Teams of the Week – Jan. 4, 2007
Christiansburg outlasts Hempfield in Powerade
By Rob Sherrrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
The established power, Christiansburg (Va.) High, held off upstart Greensburg Hempfield High, 173.5-168, to win their first team title in the Powerade Tournament, Dec. 29-30, at Canonsburg Canon-McMillan High.
Hempfield actually led briefly after Class AA state runner-up Nico Cortese scored one of the shockers of the finals, riding out super freshman Josh Kindig of Schuylkill Haven Blue Mountain High for a 1-0 victory at 119. But Christiansburg rallied for the title with two victories. First, junior Sam Rakes stunned Beast of the East champion Luke Lanno of Manahawkin (N.J.) Southern Regional High, 3-1, at 152. Then, top-ranked Cody Gardner put the finishing touches on the win with a 17-6 major decision over Southern state qualifier Glen Carson at 215.
Hempfield, which actually had more place-winners than Christiansburg (9-7), was strengthened this season by the addition of several key transfers from nearby Greensburg Central Catholic High, which discontinued its program after last season. They included Cortese, Travis Uncapher, third at 160, and brothers Rudy (130) and Craig Chelednik (135), who finished fourth and eighth, respectively. Southern Regional, which placed five, finished third with 145 points.
Some quick hits by weight at the Powerade:
103: Two of southwest Pennsylvania’s dominant wrestlers at this weight breezed to the finals, with Shane Young of Harrison City Penn-Trafford High stopping Joe Lascari of North Star High 5-2. Young had three pins and a technical fall prior to the finals, with Lascari picking up a technical fall and three major decisions.
112: The fireworks started in the semifinals on Virginia Beach (Va.) Floyd E. Kellam’s Eric Olanowski’s disqualification loss to DuBois High’s Nick Wykoff. Wykoff went on to win the title 1-0 over Greensburg-Salem High’s Kenny Trumbetta.
119: Great upper-bracket quarterfinals with DuBois’ Ethan Swope outlasting Christiansburg’s Ian Squires, 3-1, in overtime and Cortese’s 4-2 victory over Lewistown Indian Valley High’s Nic Bedelyon, who came back to finished third.
125: The match everybody loves to see: the AA champion against the AAA champion. And small-school Troy Dolan of Derry High countered a single-leg shot for a takedown and the match’s only points with 16 seconds left in the second period to dump Colin Johnston of Canon-McMillan 2-0. Two-time Powerade champion Johnston saw his chance to join Ty Moore of Wexford North Allegheny High as the meet’s second four-time champion vanish. Dolan reportedly plans to drop to 119 for the state tournament series.
130: Freshman Marshall Peppelman of Harrisburg Central Dauphin High scored a pair of impressive victories — 9-6 over Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Walsh Jesuit High’s Chase Skonieczny in the semifinals and 5-1 over three-time Virginia champion Collin Dozier of Virginia Beach (Va.) Frank W. Cox High for the title — to make one of several strong cases for Outstanding Wrestler honors.
135: Champion Bryan Ortenzio of Camp Hill Cedar Cliff High proved worthy of his national ranking.
140: Up four weight classes from last season, junior Walt Peppelman looked comfortable at 140 anyway.
145: The OW vote went this way, to Glenshaw Shaler High’s Nick Nelson after his 9-4 demolition of two-time New Jersey champion Frank Molinaro of Southern in the finals. But it was Molinaro who had the tougher road, disposing of Solon (Ohio) High’s Kevin Hardy 7-4 in the semifinals.
152: Rakes, who lost in the first round at the Beast of the East, was a hero this time. He put his name on the OW short list by stunning Greater Latrobe High’s Ryan Goodman, 4-2, in overtime in the semifinals, then adding his finals victory over Lanno.
160: State runner-up Matt Ryan gave the host school champion with a 2-0 overtime victory over Waynesburg Central High’s Ethan Headlee, again solid after a fourth-place finish at the Beast of the East.
171: The upper weights weren’t spectacular, but A.J. Brentzel helped Penn-Trafford join Christiansburg as the only schools with two champions.
189: Sixth in the Walsh Jesuit Ironman less than a week after quarterbacking Parkersburg High to the state football championship, junior two-time state champion Andy Thomas appears to be back in wrestling shape as well after avoiding the throws of Baltimore (Md.) Mount St. Joseph High’s Jake Bohn in a 7-4 finals victory.
215: Gardner. Enough said.
Heavyweight: How serious does Pittsburgh Keystone Oaks High’s Myles Caragein appear to be about finishing his senior year strong on the mat? The Pittsburgh football recruit turned down an opportunity to graduate from high school early and enroll at the cross-town school at the semester break. He edged Cadet National champion Paul Snyder of Mount Pleasant High 2-1 in the tie-breaker.
By Rob Sherrrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
The established power, Christiansburg (Va.) High, held off upstart Greensburg Hempfield High, 173.5-168, to win their first team title in the Powerade Tournament, Dec. 29-30, at Canonsburg Canon-McMillan High.
Hempfield actually led briefly after Class AA state runner-up Nico Cortese scored one of the shockers of the finals, riding out super freshman Josh Kindig of Schuylkill Haven Blue Mountain High for a 1-0 victory at 119. But Christiansburg rallied for the title with two victories. First, junior Sam Rakes stunned Beast of the East champion Luke Lanno of Manahawkin (N.J.) Southern Regional High, 3-1, at 152. Then, top-ranked Cody Gardner put the finishing touches on the win with a 17-6 major decision over Southern state qualifier Glen Carson at 215.
Hempfield, which actually had more place-winners than Christiansburg (9-7), was strengthened this season by the addition of several key transfers from nearby Greensburg Central Catholic High, which discontinued its program after last season. They included Cortese, Travis Uncapher, third at 160, and brothers Rudy (130) and Craig Chelednik (135), who finished fourth and eighth, respectively. Southern Regional, which placed five, finished third with 145 points.
Some quick hits by weight at the Powerade:
103: Two of southwest Pennsylvania’s dominant wrestlers at this weight breezed to the finals, with Shane Young of Harrison City Penn-Trafford High stopping Joe Lascari of North Star High 5-2. Young had three pins and a technical fall prior to the finals, with Lascari picking up a technical fall and three major decisions.
112: The fireworks started in the semifinals on Virginia Beach (Va.) Floyd E. Kellam’s Eric Olanowski’s disqualification loss to DuBois High’s Nick Wykoff. Wykoff went on to win the title 1-0 over Greensburg-Salem High’s Kenny Trumbetta.
119: Great upper-bracket quarterfinals with DuBois’ Ethan Swope outlasting Christiansburg’s Ian Squires, 3-1, in overtime and Cortese’s 4-2 victory over Lewistown Indian Valley High’s Nic Bedelyon, who came back to finished third.
125: The match everybody loves to see: the AA champion against the AAA champion. And small-school Troy Dolan of Derry High countered a single-leg shot for a takedown and the match’s only points with 16 seconds left in the second period to dump Colin Johnston of Canon-McMillan 2-0. Two-time Powerade champion Johnston saw his chance to join Ty Moore of Wexford North Allegheny High as the meet’s second four-time champion vanish. Dolan reportedly plans to drop to 119 for the state tournament series.
130: Freshman Marshall Peppelman of Harrisburg Central Dauphin High scored a pair of impressive victories — 9-6 over Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Walsh Jesuit High’s Chase Skonieczny in the semifinals and 5-1 over three-time Virginia champion Collin Dozier of Virginia Beach (Va.) Frank W. Cox High for the title — to make one of several strong cases for Outstanding Wrestler honors.
135: Champion Bryan Ortenzio of Camp Hill Cedar Cliff High proved worthy of his national ranking.
140: Up four weight classes from last season, junior Walt Peppelman looked comfortable at 140 anyway.
145: The OW vote went this way, to Glenshaw Shaler High’s Nick Nelson after his 9-4 demolition of two-time New Jersey champion Frank Molinaro of Southern in the finals. But it was Molinaro who had the tougher road, disposing of Solon (Ohio) High’s Kevin Hardy 7-4 in the semifinals.
152: Rakes, who lost in the first round at the Beast of the East, was a hero this time. He put his name on the OW short list by stunning Greater Latrobe High’s Ryan Goodman, 4-2, in overtime in the semifinals, then adding his finals victory over Lanno.
160: State runner-up Matt Ryan gave the host school champion with a 2-0 overtime victory over Waynesburg Central High’s Ethan Headlee, again solid after a fourth-place finish at the Beast of the East.
171: The upper weights weren’t spectacular, but A.J. Brentzel helped Penn-Trafford join Christiansburg as the only schools with two champions.
189: Sixth in the Walsh Jesuit Ironman less than a week after quarterbacking Parkersburg High to the state football championship, junior two-time state champion Andy Thomas appears to be back in wrestling shape as well after avoiding the throws of Baltimore (Md.) Mount St. Joseph High’s Jake Bohn in a 7-4 finals victory.
215: Gardner. Enough said.
Heavyweight: How serious does Pittsburgh Keystone Oaks High’s Myles Caragein appear to be about finishing his senior year strong on the mat? The Pittsburgh football recruit turned down an opportunity to graduate from high school early and enroll at the cross-town school at the semester break. He edged Cadet National champion Paul Snyder of Mount Pleasant High 2-1 in the tie-breaker.