Class AA Finals Will Feature All-Star Cast
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#2 Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic) was in full control of #2 Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown) at 182 lbs.
Despite a handful of semifinal matches featuring wrestlers ranked #1 and #2 in the State – as a whole the 28 Class AA PIAA State finalists are an impressive group of competitors. View the place medalists and check out updated brackets here.
At 106 lbs. Bishop McDevitt freshman #3 John Pipa was non-stop racking up 11 unanswered points against undefeated freshman #1 Max Murin (Central Cambria) score (11-0). Pipa will face fellow freshman #12 Jake Reigel (Bethlehem Catholic) in the State Finals. The meeting will be the third time they have faced each other this season. It will be a re-match from last week’s South East Regional semifinals in which Pipa was victorious by decision (4-2). At the Escape the Rock Tournament in January Reigel downed Pipa (2-1). At 113 lbs. #1 Luke Karem (Bethlehem Catholic) was tough on top against #7 Taylor Ortz (Brookville Area) earning a (6-0) decision to advance into his second straight PIAA State Finals. Karem will face off with Bedford sophomore #8 Jonathan Gabrial who advanced into the finals courtesy of a fall over #14 Seth Houge (Reynolds) in (3:50). Boiling Springs junior #2 Korbin Myers returns to the PIAA State Finals for the second time in his career defeating freshman #14 Mike Stuart (Benton Area) by decision (12-5). Myers will face off with Southern Columbia Area freshman #3 Todd Lane. In the semifinals Lane earned a wild victory over talented sophomore #7 Joey Gould (Bethlehem Catholic) score (10-8).
At 126 lbs. two undefeated wrestlers took the mat but it was Nationally acclaimed senior #1 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic) who proved superior against #2 John Demaske (Jefferson Morgan) winning (5-1) to advance to his third straight PIAA State Finals. Standing in his way of PIAA Gold is #9 Josh Giorgio (Schuylkill Valley) who reversed last week’s defeat to #3 Grant Bond (Boiling Springs) rolling to an (11-1) win. The junior looked more like the wrestler that won the District 3 Tournament two week prior over Bond (8-4). At 132 lbs. undefeated senior #1 Ian Brown (Hanover) faced his stiffest competition of the season against #4 Austin Harry (Lake-Lehman) surviving (4-3) to advance into his first career PIAA State Finals. Brown will take on familiar foe #3 Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs) for the fourth straight week in a row. Brown was victorious in his three previous meetings with Shoop by scores of (17-3), (17-2), and (12-1). At 138 lbs. senior #1 Brock Zacherl (Brookville Area) continued his dominance advancing into the finals over #3 Josh Evans (Palmerton Area) by major decision (12-0). He will take on #7 Kent Lane (Southern Columbia Area) as both wrestlers will be making their first appearance in the State Finals. Lane pulled a stunner over #2 Jake Wentzel (South Park) defeating the sophomore in a defensive pin at the (1:56) mark.
Undefeated senior #1 Jason Nolf (Kittanning) will seek his third career PIAA State Championship putting his career (175-1) record on the line against undefeated junior #2 Billy Barnes (Williamson) in the 145 lbs. finals. At 152 lbs. #1 Steve Edwards (Burrell) defeated #2 Cole Walter (Mifflinburg Area) decision (5-2) to advance into the Finals where he will meet returning PIAA State Medalist #4 Blake Marks (Southern Columbia Area) at 152 lbs. Marks used a come from behind win over #8 Richie Cerebe (Calvary Christian Academy) earning a fall in (4:54) to improve on his 8th place finish from a season ago. South Fayette junior #4 Jared Walker outlasted #2 Ryan Preisch (Milton Area) in ultimate tie-breaker (4-2 UTB). Walker will face undefeated senior #1 Kyle Bova (Coudersport) in the finals. It will be Bova’s second straight appearance in the PIAA State Finals. At 170 lbs. undefeated senior #1 Evan Delong (Kane Area) advanced to his second straight PIAA Sate Finals with a (9-3) win over #3 Corey Hazel (Penns Valley Area). On the other half of 170 lbs. #7 Nico Pecora (Richland) used his second straight overtime victory to advance into the finals over sophomore #10 Garrett Hoffman (Montoursville Area) with a (8-6 OT) victory.
In a marquee match of the two top ranked wrestlers all season at 182 lbs. #2 Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic) proved his worth downing #1 Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown) in a one-sided decision (3-0). The undefeated senior will meet #5 Jose Ortiz (Bethlehem Catholic) in the PIAA State Finals. Last week at the South East Regional finals Loiseau defeated Ortiz by major decision (8-0). At 195 lbs. undefeated senior #1 Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs) had one of his tightest matches of the season as he won (2-1) over #2 Garrett Wesneski (Canton Area). Sponseller will appear in his second straight PIAA State Finals and standing in his way is Corry Area senior #9 Ryan Morris. Morris was able to defeat Boiling Springs senior #7 Kyler Taylor (4-3) in the semifinals. Another #1 and #2 faced-off in the semifinals, this time at 220 lbs., as undefeated senior #1 Jake Temple (Avella Area) earned a reversal in ultimate tie-breaker to slip by #2 Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic) score (4-2 UTB). Temple will face #3 Reynald Maines (West Branch) in the finals for the second week in a row. Maines held on for a (3-1 TB) win over #5 Jacob Robb (Kittanning) in the semifinals. In last week’s South West Regional finals Temple needed ultimate tie-breaker to earn the Regional Championship winning (3-2 UTB). Fans should expect a similar match on Saturday. In a surprisingly exciting heavyweight bout returning PIAA State Champion #1 Sam Breese (Lakeview) remained undefeated on the season by downing #2 Alan Beattie (Burrell) by decision (8-3). Breese will enter his second straight PIAA State Finals at heavyweight and face #6 Brady Mutton (Pen Arygl Area). Mutton, a senior, picked up a fall in overtime against sophomore #3 Jake Beistel (Southmoreland) in (6:44 OT).
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