Clash of Titans at POWERade: Marsteller vs. Wiercioch
Barring a natural disaster or freak accident this season’s most anticipated match up will occur on Saturday December 29th at Canon-McMillan High School. That match up that will be between two of the Nation’s top wrestlers in all weight classes as senior Cody Wiercioch (Canon-McMillan) takes on junior Chance Marsteller (Kennard-Dale) in Big-Mac Country. Marsteller is the Nation’s #1 Ranked wrestler at 170 lbs. by Intermat; the Class of 2014’s #1 Ranked wrestler in the Nation in all weight classes by Intermat; the “Pound 4 Pound” #1 wrestler in the Naton by Flo Wrestling; and the #1 State Class AAA Ranked wrestler at 170 lbs. here at PA Power Wrestling. Marsteller enters the POWERade Tournament with an undefeated career record of (90-0) which includes two PIAA State Class AAA Championships and two POWERade Tournament Championships.
Senior Cody Wiercioch, who has signed with the University of Pittsburgh, has a few accolades as well. Wiercioch is the #2 Ranked wrestler in the Nation at 170 lbs. by Intermat; the #9 Ranked wrestler in the Nation for all Class of 2013 wrestlers; the “Pound 4 Pound” #9 wrestler in the Nation by Flo Wrestling; and the #2 State Class AAA Ranked wrestler at 170 lbs. here at PA Power Wrestling. Wiercioch will enter the POWERade Tournament with a career record of (135-4) which includes one PIAA State Class AA Championship, one PIAA State Class AAA Championship, and two POWERade Tournament Championships. Of his 4 career defeats Wiercioch has only lost to one wrestler, falling to former Burrell wrestler Travis McKillop four times. Cody has not lost a match since March 2011 when he fell to McKillop in the Class AA State finals as a sophomore wrestling at 160 lbs.
This will not be the first major test of Marsteller’s undefeated career at Kennard-Dale. In fact last season as a sophomore Marsteller faced off with Central Mountain’s Brian Brill in the finals at 160 lbs. Brill was a returning State Champion who entered the finals undefeated on the season. In usual fashion Marsteller dominated the match recording a major decision by a score of (17-7). For Marsteller, the match up with Wiercioch will be a much different one. Wiercioch is a strong and physical wrestler who rarely gives up any points. The match will in all likely hood come down to who can score the early takedown, which to this point in his career, has always been Marsteller. I predict an exciting match that may not have the high scoring points we are used to with these two wrestler but many good flurries with Marsteller earning a victory by a score of roughly (5-3). Only time will tell!
The blockbuster match up of Marsteller and Wiercioch is not the only premier match set to take place at POWERade. At 220 lbs. two of the Nation’s top upper-weights are on a collision course in a rematch of the 2012 Super 32 finals with Kyle Snyder vs. Thomas Haines. Maryland’s Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel) is the #1 Ranked wrestler in the Nation at 220 lbs. by Intermat; the Class of 2014 #2 Ranked wrestler in the Nation at any weight (behind #1 Marsteller); the #2 Ranked “Pound 4 Pound” wrestler in the Nation at any weight and any grade by Flo Wrestler (behind #1 Marsteller). Snyder has done and won it all. Kyle Snyder is a 2x National Prep Champion, a 2012 Flo National Champion, a 2012 Super 32 Champion, a 2012 Ironman Champion and a 2012 Beast of the East Champion. At the 2012 Super 32 in late October, Snyder met 2x PIAA State Class AAA Champion Thomas Haines (Solanco) in the finals at 220 lbs., defeating Haines by a score of (8-4). The two juniors are in a class of their own and should have no issues meeting one-in-other for a rematch in Cannonsburg, PA.
Information on the POWERade Tournament such as schedules, team list and seeds can be found here.