One hundred thirty-nine wrestlers from the Ches-Mont League began their postseason voyages just under two weeks ago. Thursday, at the Class 3A PIAA Championships, only 15 remain, with a shot at a state medal.
It’s hard to make it to Hershey. It’s even harder to reach the podium, there. No one from the league knows the ups and downs of states more than Downingtown West’s Dom Findora (138 pounds).
This will be Findora’s fourth and final appearance at states, which begin at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey. In his first two trips, Findora went 1-2 and came home without a medal. As a junior, Findora knocked off a returning state champ in the first round and went on to take fourth.
Now, in his last dance, Findora is hoping to go out on his terms.
Downingtown West’s Dom Findora. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“I want to climb as high as I can on the podium,” said Findora after winning his second straight 3A Southeast Regional title, Saturday. “I’m looking to take some names and have some fun wrestling out there.”
West has had a medalist five straight seasons and Findora will be favored to reach the semifinals, where he may hit another returning state champ from Hempfield, Briar Priest, who defeated Coatesville’s Nate Lucier, 1-0, in last year’s semis. Mason Hale (215) will also compete in Hershey for the Whippets.
West Chester Henderson and Sun Valley tied for the league-high, three qualifiers. Billy Wilson (132) and Palmer Delaney (145) will start in the pigtails for the Warriors and have uphill battles. Things won’t be much easier for Carmen Cortese (120), despite coming in as a regional champ.
West Chester Henderson’s Carmen Cortese. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Cortese will start with the winner of Spring-Ford’s Dom Ortlip and Father Judge’s Sean Logue, a seventh-place finisher two years ago. Cortese has won some big matches this last part of the season, and he’s hoping that becomes more of the norm than a surprise to onlookers.
“I’m extremely excited,” Cortese said, Saturday. “(The regional championship) proves it’s anyone’s tournament. This sport is insane. Accolades don’t matter, it’s whoever has the most heart who wins.”
Oxford’s Cannon Hershey. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Oxford’s Cannon Hershey is one of six undefeated wrestlers entering the tournament. In his third trip, Hershey starts his quest for his first medal with the winner Hempfield’s Seamus Mack and Pine-Richland’s Anthony Ferraro. A win there would set up Hershey against either a returning state champ (Erie Cathedral Prep’s Jacob Van Dee) or a returning two-time place-winner (Bethlehem Catholic’s Dante Frinzi).
“I’m hoping to go in and just blow people out of the water,” Hershey said. “I don’t think many people expected this of me this season, so I want to go out there and prove them wrong.”
Kennett had a school-record four wrestlers qualify. Josh Barlow (160), Darrale Barrett (172) and Bailey Shindle (285) get the tough task of starting in the pigtails. John Pardo (215) faces fellow sophomore, Ryan McMillan of Wilson (West Lawn), in the first round, and a win would set him up with a much better chance at placing.
West Chester Rustin’s Marek Seaman. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
West Chester Rustin’s Marek Seaman (172) enters his second state tournament as a regional runner-up, but gets a challenging matchup with Manheim Township’s Kevin Olavarria. Win or lose, Seaman can put himself in the mix, but he’ll likely have to beat someone ranked higher than Olavarria to medal.
West Chester East’s Max Parnis (138) earned his first trip, as a junior, and has a winnable pigtail against Dover’s Wyatt Dillon with BECA stud, Tyler Kasak, waiting.
WC East’s Max Parnis. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
Like Parnis, Conestoga’s Jake Allred (189) punched his first ticket with a fifth-place finish at regionals. Allred gets a fellow junior from Shippensburg, Diesel Koser, with top-seeded Quinn Collins of Central Bucks East waiting.
Also representing the Ches-Mont from Sun Valley are Shane Holefelder (120), Danny Kearney (132) and Alexander Gamble-Williams (152).
Octorara’s Mike Trainor (152), Phoenixville’s Owen Koch (160) and Owen J. Roberts’ Dillon Bechtold (172) round out the qualifiers from Chester County.
