The PIAA wrestling season started a week early, this year, and the Ches-Mont League is following suit with its earliest league tournament, to date.
The Ches-Mont Championships will take place, Saturday, at West Chester Rustin, starting at 9 a.m.
Every team from the league started its season last week, except Coatesville and Sun Valley, as the 12 squads will use the earlier-than-normal competition as a barometer as to where their wrestlers are.
Here’s a look at the 13-weight classes.
107
Downingtown West’s Brayden Sigle gets the nod as the No. 1 seed as one of seven freshmen in the bracket. Sophomores Zach McFarlane of West Chester East and John DeOrio of Sun Valley are the second and third seeds, and West Chester Henderson’s junior, Alex Jackman, is No. 4. DeOrio is the lone returning regional qualifier at the weight.
114
Timmy Kearney is one of three No. 1 seeds from Sun Valley, and he’s also one of three former regional qualifiers at this weight, having done it twice. Unionville’s Cole Haines finished sixth in the Southeast Regional as a freshman and is No. 2. He’ll likely get to renew his rivalry with No. 3, Chase Sigle of Downingtown West, in the semifinals. Sigle won their first two matchups last year, but Haines got the better of him at regionals.
121
Coatesville’s Andrij Szczesniuk opens his sophomore season as the top seed, after placing sixth at regionals in March. Kennett freshman Zack Jaffe picked up a pair of wins against Avon Grove’s returning regional qualifier, Christian Ford, last weekend, earning him the No. 2 seed. Henderson’s Ryan Schalluer also reached regionals and he’s No. 3, with Ford fourth.
127
Kennett has a tournament-high five No. 1 seeds, and freshman Blake Boyer is the first. The league will get its first look at Kennett’s promising freshman, and No. 4 Jordan Schaible of Oxford hopes to see him in the semis in his first action of the season. Great Valley’s Michael Cruz is the No. 2 seed and Henderson’s Alfie Overton is at No. 3.
133
The first weight class with all 12 slots filled is led by Kennett sophomore, Kane Lengel. Second-seeded Brecken Strickland of Sun Valley and No. 3 Jared Schaible of Oxford could be an intriguing semi, but No. 6 Angus Whitaker of Henderson hopes to crash the party as he makes his first appearance as a junior. West Chester Rustin’s Charlie Emmonds is No. 4 and showed last postseason he’s no easy out.
139
This is one of the deeper weights and figures to provide one of the better finals if No. 1 Carmen Cortese of Henderson, a returning regional champion, and No. 2 Austin McMillan of Oxford, a sixth-place regional finisher as a junior, get there. Great Valley’s Tim Matthews, Sun Valley’s David Vogel, Rustin’s James Pizza and West Chester East’s Jefferson Cooper are seeds three through six, respectively, and West’s Kevin Bernhard, a regional qualifier, is all the way down at No. 7.
145
Sun Valley’s Brandon Carr makes his Ches-Mont debut as the top seed after placing second in the state of Delaware at Archmere Academy, as a freshman. He could get his toughest test in the bracket in semis, where West’s Jordan Barry hopes to be as the No. 5 seed. Barry would have to get through No. 4 Brandon Son of Great Valley, first. Kennett’s Michael Pepe and Oxford’s Reiland Canaday are the second and third seeds, respectively.
152
Top-seeded Max Parnis of West Chester East took out Kennett’s Tyler Maiers in the Solanco Mule Classic finals a week ago and they could meet again in the semis. Avon Grove’s Garrett Landon and Maiers should meet in the No. 4-5 quarterfinal, and watching those two roll around against one another is like watching snakes fight. Sun Valley’s Alexander Gamble-Williams is No. 2 and offers an intriguing finals matchup against Parnis, were it to happen. Coatesville’s Evan Seagreaves is on his side at No. 3, along with No. 6 Josh Hillestad of Downingtown East.
160
This looks like a one-man weight, with Kennett’s Josh Barlow, with Unionville’s Topher Tryon out with an injury. Barlow is a returning state qualifier and the top seed. West’s Caleb Pate and Rustin’s Gavin Seaman will try to challenge him as the No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively.
172
A pair of seniors bookend the bracket with Downingtown East’s Ryan Loraw up top as No. 1, and Unionville’s Ryan O’Leary down at No. 2. Sun Valley’s Alex Alvarez is No. 3, and fourth-seeded Jack Weldon of Coatesville is hoping to establish himself after a solid freshman season was cut short due to injury.
189
This weight appears up for grabs with no returning regional qualifiers. Henderson’s Stephen Beatty was the highest placer at sectionals last year, placing sixth, and he’s looking to make some noise as the No. 3 seed. Sun Valley’s Will Cadden is the top seed, while Coatesville’s Matt Luton is at No. 2 and Downingtown East’s Tommie Grizzanti is at four.
215
A year ago at this tournament, West’s Mason Hale upset Kennett’s John Pardo, but Pardo eventually got revenge at sectionals. They could get their rubber match in the finals, as the top two seeds, but Hale would likely have to get past No. 3 Jeremy McKinney of Oxford in semis. Sun Valley’s Anthony Laird is No. 4.
285
There should be some good competition with the big boys. Kennett’s Bailey Shindle is the top seed as a returning state qualifier. Sun Valley’s Chase Thompson is up from 189 as a junior and he is the No. 2 seed, followed by Henderson’s Liam Keevil, Coatesville’s Dylan McGuire and Downingtown East’s Adham Abouraya.
