Trib HSSN Wrestling Team of the 2000s filled with multiple-time state champs in Class AAA

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, January 5, 2021 | 4:46 PM

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Over the past week, Trib HSSN has polled fans to pick the Trib HSSN Wrestling Team of the 2000s. Today, staff writer Paul Schofield makes his selections for Class AAA.

I’ve seen a lot of great wrestlers since I started covering the sport in 1980. When making my selections for the Trib HSSN Wrestling Team of the 2000s, I paid special attention to multiple-time champions and placewinners as well as the eye test.

I tried to make the ballots fan friendly, and special thanks go out to everyone who participated in the polling on Twitter. Every wrestler was slotted into a weight he competed and won in during his high school career. It wasn’t easy because there were so many outstanding wrestlers in Class AAA.

In each weight class, the fan balloting winner is followed by my pick and a short explanation. Some were no-brainers. Others are more debatable.

Here is the Class AAA team.

106 pounds

Fan winner: Kurtis Phipps, Norwin (50.8%). He edged out Franklin Regional’s Devin Brown (27.9) and Penn-Trafford’s Shane Young (21.3).

Trib pick: Young. A three-time PIAA champion and a three-time WPIAL champ.

113 pounds

Fan winner: Nico Megaludis, Franklin Regional (72.8%). He breezed past McGuffey’s Jeff Breese (15.8) and Canon-McMillan’s Colin Johnston (11.4).

Trib pick: Megaludis. A three-time PIAA champion and four-time WPIAL champ.

119 pounds

Fan winner: Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional (88.1%). He beat Mt. Pleasant’s Justin Spates (7.6) and Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri (4.2).

Trib pick: Lee. A three-time PIAA champion and four-time WPIAL champ.

126 pounds

Fan winner: Coleman Scott, Waynesburg (68.8%). He beat out North Hills’ Sam Hillegas (22.7) and Canon-McMillan’s Connor Schram (8.5).

Trib pick: Scott. A three-time PIAA champion and four-time WPIAL champ.

132 pounds

Fan winner: A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg (50.2%). He edged out Greensburg Salem’s Donnie Jones (33.6) and Franklin Regional’s Tyler Smith (16.2).

Trib pick: Jones. A three-time PIAA finalist, two-time PIAA champ and three-time WPIAL champ.

138 pounds

Fan winner: Luke Pletcher, Latrobe (76.7). He beat out Hempfield’s Sam Krivus (15.3) and Waynesburg’s Wyatt Henson (7.9).

Trib pick: Pletcher. A three-time PIAA champ and four-time WPIAL champ.

140 pounds

Fan winner: Ashtin Primus, Connellsville (53.1%). He beat out Connellsville’s Ron Doppelheuer (25.9) and Trinity’s Dan Burkholder (21).

Trib pick: Primus. A two-time PIAA champion, a four-time PIAA placewinner and two-time WPIAL champion.

145 pounds

Fan winner: Michael Kemerer, Franklin Regional (59.9%). He edged out Canon-McMillan’s Solomon Chishko (23.2) and Shaler’s Nick Nelson (16.9).

Trib pick: Chishko. A two-time PIAA and four-time WPIAL champion.

152 pounds

Fan winner: Cam Coy, Penn-Trafford (45.3%). He edged Shaler’s Troy Letters (44.5) and Latrobe’s Ryan Goodman (10.2).

Trib pick: Letters. A three-time PIAA placewinner, two-time champion and four-time WPIAL champion.

160 pounds

Fan winner: Greg Jones, Greensburg Salem (46.2%). He edged out Hempfield’s Luke Kemerer (38.7) and Connellsville’s Jarrod King (15.1).

Trib pick: King. A three-time PIAA finalist, two-time PIAA champ and three-time WPIAL champ.

171 pounds

Fan winner: Jake Herbert, North Allegheny (44.3%). He edged out Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis (35) and Canon-McMillan’s Cody Wiercioch (20.7).

Trib pick: Wiercioch. A three-time PIAA champion and four-time finalist. He also was a three-time WPIAL champ.

182 pounds

Fan winner: Zack Zavatsky, Latrobe (37.9%). He edged out Kiski Area’s Matt McCutcheon (32.4) and Mt. Lebanon’s Kellan Stout (29.7).

Trib pick: Zavatsky. A PIAA champion and three-time PIAA placewinner. He also was a four-time WPIAL finalist and three-time champion.

195 pounds

Fan winner: Luke Stout, Mt. Lebanon (47.7%). He edged out North Allegheny’s Jake Woodley (37.2) and Hampton’s Jacob Hart (15.1).

Trib pick: Woodley. A two-time PIAA champion and two-time WPIAL champ.

220 pounds

Fan winner: Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands (48.5%). He beat out Connellsville’s Nate Gaffney (28.8) and Kittanning’s Jacob Robb (22.7).

Trib pick: Robb. A two-time WPIAL champion, two-time PIAA finalist and PIAA champion.

285 pounds

Fan winner: Isaac Reid, Kiski Area (46.7%). He beat out Canon’s McMillan’s Brendan Furman (38.7) and North Allegheny’s Tom Parks (19.1).

Trib pick: Furman. A PIAA and WPIAL champion by defeating Reid head to head.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.