WPIAL Regional Updates as Semifinals Set
56 wrestlers are one win shy of punching their tickets to the 2017 PIAA State Tournament next week as the WPIAL/SW Regional Semifinals are set for Saturday at 12:00. There were a few surprises and even more nail biters on Friday evening during the Championship Quarterfinals. It started with a bang at 106 lbs. when two of the State’s top wrestlers each got knocked down to the consolation round early on. Hampton freshman #21 Tyler Kocak shocked #2 Darren Miller (Kiski Area) at 106 lbs. with a (6-2) win picking up a takedown and back points late in the third period. With the match tied (1-1) in the third period Miller was deep in on a takedown but Kocak fought it off and collected a takedown of his own and closed it out with a set of backs to pull the upset.
It didn’t end there at 106 lbs. as freshman #28 Gabe Willochell (Latrobe) faced off with junior #5 Frankie Bonura (Moon) in a wild bout that ended (13-11) in sudden victory. Willochell, a scrappy wrestler who isn’t afraid to take some risks, held on for the victory. It was the second Top 20 ranked wrestler on the day Willochell took out as he rebounded from a disappointing sectionals where he ended up in fourth place.
The weights to watch tomorrow afternoon will be 106, 132, 138, 170, 182, 195, and 220. There were be at least one toss-up bout in each of those weight classes with many of them being Top 10 ranked wrestlers.
View the Semifinal matchups and updated brackets below!
106 lbs.
#21 Tyler Kocak (Hamtpon) vs. #16 Kurtis Phipps (Norwin)
#28 Gabe Willochell (Greater Latrobe) vs. #11 Ryan Sullivan (Shaler Area)
113 lbs.
#1 Sam Hillegas (North Hills) vs. #20 Kyle Burkholder (Hempfield Area)
#4 Jacob Dunlop (Belle Vernon Area) vs. #2 Louis Newell (Seneca Valley)
120 lbs.
#6 Logan Macri (Canon-McMillan) vs. #18 Matt Siszka (Kiski Area)
#11 Vincent Distefanis (Hempfield Area) vs. #10 Colton Camacho (Franklin Regional)\
126 lbs.
#1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) vs. #11 Nick Coy (Penn Trafford)
#4 Noah Levett (Kiski Area) vs. #18 Alex Hornfeck (Mars)
132 lbs.
#7 Caleb Morris (Waynesburg Central) vs. #11 Luke Landefield (North Allegheny)
#10 Hunter Baxter (Pine Richland) vs. #9 Jobe Chishko (Penn Trafford)
138 lbs.
#2 Luke Kemerer (Hempfied Area) vs. #12 Cam Connor (Kiski Area)
#7 Dom Means (Central Catholic) vs. #25 Nick Acuna (Moon Area)
145 lbs.
#1 Jarod Verkleeren (Hempfield Area) vs. Trey Howard (Waynesburg Central)
#5 Joey Blumer (Kiski Area) vs. #3 Jake Hinkson (North Allegheny)
152 lbs.
#1 Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford) vs. #12 Luke Stout (Mount Lebanon)
#7 Brock Godzin (Belle Vernon Area) vs. #4 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan)
160 lbs.
#2 Eric Hong (North Allegheny) vs. #14 Max Shaw (Thomas Jefferson)
#12 Caleb Baxter (Butler) vs. #4 Zach Hartman (Belle Vernon Area)
170 lbs.
#2 Tim Wallace (Albert Gallatin) vs. #13 Blaze Kansco (Canon-McMillan)
#8 Kyle Homet (Waynesburg Central) vs. #12 Alec Shaw (Greensburg Salem)
182 lbs.
#1 Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park) vs. #10 Teegan Hahn (Greensburg Salem)
#8 Mike Mahon (Fox Chapel Area) vs. #7 Matt McGillick (Penn Trafford)
195 lbs.
#1 Jake Woodley (North Allegheny) vs. #21 Nate Ansell (Connellsville Area)
#2 Eli Grape (West Allegheny) vs. #3 Colin McCracken (Waynesburg Central)
220 lbs.
#6 Rob D’Amico (Shaler Area) vs. #8 Billy Korber (Belle Vernon Area)
#15 Shamil Zaynullaev (Chartiers Valley) vs. #7 Ian Edenfield (Laurel Highlands)
285 lbs.
#2 Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan) vs. #19 Gerald Brown (West Mifflin Area)
#10 Roman Macek (Montour) vs. #3 Isaac Reid (Kiski Area)
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