Feb 1, 2024 3 min read

North Allegheny proved a challenge for Bethel Park long before the Black Hawks narrowly dispatched the Tigers, 26-19, to reach the semifinals in the WPIAL Class AAA team wrestling tournament.

Before they met NA in the quarterfinals hosted by Bethel Park on Jan. 31, the Black Hawks watched the Tigers maul Baldwin, 55-15, in the first round. They did so while trying to focus upon their own opener, a 39-15 triumph over North Hills.

“I was super concerned because we did not wrestle well in our first match,” said BP coach Tyler Nauman. “I don’t particularly worry about (NA) but unfortunately our kids stared at their match. That is probably why we did not wrestle well.

“We brought them back. We regrouped them,” Nauman said during the intermission between bouts. “We told them they could do this and they went out and did it.”

Landon Hartman set the tone while Cordan McDonnell and Ryan Walsh sealed the victory by winning two of the final three matches.

Hartman scored the lone fall in an evenly contested bout where the Hawks won seven matches while the Tigers captured six.

“Landon bumping up to heavyweight. That was the match,” said Nauman.

Besides the pin, BP only scored bonus points when McDonnell picked up a major decision at 160 and Seth Miller won similarly, 10-2, at 127.

“Cordan and Seth came up huge,” Nauman said.

Walsh won the final bout in the match. He scored a thrilling, 6-5 win against Mason Hartung, who had to score a pin or technical fall at 189 for the Tigers to claim the match.

“Ryan’s position wasn’t easy,” Nauman said. “I knew he wouldn’t get pinned and I knew he could beat that kid.

“While that match didn’t go exactly how I thought it would go, Ryan was able to stay calm. He held his position. He got it done.”

BP scored decisions at 114 with Pierce Reinhart, at 133 with Mason Kernan, and at 145 with Ian Buchelli.

While Nauman said that matches 285, 160 and 189 were key, he noted that, “pretty much all of them” were pivotal. “Win or lose, everyone was part of this team’s victory,” he added.

In the first round of the tournament, BP recovered from a 15-4 deficit to beat North Hills. The Black Hawks won seven straight bouts from 121 through 172 to seal the win over the Indians.

Falls by Kernan (133), Ethan Higgins (152) and AJ Tomaino (172), coupled with a major decision by Ian Buchelli (145) highlighted the run.

Colton Fisher (121), Miller (127), Aiden Bench (139), and McDonnell (160) picked up decisions. Walsh opened the competition with a major decision, 12-0, at 189.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The WPIAL semifinals and championship matches were held Feb. 3 at AHN Arena in Peters Township High School. Results occurred too late for publication in The Almanac dated Feb. 4.