Six WPIAL Class AA Wrestlers Win PIAA Titles

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, March 7, 2015 | 10:07 PM

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It was a golden day for the WPIAL in the AA PIAA Championships, as nearly half of the state champions were from District 7. The WPIAL had eight wrestlers take the mats in seven weight classes in the hopes of becoming a state champion, and six of those eight wrestlers were victorious.

{Left: Derry’s George Phillippi, who won his second state title, received the trophy as Outstanding Wrestler of the PIAA Class AA tournament}

Two WPIAL wrestlers remained undefeated on the season in winning a state title. Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson Morgan ended his freshman campaign with a 46-0 mark and a gold medal. In the finals he would meet Chestnut Ridge’s Aaron Burkett for the second week in a row and third time this season. Teasdale scored a takedown in the first period that would make the difference to win 4-2. Mike Carr of South Fayette would also cap an undefeated season at 44-0, as he would also grab a first period takedown to win his first state title with a 3-1 win over Tyler Vath of Saegertown.

132 pounds featured a pair of state champions, as defending state champion Korbin Myers of Boiling Springs would meet with Derry’s George Phillippi, who won his state title in 2013. Phillippi would score an escape in the second period and ride Myers for the third period to win his second state championship. For his efforts, Phillippi was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

South Park High School never had a state champion coming into the 2014-2015 wrestling season, and now they have two. The first was Jake Wentzel, who scored two back points in the third period to defeat Jacob Oliver of Huntingdon at 152, 4-2. The second was Greg Bulsak, who picked up a second period reversal to beat Nick Stephani of Troy 2-0. Wentzel and Bulsak are both Juniors and will look to repeat next season.

At 220 pounds, the WPIAL would come up short of continuing their unbeaten streak in the finals. Jacob Robb of Kittanning would give up two early takedowns that would prove too much to come back from, as he would drop an 8-5 decision to Reynold Maines of West Branch. But at 285 pounds, the WPIAL was guaranteed one more state champion as Al Beattie of Burrell would battle Jacob Beistel of Southmoreland for a third straight week. Just like the previous two weeks, Beattie would come out on top, as a first period takedown and third period escape would give him a 3-0 win and his first state championship.

For a full recap of the PIAA AA Championships, and to hear live interviews of all six of the WPIAL’s state champions, listen in to Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle Monday night at 7:00 PM on the MSA Sports Network.

Medal Round Results

106

1st – Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan) dec. Aaron Burkett (Chestnut Ridge) 4-2

3rd – Alan Diltz (Benton) dec. Kevan Gentile (Jim Thorpe) 6-4

5th – Jaret Lane (Southern Columbia) dec. Jalin Hankerson (Boiling Springs) 8-3 OT

7th – Abe Guariello (Fort LeBoeuf) dec. Tyler Griffiths (Southmoreland) 2-0 OT

113

1st – Max Murin (Central Cambria) dec. Joe Lobeck (Lancaster Catholic) 7-4

3rd – Cameron Newman (Line Mountain) dec. Coy Campbell (Upper Dauphin) 5-0

5th – Jack Hill (Saucon Valley) dec. Ryan Carlson (Brockway) 6-4

7th – Willy Girard (Williams Valley) dec. Nolan Link (Penn Cambria) 4-1

120

1st – Cole Matthews (Reynolds) dec. Brian Courtney (Athens) 3-2

3rd – Taylor Ortz (Brookville) maj. dec. John Pipa (Bishop McDevitt) 13-4

5th – Andrew Wert (Trinity) dec. Justin McCoy (Chestnut Ridge) 3-2 2OT

7th – Brendan Howard (Jefferson Morgan) dec. Caleb Bordner (Tri Valley) 3-2

126

1st – Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford) dec. Seth Hogue (Reynolds) 8-4

3rd – David Pipa (Bishop McDevitt) dec. Triston Law (Forest Hills) 7-3

5th – Charles Johnson (Wyoming Area) dec. Grant Bond (Boiling Springs) 3-0

7th – Lewis Williams (Central Columbia) dec. Mike Stuart (Benton) 3-2

132

1st – George Phillippi (Derry) dec. Korbin Myers (Boiling Springs) 1-0

3rd – Michael Bartolo (Reynolds) dec. Jarrette Carter (Fort LeBoeuf) 1-0

5th – Kody Komara (Freedom) dec. Anthony Vitale (Benton) 3-1

7th – Mason Lindenmuth (Brockway) dec. Matt Schmall (Northern Lehigh) 7-5 OT

138

1st – Mike Carr (South Fayette) dec. Tyler Vath (Saegertown) 3-1

3rd – Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs) fall Collin Edsell (Wyalusing) 3:24

5th – Shae Bloom (Curwensville) dec. Keith Batkowski (Montoursville) 3-0

7th – Sam Miller (Bloomsburg) dec. Nate Jones (South Williamsport) 5-4

145

1st – Kent Lane (Southern Columbia) dec. Robert Patrick (Ligonier Valley) 5-0

3rd – James Duffy (Smethport) dec. Nick Monico (Saegertown) 3-1 OT

5th – Dakota Nixon (Muncy) dec. GioVonne Sanders (Jeannette) 3-1

7th – Nate Newberry (Biglerville) dec. Zach Fry (Hughesville) 4-1 2OT

152

1st – Jake Wentzel (South Park) dec. Jacob Oliver (Huntingdon) 4-2

3rd – Michael Comunale (Pius X) dec. Dominic Vitale (Benton) 5-2

5th – Trent Crouse (Chestnut Ridge) dec. Jimmy Miller (Brookville) 3-1

7th – Damon Greenwald (Burrell) dec. Blake Reynolds (Greenville) 7-2

160

1st – Cole Walter (Mifflinburg) dec. John Vaughn (Boiling Springs) 9-4

3rd – Jared Walker (South Fayette) dec. Drew Doak (Blairsville) 5-2

5th – Bryce Fochtman (Berlin-Brothers Valley) dec. Jon Wagner (Huntingdon) 3-2

7th – Hunter Harner (Tri Valley) dec. Anthony Walters (Westmont-Hilltop) 5-4

170

1st – Greg Bulsak (South Park) dec. Nick Stephani (Troy) 2-0

3rd – Taylor Cahill (Berlin-Brothers Valley) dec. Levi Niebauer (Cambria Heights) 6-3

5th – Anthony Welsh (Beth Center) dec. Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville) 5-1

7th – Jason Lynch (Saucon Valley) dec. Derek Dragon (Lake-Lehman) 8-7

182

1st – Dakota Geer (Franklin) dec. Corey Hazel (Penns Valley) 10-3

3rd – Colton Dull (Bermudian Springs) dec. Michael Collins (Pope John Paul II) 1-0

5th – Brett Beltz (South Fayette) dec. Bill Bowlen (Jefferson Morgan) 4-3

7th – Connor Frey (Lehighton) dec. Garrett Hoffman (Montoursville) 3-1

195

1st – Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown) dec. Scott Thompson (Blairsville) 3-2

3rd – Conner Buttry (Chestnut Ridge) dec. Logan Womelsdorf (Benton) 4-3

5th – Luke Fournier (Elizabeth Forward) fall Lucas Barshinger (Eastern York) 2:03

7th – Alex Hummel (North Schuylkill) dec. Rian Shubeck (Panther Valley) 3-1

220

1st – Reynold Maines (West Branch) dec. Jacob Robb (Kittanning) 8-5

3rd – Tyler Oliver (United) dec. Sam McCollum (Bermudian Springs) 5-3

5th – Dylan Otis (Wyalusing) dec. Zach Stafford (Cambridge Springs) 7-4

7th – Cole Rickert (Reynolds) dec. Dan Scheib (Tri Valley) 6-4

285

1st – Al Beattie (Burrell) dec. Jacob Beistel (Southmoreland) 3-0

3rd – Saul Wilkins (G.A.R. Memorial) dec. Ian Wolfe (Jefferson Morgan) 5-4 OT UTB

5th – Josh Lind (Mount Pleasant) dec. Gene Ringer (Reynolds) 3-2

7th – Dylan Brennan (Troy) dec. Anthony Greggo (Pius X) 7-2

Tags: Burrell, Derry Area, Jefferson-Morgan