Burrell’s Cam Baker, Cooper Hornack reach PIAA Class 2A wrestling semifinals
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Friday, March 10, 2023 | 1:01 PM
Burrell’s Cam Baker scores back points on Muncy’s Gage Swank during the 107-pound bout in the quarterfinals during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Burrell’s Isaac Lacinski beats Belmont Charter’s Shamere Davenport during the 189-pound bout in quarterfinal consolation action during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Greensburg Salem’s Christian Mcchesney scores on an escape but loses to Faith Christian’s Mark Effendian in quarterfinal consolation action during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Burrell’s Cooper Hornack gets back points on Berks Catholic’s Marvin Armistead during the 127-pound bout in quarterfinal action during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Burrell’s Niko Ferra loses to Commodore Perry’s Wyatt Lazzar in quarterfinal consolation action in the 139-pound bout during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Frazer’s Rune Lawrence beats Saucon Valley’s Jacob Jones 1-0 during the 189-pound bout in quarterfinal action during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Laurel’s Grant Mackay beats General McLane’s Chance Kimmy during the 160-pound bout in quarterfinal action during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Burrell’s Cam Baker celebrates beating Muncy’s Gage Swank during the 107-pound bout in the quarterfinals during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
Mt. Pleasant’s Jamison Poklembo beats Chestnut-Ridge’s Mason Weyant during the 133-pound bout in quarterfinal consolation action during the PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling championships Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Giant Center in Hersey.
HERSHEY — Muncy freshman Gage Swank learned a valuable lesson Friday during the quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class 2A wrestling championships — don’t make Burrell freshman Cam Baker mad.
Swank got Baker upset with a series swats to the face during their match at the Giant Center.
After a scoreless first period, Baker (40-9) was in the bottom position and got an escape, takedown and a pin to advance to the 107-pound semifinals Friday at 7:30 p.m. He’ll face Aaron Seidel of Northern Lebanon.
“He made me mad by poking my eyes,” Baker said. “It fired me up.”
Burrell coach Josh Shields joked he might try to do that before every one of Baker’s matches.
“Cam is the nicest kids, but he did get fired up,” Shields said. “He wrestled well.”
Burrell junior Cooper Hornack (41-6) will join Baker in the semifinals. He defeated Berks Catholic junior Marvin Armistead, 5-0, in the 127-pound weight class. He will face North East sophomore Cyrus Hurd in the semifinals.
Other WPIAL wrestlers to advance in the winner’s bracket were Bentworth junior Chris Vargo (127 pounds), Laurel senior Grant MacKay (160), Fort Cherry sophomore Braedon Welsh (172), Frazier junior Rune Lawrence (189) and Central Valley junior Brenan Morgan (215).
MacKay is still alive to claim his second PIAA title and Lawrence, who limped off the mat after his 1-0 victory against Saucon Valley senior Jacob Jones, is going after his third title.
Lawrence controlled his match as Jones rarely took an offensive shot and refused to take the bottom position in the second period and decided to wrestle on his feet.
Lawrence got an escape early in the third period.
Wrestling continues with Class 3A quarterfinals and consolations in the afternoon before the Class 2A semifinals and consolations begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
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: Bentworth, Burrell, Central Valley, Fort Cherry, Frazier, Laurel
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