It’s the second weekend in March, which means only one thing if you’re a Pennsylvania resident and a fan of wrestling.
Yessir, they’re cranking it up at the Giant Center this weekend for the PIAA Wrestling Championships, and it’s nirvana for the fans of the second most popular sport in the Commonwealth.
For those who want to follow the bouncing ball, knock yourselves out.
But for the next three days the only thing bouncing at the Giant Center will be the odd body part of a heavyweight or two.
Beginning Thursday and continuing through Saturday evening, the only thing on the minds of those flocking to Chocolate Town is who will come home Saturday evening in possession of a state medal.
Locally, 13 wrestlers will be dueling over the weekend with the hopes of hitting home with something more than a bag full of Hershey bars.
But to what degree will they be successful?
Let’s take a look:
106
Local Wrestler: Tyler Williams (fr., Souderton, 29-3)
First Match: Jobe Chishko (30-2, Penn-Trafford).
Chances of Medaling: 2 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: It’s not impossible for Williams to come home with a medal, although Nazareth’s Tyson Klump is a returning champ and Geo Barzona of Central Mountain has a lot of momentum coming in, having won the Southwest Region. Chishko is a state returnee, although he came up short of a medal a season ago. Williams’ chances of medaling will likely hinge on his opening match. A win over Chishko means a boost in confidence, and maybe a reserved spot on the victory podium.
113
Local Wrestler: Matt Parker (jr., Pennridge, 42-3)
First Match: Winner of pigtail match between Luke Werner (40-9) of Liberty and Michael Cassidy (22-13) of Cedar Cliff.
Chances of Medaling: 4 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: Only a monumental upset will prevent Parker from earning his second state medal in as many years. Don’t be fooled, 113 is one of the top weight classes in the tournament. But Parker has shown enough skill and moxie over the past month to almost guarantee something around his neck come Saturday night. An early match against unbeaten state favorite Gage Curry of North Hills will pretty much determine how high on the podium Parker is standing late Saturday.
126
Local Wrestler: Kordell Rush (sr., Pennridge, 37-6).
First Match: Chandler Olsen (34-2, Shippensburg).
Chances of Medaling: 3 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: Rush hit a tough bump in the road a weekend ago when he fell in the regional semis to Boyertown’s Lucas Miller. The plus is, he’s now bracketed away from state favorite Tyshawn White, an unbeaten beast from Central Dauphin. The negative is, he’ll likely hit Bethlehem Catholic’s Luke Karam, a favorite to reach the finals, in the quarters.
132
Local Wrestler: Ryan Vulakh (fr., 38-4, North Penn).
First Match: Andrew Wert (38-10, Central Dauphin)
Chances of Medaling: 3 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: Vulakh has been enjoying a brilliant freshman season, but freshmen have been known to melt under the bright lights of the Giant Center. Vulakh, however, showed plenty of gumption in his two losses to state favorite Zack Trampe of Council Rock South over the last two weekends. While bracketed away from Trampe, Vulakh will still likely have to outlast state returnee TaNauz Gregory of Cathedral Prep to get into medal contention.
145
Local Wrestler: Bryce Reddington (jr., 31-4, Methacton).
First Match: winner of pigtail match between AJ Boeh (16-8) of North Allegheny and Wyatt Jennings (34-12) of Solanco.
Chances of Medaling: 3 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: After kind of ho-humming his way past the first two weekends of the postseason, Reddington lit it up last weekend at Souderton. If he can continue that roll, his chances of carrying home booty from Hershey is pretty good. He is bracketed along with state favorite Cameron Coy of Penn-Trafford, but the earliest they could meet is in the state semifinals, and by then Reddington will already have his medal.
152
Local Wrestler: Colin Shannon (jr., 38-6, North Penn)
First Match: Hayden Hidlay (36-1, Mifflin County).
Chances of Medaling: 2 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: It’s never a good sign when your first-round match of a tournament is against the guy everyone has picked to win the weight class. That’s the ominous task facing Shannon, who is making his second trip to Hershey. Will that trip end on the podium? It’s going to depend on whether Shannon has the mindset to wrestle back. Will he accomplish that feat? That’s why states is a mental exercise as much as it is a physical one.
160
Local Wrestlers: Josh Stillings (soph., 40-7, Pennridge); Luke Ratchford (jr., 36-7, La Salle)
First Match: For Stillings, winner of pigtail between Jonah Barley (35-1) of Penn Manor and Kevin Holman (34-4) of Ambridge.
First Match: For Ratchford, a pigtail match vs. Haydn Swartwood of Jersey Shore (33-5).
Chances of Medaling: For Stillings, 3 on a scale of 5; for Ratchford, 2 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: Stillings is a mystery only because he has flourished after moving up from 132 pounds this year, and while hovering around 153 for most of his matches, has managed to be successful. Does that catch up with him this week? As for Ratchford, does the Explorers middleweight have it in him to get through a field that is superior to the one he faced while finishing fourth in the Northeast Region?
182
Local Wrestler: Kyle Gentile (sr., 39-3, Pennridge).
First Match: Winner of pigtail match between Todd Frick (34-3) of Wallenpaupack and Jake Kelly (27-8) of Lampeter-Strasburg.
Chances of Medaling: 4 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: In his third trip to Hershey, the Lehigh-bound Gentile is hoping for a medal that will advance him higher up the podium than a year ago when he placed fifth. It should happen, although the weight class is full of dangerous characters, including Cedar Cliff’s Josh Colello and Boyertown’s Gregg Harvey.
195
Local Wrestlers: Anthony Piscopo (sr., La Salle, 28-3); Pat Walker (sr., Upper Moreland, 32-4).
First Match: For Piscopo, pigtail vs. Bryce Shields (Dallastown, 29-3). For Walker, pigtail vs. Francis Duggan (North Allegheny, 37-5).
Chances of Medaling: For both, 2 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: Piscopo has been hot of late, and could get within arm’s length of a medal, although this weight class has more than its share of pitfalls, including Norwin’s unbeaten Drew Phipps, who medaled a year ago and who is one of the favorites in this weight class. Piscopo would face Phipps if he wins his pigtail match. Things aren’t any easier for Walker, who faces Francis Duggan of North Allegheny in his pigtail. Duggan was a sixth-place finisher last year as a freshman.
220
Local Wrestler: Garrett Zobel (soph., 29-7, La Salle).
First Match: Pigtail match vs. Muhamed Alic (24-11) of Carlisle.
Chances of Medaling: 2 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: As long as Zobel’s pigtail foe doesn’t remove the “c” from his last name, the Explorer stands a decent shot of getting into the first round, proper.
Beyond that, Zobel is looking at the likes of Armstrong’s Jacob Robb and Shippensburg’s Cameron Tinner, not the best thing on the menu for a sophomore upper weight.
285
Local Wrestler: Vincenzo Pelusi (jr., 28-5, La Salle).
First Match: Oscar Daniels (43-7) of Exeter.
Chances of Medaling: 2 on a scale of 5.
Outlook: Fortunately, Pelusi is bracketed away from the likes of Andrew Gunning (40-0) of Liberty and Josh Fye (30-1) of Bald Eagle Area, but the fates are rarely kind to heavyweights making their state debuts.
