March 8, 2007 • High School Preview
Four weight classes in Pennsylvania that could shake the rankings world
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
Year in and year out, the Pennsylvania state tournament produces some of the wildest finishes imaginable.
This year’s Class AAA state tournament has three consecutive weight classes – 119, 125 and 130 – that contain enough mine fields to make al-Qaeda operatives nervous.
There’s no place to hide at any of these weight classes.
The fun started March 8 at 119, where a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers, 2005 state champion Chris Sheetz of Pennsburg Upper Perkiomen High and tough freshman Josh Kindig of Schuylkill Haven Blue Mountain High, meet in the first round.
Yes, the first round.
The semifinal could well match returning champions against each other, with Sheetz – if he survives – taking on the defending 103-pound champion, Easton High’s Jordan Oliver.
In the other bracket, the focus will be on the quarterfinal between a pair of former 103-pound placewinners, junior Nico Cortese of Greensburg Hempfield High and Nic Bedelyon of Lewistown Indian Valley High. Both were region champions.
At 125, Lewistown High standout Matt Bonson’s regional semifinal loss to Indian Valley’s Chad Frankhouser was costly. The Virginia recruit got one of the worst draws in the entire tournament: defending 112-pound state champion Colin Johnston of Canonsburg Canon-McMillan High in the quarterfinals, followed by freshman Dylan Alton of Mill Hall Central Mountain High, who knocked off Frankhouser to take the region crown.
But 130, which features five nationally-ranked wrestlers, could be the nation’s toughest weight. Those who hoped for an even distribution of the weight’s talent were disappointed as the top bracket wound up stacked. That bracket produced difficult first-round matchups for Andrew Alton of Central Mountain (like his twin brother, Dylan, a region champion) against Dillsburg Northern High’s Brandon Bucher, and fellow freshman Marshall Peppelman of Harrisburg Central Dauphin High, who must face Hempfield’s Rudy Chelednik. The quarterfinals are no picnic, either: Nazareth High;s Bobby Ward awaits the Alton-Bucher winner and the Peppelman-Chelednik survivor runs into Langhorne Neshaminy High’s Dex Lederer.
The bottom isn’t quite as challenging, but a first-round matchup between Lewistown’s Mike Robinson and Easton’s dangerous Juju Drummond can’t be ignored. More great quarterfinals will match the winner against Washington Trinity High’s Grant Lowther and Middletown High’s Tyler Nauman against Upper Perkiomen’s Shane Smith.
Every match at this loaded weight could go down to the wire.
While AAA’s upper weights are nothing to write home about, the heavyweight division in small-class AA is another story altogether. The fun starts in the upper-bracket quarterfinals as Cadet National champion Paul Snyder of Mount Pleasant High meets Pen Argyl High’s Richie Smith in a battle of state placvewinners. Unbeaten state runnerup Eli Moores of Brookville High awaits the winner in the semifinals.
A dynamite semifinal on the other side could match the battle of the football recruits: unbeaten Myles Caragein of Pittsburgh Keystone Oaks High, a AAA placewinner a year ago who is headed to Pittsburgh; and Josh Marks of Catawissa Southern Columbia High, a Penn State recruit.
Stay tuned.
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
Year in and year out, the Pennsylvania state tournament produces some of the wildest finishes imaginable.
This year’s Class AAA state tournament has three consecutive weight classes – 119, 125 and 130 – that contain enough mine fields to make al-Qaeda operatives nervous.
There’s no place to hide at any of these weight classes.
The fun started March 8 at 119, where a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers, 2005 state champion Chris Sheetz of Pennsburg Upper Perkiomen High and tough freshman Josh Kindig of Schuylkill Haven Blue Mountain High, meet in the first round.
Yes, the first round.
The semifinal could well match returning champions against each other, with Sheetz – if he survives – taking on the defending 103-pound champion, Easton High’s Jordan Oliver.
In the other bracket, the focus will be on the quarterfinal between a pair of former 103-pound placewinners, junior Nico Cortese of Greensburg Hempfield High and Nic Bedelyon of Lewistown Indian Valley High. Both were region champions.
At 125, Lewistown High standout Matt Bonson’s regional semifinal loss to Indian Valley’s Chad Frankhouser was costly. The Virginia recruit got one of the worst draws in the entire tournament: defending 112-pound state champion Colin Johnston of Canonsburg Canon-McMillan High in the quarterfinals, followed by freshman Dylan Alton of Mill Hall Central Mountain High, who knocked off Frankhouser to take the region crown.
But 130, which features five nationally-ranked wrestlers, could be the nation’s toughest weight. Those who hoped for an even distribution of the weight’s talent were disappointed as the top bracket wound up stacked. That bracket produced difficult first-round matchups for Andrew Alton of Central Mountain (like his twin brother, Dylan, a region champion) against Dillsburg Northern High’s Brandon Bucher, and fellow freshman Marshall Peppelman of Harrisburg Central Dauphin High, who must face Hempfield’s Rudy Chelednik. The quarterfinals are no picnic, either: Nazareth High;s Bobby Ward awaits the Alton-Bucher winner and the Peppelman-Chelednik survivor runs into Langhorne Neshaminy High’s Dex Lederer.
The bottom isn’t quite as challenging, but a first-round matchup between Lewistown’s Mike Robinson and Easton’s dangerous Juju Drummond can’t be ignored. More great quarterfinals will match the winner against Washington Trinity High’s Grant Lowther and Middletown High’s Tyler Nauman against Upper Perkiomen’s Shane Smith.
Every match at this loaded weight could go down to the wire.
While AAA’s upper weights are nothing to write home about, the heavyweight division in small-class AA is another story altogether. The fun starts in the upper-bracket quarterfinals as Cadet National champion Paul Snyder of Mount Pleasant High meets Pen Argyl High’s Richie Smith in a battle of state placvewinners. Unbeaten state runnerup Eli Moores of Brookville High awaits the winner in the semifinals.
A dynamite semifinal on the other side could match the battle of the football recruits: unbeaten Myles Caragein of Pittsburgh Keystone Oaks High, a AAA placewinner a year ago who is headed to Pittsburgh; and Josh Marks of Catawissa Southern Columbia High, a Penn State recruit.
Stay tuned.