Franklin Regional celebrates 3 finalists at PIAA wrestling tournament
By:
Friday, March 15, 2019 | 7:49 PM
Franklin Regional’s Carter Dibert hugs coach Matt Lebe after beating Seneca Valley’s Dylan Chappell in the 106-pound final during the PIAA Class AAA championship March 9 at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Carter Dibert howls in victory as Seneca Valley’s Dylan Chappell is defeated in the 106-pound Class AAA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Seneca Valley’s Dylan Chappell wrestles Franklin Regional’s Carter Dibert in the106-pound Class AAA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Carter Dibert howls in victory as Seneca Valley’s Dylan Chappell walks off the mat at the end of the 106-pound Class AAA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Norwin’s Kurtis Phipps heads into the arena for the parade of champions before the start of Class AAA championship finals during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Norwin’s Kurtis Phipps is embraced emotionally by coach Vince DeAugustine after losing to Sean Pierson of Nazareth in the 120-pound Class AAA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Norwin’s Kurtis Phipps attempts to avoid a reversal by opponent Sean Pierson of Nazareth in the 120-pound Class AAA championship final during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Penn-Trafford’s Nick Coy wrestles Brooks Gable of Dallastown in the 138-pound class AAA second round consolation match during the PIAA state wrestling tournament on Friday, March 8, 2019 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional sophomore Carter Dibert capped his second PIAA wrestling championship by standing on the top of the podium March 9 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Dibert used a five-point move early and defeated Seneca Valley sophomore Dylan Chappell, 7-2, to win the 106-pound title.
While Dibert celebrated titles, teammates Finn Solomon (113) and Colton Camacho (126) were settling for second- place finishes.
Solomon, a freshman, dropped a 10-5 decision to two-time PIAA champion Alejandro Herrera-Rondon from Seneca Valley and Camacho, a senior, fell to Kiski Area senior Darren Miller, 6-5.
Miller had beaten Camacho twice before, but Camacho won the third meeting, 4-2, to win the WPIAL Class AAA title. It was the second consecutive season Camacho finished second in the state.
“Very proud of all three of them,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “It was great for Carter, but heartbreaking for Finn and Colton.”
Dibert’s win reversed a 5-1 sudden victory loss to Chappell in the WPIAL finals March 3.
“Last week, I think I was a little more cautious,” Dibert said of the WPIAL final. “I was a little more feeling him out. This week, I just wanted to get to my stuff, really just get to a lead and build on it.”
And he did that with the quick takedown.
“If it’s there, I was going to go for it,” Dibert said. “I think it was a slide-by, I saw it was there, I hit it, and it worked.”
Camacho competed in Friday’s Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic for the WPIAL team. Next year, he’ll be wrestling at Pitt.
Norwin will have to wait another year for a state champion. Junior Kurtis Phipps dropped a tough decision to Nazareth junior Sean Pierson, 8-5, in the 120-pound PIAA finals.
Phipps declined comment after finishing second for the second consecutive season, but Norwin coach Vince DeAugustine said he couldn’t have been prouder of his wrestler because of the distractions he went through prior to the match.
After beating Council Rock South senior Shane Hanson-Ashworth, 5-3, in the semifinals, Phipps spent most of the day at the hospital getting five stitches and having his injured left foot checked out.
“He really fought through some pain,” DeAugustine said. “I’m surprised he wrestled as well as he did with the stitches and the torn tendon in his left foot. He gutted it out and did well.”
Norwin junior Ryan Weinzen was a victory away from earning a medal in the 220-pound weight class.
Penn-Trafford senior Nick Coy dropped a PIAA first-round match and saw his dream of winning a state title end.
The four-time PIAA qualifier and WPIAL champion, battled back to finish with a seventh-place medal. It was the second time he earned a medal at the state tournament.
Now he will get ready to join his brother Cam at Virginia.
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.
Tags: Franklin Regional, Norwin, Penn-Trafford
More High School Wrestling
• Mt. Pleasant wrestlers score decisive win over short-handed Frazier• High school roundup for Jan. 3, 2024: Shaler stays undefeated with win in section opener
• Burrell wrestlers overcome early upset, defeat Derry
• WPIAL wrestling notebook: Dual meet season heating up
• WPIAL wrestling rankings: Week of Jan. 1, 2024
