What to know about the 18 Centre County wrestlers looking to reach PIAA Championships
The high school wrestling season is one week away from the PIAA Championships.
This means the 18 Centre County wrestlers still alive have to finish in the top-four of their weights at the PIAA Western Super Regionals to get to Hershey next weekend.
Bald Eagle Area, Penns Valley, Philipsburg-Osceola and Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy will head to Indiana University of Pennsylvania again this weekend to take on schools from Districts 5, 7, 9 and 10. There are 10 Centre County wrestlers competing in the Class 2A tournament.
Bellefonte and State College combined to send eight to the Class 3A tournament back in Altoona. The Red Raiders and Little Lions will take on opponents from Districts 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10.
Here’s a look at each wrestler alive:
Class 2A
BALD EAGLE AREA
Lucas Fye, 106 pounds
Class: Freshman
Record: 15-6
Regional finish: 5th
Quarterfinals opponent: Cooper Hornack, Fr., Burrell, 25-1, Southwest Regional champ
How’d he get here?: The Eagles’ freshman has shown poise throughout his first postseason. After finishing second in both the District 6 Section 2 and District 6 tournaments, he had some work to do in last weekend’s Southwest Regional tournament.
Fye opened his first regional tournament with a 4-0 win over a district champion. He then suffered back-to-back losses, one coming from Hornack in the semifinals, to fall to the fifth-place match. Fye used a solid ride game to earn his super regional spot with a 1-0 win.
Coen Bainey, 113 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Record: 19-1
Regional finish: 3rd
Quarterfinals opponent: Chase Bell, Fr., Reynolds, 17-7, Northwest Regional 2nd
How’d he get here?: Bainey did nothing but win all season long — until the Southwest Regional semifinals last weekend, where he finished third. The sophomore had claimed a District 6 Section 2 title and his second straight District 6 crown earlier this postseason.
Bainey pinned his Southwest Regional opening opponent in 4:12. In the semifinals, he suffered a 9-1 loss to the eventual champion at his weight, but had to rebound quickly. Bainey topped Chestnut Ridge’s Calan Bollman, the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the state, in the consolation semifinals, 5-1.
Bainey then earned a 7-5 decision for his bronze-medal finish.
Cooper Gilham, 126 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 16-6
Regional finish: 4th
Quarterfinals opponent: Chase Mclaughlin, Sr., Greenville, 22-1, Northwest Regional champ
How’d he get here?: Gilham cruised to a District 6 Section 2 title. He then had no troubles reaching the District 6 finals, but finished as a runner-up for the fourth time in his career.
Last weekend, Gilham opened with a major decision win, before falling to Pitt commit Joey Fischer, of South Park, who claimed the regional title. The Eagles’ wrestler used a 3-2 win to make the consolation finals, where he was pinned.
PENNS VALLEY
Malachi DuVall, 172 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 12-1
Regional finish: 2nd
Quarterfinals opponent: Timmy Church, Sr., Ft Leboeuf, 13-6, Northwest Regional 3rd
How’d he get here?: DuVall entered the postseason with an unblemished record. He had no problems picking up District 6 Section 2 and District 6 titles.
The Navy commit outscored his first two regional opponents 16-4 last weekend to make the finals. DuVall took on a freshman in Frazier’s Rune Lawrence, who he led 6-3 after two periods of wrestling.
However, the senior got a little sloppy and was pinned by the freshman for his first loss of the year.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA
Marcus Gable, 120 pounds
Class: Freshman
Record: 10-5
Regional finish: 5th
Quarterfinals opponent: Mason Gibson, Fr., Bishop McCort, 14-0, Southwest Regional champ
How’d he get here?: Gable started off his first postseason with a pin to claim the District 6 Section 2 title.
The freshman opened and closed his first District 6 tournament with pins of a returning state qualifier in Central’s Jaxson Matthews to finish third. Gable opened his first regional tournament by topping a district champion.
After suffering back-to-back losses, Gable rebounded with a 10-3 win to finish fifth and claim the weight’s final super regional spot.
Austin Foster, 138 pounds
Class: Junior
Record: 11-5
Regional finish: 5th
Quarterfinals opponent: Brock McMillen, Sr., Glendale, 16-0, Southwest Regional champ
How’d he get here?: Foster finished as the District 6 Section 2 runner-up. In the District 6 tournament, he pinned his way to a third-place finish, but was bumped down to the consolation bracket after being pinned by McMillen.
Last weekend, the junior had a tough draw. He got pinned in his opener by returning PIAA runner-up Ian Oswalt, of Burrell. Foster won his consolation quarterfinals match to stay alive, but fell in the semifinals, and used an 8-0 shutout to claim his super regional spot.
Hunter Weitoish, 160 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 12-4
Regional finish: 4th
Quarterfinals opponent: Cole Casilio, Sr., Johnsonburg, 16-0, Northwest Regional champ
How’d he get here?: The senior claimed the District 6 Section 2 title with a 4-0 win. He cruised to the District 6 finals, but fell 7-2 to Forest Hills’ Ryan Weyandt.
In the Southwest Regional tournament, Weitoish alternated wins and losses to reach the consolation finals. Weitoish suffered another loss to Weyandt, but he closed the gap in this one, falling 4-1.
Weitoish takes on a familiar foe in Casilio to open the super regional. Weitoish is 3-3 against the fellow senior, winning the last three matchups.
Parker Moore, 215 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 10-6
Regional finish: 4th
Quarterfinals opponent: Hayden Linkerhof, Jr., Corry, 15-1, Northwest Regional champ
How’d he get here?: While last year’s postseason was a highlight for Moore’s career, he has had to work extra hard this year to get back to this point. He suffered back-to-back losses to open the postseason.
After pinning Westmont Hilltop’s Tanner Dluhos, who the senior beat in last year’s Southwest Regional finals, he rallied for a third-place finish in the District 6 tournament. Moore was quickly bounced to this season’s regional consolation bracket after being pinned by a former PIAA champ Dayton Pitzer, of Mount Pleasant. The Mounties’ wrestler rebounded with a pin, topping Huntingdon’s Briar Deline to avenge a district-opening technical fall loss, and finished fourth with a 5-3 sudden victory loss.
SAINT JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY
Zack Witmer, 132 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 9-2
Regional finish: 2nd
Quarterfinals opponent: Zane Grinnell, Sr., Commodore Perry, 19-7, Northwest Regional 3rd
How’d he get here?: Witmer had just three matches entering the postseason. However, he had no troubles claiming a District 6 Section 2 crown.
In the District 6 tournament, the Columbia commit outscored his opponents 31-4 to reach the finals, where Witmer was pinned by Forest Hills’ Jackson Arrington. The duo again cruised to a rematch in the Southwest Regional finals, with Arrington again pinning Witmer.
Amonn Ohl, 138 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 9-3
Regional finish: 3rd
Quarterfinals opponent: Carson Filer, Sr., Mercer, 27-3, Northwest Regional 2nd
How’d he get here?: Ohl is now a four-time PIAA qualifier, but this is the first time he’s been fully healthy since his freshman year, when he finished sixth. After entering the postseason with a loss, the senior won the District 6 Section 2 title with ease.
He pinned his way to the District 6 finals, where he lost to McMillen. Last weekend, Ohl reached the semifinals, but was pinned into the consolation bracket. He used back-to-back falls to finish third, his final match was a 24-seconds victory.
CLASS 3A
BELLEFONTE
Lane Aikey, 120 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 5-0
Regional finish: 1st
Quarterfinals opponent: Chad Ozias, Jr., Connellsville, 14-5, Southwest Regional 3rd
How’d he get here?: Aikey didn’t make his season debut until the District 6 Championships, as he spent the regular season recovering from an injury. Yes, he was a little rusty, but it didn’t stop him from winning his second consecutive district title.
In the Northwest Regional tournament, the senior earned bonus points in each of his matches on his way to a third consecutive regional crown. He opened with a pin in 51 seconds, followed with a 15-0 technical fall in 3:32, and used an 8-0 major decision for the title win.
Jude Swisher, 132 pounds
Class: Junior
Record: 20-1
Regional finish: 1st
Quarterfinals opponent: Colton Stoneking, Jr., Waynesburg, 27-3, Southwest Regional 3rd
How’d he get here?: Swisher is the lone Centre County wrestler to amass 20 wins so far this year. His first loss of the season came in the District 6 finals against State College’s Pierson Manville.
In last weekend’s Northwest Regional tournament, the junior outscored his opponents 12-3 to reach the finals, where he wrestled Manville again. Swisher avenged the district loss with a 7-6 defeat of the freshman for his third consecutive regional crown.
Ethan Richner, 160 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 19-0
Regional finish: 1st
Quarterfinals opponent: Collin McCorkle, Sr., North Allegheny, 25-7, Southwest Regional 3rd
How’d he get here?: Richner hasn’t lost a match all year. He pinned his way to a third straight District 6 title in 3:18 of wrestling time.
After receiving a bye to start the Northwest Regional tournament, the senior pinned his semifinals opponent in 2:33. In the finals, Richner scored 15 unanswered points for a technical fall in 5:24 for his third consecutive regional crown.
Ethan Rossman, 189 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 19-2
Regional finish: 2nd
Quarterfinals opponent: Colt Barley, Sr., Penn Manor, 19-1, South Central Regional champ
How’d he get here?: The Lock Haven commit had a bye in the District 6 quarterfinals, and used a 10-0 win to reach the finals. He suffered a 5-4 loss to State College’s Carson Manville.
In the Northwest Regional last weekend, Rossman pinned his way to the finals in 2:39 of wrestling time. He met up with Manville again and suffered a 2-1 loss in ultimate tie breakers.
STATE COLLEGE
Owen Woolcott, 126 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 12-5
Regional finish: 2nd
Quarterfinals opponent: Aliazer Alicea, Jr., Manheim Township, 20-3, South Central Regional 2nd
How’d he get here?: Woolcott had a bye in the District 6 quarterfinals, so he opened with a pin in the semifinals in 3:14. He faced Central Mountain’s freshman Luke Simcox in the finals and suffered a 1-0 loss.
The senior opened the regional with a pin in 1:27, and used a 10-5 decision to reach the finals. Woolcott again faced Simcox, and suffered another loss, this one much larger, 10-2.
Lance Urbas, 172 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 16-2
Regional finish: 2nd
Quarterfinals opponent: Tate Nichter, Sr., Chambersburg, 21-2, South Central champ
How’d he get here?: Urbas is looking to make his second straight trip to Hershey. After receiving a bye in the District 6 quarterfinals, the Penn commit used a 21-6 technical fall to make the finals. He then loss to Mifflin County’s Trey Kibe 4-1.
Urbas used back-to-back major decision wins, outscoring his opponents 27-5 to make the regional finals. Again, he faced Kibe, who beat the Little Lions’ wrestler, 7-1.
Urbas faced his quarterfinals opponent in Nichter toward the end of the regular season. Urbas handed Nichter one of his two losses in a back-and-forth 11-10 final.
Carson Manville, 189 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 9-0
Regional finish: 1st
Quarterfinals opponent: Cooper Baxter, Jr., Butler, 22-3, Southwest Regional 3rd
How’d he get here?: Manville has done a lot of winning in his wrestling career. He entered his first PIAA postseason as a reigning Minnesota state champion, and looks like he is well on his way to a Pennsylvania title.
He pinned his way to his first and only District 6 finals in 44 seconds of wrestling. Manville won the district title with a 5-4 win over Rossman. After receiving a bye in the regional quarterfinals, Manville used an 18-3 technical fall in 5:39 to make the finals, where he edged Rossman 2-1 for the crown.
Ty Price, 215 pounds
Class: Senior
Record: 14-7
Regional finish: 2nd
Quarterfinals opponent: Logan Harmon, Sr., Armstrong, 15-1, Southwest Regional 2nd
How’d he get here?: Price wrestled 189 pounds for most of the season as Manville got into shape. When the 215-pound starter Nick Pavlechko suffered a season ending finger injury, Price found a spot in the lineup when Manville returned.
Price suffered a 2-1 loss to Central Mountain’s Nik Miller in the district semifinals. Price wrestled back to get a true second-place finish to advance. In the regional tournament, the senior opened with a 14-seconds pin, and then upset the top seed in the semifinals 3-2.
Price then avenged that district semifinal loss to Miller with a 7-4 win for a true second-place finish.
