Stage Set For History in Class AAA Finals
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#4 Zach Valley (Northampton Area) defeats State Champion Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area) in the semifinals at 126 lbs.
Never before in PIAA history have two wrestlers won their fourth career State Championship in the same season. History will in a likelihood be made tonight as undefeated senior Chance Marsteller and Thomas Haines both go for their fourth career gold medals in Class AAA.
At 106 lbs. #1 Devin Brown (Franklin Regional) will look to add to his 2013 PIAA Class AA State Championship but will have to get through Northampton Area freshman #3 Dan Moran. Moran upended #6 Connor Sheehan (Solanco), a returning PIAA State runner-up, in the semifinals (10-4). Undefeated freshman #1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) continued to dispose of opponents picking up a fall in (2:17) over #3 TyShawn White (Central Dauphin). Lee now has two tech-falls and a pin heading into the finals against #2 Joe Wheeling (General McLane). In an intriguing match-up #1 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe) will look to remain undefeated and defend his 2013 PIAA State Championship. In the finals he will meet #2 Scott Parker (Pennridge) who for the second time this season downed 2x PIAA State Champion #3 Ethan Lizak (Parkland) to advance into his first career State Finals.
Northampton Area senior #4 Zach Valley downed returning PIAA State Champion #2 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area) in the semifinals (1-0 TB). Valley was able to hold Krivus down for the 1-point win in tiebreaker. Valley will face #1 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan) who makes his second career PIAA State Finals appearance. Macri defeated fellow WPIAL wrestler #3 A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg Central) in the semifinals (5-3). At 132 lbs. #3 Chase Zemenak (Nazareth Area) continued his success blasting into the finals (9-2) over #8 Matt Grossman (Manheim Township). Zemenak will face arguably the second best freshman in the State, #1 Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford), in the finals. Its an all WPIAL finals at 138 lbs. with re-match #1 Vincenzo Joseph (Central Catholic) facing Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional) for the second week in a row. Kemere and Joseph have split wins this season in the POWERade finals going to Kemerer and WPIAL finals in favor of Joseph.
In one of the most antiipated math-ups of the season State Champions #1 Solomon Chishko (Canon McMillan) and #2 Joe Galasso (Father Judge) go head-to-head. Another #1 and #2 meet in the finals at 152 lbs. as #1 TC Warner (Cumberland Valley) will make his third career appearance in the PIAA State Finals. Warner has twice finished as the runner-up and standing in his way this season is #2 Josh Sheilds (Franklin Regional). At 160 lbs. 2012 PIAA State Champion #1 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin) closes out the Peppelman brother dynasty at Central Dauphin going for his second career PIAA State Championship. Peppelman will face #13 Ian Shannon (Carlisle Area) in a re-match of the South Central Regional finals two weeks ago. In that match Peppelman was the winner (16-6). #1 Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale) will go for his fourth straight PIAA State Championship and become the first to win four titles and remain undefeated in his career since Cary Kolat (Jefferson Morgan) did it in 1992. Marsteller will face #2 Kyle Coniker (Central Catholic) who gave Marsteller his closest match of the season in the POWERade semifinals falling (8-1).
At 182 lbs. #1 Zach Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe) will face for the fourth time this season and WPIAL rival Kellon Stout (Mount Lebanon) in the finals. The undefeated senior has wins this season over Stout by scores of (5-1). Returning PIAA State third place medalist #2 Jan Johnson (Governor Mifflin) squeaked into the finals over #7 Drew Phipps (Norwin) with a (3-1 SV) win in overtime. The junior will face #3 Nezar Haddad (Parkland) who defeated District 11 rival #5 Jovon Reyes (Louis E. Dieruff) in the semifinals (5-4). At 220 lbs. yet another re-match from a week ago will feature District 1 studs #1 Mike Boykin (Coatsville) and #2 Jordan Wood (Boyertown Area). Boykin defeated Wood in last weeks South East Regional finals (5-2) and will be making his first career PIAA State Finals appearance with an undefeated season record. PIAA State History will be made if #1 Thomas Haines (Solanco) can capture his fourth career PIAA State Championship over #4 Pat Finn (Pottsgrove).[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]