Derry’s Cymmerman denied PIAA regional wrestling title again

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, February 22, 2020 | 9:45 PM

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Derry junior Ty Cymmerman came up short again at the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional wrestling tournament, and he’s tired of it.

For the third consecutive season, Cymmerman finished second. This time he dropped an 8-1 decision to Forest Hills sophomore and returning state champion Jackson Arrington in the 126-pound final Saturday at IUP’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

Arrington scored five late points to ice the victory. Cymmerman fell to Glendale’s Brock McMillen last year and St. Joseph Catholic Academy’s Zack Witmer in 2018.

“I just couldn’t get to my offense,” Cymmerman said. “I just didn’t finish a shot in the first period, and then I could get off the bottom. There are a lot of things I need to work on the next few weeks.”

Derry coach Mike Weinell said if Cymmerman would have finished that takedown attempt late in the first, the result might have been different.

“The match was a lot closer than the final score,” Weinell said. “If we get that takedown in the first period, it’s a whole another match. He had a good chance to finish, but he has to execute better.”

Cymmerman breezed through his first three opponents by using his new style. But Arrington presented a different program.

“I just have to go to work this week,” Cymmerman said. “I didn’t execute at the end of the first period, but I made it hard for myself. I should have locked my hands and suck him in. I didn’t do that.

“I have to get more physical and work on more attacks.”

Cymmerman breezed to a 10-3 win over Tussey Mountain junior Hunter Horton in the semifinals.

Now it’s off to the state tournament beginning March 5 at Giant Center in Hershey. The Class AA wrestlers get a week off before wrestling again.

Mt. Pleasant had two wrestlers qualify for the state tournament, senior Damian George (126) and sophomore Luke Geibig (113).

This is the first time George has qualified for states and the second time for Geibig.

Geibig finished sixth, and George fourth.

Southmoreland senior Brett Huffman wouldn’t let a knee injury from football keep him for competing this season. He earned his a trip with a sixth-place finish at 195.

Burrell will advance four to Hershey. Ian Oswalt (132) and AJ Corrado (152) placed second, senior Ricky Feroce (182) placed third and sophomore Nick Salerno (120) ended up fifth.

Overall, it wasn’t a good weekend for the WPIAL.

Only 29 of 84 wrestlers who participated in the tournament will advance to Hershey.

The WPIAL ended up with four champions: South Park junior Joey Fischer (113), Elizabeth Forward senior Ryan Michaels (120) and Frazier senior Thayne Lawrence (160) each won their second regional titles.

Ellwood City senior Austin Walley (182) won his first and Freedom junior Trent Schultheis (160) was denied his second title.

Two other WPIAL wrestlers, Quaker Valley sophomore Patrick Cutchember (182) and Laurel junior heavyweight Mitch Miles, lost in the finals.

Lawrence, who hasn’t allowed an opponent to score a point since Jan. 22, was leading 8-0 when he picked St. Joseph Catholic Academy senior Keegan Rothrock. Lawrence had three points and a 17-0 technical fall. He outscored his opponents 34-0.

“That’s the goal, not to let my opponent score,” Lawrence said, a two-time state champion. “I’m glad what I’ve accomplished here. The first two years I met real tough competition and it was all part of the learning process.

“I’m eager to get back into the room because there are a couple things I need to clean up.”

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.