (NDGP) finished second in the Southeast Region. Smith and Gill wrestled in the quarters a year ago and Gill was able to score nearfall in the third period to win 2-0. They also squared off in the Powerade final this past December. Gill scored a last second takedown to win the bout, 6-4, at the buzzer. This will be an outstanding match that pits Smith’s misdirection leg attacks against Louie Gill’s superior scrambling abilities. History is heavily in favor of Gill in this rivalry, but I’m going to get wild with the predictions right away and take Smith in a mild upset. Only two of the last seven freshmen champions have been successful winning their sophomore season. Wentzel and Steen returned to 106 in AA and both finished third after winning the title.

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The bottom quarter in the half is filled with talented freshmen that are probably just outside of the top tier at the weight. Cole Hubert (Saucon Valley) has cement capabilities as almost all Saucon Valley wrestlers do. He pinned Smith at the Beast of the East, but Smith has had a commanding advantage in the series since that December meeting. Colton Wade (Sullivan County) is the regional champion in the quarter. Whoever comes out will have an uphill battle in the semis.

Bottom Bracket:

The bottom half looks like a semifinal showdown between Aaron Seidel (Northern Lebanon) and Parker Sentipal (Burgettstown). Seidel’s only loss is to nationally ranked Anthony Mutarelli (Malvern Prep). Seidel has hardware from Fargo and isn’t talked about nearly enough. I confidently have Seidel in this half.

Prediction:

#2 Aaron Seidel (Northern Lebanon) over #3 Ayden Smith (NDGP)

2021 Results:

1st Louie Gill (Hickory) DEC Cooper Hornack (Burrell), 6-2

3rd Branden Wentzel (Montoursville) DEC Ayden Smith (Notre Dame Green Pond), 8-4

5th Hunter Robison (Saegertown) DEC Landon Bainey (West Branch), 3-1

7th Chase Burke (Benton) DEC Steven Harris (Conwell Egan), 4-2

113

Returning Qualifiers:

#10 Lucas Fye, 10th, Bald Eagle Area

Jack Kazalas, 10th, Quaker Valley

#9 Mason McLendon, 11th, Susquenita

Returning Medalists:

#1 Gavin Bradley, 12th, Athens 2nd 113

#2 Brandon Wentzel, 11th, Montoursville 3rd 106

#4 Hunter Robison, 12th, Saegertown 5th 106

#5 Landon Bainey, 10th, West Branch 6th 106

#6 Deven Jackson, 12th, West Perry 4th 106(2020)

This is by far my favorite AA weight class. You could pick no less than five guys to win the weight class and I could give you a handful of reasons why I like your pick.

Top Bracket:

The regional champions in this half bring the star power. Gavin Bradley (Athens) is a returning runner-up and three-time placewinner, that has split matches with Brandon Wentzel (Montoursville). He has been through this exact scenario as he dropped the rubber match to Jaden Pepe (Wyoming Area) in the finals a season ago. There is a lot of work to be done in order for the district 4 grapplers to get their rubber match.

Gauge Botero (Faith Christian Academy) is a super freshman. He has six losses on the season, but has wrestled a national schedule that has him battle tested. He did drop a close bout to Wentzel at Powerade. Botero has wrestled one point bouts against Marc Anthony McGowan and Anthony Knox to give the national audience a little perspective.

I don’t want to be dismissive of the other wrestlers in this half, but this potential semifinal is so intriguing to me. The styles are a huge clash and Bradley will bring a division I level of physicality to the match. I will take Botero’s finesse to survive this half.

Bottom Bracket:

The top bracket has a good story line, you could write a book about this half. Hunter Robison (Saegertown) was a state qualifier at General McLane before being ruled ineligible at Quaker Valley after a mid-season move his sophomore season. Robison is settled in at Saegertown and finished fifth a season ago. In the consolation semifinals he was defeated by Wentzel in sudden victory. They have a potential quarterfinal meeting this year.

Wentzel has his own story winning a state title as a freshman before dropping his opening match in the altered covid format. Wentzel battled through the backside to finish third. I already mentioned he’s looking to get the rubber-match with Bradley.

The bottom quarter houses Deven Jackson (West Perry) and Landon Bainey (West Branch). Jackson is a double amputee that overcame those complications from bacterial meningitis. He’s not a feel good story, he’s here to win. He finished fourth in 2020 and missed the 2021 postseason battling an infection. Jackson is 31-3 on the season, dropping the regional final to Botero and two early season, one point, losses to two wrestlers in the AAA field.

Bainey was sixth in the deep 106lb weight class as a freshman. Bainey has just one loss this season and has the tools to compete for a title.

I think the cliffnotes are enough for you to understand why I like this weight class so much. It's a prognosticator's nightmare, but a fan’s dream.

Prediction:

#2 Brandon Wentzel (Montoursville) over #3 Gauge Botero (Faith Christian)

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2021 Results:

1st Jaden Pepe (Wyoming Area) DEC Gavin Bradley (Athens), 3-2

3rd Chris Vargo (Bentworth) DEC Coen Bainey (Bald Eagle Area), 2-0 SV

5th Bryce Beatty (Mount Union) DEC Robert Gardner (South Williamsport), 8-7 TB2

7th Adam Schweitzer (Notre Dame Green Pond) F Justin O'neil (Hickory), 1:19

120

Returning Qualifiers:

Chase Bell, 10th, Reynolds

Jacob Deysher, 11th, Brandywine Heights

Hunter Gould, 10th, Conneaut Area

Eric Howe, 12th, Lancaster Catholic

#7 Brock Weiss, 10th, Jersey Shore

Returning Medalists:

#1 Jaden Pepe, 11th, Wyoming Area 1st 113

#4 Cooper Hornack, 10th, Burrell 2nd 106

#2 Chris Vargo, 10th, Bentworth 3rd 113

#3 Coen Bainey, 11th, Bald Eagle Area 4th 113

#8 Chase Burke, 11th, Benton 7th 106

#5 Adam Schweitzer, 12th, Notre Dame-GP 7th 113

#6 Ross Dull, 12th, Chestnut Ridge 7th 126

With seven returning medalists in the field, this is the most credentialed AA weight.

Top Bracket:

Returning champion Jaden Pepe (Wyoming Area) is the favorite in this half. Being the top seed is supposed to align the bracket in your favor, this is the second weight class we’ve seen the top seed have the bracket set up the path of most resistance. Returning runner-up Cooper Hornack (Burrell) should be waiting for Pepe in the quarters and a potential semifinal with returning medalist Coen Bainey (BEA) also appears to be probable. Not exactly the path you envision the top seed having to take.

Bottom Bracket:

Four returning medalists are on this side with two distributed in each quarter. Regional champions Adam Schweitzer (NDGP) and Chris Vargo (Bentworth) will both be tested. Ross Dull (Chestnut Ridge) is down a weight from a year ago when he finished seventh. He only finished fourth in the southwest region as three of the other returning medalists are out of the Southwest Region. This sets up an expected Dull vs Schweitzer round of 16 match. Vargo is the favorite in his quarter, but Chase Burke (Benton) should provide a stiff test in the quarters.

Prediction:

#1 Jaden Pepe (Wyoming Area) over #2 Chris Vargo (Bentworth)

2021 Results:

1st Brett Ungar (Notre Dame Green Pond) F Mason Gibson (Bishop McCort), 4:12

3rd Gary Steen (Reynolds) MD Owen Reinsel (Brookville), 9-0

5th Mason Barvitskie (Southern Columbia) DEC Jo jo Przybycien (Fort LeBoeuf), 3-2 UTB

7th Ethan Kolb (Benton) DEC Parker Davidson (Hamburg), 5-0

126

Returning Qualifiers:

Eli Bounds, 11th, Boiling Springs

Dylan Bruce, 12th, Elizabeth Forward

#7 Trevor Husick, 12th, Tussey Mountain

#8 Mark Palmer, 12th, Brockway (2019)

Dillon Reinert, 12th, Brandywine Heights

#5 Charlie Robson, 10th, Conwell-Egan

Gaven Suica, 10th, Burgettstown

Returning Medalists:

#1 Scott Johnson, 11th, Muncy 2nd 126

#3 Robert Gardner, 12th, South Williamsport 6th 113

#10 JoJo Przybycien, 10th, Fort LeBoeuf 6th 120

Top Bracket:

Returning runner-up Scott Johnson (Muncy) enters as a solid favorite in the bracket. The bottom quarter is intriguing. Faith Christian has a slew of tough freshmen and Chase Hontz (Faith Christian Academy) represents them here as the Southeast Regional Champion. He could face JoJo Przybycien (Fort Leboeuf) in the quarter finals.

Bottom Bracket:

The power at this weight lies in District 4. Robert Gardner (South Williamsport) is a returning medalist, and has split matches with Kaden Milheim (Warrior Run). They have played second and third fiddle to Johnson throughout the postseason. I wouldn’t be surprised if that plays out in Hershey. Trying to spoil the bottom bracket is Mark Palmer (Brockway). He won the Northwest Region over Przybycien and has to be taken as a serious threat.

Prediction:

#1 Scott Johnson (Muncy) over #3 Robert Gardner (South Williamsport)

2021 Results:

1st Joey Fischer (South Park) DEC Scott Johnson (Muncy), 3-2

3rd Gable Strickland (Benton) DEC Gabe Gramly (Mifflinburg), 2-1 UTB

5th Chase Mclaughlin (Greenville) DEC Connor Saylor (Hickory), 3-1

7th Ross Dull (Chestnut Ridge) F Nolen Zeigler (West Perry), 4:41

132

Returning Qualifiers:

Dominic Caldwell, 12th, Susquenita

#10 Christian Doi, 12th, Camp Hill

#4 Joey Sentipal, 11th, Burgettstown

Returning Medalists:

#1 Brandan Chletsos, 12th, Notre Dame-GP 2nd 132

#2 Owen Reinsel, 12th, Brookville 4th 120

#8 Mason Barvitskie, 10th, Southern Columbia 5th 120

#7 Ethan Kolb, 11th, Benton 7th 120

#5 Conner Heckman, 11th, Midd-West 7th 132

#6 Kyle McCollum, 12th, Beth-Center 8th 132

#3 Calan Bollman, 11th, Chestnut Ridge 2nd 106 (2020)

Parity across the bracket makes this very interesting from a fans perspective. Right from the round of 16 there are toss-up matches.

Top Bracket:

Owen Reinsel (Brookville) is the top seed looking for a title in his fourth appearance after two fourth place finishes. Each of the quarters in the top could feature a former medalist with Reinsel vs Ethan Kolb (Benton) and Mason Barvitskie(Southern Columbia) vs Calan Bollman (Chestnut Ridge). Reinsel has beaten each of the former medalists on this half at some point in his career. I think he comes out of this half.

Bottom Bracket:

Conner Heckman (MIdd-West) and Brandan Chletsos (NDGP) appear to be on a collision course on the bottom half. Chletsos defeated Heckman in the East Super Region a year ago. I like that to be the semifinal and will take Chletsos again.

Prediction:

#2 Owen Reinsel (Brookville) over #1 Brandan Chletsos (NDGP)

2021 Results:

1st Jackson Arrington (Forest Hills) DEC Brandan Chletsos (Notre Dame Green Pond), 10-3

3rd Zack Witmer (St. Joseph's Catholic) DEC Connor Pierce (Harbor Creek), 4-0

5th Kaiden Wagner (Lewisburg) DEC Cade Wirnsberger (Meadowbrook Christian), 4-2 SV

7th Conner Heckman (Midd-West) DEC Kyle Mccollum (Beth-Center), 1-0

138

Returning Qualifiers:

Brayden Kunselman, 11th, Brookville (2020)

Jamison Poklembo, 10th, Mount Pleasant

#10 Easton Toth, 12th, Forest Hills

Cody Wagner, 10th, Faith Christian Academy

Returning Medalists:

#2 Connor Pierce, 12th, Harbor Creek 4th 132

#5 Connor Sayler, 11th, Hickory 6th 126

#4 Cade Wirnsberger, 11th, Meadowbrook Christian 6th 132

#1 Ryan Crookham, 12th, Saucon Valley 1st 2x (19 &20)

#8 Kole Biscoe, 12th, Southern Columbia 2nd 113 (2019)

Ryan Crookham (Saucon Valley) returned for the state duals after missing the better part of two seasons with various injuries. He lands as the third seeded regional champion bc of missing the postseason a year ago. Make no mistake, the two-time champion is wrestling well and the man to beat.

Top Bracket:

Undefeated Connor Pierce (Harbor Creek) is the favorite in this half. He’s looking to add a fourth medal to his collection. Cameron Milheim (Warrior Run) is the biggest threat to Pierce. Milheim has split with Wirnsberger this season and has only lost to wrestlers qualifying for the state tournament. Kole Biscoe (Southern Columbia) has been slowed by injuries, but has a skillset that makes him a dangerous matchup.

Bottom Bracket:

Crookham will come out of the top quarter, but that's not the only intriguing part of the quarter. Anthony Evanitsky (Wyoming Area) and Connor Saylor (Hickory) is a fantastic round of 16 match-up. Cade Wirnsberger (Meadowbrook Christian) and Easton Toth (Forest Hills) add a wealth of experience in the bottom quarter.