Nov 27, 2018 By Joe Tuscano staff Writer jtuscano@observer-Reporter.Com 3 min read

The South Fayette High School wrestling team was forced to drop suitcases in Class AAA this season after the recent WPIAL realignment and is preparing for a long stay.

And it comes at a very awkward time for the Lions.

Eight starters were lost from last year’s team that reached the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class AA Team Tournament.

The school’s male enrollment puts South Fayette deeply into the Class AAA ranks and against teams such as Canon-McMillan, Trinity, Waynesburg and West Allegheny in Section 4.

“It is what it is. We have to go where they put us,” said South Fayette head coach Rick Chaussard.

“I told them even though we are up in class, our goals are still the same. Our first goal is to make the team playoffs, win the (subdivision), try to go deep in the playoffs, regardless of whether we’re in Double-A or Triple-A.”

There are some positives in the program. Roster numbers have been good, Chaussard is adept at developing talent and is intelligent enough to fit his strategies to the strengths of the team.

The first step is having leaders emerge, a task that requires more than just a handful of practices so far.

“I’m not really sure what to expect because none of them have been even close to that role,” Chaussard said. “We’ve had four practices and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the work ethic in the room.”

Gary Loeffler, Colin Dunn, Mike Cusick, Joe Bastardi and Jake Walker were part of a strong group lost to graduation.

Noah Broyles, a junior lightweight, Eli Brinski, a junior middleweight, Dalton Hirt, a senior middleweight, Michael Dedi, a senior middleweight, Eamon Horowitz, a senior heavyweight, and Quentin Franklin, a junior heavyweight, form the core of this year’s team.

“The kids stepping in are juniors and sophomores and have never been in the lineup,” Chaussard said. “I don’t know what to expect because I don’t know how they’re going to respond to being in the spotlight.”

South Fayette is in subsection 4A with Canon-McMillan, Ambridge, New Castle and West Allegheny. Moon, Montour, Chartiers Valley, Trinity and Waynesburg are in subsection 4B.

One positive is only four wrestlers will get a late start to the season because they are on the football team that is competing in the PIAA football playoffs. In past seasons, that number was much higher and forced schedule alterations.

“I look forward to this challenge because in past years we tried to get some teams on our schedule that are high-quality teams,” said Chaussard. “A few years back, we wrestled St. Edward (from Cleveland, Ohio) and Franklin Regional when they were at the top of the mountain. We ran into Burrell the past couple years. We don’t shy away from the competition.”