Hempfield wrestling coach Santia knows what it takes to be a state champion

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 | 9:35 PM

Few are better than Hempfield Area wrestling coach Steve Santia when it comes to talking about what it takes to be an underdog and win a PIAA title.

Santia stunned the crowd at Giant Center in Hershey in 2007 when he pinned Marcus Zimmerman of Manheim Central in 1 minute, 54 seconds to win the title.

“He wrestled the tournament of his life,” then-Hempfield coach Vince DeAugustine said. “I don’t think a lot of people really know what Stevie accomplished. This is only his third year of wrestling.”

So as Santia makes his first trip to Giant Center as coach of the Spartans on Thursday, he can share his thoughts with senior Eli Carr and sophomore Nico Kapusta on what they should expect.

Carr won his second WPIAL Class 3A tournament and didn’t allow a point in four matches.

“Eli had a very good weekend,” Santia said. “Eli had a goal of not allowing a point, and when you have goals like that, that is saying something.”

Now Carr is focused on winning his first PIAA title.

“For him to get over that hump, I think we need to get into a good spot, and he has to stay healthy and positive,” Santia said. “Sometimes it’s who is wrestling the best tournament. It could be anyone.

“That was a perfect example for me. I probably wrestled the tournament if my life, and that’s what some of these kids need to do. Eli is a veteran and has medaled before. He just has to go out and prove himself against some of the best guys in the country.”

This is Carr’s third trip to Hershey. He placed fourth in 2023.

Carr (32-2) said he’s looking forward to his final state tournament.

“I want to go up and have fun,” Carr said. “I’m happy to be a two-time (WPIAL) champion, and I’d like to be a state champion. But having fun is the key.

“I love wrestling. This is my favorite thing in the world. I just want to go out and do my thing.”

Carr is seeded third, and he will face the winner of the bout between Central York’s Wyatt Dillon and Neshaminy’s Beknazar Baiyshbekov.

Kapusta, who finished fourth in the WPIAL, has a pigtail-round match. He will face Mifflin County’s Andrew Alexander, and the winner will face the third seed, Hatboro-Horsham’s Dominick Morrison.

Since 1995, Westmoreland County has had a state champion wrestler every year. Latrobe’s Vinny Kilkeary and Burrell’s Cooper Hornack won in 2023. Hornack will be looking for his second title.

The first county state champion was Greensburg’s John Metzler in 1938.

Here are the county wrestlers looking to bring home gold.

In Class 2A: Belle Vernon: Kole Doppelheuer (139) and Elijah Brown (172); Burrell’s Cam Baker (107) and Hornack (139); Derry Area’s Anthony Mucci (114), Mason Horwat (145) and Brady Brown (189); Mt.Pleasant’s Jamison Poklembo (145), Greg Shaulis (152) and Dylan Pitzer (285); and Valley’s Charles Perkins (172).

In Class 3A: Franklin Regional’s Tyler Kapusta (121) and Juliano Marion (215); Hempfield Area’s Nico Kapusta (107) and Carr (152); Kiski Area’s Cooper Roscosky (189); Latrobe’s Leo Joseph (114), Luke Willochell (121), Jacob Braun (127) and Hunter Snyder (172); Norwin’s Landon Sidun (114) and Nathan Campbell (189); and Penn-Trafford’s Dylan Barrett (114) and Hayden Coy (145).

WPIAL champion Connellsville has four headed to Hershey: Nolan Rice (107), Kai Vielma (133), Evan Petrovich (145) and Lonzy Vielma (160).

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.