By Scott Shindledecker
HYDE, Pa. — The Brookville Raiders wrestling team has been the class of District 9 all season and Saturday was no different as it crowned six champs, qualified 12 wrestlers for regionals and rolled to the team title at the Class AA Championships at Clearfield High School.
The Raiders won four titles in the first six weight classes.
Keelan Kunselman got his team off and running at 106 pounds when he scored a technical fall over Curwensville’s Blake Passarelli, 17-0 in 3:25.
At 113, Gavin Park had to work all six minutes to keep the roll going. Park beat Brockway’s Mitchell Overbeck, 4-2. Park, who missed some of the season with an injury, ran his record to 17-2 with four wins on the weekend. The first three were by falls.
At 132, Taylor Ortz achieved a rarity by winning his fourth D-9 championship. Ortz, top-ranked in the state, had a first-round bye before winning his three matches by fall. For the title, he decked Ridgway’s Logan McClain in 1:49. Ortiz improved to 37-0 and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
“It feels good to win four district titles,” Ortz said. “Four finals and four wins, it feels pretty good. “I just plan on winning every match, pin or tech, it doesn’t matter. The ultimate goal is to walk off the mat with one more point than my opponent.”
Cole Aaron added a fourth Raiders title at 138 pounds when he pinned top-seeded Adam Shunk with 34 seconds left in the third period. Aaron’s three wins over the weekend moved his record to 32-4. Shunk finished second for the second straight season.
Curwensville 152-pounder Shae Bloom stopped Brookville’s perfection in the finals when he beat Caleb Hetrick, 7-1. Bloom won his fourth D-9 title while improving to 29-1. Bloom also had a dominant run through the bracket, scoring two pins and one tech fall before the finals.
But Xavier Molnar got the Raiders their fifth D-9 championship when he won a hard-fought 3-0 decision over Brockway’s Mike Martino. Molnar, after a first-round bye, pinned his way to the finals.
Noah Cieleski made it six titles for Brookville with a 13-1 major decision over Keystone’s Evan Redding at 182 pounds. Cieleski had a dominant tournament with a tech fall in the quarterfinals and a pin in the semifinals.
Clarion’s Zach Sintobin stopped the Brookville run with a pin of Raider 195-pounder Dane Clever in 5:50. Sintobin won his second D-9 title.
For the Brockway Rovers, they had four finalists and one champion. Senior Ryan Carlson, after a runner-up finish in 2015 at 113 pounds, got to the top at 120. Carlson shut out Ridgway’s Lukas McClain, 6-0, in the finals. Carlson had a pin and a major decision to run his record to 29-1.
Redbank Valley 126-pounder Tanner Altobelli won his teams’ only championship when he beat Brockway’s Mason Lindenmuth, 5-3. Altobelli scored three pins en route to the final and he is 29-1 overall.
The Bulldogs had a runner-up at heavyweight as BryLee Shumaker was beaten by Keystone’s Tyler Beal. Shumaker was 32-1 entering the match, but Beal scored his 100th win for the crown.
Cranberry’s Paul Zacherl got to the top of the podium after a runner-up finish a year ago. Zacherl ran his record to 34-0 when he major decisioned Port Allegany’s Mac Tanner, 15-5. Zacherl also was dominant, recording three falls on the way to the finals.
Smethport’s James Duffy won his second district championship with a 7-0 win over Coudersport’s Julian Smith at 145 pounds. Duffy won at 145 in 2015. Duffy is 30-0.
Port Allegany’s Ethan Budd won his second D-9 title at 220 after he beat Brookville’s Tyler Cook at 220 pounds, 10-5.
The top four finishers in the tournament advanced to the Class AA Northwest Regionals in Sharon that begin Friday.
Championship results
106 pounds: Keelan Kunselman, BK, won by tech. fall over Blake Passarelli, CU, 17-0, 3:25.
113: Gavin Park, BK, dec. Mitchell Overbeck, BW, 4-2.
120: Ryan Carlson, BW, dec. dec. Lukas McClain, R, 6-0.
126: Tanner Altobelli, RBV, dec. Mason Lindenmuth, BW, 5-3.
132: Taylor Ortz, BK, pinned Logan McClain, R, 1:49.
138: Cole Aaron, BK, pinned Adam Shunk, SM, 5:26.
145: James Duffy, SM, dec. Julian Smith, CO, 7-0.
152: Shae Bloom, CU, dec. Caleb Hetrick, BK, 7-1.
160: Paul Zacherl, CR, maj. dec. Mac Tanner, PA, 15-5.
170: Xavier Molnar, BK, dec. Mike Martino, BW, 3-0.
182: Noah Cieleski, BK, maj. dec. Evan Redding, KEY, 13-1.
195: Zach Sintobin, C, pinned Dane Clever, BK, 5:50.
220: Ethan Budd, PA, dec. Tyler Cook, BK, 10-5.
285: Tyler Beal, KEY, dec. BryLee Shumaker, RBV, 6-3.
Consolation Finals
106: Kyle Bush, R, maj. dec. Dylan Pesock, OV, 9-1.
113: Bryce Barclay, R, dec. Trevor Olney, CO, 6-4.
120: Kai Sorbin, BK, dec. Trey Stiles, PA, 12-7.
126: Drew Baumgratz, R, dec. Dustin Kudrick, CO, 9-2.
132: Josh Hancock, CR, dec. Devon Norlin, J, 4-2.
138: Alec English, K, dec. Dustin Jamison, BW, 3-0.
145: Colton Rapp, C, dec. Jake Kallenborn, PA, 3-1.
152: Terrel Williams, SH, dec. Gage Arnold, CO, 4-3.
160: Chad Rogers, KEY, dec. Dom Palmer, BK, 7-3.
170: Josiah Ramadhan, PA, won by in. def. over Mike Lefay, C.
182: Grant West, OV, dec. Garrett McClintick, BW, 9-8.
195: Tyler Vantassel, KEY, pinned Pierce Yahner, BW, 1:58.
220: Steve McClure, CU, dec. Mark Latuska, BW, 4-1.
285: Colton McClain, R, dec. Bryce Town, BK, 2-0.
