Wrestling teams vie for playoff spots
Playoff spots and section titles will be on the line as wrestlers take to the mat for their schools in WPIAL wrestling action at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16.
Peters Township will have more on the line than just the Section 2B title when they host Upper St. Clair. The match will be special as the Indians are using it as a fundraiser for one of its own.
Proceeds from the gate and concession stands as well as the 50-50 raffle will benefit Doug Vitale, the husband of Alexis Abraham, a 2004 PT graduate. A Kiski wrestler, who went on to Slippery Rock, Vitale lost both his legs and suffered a traumatic brain injury when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan with the United States Marine Corps.
After having defeated Bethel Park, 49-21, PT enters the bout with a 4-0 record. Falls from Phillip Mary (120), Ty Buckiso (126), Italo Merante (132), Jake Caputo (152) and Lukas Cervenak (285) spearheaded the triumph versus the Hawks.
While Mackenzie Mitchell recorded a major decision at 160, John Ivanschenko (138), Devan Evanovich (145) and Mac Oberschelp registered decisions. A.J. Buckiso won by forfeit at 106.
The Indians are also coming off of an impressive showing at the Tri-County Championships. Peters Township took home the team title, racking up 162.5 points to edge out Waynesburg, which finished with 157.5 points.
Ty Buckiso and Merante clinched titles at 126 and 132 while Cervenak took runner-up honors at heavyweight. Mary and Caputo brought back bronze medals, finishing third at 113 and 152.
Meanwhile, BP stands in Mt. Lebanon’s path for a playoff spot. The Blue Devils host the pivotal Section 2B bout at 7:30 p.m. in the South Gym.
Lebo put itself in playoff contention with a 32-27 win against West Mifflin.
“It was a gritty match,” said Lebo coach Bill Lewis. “Both teams won seven matches, but we were able to secure bonus points in a number of places throughout the line-up.”
Holding a slight lead, 29-27, heading into the final bout, R.J. Fitzgerald sealed the victory with his 9-4 decision. Lebo also received victories from Sean Perri, Brandon Chavez, Luke Seibert, Shane Lefever, Kellan Stout and Bakhtiyar Zaynullaev in the match.
In preparation for BP, the Blue Devils also finished sixth in the Allegheny County Tournament. Five Lebo grapplers earned medals.
Stout finished runner-up at 170, dropping a tough 3-1 decision to South Fayette’s Michael Fetchet in the finals. Kevin Kinyua won his consolation match and grabbed the bronze in the 113-pound weight class.
While Zeynul Zaynullaev finished fourth at heavyweight, Bakhtiyar Zaynullayev and Perri took seventh places at 182 and 126.
Meanwhile, BP’s wins versus Peters came as falls by Teddy Gates at 113, Ben Nolan at 182 and Dan Sullivan at 195. Nate Grygo scored a 4-0 decision at 285.
Canon-McMillan prepared for its Section 4A showdown versus Trinity by taking third-place honors at the Tri-County Championships. The Big Macs wrestled without three of their big guns, Connor Schram, Cody Wiercioch and Solomon Chishko as well as five others because of injuries and illness.
Yet, the Big Macs racked up 147.5 points, 15 points off the pace set by first-place Peters Township and 10 behind runner-up Waynesburg.
Brendan Price (106), Dalton Macri (120) and Sammy Minor (160) won individual championships. Josiah Hritsko finished fourth at 126 for the Big Macs, who are undefeated heading into their clash with the Hillers.
In Class AA, South Fayette and Chartiers-Houston battle for the Section 1A title. The match is hosted by the Buccaneers, who recently downed South Park, 49-26.
In the victory, the Bucs benefited from six forfeits. Ritchie McGinnis recorded the lone fall for the Bucs, who improved to 4-0 in the section and 5-1 overall.
Meanwhile, the Lions prepped for their showdown against CH by toppling Fort Cherry, 70-3.
Andrew Johns, Jasper Wolf, Kevin Chaussard, Mike Carr, Shane Ging, J.J. Walker and Zach Walk all posted pins for the Lions, who are 4-0 overall.
Both teams had strong showings in their respective county championships. Both finished fourth.
The Bucs crowned two champions at the Tri-County match. David Kincaid won at 170 while Garrett Vulcano dominated the 195 division.
Shane Piper prevented Tanner Sutton from claiming his fourth straight title in the five-year event. The Waynesburg grappler, who garnered outstanding wrestler honors, edged Sutton, 6-4, in the 145-pound finals.
Also for the Bucs, Josh Kraushaar staked runner-up honors at 220 while Richie McGinnis, Derek Hull and Jimmy Saieva all finished fourth in their respective weight classes.
Meanwhile at the Allegheny County Championships, Michael Fetchet won the 170-pound title. Seth Carr finished as the 113-pound runner-up.
In other Class AA action, Keystone Oaks hosts South Allegheny. The Golden Eagles trail the undefeated Gladiators in the Section 3A standings with a 2-1 record.
KO features Nick Zanetta. He is fresh off a championship in the Allegheny County meet. He defeated Drew Walker from North Hills, 6-2, and claimed the 132-pound title.
Also for the Golden Eagles, Brett Beltz earned a sixth-place medal.
Notes: Section championships are set for Jan. 23. The WPIAL wrestling steering committee will meet Jan. 24 to devise the team tournament brackets. The WPIAL team championships are set for Feb. 2.of of