Fourteen locals head to Hershey in hopes of a state medal
It’s been almost 20 years since the Ches-Mont League sent 11 representatives to the Class AAA PIAA tournament and this year’s cast hopes to replicate the success of its predecessors.
For the first time since 1997, 11 from the league will head to Hershey in hopes of returning with a state medal. Dan Iredale (160 pounds) and Kade LaMarre (220) from Conestoga will also compete today in the 3A tournament, and Church Farm’s Sebastian Corrales (113) is the first Griffin to qualify for the Class AA tournament since Baffour Atakora-Bediako in 2011.
The 2A tournament will start at 9 a.m., with the preliminary round, with the first round and first round of consolations to follow. Class AAA starts at 4 p.m. and will complete the same three rounds at the Giant Center.
Wrestlers have to win at least once to survive to day two of the three-day tournament, and the Ches-Mont reps will have their work cut out for them to match the six medals from the 1997 class (and back then only the top six made it to the podium).
“It feels good to get there for the second year,” said Coatesville junior Chase Stephens. “This year I definitely want to get a medal. Last year I lost in the medal round and I’d like to place in the top eight this year.”
Stephens (152) is one of five underclassmen to qualify, including Downingtown West’s Doug Zapf (106) and Cole Zapf (170), Oxford’s David Cox (160) and Avon Grove’s Kevin Edwards (145), who took fifth at regionals but is taking the place of injured Bryant Wise of Pottstown.
Avon Grove senior Vince Walls (285) joins him, as well as a pair of West Chester Rustin seniors, Costas Hatzipavlides (182) and Isaiah Spriggs (220) and a trio of seniors from Downingtown East, James Strommer (113), Wade Cummings (126) and Alec Horne (160).
Cummings is the lone local with some state hardware already, a fourth-place medal at 126 last winter. He is looking to become the first two-time medalist at East and fifth from Downingtown as a whole.
“Right now the only thing on my mind is winning a state title,” said Cummings. “That’s what I’m focused on and maybe after it’s all done, I’ll look back and celebrate all (the accomplishments).”
As Cummings’ historic career comes to an end, Corrales’ is just beginning. The freshman reached regional semifinals last week and finished sixth. He will start his trek with a preliminary bout against North Star’s Keaton Furry, a fourth-place finisher from the Southwest region. The winner there gets Southeast champ, Bronson Garber of Upper Dauphin.
Iredale starts in the first round against Southwest’s No. 3, Kyle Homet of Waynesburg Central. The senior Pioneer has been battling an illness, and he will need to be as close to 100 percent in mind and body to be able to navigate his way to the podium.
LaMarre, a junior, faces Hershey’s J’Michael Wedderburn, the Southcentral runner-up.
“I’ve never been there before, so I’m trying to at least win one and advance past the first day,” LaMarre said.
Sophomore Doug Zapf won three straight in consis last week to reach states, but he has a tough prelim against Cedar Cliff’s tough freshman, JJ Wilson. He has a tough path to day two.
Strommer has a pair of freshman in his path to quarterfinals. The first is Penn Trafford’s Nick Coy, who’s the younger brother of state champ, Cameron Coy. Strommer’s experience gives him a chance to survive until day two.
Cummings sees a returning state qualifier in the first round in Hazleton’s Chris Lasecki. Cummings should win, which would set up a quarterfinal match-up with Central Dauphin’s Tyshawn White, who’s ranked No. 1 in the state. If he could win that, he’d have a shot at the finals since Bethlehem Catholic’s two-time state champ Luke Karam is on the opposite side. As always, 126 is a loaded weight.
Edwards is an example of why wrestlers shouldn’t forfeit the fifth-place bout. Last week, Interboro’s Eric Thomas, who beat Edwards earlier in the tournament, forfeited to Edwards, and with Wise out, Edwards is in. He’ll get another first-time qualifier in Philipsburg-Osceola’s Dakota Weitosh. Day two is possible for the Avon Grove junior.
Stephens has a tough go in the first round with Cumberland Valley senior, Felix Belga, a seasoned, yet first-time qualifier. Nazareth stud Travis Stefanik would be next. Win or lose against Belga, Stephens’ chances at a medal aren’t bad, but he’ll have to beat someone ranked higher than him.
Cox has Tom O’Brien of Wilson (West Lawn) in the prelims to get to Northampton’s Cade Moisey, who has a legacy last name from District 11. A loss to O’Brien might actually make Cox’ path to the podium a bit easier, but the state tournament is never predictable.
Horne gets Southcentral’s fifth-place finisher, Tyler Reber of Hempfield. His ability to keep things close gives him a shot to see Friday.
Cole Zapf has a tough prelim against Cumberland Valley’s Trenton Cook. If he’d lose that one he’d likely get a rematch with Spring-Ford’s Steve Rice, whom Zapf was leading until late, last week in the regional semis. Getting to day two will be challenging but doable.
Losing the consi final last week may have actually made Hatzipavlides’ road to quarters a tad more
manageable. He’ll have to get by Fox Chapel’s Mike Mahon in the prelim to face Northwest champ, Brinton Simongton of Altoona, a junior with nine losses. In his second trip to states, Hatzipavlides has a good shot to get to Friday and give himself a chance at a medal.
Spriggs is in his first trip and he gets the No. 5 ranked kid in the state (according to papowerwrestling.com), Nathan Barcaskey of Moon, in the prelim. If he can’t pull the upset, Spriggs could get a rematch with LaMarre for the right to wrestle Friday.
Walls has a winnable prelim against Warwick sophomore, Ryan Stewart, to get him to second-ranked and undefeated Josh Fye of Bald Eagle. Walls moved up to No. 5 in the state rankings, so even with a loss, he would likely be favored in his consi matches. The big senior seems to be peaking and it couldn’t come at a better time.
