2013 PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships Recap – Day One

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, March 8, 2013 | 12:24 AM

The PIAA tournament kicked off in Hershey on Thursday, which is the start of the bracket cutting down from 16 wrestlers to the top 8 medalists in each weight class. Thursday marked 4 wrestlers being eliminated at each weight class and the good news is the WPIAL did not get the memo.

The WPIAL had a strong showing on Thursday, with 28 of its 42 wrestlers advancing into the quarterfinals while another 10 wrestlers stayed alive in the consolations. That means out of the 42 AAA WPIAL wrestlers, only four guys were eliminated (one wrestler each at 106, 138, 160, and 285).

The WPIAL advanced all 3 PIAA qualifiers into the quarterfinals in 5 weight classes, 120, 126, 132, 145, and 152. All 14 WPIAL Champions moved into the quarterfinals, which begin Friday at 1:30 PM. Canon McMillan and Franklin Regional lead the way with 4 wrestlers in the quarterfinals. Kiski Area, Greensburg Salem, Latrobe, Hampton, North Allegheny, North Hills, and Pittsburgh Central Catholic all have 2 wrestlers in the quarterfinals.

Parkland is the current leader of the team standings after day one at 17. Parkland has 6 wrestlers left in the tournament, which is the most in AAA. Canon McMillan is second with 14.5 points and 5 wrestlers left in the tournament. Franklin Regional is the only other WPIAL team in the top five, as they are in fifth with 12.5 points and 5 wrestlers left in the tournament.

The WPIAL’s two biggest favorites to capture Class AA state titles, Jason Nolf of Kittanning and Burrell’s Dakota DesLauriers, both cruised through their respective preliminary round bouts to advance to the quarterfinals at the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships at the GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania on Thursday.

Nolf, a state champion as a freshman and a third place finisher last year, defeated Bethlehem Catholic freshman Lee Todora in a 132-pound bout, 6-2, to improve his season record to 42-0. Nolf’s only career loss was in the state semi-finals last year. The Wildcats’ junior now boasts a mind-boggling 129-1 career mark.

DesLauriers dominated his opponent, Lyle Troutman, on his way to an 18-3 technical fall just 28 seconds into the third period over the Tri Valley senior in a 182 pound match-up. The Burrell senior, a Mercyhurst recruit, is also undefeated on the season at 33-0. DesLauriers, a senior, is looking to win his first state title and land on the podium for the fourth straight year after finishing in seventh place as a freshman and third as a sophomore at 171 pounds, and as a state runner-up last season at 182.

Nolf’s quarterfinal opponent is Annville Cleona sophomore Jeffrey Inman (41-4), while DesLauriers will face Lancaster Catholic junior Stephen Loiseau (41-2). The Class AA quarterfinals begin Friday morning at 9:00 am and can be heard here on the MSA Sports Network.

In all, 21 of the 34 Class AA wrestlers representing the WPIAL won their first round bouts in Hershey on Thursday. Other grapplers advancing to the quarterfinals were Southmoreland’s Austin Griffiths (106 pounds), South Fayette’s Seth Carr (113), Derry’s George Phillipi (113), South Side’s Nate Reckner (120), Jefferson-Morgan’s John Demaske (126), South Park’s Greg Bulsak (126), Keystone Oak’s Nick Zanetta (132), Charleroi’s Nick Gavazzi (138), Burrell’s Steve Edwards (138), Chartiers-Houston’s Tanner Sutton (145), Freedom’s Boe Bonzo (152), and South Fayette’s Jared Walker (160).

Also winning were South Fayette’s Mike Fetchet (170), Jefferson-Morgan’s Dustin Conti (170), Valley’s Terrell Fields (182), Kittanning’s Zac Croyle (195), Chartiers-Houston’s Garrett Vulcano (195), West Green’s Cody Jacobs (220), and Avella’s Jake Temple (220).

Of the thirteen wrestlers who lost their first match, only four bounced back to keep their All-State hopes alive by winning first round consolation bouts. Bentworth’s Jake Rothka (113), Valley’s Patrick Dewitt (126), South Park’s Jake Wentzel (132), and Burrell’s Phil Marra (145) will wrestle in the second round of consolations beginning at 10:45am on Friday.

Wrestlers that dropped their first two bouts and were eliminated from the competition included Burgettstown’s Austin McDermitt (106), Jefferson-Morgan’s Brendan Howard (106), Valley’s Josiah Hughes (120), South Fayette’s Mike Carr (120), Burrell’s J.R. Andrejcik (132), West Greene’s Matt Johnston (145), South Fayette’s Grant Fetchet (152), Burrell’s Allan Beattie (285), and Southmoreland’s Jake Beistel (285).

Defending state Class AA team champion Bethlehem Catholic leads the team standings after the first day of competition with 20.5 points. Benton is second with 14, while Brookville and Saegertown are tied for third place with 10 points each. Burrell, in thirteenth place, is the top WPIAL squad with 6.5 points.