With Four State Ranked Teams Friday’s WPIAL Showcase is an Early Gift for Fans

By Jeff Upson | December 21, 2018

Busy getting all the last second gifts you need on Friday? Well if you are in the Pittsburgh Region you should be making an additional stop at Canon-McMillan High School on Friday evening. No, it is not to save a seat for next week’s POWERade. It will be for the first ever “WPIAL Showcase” featuring duals between four of the State’s best teams. If you absolutely can’t make it – follow the results on the FloArena here.

#9 Canon-McMillan vs. #10 Hempfield Area – 6:00 PM

This will be a tight match between teams who were both at the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic earlier this month. The Big Macs took third while Hempfield Area finished in fourth place at the CV Kickoff and combined the two programs have 12 wrestlers who are ranked in the Top 25 in the State by PA Power Wresting. Fans could see a potential three bouts where ranked wrestlers go head-to-head. Both teams are solid throughout with only a few holes.

106 – #19 Jacob Houpt (CM) vs. #24 Briar Priest (HA)

113 – Costa Moore (CM) vs. #20 Ethan Berginc (HA)

120 – Jimmy Baxter (CM) vs. #6 Kyle Burkholder (HA)

126 – Jacob Gardner (CM) vs. Nolan Daerr (HA)

132 – #18 Ken Haymen (CM) vs. Jared Brean (HA)

138 – Remington Ross (CM) vs. Zack Berginc (HA)

145 – #24 Tanner Rohaley (CM) vs. #7 Ty Linsenbigler (HA)

152 – Blake Joseph (CM) vs. Trevor Verkleeren or Dominic DeRiso (HA)

160 – Jonathan Shanahan (CM) vs. Julian Chillinsky or Trevor Verkleeren (HA)

170 – Tyler Rohaley (CM) vs. Magnus Speal (HA)

182 – #2 Gerrit Nijenhuis (CM) vs. Daniel Beck (HA)

195 – Evan Miller (CM) vs. #24 Justin Cramer (HA)

220 – Alec Hendal (CM) vs. #15 Dillon Feretti (HA)

285 – #20 Giomar Ramos (CM) vs. #7 Isaiah Vance (HA)

#3 Kiski Area vs. #8 Seneca Valley – 6:00 PM

In my opinion the most curious of match-ups will take place between #3 Kiski Area and #8 Seneca Valley. Seneca Valley is beyond solid in eight straight weights from 106 pounds to 152 pounds. There are not many other teams, besides BECAHI, who have a more versatile group in that range. Lead by a pair of State #1 Ranked wrestlers Dylan Chappell and Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, the Seneca Valley Raiders will need bonus points from those two in order to get a win over Kiski. The Cavilers have yet to see a wrestler at 106 pounds this season with freshman Antonio Giordano the only one listed at the weight. Likewise Kiski boasts a strong three punch from 152 pounds to 170 pounds with Cam Connor, Jack Blumer, and Nick Delp. Head coach Chris Heater has some flexibility that will allow him to shift the line-up in his favor. Combined the programs have 13 State Ranked wrestlers by PA Power Wrestling and fans could see two head-to-head matches between ranked wrestlers.

106 – Antonio Giordano (KA) vs. Hunter Swedish (SV)

113 – Julian Jones (KA) vs. #1 Dylan Chappell (SV)

120 – Dom Giordano (KA) vs. #1 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (SV)

126 – Luke Lacaria (KA) vs. #19 Chanz Shearer (SV)

132 – #4 Darren Miller (KA) vs. #13 Jason Geyer (SV)

138 – Sammy Starr (KA) vs. #18 Drew Vlasnik (SV)

145 – Enzo Morlacci or Colin Murray (KA) vs. #21 Antonio Amelio (SV)

152 – #2 Cam Connor or Colin Murray (KA) vs. #15 Nick Montalbano (SV)

160 – #3 Jack Blumer or #2 Cam Connor (KA) vs. Liam Volk-Klos (SV)

170 – #4 Nick Delp or #3 Jack Blumer (KA) vs. Conor Hayes (SV)

182 – Dylan Mullen or #4 Nick Delp (KA) vs. Patrick Johnson (SV)

195 – #17 Brayden Roscosky (KA) vs. Davin Beahm (SV)

220 – #20 Troy Kuhn vs. Nick Funovits (SV)

285 – Stone Joseph (KA) vs. Tyler Proctor (SV)

#8 Seneca Valley vs. #10 Hempfield Area – 7:30 PM

This match has some history to it. The last time these two faced off was in the WPIAL Team Tournament Quarterfinals where Hempfield won on criteria (32-31) over Seneca Valley. It was determined after the fact that Hempfield used a wrestler who at the time was ineligible therefore his results (a fall) was erased, taking six teams points away from Hempfield and giving them to Seneca Valley which in turn gave the Raiders a (37-25) victory. Seneca Valley went on to finish third in the WPIAL and qualify for the PIAA State Tournament – making it all the way to the Consolation Semifinals and falling one win away from a Top 4 finish. This time around Seneca Valley is the slight favorite over Hempfield Area. The two are strong in the same areas (light-weights) so you would guess that whoever wins the toss-up matches in the upper weights stands a good chance of winning the dual.

106 – Hunter Swedish (SV) vs. #24 Briar Priest (HA)

113 – #1 @ 106 Dylan Chappell (SV) vs. #20 Ethan Berginc (HA)

120 – #1 @ 113 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (SV) vs. #6 Kyle Burkholder (HA)

126 – #19 Chanz Shearer (SV) vs. Nolan Daerr (HA)

132 – #13 Jason Geyer (SV) vs. Jared Brean (HA)

138 – #18 Drew Vlasnik (SV) vs. Zack Berginc (HA)

145 – #21 Antonio Amelio (SV) vs. #7 Ty Linsenbigler (HA)

152 – #15 Nick Montalbano (SV) vs. Trevor Verkleeren or Dominic DeRiso (HA)

160 – Liam Volk-Klos (SV) vs. Julian Chillinsky or Trevor Verkleeren (HA)

170 – Conor Hayes (SV) vs. Magnus Speal (HA)

182 – Patrick Johnson (SV) vs. Daniel Beck (HA)

195 – Davin Beahm (SV) vs. #24 Justin Cramer (HA)

220 – Nick Funovits (SV) vs. #15 Dillon Feretti (HA)

285 – Tyler Proctor (SV) vs. #7 Isaiah Vance (HA)

#3 Kiski Area vs. #9 Canon-McMillan – 8:00 PM

The showdown everyone is talking about will take place at 8:00 PM between #3 Kiski and #9 Canon-Mac. It is a rematch of the 2018 WPIAL Team Finals that saw Kiski Area come away with a (33-24) victory. The Cavaliers went on to finish 2nd in the State while Canon-Mac was fourth. Kiski’s rookies, Enzo Morlacci and Stone Joseph, will both play critical roles in this match. Fans will see 11 State Ranked wrestlers compete between the two programs.