Class AA State Brackets Released with Business As Usual
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Bethlehem Catholic Looks to Dominate the PIAA Class AA Individual State Tournament.
There were far less surprises in the Class AA Regionals on Saturday and each of the 14 ranked wrestlers in Class AA remained so as they captured Regional titles. An impressive 9 of 14 of the#1 State ranked wrestlers will enter the PIAA State Tournament undefeated. Below is a look at all 14 brackets and a recap of the Regional Tournaments.
Undefeated freshman #1 Max Murin (Central Cambria) downed #19 Nolan Link (Penn Cambria) for the second week in a row to earn his first career South West Regional Championship. South Park freshman #12 Dallas Bulsak finished in third place at the South West Regional. Bishop McDevitt freshman #5 John Pipa had no issues in the South East Regional finals against #2 Sammy Hepler (Tri-Valley) racking up a (10-4) win to claim his first Regional Championship. Athens Area freshman #3 Brian Courtney made a strong statement remaining undefeated and winning the North East Regional title with a (10-3) decision over #6 Alan Diltz (Benton Area) in the finals. #13 Ryan Carlson (Brockway) downed District 10 Champion #15 Gage Bayless (Reynolds) in the North West Regional finals (5-2).
Returning PIAA State runner-up #1 Luke Karem (Bethlehem Catholic) won his second straight South East Regional title with a victory over sophomore #3 Jacob Wasser (Palisades) for second straight week (2-1). Wasser was a 2013 PIAA fourth place medalist and will look to improve on that finish in his second trip to Hershey. The South West Regional was loaded with talent and when the dust settled 2x PIAA State Medalist #5 Austin Griffiths (Southmoreland) avenged last weeks defeat in the WPIAL finals and downed rival #4 Austin McDermitt (Burgettstown) by a score of (7-1). Previously unbeaten sophomore #2 Collin Glorioso (Huntingdon Area) suffered two loses and finished in fifth place. Sophomore #8 Taylor Ortz (Brookville Area) cruised to a North West Regional Championship picking up three falls en route to his second straight PIAA State Tournament qualification. #6 junior Cameron Newman (Line Mountain) advanced to his third straight PIAA State Tournament by capturing the North East Regional Championship.
Returning PIAA State Champion #1 George “Mickey” Phillippi (Derry Area) earned his first career South West Regional Championship downing #7 Tristan Law (Forest Hills) in the finals (8-2). #2 Korbin Myers (Boiling Springs) will be looking to avenge his (2-1 TB) defeat to Phillippi in the PIAA State semifinals last season. The junior captured his second straight South East Regional Championship and defeated Bethlehem Catholic sophomore #5 Joey Gould in the finals (8-4). District 6 freshman #15 Curtis Decker (Penns Valley Area) advanced to his first PIAA State Tournament by finishing in third place at the South West Regional. Fellow freshman #10 Todd Lane (Southern Columbia Area) had an impressive North East Regional Tournament a week after finishing third at the District 4 Tournament. Lane met fellow freshman #19 Mike Stuart (Benton Area) in the finals and was victorious (6-0) en route to his first career North East Regional Championship. Returning PIAA State qualifier #8 Zackary LeBarron (Warrior Run) bounced back from a semifinal defeat to Lane to finish in third place and earn his second straight trip to Hershey. Sophomore #18 Jarret Carter (Fort LeBeouf) qualified for his first PIAA State Championship by winning the North West Regional upsetting #3 Willie Gruver (Redbank Valley) in the finals (7-6). Gruver will be heading to the GIANT Center for the third time in his career.
#1 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic) has appeared poised all season long and nothing changed on Saturday night. The senior remained undefeated on the season by capturing the South East Regional Championship with a (14-8) victory over #14 Dante Albanese (Pius X) in the finals. Another undefeated senior, #2 John Demaske (Jefferson Morgan) remained flawless after capturing the South West Regional Championship with a (4-2) win over #5 Pat DeWitt (Valley) for the second time in as many weeks. #4 Grant Bond (Boiling Springs) punched his second straight ticket to the PIAA State Tournament by finishing third at the South East Regional. Central Columbia senior #7 Lewis Williams won the North East Regional with a overtime victory in the finals over #17 Shawn Nitcznski (3-1 SV). Kane Area senior #8 Cody Blankenship was able to hold off District 10 Champion #6 Mike Bartolo (Reynolds) in the finals (4-3). Both wrestlers will be making their second trip to the PIAA State Tournament.
Undefeated senior #1 Ian Brown (Hanover) is a 3x PIAA State Medalist who has never finished lower than fourth place at the State Tournament. Brown had no issues winning the South East Regional taking down #4 Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs) for the second week in a row in the finals (12-1). Brown won’t be the only undefeated wrestler at 132 lbs. as sophomore #2 Mike Carr (South Fayette) remained flawless capturing the South West Regional downing #19 John Andrejcik in the finals (5-0). Andrejcik upset returning PIAA State runner-up #3 Ryan Easter (Bedford) in the quarterfinals (2-1 TB). The 3x PIAA State Medalist Easter bounced back to finish in third place. Lake Lehman’s talented senior #5 Austin Harry won the North East Regional Championship with a (2-1) win over sophomore #9 Keith Batkowski (Montoursville Area) in the finals. 2x PIAA State Medalist #7 Tyler Vath (Saegertown) captured the North West Regional Championship over #8 Kyle Lukowich (Conneaut Lake) in the finals (2-0).
Brookville Area senior and 2x PIAA State Medalist #1 Brock Zacherl won the North West Regional Championship with no issue downing #5 George McGuire (Fort LeBouef) in the finals (11-2). It will be McGuire’s third trip to Hershey. Returning PIAA State Medalist Jake Wentzel (South Park) won the South West Regional and qualified for his second straight PIAA State Championship in as many tries. Wentzel pinned #20 Jason Miller (Jefferson Morgan) in the finals to remain only once defeated on the season. In a rematch of the District 11 finals from a week ago Palmerton Area senior #4 Josh Evans avenged his runner-up finish to down Bethlehem Catholic’s freshman #3 Michael Labriola (5-4) in the finals. Returning PIAA State Medalist #7 Kent Lane (Southern Columbia Area) captured the North East Regional Championship with a (7-1) victory over #19 Cody Klinger (Bloomsburg) in the finals.
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