By Scott Shindledecker
SHARON, Pa. —Five District 9 wrestlers won regional championships and 17 more qualified for states Saturday at the Class AA Northwest Regional Tournament at Sharon High School.
Brookville had two regional champs in Tate Ortz and Gavin Park. The state team champion Raiders also saw five other wrestlers finish fourth or higher to qualify for the PIAA Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey beginning Thursday.
Brookville’s other qualifiers, including Keelan Kunselman, Cole Aaron, Caleb Hetrick, Noah Cieleski and Tyler Cook, gave the Raiders seven, most among District 9 schools.
At 113 pounds, junior Gavin Park gave the Raiders their first regional title with a 6-2 win over Fort LeBoeuf’s Abe Guarriello. Park made the finals with a 15-3 win over Ridgway’s Bryce Barclay.
The No. 1 ranked Ortz ran his record to 40-0 with a 5-3 win over Reynolds’ Chaise Hauck.
For Kunselman, he dropped a 4-3 decision to Reynolds’ Beau Bayless at 106 pounds to place second. At 138, Cole Aaron dropped a tough, 5-4 decision to Fort LeBoeuf’s Jarret Carter. Noah Cieleski was third at 182 after beating Habor Creek’s Dan Kuhn, 9-0.
At 220, Tyler Cook battled back through the consolation bracket and placed fourth after dropping a 3-1 decision to Reynolds’ Cole Rickert.
The Brockway Rovers, who had a tough Friday, saw several bounce-back performances from its wrestlers and will send four to states.
At 113, Mitchell Overbeck was pinned in the semifinals, but rallied for a 9-6 win over Maplewood’s Kenyon Andrews in the consy semifinals.Overbeck dropped a 2-1 decision to Habor Creek’s Nick Oostercamp.
For 120-pounder Ryan Carlson, he had a bounce back performance that many would envy. Carlson was surprised in the quarters, 4-3, to Jamestown’s Faris Messai, but won four straight matches to place third.
Saturday, Carlson edged Brookville’s Kai Sorbin, 1-0, then beat Reynolds’ Gage Bayless, 5-1, and finally beat Harbor Creek’s Sam Sallot, 1-0.
Mason Lindenmuth, the 126-pound senior, was pinned in the semis, but won a 7-1 decision and then tech falled Jamestown’s Hunter Goodlin, 17-0, in 4:17 to take third.
Senior Dustin Jamison had one of the more exciting consolation semifinals matches to punch his ticket to states.
Jamison, who was tech falled in the quarters, won three straight D-9 matches at 138 to make it back.
Jamison won a pair of decisions before taking on Saegertown’s Jude Mattocks. Jamison trailed 5-2 before using a five-point move to shock Mattocks, 7-6.
Three schools, Port Allegany, Redbank Valley and Curwensville, are sending two each to Hershey.
The Bulldogs have a champion in 285-pounder BryLee Shumaker and a runner-up in Tanner Altobelli at 126.
Shumaker won a loaded weight class while surrendering little to his three opponents.
After a 3-0 win Friday, Shumaker, the D-9 runner-up, blanked Reynolds’ Gene Ringer, 5-0.
In the finals, the Bulldog pinned Hickory’s Jared Miley in 1:33.
“It’s the best heavyweight division I’ve seen in a long time,” Redbank Valley head coach Mike Kundick said. “He wrestled the toughest side of the bracket to get here.”
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Altobelli beat Ridgway’s Drew Baumgratz, 6-1, before losing 10-6 to Cole Matthews in the finals.
Port’s Ethan Budd made the finals at 220 and battled unbeaten Gage Gladysz before dropping a 5-3 decision.
The Golden Tide have 152-pound champion Shae Bloom and 106-pounder Blake Passarelli going to states.
For Bloom, he fell behind Hetrick 2-0 before rallying to win 4-3 for the regional title at 152. Bloom made the finals with a 13-2 win over Sheffield’s Terrel Williams.
Passarelli beat Grove City’s Cory Bable 9-7 to qualify for states, then he pinned Cochranton’s Devan Davis in 2:51 to place third.
Clarion, Smethport, Port Allegany, Cranberry, Coudersport and Ridgway each qualified one.
For Hubbers 145-pounder Jim Duffy, he moved to 33-0 with a 5-4, ultimate tiebreaker win over Reynolds’ Seth Hogue. Duffy pinned Commodore Perry’s John Mott in the semis.
Coudersport junior Gage Arnold placed fourth at 152 and Cranberry senior Paul Zacherl saw his perfect mark go by the wayside at 160 when he was pinned by Eisenhower’s Louis Head.
Port’s Mac Tanner placed third when he beat Sharon’s Nick McClimans, 3-2, at 160.
At 195, Bobcats senior Zach Sintobin reached the finals before he was pinned by Greenville’s Blake Reynolds in the first period. Reynolds is 43-0 and ranked No. 4 in the state.
Elkers 285-pounder Colton McClain placed fourth after dropping a 6-4 decision to Cambridge Springs’ Zach Stafford.
