Wrestlers ready for Allegheny Tournament
For fans and wrestlers alike, Fox Chapel is the place to be this weekend as the high school hosts the annual Allegheny County Championships.
Action begins at noon Jan. 19 and concludes with the finals at 6 p.m. Jan. 20. The Parade of Champions starts at 5:45.
“It’s a first-class tournament,” said Mt. Lebanon head coach Marc Allemang. “(Fox Chapel coach) Ron Frank, his staff and volunteers do an excellent job. There are many competitive teams and the semifinals and finals are always exciting to watch. Fans will enjoy the talented group of wrestlers from across the county.”
Upper St. Clair mat boss Joshua Mollica agreed. He says that the event is something he himself looks forward to every year.
“It’s a good event for all skill levels and it’s always well run,” he concurred. Mollica added, “The tournament is special for the kids. It’s not every day you go to a tournament and get to say at the end of the day that you were the best in the county.”
While Lebo returns a defending county champion in Luke Stout and a Powerade medalist in Nate Hoaglund, the Panthers boast two of the area’s best wrestlers to date in Jake Slinger (19-1) and Tom Kyle (19-2). They are fresh off capturing titles at 220 and 138 respectively at the Burgettstown Tournament held this past weekend.
While Mollica notes that there are always a lot of good match-ups at the Allegheny County Tournament, he is looking forward to Slinger’s showdown with Rocky McGeary from West Allegheny. Slinger lost to McGeary in the last four seconds in the finals of the Southmoreland Tournament.
“I’m excited to see how Jake’s improved since then,” Mollica said.
Win provides spark
The Panthers have improved to 8-2 overall after a recent triumph, 35-30, against South Fayette. In the road win, Grant Walnoha, Jack Burton and Sean Martin won with pins while Harvey Rauch and Quinn Murray earned major decisions.
The Lions, who are ranked second in Class AA, have battled the Panthers in previous tournament action. They won the Chartiers-Houston Tournament to start the season while USC finished runner-up.
The Lions are coming off a recent sixth-place showing in the Tri-County Wrestling Tournament. Quentin Franklin led the way, capturing the heavyweight division as he edged Corey Dodson from Albert Gallatin, 2-1, in the 285-pound championship match.
Contributing also to South Fayette’s 127-point total at Tri-Count were: Eli Brinsky (138) and Mike Cusick (146) with bronze-medal performances; Michael Dei (16) and Jake Walker (22) with fifth-place finishes; and Noah Broyles (106) and Joe Bastaroli (182) with sixth-place showings.
“South Fayette was definitely a good win for us and the program,” said Mollica, who coached five seasons there before coming to USC. “They have had a solid program for years. The kids stepped up in the match and did what we have been preaching about toughness and grinding out wins.”
To date, Jack Burton has grinded out 11 victories to join Slinger and Kyle as leaders on the squad. The trio, Mollica said, work hard every day and push everyone to be better.
“They’re hungry to win and make themselves better. I think their results so far this season speck to that. If these guys continue to work hard, I believe they will have a good shot at making it far this season. Hopefully with a trip to Hershey,” Mollica said.
In their trip to Burgettstown, several other Panthers enjoyed success that puts them in position to perform well at the county championships. Walnoha captured the 145-weight class while Rauch won at 195. Tyler Curtiss and Sean Martin claimed runner-up honors at 126 and 152 respectively. Ryan Dawson took third at 132. Dan Kyle finished fourth at 120. Aidan Nichols placed fifth at 160.
BP adds rivalry
In addition to facing stiff competition at the county championships, the Panthers battle rival Bethel Park on Jan. 17 in a key section bout.
“It might be the biggest match for us. It could determine if we get into the team playoffs,” Mollica said. “It’s going to be an exciting match. Bethel has some studs and they are well coached.”
Jason Montgomery spearheads the Hawks. A fourth-place finisher at the Powerade Tournament, the senior is fresh off winning the 170-pound weight class at the Burgettstown Tournament. He was the Allegheny County runner-up last season.
Other placewinners at Burgettstown for the Hawks included: Riley O’Mara (183) and Jake Dowell (220) both bronze medalists; as well as Vinny Reipole (126), Ben Yantek (132), Parker Loera (138) and Justin Metzmaier (145), all fifth-place finishers.
A final tune-up
Because the Allegheny County Championships are the last tune-up for many wrestlers before the post-season, coaches see the event as a gauge for the remainder of the season. It’s a learning experience that no coach or wrestler wants to forego.
“This is definitely important for the kids in getting prepared for the individual post season,” Mollica said. “This is the last time before sections start that they will be able to wrestler for themselves and not the team. A lot of times when you wrestle for the team you are trying to get those bonus points and you might end up putting yourself in danger or in a bad position. But when you wrestle in a tournament and individual sections you’re out there just to win.”
Allemang agreed.
“We want our kids to compete,” Allemang said. “We don’t talk wins and losses much but we do talk about preparation, effort and having fight for the duration of the match. We want the little things done correctly. We also want them to stay focused throughout the tournament.”