HERSHEY – Winning a state championship belt on his third try, Council Rock South senior Zack Trampe finally got the monkey off his back that was Hazleton 132-pounder James Hoffman.
The Cougars’ wrestler topped Trampe 5-3 in the PIAA semifinal bout last season. This year, Hoffman pinned Zack in his only loss of the season in the Bethlehem Holiday Classic.
Yesterday at the Giant Center in Hershey, Trampe got an early takedown and an escape point in each of the first and second periods, then hung on for a 4-2 win.
Trampe decisioned Penn Trafford junior Jobe Chishko, majored Andrew Wert, of Central Dauphin, and pinned Kolby Ho, a junior from DuBois, in order to reach the final.
Zack captured a state runner-up medal two years ago as a sophomore working the mat at 126 pounds. Last year, he took sixth place in the 132-pound bracket.
Trampe finished his career with 166 wins, a lower Bucks record previously held by Oliver Hetzel, of Council Rock North. A 2008 graduate of CR North, Hetzel registered 156 career wins.
He is taking his wrestling game to SUNY Binghamton as is classmate Joe Doyle, who also earned a medal in states.
Big Joe pinned Belle Vernon senior William Korber 47 seconds into the second period to take third place in the 220-pound bracket. Doyle, who is second all-time among Golden Hawk wrestlers in pins, also pinned Cedar Cliff junior Francis Duggan to earn his spot in the third-place bout.
This was Doyle’s second state medal. He took fourth last year wrestling in the 195-pound bracket. He recently surpassed CR South wrestling alum Tim Riley on CR South’s pins list. Dustin Tancredi holds the record with 88.
CR North freshman Luke Lucerne finished with a sixth-place medal after dropping a 2-1 decision to Moon Area 106-pounder Frankie Bonura.
Lucerne kicked off in states with a pair of decision wins, defeating Kiski Area sophomore Darren Miller, 5-4 and Manheim Central freshman Will Betancourt, 4-0.
But he lost to Shaler sophomore and eventual state runnerup Ryan Sullivan, 2-1 then Miller turned the tables on the Indian wrestler in a 3-1 victory.
CR South seniors Riley and Cary Palmer did not medal in states and neither did sophomore Max Mendez.
Riley started the state tournament with a 6-3 decision win over Muhlenberg junior Stefahn Mayo but lost a tough 3-2 decision to three-time state medalist Jake Hinkson, a senior from North Allegheny who finished fourth.
Then he had the misfortune of suffering an injury 31 seconds into his bout with Penncrest senior Ryan Stocku, whom he defeated in regionals.
This was Riley’s third trip to states. He earned a seventh-place PIAA medal three years ago wrestling as a 106-pound freshman. He finished his career with 137 wins, three Suburban One National League trophies, three District 1 title belts and a pair of South East Region championships.
Cary also started off with a win in states, posting a 9-6 decision win over Bethlehem Catholic sophomore Luca Frinzi. But he was eliminated after dropping decisions to Bald Eagle Area 138-pounder Seth Koleno and Moon Area junior Nick Acuna.
Mendez went 2-2 in his first trip to states. A 106-pounder for the Hawks, he posted decision wins over Patrick DeMark, of Cumberland Valley and Trenton Donahue, of DuBois. But he lost decisions facing Shaler’s Ryan Sullivan, who took second and Mifflin County’s Christian Fisher, who finished eighth.
PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships
(March 9-11 at the Giant Center)
Championship Finals
106 Doug Zapf, Downingtown West, dec. Ryan Sullivan, Shaler, 5-2
113 Sam Hillegas, North Hills, dec. Louis Newell, Seneca Valley, 5-2
120 Julian Chlebove, Northampton, maj. dec. Luke Werner, Bethlehem Liberty, 13-3
126 Austin DeSanto, Exeter, dec. Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional, 6-5
132 Zack Trampe, Council Rock South, dec. James Hoffman, Hazleton Area, 4-2
138 Sammy Sasso, Nazareth, maj. dec. Dan Moran, Northampton, 8-0
145 Jarod Verkleeren, Hempfield Area, maj. dec. Brock Port, Bellefonte, 16-5
152 Cameron Coy, Penn Trafford, dec. Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep, 5-2
160 Trent Hidlay, Mifflin County, dec. Joshua Stillings, Pennridge, 5-3
170 Mike Labriola, Bethlehem Catholic, maj. dec. Luke McGonigal, Clearfield, 17-9
182 Travis Stefanik, Nazareth, dec. Nino Bonaccorsi, Bethel Park, 4-3
195 Jake Woodley, North Allegheny, dec. Ethan Laird, General McLane, 3-1
220 Brian Kennerly, Upper Darby, dec. Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands, 3-2 TB2
285 Brendan Furman, Canon McMillan, dec. Isaac Reid, Kiski Area, 5-3
THIRD PLACE
106 Darren Miller, Kiski Area, dec. Andrew Cerniglia, Nazareth, 2-0
113 Ed Scott, DuBois, dec. Sean Pierson, Nazareth, 8-4
120 Matt Parker, Pennridge, dec. Chris Wright, Central Dauphin, 4-3
126 Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic, dec. Jakob Campbell, Boyertown, 5-2
132 K.J. Fenstermacher, Northampton, dec. Jarred Papcsy, Bethlehem Catholic, 4-2
138 Colin Cronin, Upper Darby, maj. dec. Zach Ortman, Parkland, 10-2
145 Brock Wilson, Nazareth, pinned Jake Hinkson, North Allegheny, 5:25 SV
152 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan, dec. Chase Stephens, Coatesville, 4-1
160 Eric Hong, North Allegheny, dec. Jonah Barley, Penn Manor, 3-2
170 Tim Wallace, Albert Gallatin, dec. Tyler Bagoly, Exeter, 5-1
182 Cole Urbas, State College, dec. Drew Peck, Chambersburg, 4-0
195 Colin McCracken, Waynesburg Central, dec. Jake Koser, Northern York, 2-0 SV
220 Joe Doyle, Council Rock South, pinned William Korber, Belle Vernon, 2:47
285 Roman Macek, Montour, dec. Gerald Brown, West Mifflin, 3-1 SV
Fifth Place
106 Frankie Bonura, Moon, dec. Luke Lucerne, Council Rock North, 2-1
113 Matt Wilde, Boyertown, dec. Cameron Enriquez, Stroudsburg, 6-4
120 Logan Macri, Canon McMillan, dec. Zurich Storm, New Oxford, 6-4
126 Chandler Olson, Shippensburg, dec. Noah Levett, Kiski Area, 8-1
132 Cole Manley, Altoona, dec. Andrew Wert, Central Dauphin, 2-1
138 Seth Koleno, Bald Eagle Area, dec. Luke Kemerer, Hempfield Area, 8-6 TB2
145 William Evanitsky, Scranton, dec. Tucker Brough, Big Spring, 5-3
152 Brock Godzin, Belle Vernon, dec. Colin Shannon, North Penn, 8-5
160 Ryan Resnick, Owen J. Roberts, dec. Luke Nichter, Chambersburg, 8-3
170 Tom O’Brien, Wilson (West Lawn), dec. Alec Shaw, Greensburg Salem, 7-3
182 Elijah Jones, Boyertown, pinned Matt McGillick, Penn Trafford, 5:54 SV
195 Miles Lee, South Philadelphia, dec. Nick Duliakas, Owen J. Roberts, 6-3
220 Francis Duggan, Cedar Cliff, pinned Ron D’Amico, Shaler, 0:35
285 Niko Camacho, Bethlehem Catholic, dec. Vincenzo Pelusi, LaSalle, 3-1 SV
Seventh Place
106 Kurtis Phipps, Norwin, dec. Christian Fisher, Mifflin County, 6-0
113 Kenny Herrmann, Bethlehem Catholic, dec. Jacob Dunlop, Belle Vernon, 2-0
120 Zach Glenn, Bethlehem Catholic, dec. Vincent Distefanis, Hempfield Area, 1-0
126 Matt Marino, Garnet Valley, pinned Patrick Gould, East Stroudsburg South, 2:49
132 Leno Ciotti, Erie McDowell, dec. Wyatt Long, Cumberland Valley, 4-2 SV
138 Eric Hutchinson, Conestoga, dec. Nick Acuna, Moon, 2-1 TB2
145 Gage McClenahan, Bald Eagle Area, won by forfeit over Ryan Stocku, Penncrest
152 Brayden Wills, Mechanicsburg, dec. Owen Watkins, General McLane, 2-1
160 Jason Montgomery, Bethel Park, dec. Cade Wilson, Nazareth, 4-2
170 Cade Moisey, Northampton, dec. Luigi Yates, Erie Cathedral Prep, 5-3
182 Jake Paulson, Erie McDowell, dec. Collin Stevens, Central Bucks East, 7-4
195 Eli Grape, Upper St. Clair, dec. Ben Fromm, Cocalico, 9-4
220 Bryce Shields, Dallastown, pinned Greg Bensley, Pocono Mountain West, 4:48
285 Kawaun Deboe, Erie Cathedral Prep, dec. Erech Noecker, Blue Mountain, 3-2
