Bethel Park, Peters Township wrestlers grab silver at states
Nino Bonaccorsi lifts and turns his opponent on his back. The Bethel Park junior finished second in the state at 170 pounds.
Mike McAleavey from Peters Township secured a silver medal during the PIAA Class AAA championships. The senior finished his career with a 93-43 record.
For Nino Bonaccorsi of Bethel Park and Mike McAleavey from Peters Township, the medals around their necks shone brightly. They just happened to be the wrong color. Though each settled for silver during the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships, the grapplers will long remember the thrill and drama of finishing second in the state.
“It’s definitely the best tournament I ever wrestled in,” McLeavey said. “I’ll never forget this or the matches I wrestled for the rest of my life.”
Ditto for Bonaccorsi. However, unlike the senior McLeavey, as a junior, he will get a second shot at winning a state title next year.
“Win that gold,” Bonaccorsi said of his objective for 2017.
Neither grappler admitted to being nervous and both tipped their cap to their opponent.
McLeavey made his first trip to Hershey. After missing a berth last season, he took second in the district to secure his PIAA berth. The 220-pound wrestler defeated Hunter Weaver of Central Mountain, 5-0, and Garrett Zobel of LaSalle, 7-1, in the opening rounds then outdueled Evan Callahan in overtime, 5-2, to reach the state finals. McLeavey succumbed to Jacob Robb. The Armstrong wrestler felled McLeavey in 2:22.
“I was pumped,” said McLeavey of earning a berth in the state tournament. “I didn’t have any nerves. I just wanted to wrestle tough.
“(Robb) is just a tough kid. He’s beaten me twice. We had some tough matches.”
Bonaccorsi had some tough matches, too, as he was facing many a familiar opponent. He noted that many of the grapplers on the podium were foes he had wrestled previously. Bonaccorsi opened with major decisions against Cole Zapf from Downington West, 20-7, and Ethan Laird from General McLane, 11-3. A 9-4 decision over Manheim Central’s Jared Seigrist launched Bonaccorsi into the finals against Michael Labriola. The Bethlehem Catholic wrestler had defeated Bonaccorsi’s rival Austin Bell of Belle Vernon in his semifinal, 5-2.
Bonaccorsi had lived for this moment to march in the Parade of Champions.
“It’s more exciting than anything. I wasn’t nervous because I had been there before,” Bonaccorsi said, noting a previous sixth-place finish. “The semifinals is exciting because it means you are going to the championship and I was thrilled because when I looked at the brackets I knew some of the kids and I had wrestled them but you never know how much they have improved over the season.
“The Parade of Champions is unbelievable,” Bonaccorsi continued, “Last year, I said I wanted to be in that position one day. It’s where all the hard work pays off.”
But, Bonaccorsi will have to work harder. He lost his bid for gold when Labriola scored a 6-4 decision to win the 170-pound weight class. Labriola constructed a 6-2 lead over two periods and held on for the victory.
“(Labriola) was tough. He outwrestled me and scored more points. He was better than me,” Bonaccorsi said candidly.
“Once you get up on points, it’s hard to diffuse their momentum. The difference was he outwrestled me. He hit his moves. I knew I had to get takedowns but I didn’t have forever.”
While McAleavey was attempting to become the first wrestler in Peters Township High School history to win a state title since Drew Spencer accomplished the feat in 1993, Bethel Park has never produced a state champion. Thus, Bonaccorsi is the highest finisher in school history in the PIAA wrestling tournament.
“For the most part, we were all happy because (second) has never been done before and in that atmosphere, it was awesome,” said Bonaccorsi.
While McAleavey returned home sporting an impressive 39-3 record to complete his scholastic career with a 93-43 mark, Bonaccorsi has a year to complete some unfinished business. He jokingly said his father, Mark, who doubles as his coach along with Bob Stewart, won’t let him take much of a break. So it’s back to the mat.
“Actually, I want to go back right now. (Taking silver) is the hardest thing to swallow.”
At what weight he wrestles next year is up in the air and will depend on his growth spurt. Bonaccorsi, who stands 6-feet tall, has already moved up several weight classes since his freshman year. Regardless, he will continue to take on all challengers and adhere to his tactics.
“I’ll be more focused but it’s always one match at a time. My shots need to get better and I need to get into better position,” he offered as a critique. “The goal is to already start training for next season. Keep improving and get better each practice. Eat right. Make smart decisions. Work hard. And no matter who is in my weight class, I want to face all the tough dudes. I want to wrestle them but I’ll wrestle my own my match.”
Grape eighth
Eli Grape from Upper St. Clair earned eighth place and a spot on the podium during the PIAA Class AAA championships. The 195-pound junior finished 35-5 on the season.
Logan Macri opened the tournament with a technical fall against Adam Strover of State College, 23-8, at 4:28 but the 113-pound Canon-McMillan grappler lost his next two bouts to finish out of the running for a medal.