Kernan, Higgins lead BP’s parade to podium
Duo capture section titles

Mason Kernan and Ethan Higgins captured gold medals at the Southern Sectional held Feb. 24 at South Fayette and led a list of 11 Bethel Park grapplers into the WPIAL/Southwest Regional tournament to be held March 1-2 at Canon-McMillan.
The top four finishers in the regional advanced to vie for state championships. The PIAA Class AAA tournament is set for March 7-9 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
“Our wrestlers really showed up at sections,” said BP mat boss Tyler Nauman. “These guys have put in hours upon hours of work in and out of the season and that is paying off.”
BP entered 12 of the allowed 13 weights during the sectional. Only one wrestler did not advance. Jonah Stearman went 2-2 in the tournament and lost his regional qualifying match. Nauman noted that Stearman is a second-year wrestler.
BP advanced five wrestlers to the semifinals, which guaranteed them berths in the regional. That left eight wrestlers in must-win matches and seven of them “wrestled smart and hard” and gained their position in the next tournament.
“They were each determined to advance and wrestle again and that showed,” Nauman said.
While Colton Fisher (fifth), Seth Miller (sixth), Aden Stout (fifth), Ian Bucheli (third), Cordan McDonnell (third), AJ Tomaino (fourth), Hunter Goelz (fifth), Landon Hartman (second) and Michael Gibson (sixth) clinched their spots in the WPIAL/Southwest Regional event, Kernan and Higgins won sectional titles.
Kernan became the ninth wrestler in BP history to win two or more section crowns when he edged Baldwin’s Ramil Islamov, 1-0, in the 133-pound final.
Higgins scored a 3-2 win in a “wild” match against Trinity’s TJ Allison at 145.
With the bout tied, 1-1, at the end of regulation, Higgins used a shot to put Allison down but he was not rewarded two points for a takedown nor did he earn any back points from the move. In the first ride out, Allison scored an escape. In the second hideout, Higgins chose down. Allison dropped to the BP wrestler’s legs multiple times, holding on, and was called for stalling twice. After the second call evened the match, Higgins escaped, giving him the one-point victory.
“We are proud of Ethan as he stayed composed,” Nauman said. “We always preach to our wrestlers that we can’t change the referee’s call and to continue wrestling no matter what. Ethan did just that.
“Again, it was a very, very good match by both wrestlers,” Nauman added. “Two great wrestlers squaring off in a hard-fought match.”
Nauman had high expectations for Kernan and Higgins as well as Hartman, who was runner-up to Geno Calgaro from Canon-McMillan at 215 in the sectional, at the regional event and beyond. He said all of his wrestlers had good chances to do well and advance but “nothing is guaranteed.”
“All our guys have the ability to win matches, upset those who others think should beat them,” Nauman said. “We prepare and go out and fight. That’s all we can ask of our wrestlers.”
Marc Allemang felt the same way about his Mt. Lebanon wrestlers after five of them made it out of the section and qualified for the WPIAL/Southwest Regional.
“They all put themselves in position to advance. They outwrestled their seeds in many cases,” he said. “I firmly believe those five can compete with anyone if they focus on themselves and what they are capable of doing.”
Freshman Jonathan Emma and senior Ejiro Montoya finished runners-up at the Southern Sectional.
In the 107-pound final, Emma dropped an 11-4 decision to Nicholas McGarrity (36-1) from Peters Township while Montoya succumbed to West Allegheny’s Caiden Harbert, 7-0, for the 114-pound title.
Sophomore Gibbons, who was seeded eighth, took third at 145 while junior Ben Lloyd also added a bronze at heavyweight. Freshman Evan Sala finished fourth at 121.
In addition to McGarrity, Peters Township advanced Parker Nave (34-9) to the sectional final at 172. Nave lost to Trinity’s Bodie Morgan, 11-0.
Joining McGarrity and Nave at the WPIAL/Southwest Regional were: AJ McGarrity (third at 139); Caleb Bebout (fourth, 189); Zack Stromock (fourth, 285); Chris Cibrone (sixth, 145) and Isaac Meyers (sixth, 121).
South Fayette, Chartiers Valley and Upper St. Clair had runners-up at the sectional.
Luke Dunlap secured silver after falling to West A’s Nick Jones, 3-2, in the 152-pound final. Michael Lawrence dropped an overtime decision to Baldwin’s Keith Mincin at 160. Michael Albert lost, 6-4, to Waynesburg’s Roan Tustin at heavyweight.
In addition to Dunlap, the Lions advanced Brock Dennison, Jonny Baiano, Peter Leventis and Talan Mizenko to the regionals.
CV’s regional qualifiers also included: Logan Connolly (133), Nick Pruchnitzky (189) and Tyler Glover (215). All placed third in the sectional.
Joining Albert at the regional was Ronan Gibbons. The USC grappler finished fourth at 215 at sectional.