Local Grapplers Punch Tickets to Hersey at District IX Regional Tournament

SHARON, Pa. (EYT) — Fifty-two District 9 2A wrestlers traveled to Sharon High School last weekend (March 1-2) for the 2024 North West Regional tournament with the intent of qualifying for the upcoming PIAA Wrestling Championships.

(Pictured above: Cranberry junior 139-pounder Dane Wenner at the top of the podium.)

By the final whistle, 20 had finished in the top-four of their respective weight classes and earned a trip to states.

Central Clarion, Kane, and St. Marys each had a single state qualifier, all seniors–Josh Beal for the Wildcats (third at 285 pounds), Reece Bechakas for the Wolves (fourth at 160 pounds), and the Dutch’s Andrew Wolfanger (fourth at 172 pounds).

Bechakas has qualified for states three straight years. This is Beal’s and Wolfanger’s first time.

Brookville, Cranberry, and Clearfield led District 9 with four qualifiers apiece, with five regional champions between them–the Raiders and Berries both had a pair and the Bison one.

Raider 145-pounder Cole Householder, a junior, earned his second regional title, his first coming as a freshman, with a 1-0 decision over District 10 champion Wyatt Lazzar of Commodore Perry. This will be Householder’s third consecutive trip to Hershey, where he finished seventh in 2022.

Brookville’s second title came at 215-pounds, junior Gavin Hannah took an 11-3 major against General McLane’s Ryan Dedrick, the District 10 champion. Hannah will be making his first appearance at states.

The Wenner brothers–sophomore 114-pounder Dalton and junior 139-pounder Dane–claimed Cranberry’s regional championships.

In a meeting of district titlists, Dalton Wenner edged Carter Beck of Saegertown, 3-2, in the regional final. This was Wenner’s second straight regional championship. He will be looking to improve upon a seventh place finish in Hershey a year ago.

Dane Wenner, third last week at districts, drew Reynolds’s District 10 champion Chase Bell in the final, eking out a 1-0 victory to claim his first regional title and second berth in the state tournament.

Clearfield’s Carter Chamberlain, a senior, and Brookville’s Easton Belfiore, a junior, went at it in the regional finals–a rematch of the previous week’s district championship tilt that the Raider grappler won in sudden victory, 3-1.

At regionals it was Chamberlain’s turn, the Bison wrestler earning a 4-3 decision for his first North West championship.

Chamberlain also qualified for states as sophomore and junior, placing eighth in 2022. Belfiore will be making his second trip to states, his previous coming as a freshman.

Carson Neely, a Port Allegany junior, won his second regional title in a row, pinning District 10 champion John Duran (2:51).

Neely, who qualified for states last year and ended up fourth, will once again carry an undefeated record into Hershey (41-0).

Joining Householder, Hannah, and Belfiore at states will be senior teammate Jared Popson, fourth at 121 pounds. Like Hannah, this is Popson’s first time qualifying for the PIAA championships.

Cranberry’s Elijah Brosius, a junior, and Aiden Thompson, a freshman, both qualified for states by finishing third at 107 and 127 pounds, respectively. Brosius qualified for states for the third consecutive year. He’s placed eighth to cap each of his previous appearances in Hershey.

Chamberlain will be joined in his trip to the state tournament by three Bison teammates–sophomore Cash Diehl (second at 121 pounds), junior Brady Collins (runner-up at 152 pounds), and junior Ty Aveni (145 pounds).

Collins is a three-time state qualifier, placing for the first time a year ago (fourth at 139 pounds). Diehl and Aveni will both be making their Hershey debuts.

A pair of Neely’s Gator teammates earned spots in the state tournament. Senior Miska Young, third at 215 pounds, qualified last season, while sophomore Aiden Bliss, third at 172 pounds, is first-timer.

Brockway has a duo who advanced to the state championships.

Four-time District 9 champion Weston Pisarchick, a senior, was runner-up at 127 pounds. He has now qualified for states three years in a row, placing third last season. His brother, Parker, a junior, was fourth at 139 pounds and is now a two-time state qualifier, having previously advanced as a freshman.

The 2024 PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships will be held March 7-9 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Results

State Qualifiers by School (top-four advance)
Brookville (4) – 1st (2), 2nd (1), 4th (1)
Cranberry (4) – 1st (2), 3rd (2)
Clearfield (4) – 1st (1), 2nd (2), 4th (1)
Port Allegany (3) – 1st (1), 3rd (2)
Brockway (2) – 2nd (1), 4th (1)
Central Clarion (1) – 3rd (1)
Kane (1) – 4th (1)
St. Marys (1) – 4th (1)

Championship Round
107 – Angelo Lomonte (Reynolds) dec. Sierra Chiesa (Northwestern), 4-3
114 – Dalton Wenner (Cranberry) dec. Carter Beck (Saegertown), 3-2
121 – Louie Gill (Reynolds) tech. fall Cash Diehl (Clearfield), 18-1
127 – Logan Stewart (Reynolds) pinned Weston Pisarchick (Brockway), 1:59
133 – Hudson Hohman (Grove City) dec. Hunter Gould (Conneaut Area), 3-2
139 – Dane Wenner (Cranberry) dec. Chase Bell (Reynolds), 1-0
145 – Cole Householder (Brookville) dec. Wyatt Lazzar (Commodore Perry), 3-2
152 – Cody Hamilton (Grove City) dec. Brady Collins (Clearfield), 5-4
160 – Story Buchanan (Girard) maj. dec. Hudson Spires (General McLane), 8-0
172 – Hunter Hohman (Grove City) maj. dec. Mason Savitz (Corry Area), 15-4
189 – Carter Chamberlain (Clearfield) dec. Easton Belfiore (Brookville), 4-3
215 – Gavin Hannah (Brookville) maj. dec. Ryan Dedrick (General McLane), 11-3
285 – Carson Neely (Port Allegany) pinned John Duran (Fort LeBoeuf), 2:51

Third-Place
107 – Aiden Thompson (Cranberry) dec. Hunter Chew (Harbor Creek), 5-3
114 – Rocky Kowle (North East) dec. Tanner Hamilton (Grove City), 4-3
121 – Bryson Galloway (North East) dec. Jared Popson (Brookville), 5-4
127 – Elijah Brosius (Cranberry) pinned Kyler See (North East), 2:57
133 – Cyrus Hurd (North East) pinned Clay Kimmy (General McLane), 2:46
139 – Alex Rueberger (Sharpsville) maj. dec. Parker Pisarchick (Brockway), 8-0
145 – Brody Beck (Cambridge Springs) dec. Ty Aveni (Clearfield), 2-0
152 – Caulin Summers (Sharpsville) maj. dec. Chance Kimmy (General McLane), 15-3
160 – JoJo Przybycien (Fort LeBoeuf) dec. Reece Bechakas (Kane), 7-1
172 – Aiden Bliss (Port Allegany) dec. Andrew Wolfanger (St. Marys), 12-8
189 – Magnus Lloyd (General McLane) forfeit Conner McChesney (Fort LeBoeuf)
215 – Miska Young (Port Allegany) dec. Teague Calvin (Greenville), 1-0
285 – Joshua Beal (Central Clarion) dec. Joey Peterson (Greenville), 3-2

Fifth-Place
107 – Michael Copello (Ridgway) dec. Isaac Huya (Saegertown), 8-3
114 – Waylon Waite (Reynolds) dec. Adika Fiscus (Warren), 5-2
121 – Cael Dailey (Franklin) dec. Ian O’Shea (Port Allegany), 7-2
127 – Chase Blake (Maplewood) inj. def. Aiden Beimel (St. Marys)
133 – Nate Stearns (Titusville) pinned Brody Myers (Fort LeBoeuf), 1:43
139 – Hunter Cox (Greenville) forfeit Rocco Allegretto (Johnsonburg)
145 – Jaden Wehler (St. Marys) pinned Jackson Bowers (Fort LeBoeuf), 1:50
152 – Landon Wolfkiel (Titusville) dec. Burke Fleming (Brookville), 5-1
160 – Cash Morrell (Cochranton) dec. Vito Gentile (Reynolds), 5-3
172 – Josh Divens (Sharpsville) dec. Ryan Welka (Fort LeBoeuf), 7-2
189 – Juuso Young (Port Allegany) dec. Colton Tupper (Reynolds), 3-2
215 – Gavyn Ayers (Coudersport) pinned Sam Kightlinger (Harbor Creek), 2:38
285 – Garet Guthrie (Commodore Perry) forfeit Greg Gruda (Northwestern)

Team
1. Reynolds – 136.5
2. Clearfield – 90.5
2. Grove City – 90.5
4. Cranberry – 89.5
5. Brookville – 88.5
6. General McLane – 85.5
7. Port Allegany – 81.5
8. Fort LeBoeuf – 75.0
9. North East – 69.0
10. Greenville – 54.0
13. Brockway – 42.0
15. St. Marys – 36.0
22. Central Clarion – 19.0
23. Coudersport – 17.0
27. Kane – 12.0
29. Johnsonburg – 9.0
30. Ridgway – 7.0
35. Curwensville – 4.0
35. Sheffield – 4.0