CLARION, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Most of the usual suspects advanced.
And some sleepers, too.
(Brookville’s Easton Belfiore, right, makes a takedown during the District 9 team championships. Belfiore advanced to the semifinals on the individual championships on Friday/photo by Molly Zimmerman)
In what was a busy day of wrestling on Friday at PennWest Clarion at the District 9 Class 2A individual championships, every top seed in each weight class made it to the semifinals, which will be contested at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Two undefeated wrestlers — 20-0 Weston Pisarchick of Brockway at 114 pounds and 27-0 Carson Neely of Port Allegany at heavyweight — moved on with decisive victories.
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Then there were some underdogs who found their way into the semifinals.
Seventh-seeded 127-pounder Dylan Deluccia of Coudersport punched his ticket to the final four with a dramatic 9-7 sudden victory in his bout against Colton Ryan of Clearfield.
Ryan was the No. 2 seed.
Brookville’s Easton Belfiore, who had a 13-12 record and was he sixth seed in the 172-pound weight class, earned an 8-3 decision over Addison Plants of Kane to move into the semifinals.
Plants was third-seeded.
Seven defending champions will wrestle in the semifinals, several in a different weight class.
Pisarchick won the 114-pound title a year ago and will be shooting for a crown at 120; Cole Household of Brookville won the 120-pound title a year ago and is in the 127-pound bracket this season; Reece Bechakas of Kane won at 145 last year and is gunner for a 152 championship; Seth Stewart of Brockway is back to claim his 189-pound championship and so is his teammate Gavin Thompson at heavyweight.
Two more defending champions will square off against each other Saturday morning.
Aiden Zimmerman of Johnsonburg won the 160-pound title a year ago and he will battle Curwensville’s Logan Augenbaugh, last season’s 152-pound winner, in a 160-pound bout.
The finals will begin at 5 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
107-Dalton Wenner (Cranberry) vs. Michael Copello (Ridgway); Andrew Coriarty (Oswayo Valley) vs. Gage Park (Brookville)
114-Weston Pisarchick (Brockway) vs. Bryndin Chamberlain (Clearfield); Logan Powell (Clarion) vs. Aiden Beimel (St. Marys)
121-Evan Davis (Clearfield) vs. A.J. Barnes (Sheffield); Cole Bish (Redbank Valley) vs. Elijah Brosius (Cranberry)
127-Cole Householder (Brookville) vs. Brandon Murray (Cranberry); Cole Neil (St. Marys) vs. Dylan Deluccia (Coudersport)
133-Parker Pisarchick (Brockway) vs. Collin Brown (Sheffield); Conner Reszkowski (Cranberry) vs. Brecken Cieleski (Brookville)
139-Brady Collins (Clearfield) vs. Colton Ross (Brockway); Ben Reynolds (St. Marys) vs. Dane Wenner (Cranberry)
145-Avery Bittler (Johnsonburg) vs. Ty Aveni (Clearfield); Nick Fegert (Curwensville) vs. Jaden Wheler (St. Marys)
152-Mason Gourley (Clarion) vs. Andrew Wolfanger (St. Marys); Devyn Fleeger (Cranberry) vs. Reece Bechakas (Kane)
160-Aiden Zimmerman (Johnsonburg) vs. Logan Augenbaugh (Curwensville); Coyha Brown (Brookville) vs. Luke Ely (Kane)
172-Waylon Wehler (St. Marys) vs. John Wright (Coudersport); Easton Belfiore (Brookville) vs. Aiden Bliss (Port Allegany)
189-Jackson Zimmerman (Brookville) vs. Juuso Young (Port Allegany); Carter Chamberlain (Clearfield) vs. Seth Stewart (Brockway)
215-Brayden McFetridge (Cranberry) vs. Trenton Guiher (Curwensville); Gavyn Ayers (Coudersport) vs. Miska Young (Port Allegany)
Hwt-Carson Neely (Port Allegany) vs. Baily Miller (Brookville); William Rossman (Coudersport) vs. Gavin Thompson (Brockway)
