Trib HSSN wrestling team of the week: Kiski Area

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 25, 2018 | 9:21 PM

Team of the week: Kiski Area (4-0)

The Cavaliers won WPIAL Class AAA championships each of the past two seasons and came into 2018-19 as the favorite to do so again. But what they did this week still rings as impressive.

In the four-team WPIAL Showcase at Canon-McMillan, No. 1 Kiski Area outlasted No. 4 Seneca Valley, 39-32, and No. 2 Canon-McMillan, 39-33, to enter the holiday break with a spotless record.

The team’s middle and upper weights carried the day against Seneca Valley, with senior 220-pounder Chad Kuhn securing the win with a 47-second pin. Freshman heavyweight Stone Joseph clinched the victory over Canon-McMillan with a decision in the final bout after the Big Macs cut Kiski Area’s lead to 36-33 with a run of pins.

Kiski Area, which also beat Penn-Trafford, 60-12, in a Section 1-AAA match last week, next will attempt to put on a show Friday and Saturday at the annual Powerade Christmas Tournament, back at Canon-McMillan.

Other nominees:

Derry: The Trojans, ranked No. 3 in Class AA, were pushed by Section 3-AA opponent Elizabeth Forward, but they came through for a 45-36 win. Derry got pins from Nick Reeping, Brayden Mickinac and Dom DeLuca, and Trey Weinell came through with a decision in the final bout to lift the team to the win.

Hempfield: The WPIAL Class AAA No. 3 Spartans’ night at the WPIAL Showcase ended with a one-point loss to Seneca Valley, but they began the evening with an impressive 42-24 win over No. 2 Canon-McMillan, the event’s host. They won all but one bout at 145 pounds and above and got four pins. Hempfield also posted a 50-14 Section 1-AAA win over Westmoreland County rival Latrobe.

Highlands: The Golden Rams didn’t win a section match in 2017-18 while competing in Class AAA, but they’re finding Class AA much more to their liking. Highlands (4-3) registered a 60-16 victory over Section 3-AA opponent South Allegheny and followed it up by winning three of five matches at the Sharpsville Duals on Saturday.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Doug at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.

Tags: Derry Area, Hempfield, Highlands, Kiski School