The PIAA Class AAA 152-pound draw didn't do Carlisle district champ Jayshon Wilson any favors.

Wilson ran into returning state champion Dylan Alton (43-0) of Central Mountain in Friday's quarterfinal round. And in the battle from neutral, Alton was a decisive victor, putting away Wilson 17-7.

“I think I could have wrestled him better,'' said Wilson (34-2), a junior and a three-time state qualifier.

“[Alton] was more on the defensive than me. He was always in better position than me so he kind of had the upper hand. I just wanted to go out there and give it my all because nobody else was pushing him.''

Wilson bounced back to win his first consolation bout, 7-5 over Spring Grove's Dylan Wisner. Wilson sprained his right ankle in the victory over Wisner but said he will be able to continue tomorrow.

"I was kind of disappointed [against Alton]," Wilson said.

"I thought I could have given him a better match. I tried.

"I just looked at as you only get so many chances to wrestle the best kid in the nation," added Wilson, referring to Dylan Alton's No. 1 ranking via InterMat.

"I got to wrestle him. I thought of it that way, and I was able to keep going."

ristan Warner of Cumberland Valley listens to his coach during an injury timeout. Warner defeated James Nicholson of Upper Moreland 12-2.

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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)

The preliminary round of the PIAA Class AAA wrestling tournament is in the books, and 13 local wrestlers are still in the hunt for state titles.

103 pounds
Chris Vassar, Cedar Cliff: Vassar patiently out-worked Clearfield's Christian Stone in their all-freshmen preliminary bout, 1-0 in overtime. He advanced to face Liberty's Anthony Cabrera in tomorrow's quarterfinals.

112 pounds
Dereck Enders, Big Spring: Enders started slow against a tough first-round opponent in Upper St. Clair's Mackenzie McGuire, but finished strong in a 9-4 defeat. Down 4-2 midway through the second period, Enders scored the final seven points of the match.

130 pounds
Tyler Buckman, Central Dauphin: Buckman had his hands full with Haverford's Luke Bilyeu, but scored an early takedown and made it stand with a smothering defense.

135 pounds
Shawn Greevy, Cumberland Valley: Greevy grabbed control with an early takedown and led from start to finish, beating State College's Adam Powers 6-3.

145 pounds
Bo Candelaria, Middletown: Before the buzzer sounded on the first period, Candelaria had executed three tilts and taken a 12-1 lead on Council Rock South's Tim Riley. Less than a minute later, Candelaria sealed the deal on a 16-1 technical fall.

152 pounds
Jayshon Wilson, Carlisle: Wilson struck first and kept attacking until the final buzzer in a 5-2 win over Blue Mountain's Travis Moyer. A big challenge lies ahead for Wilson in unbeaten Dylan Alton, last year's state champ at 145.

160 pounds
Marshall Peppelman, Central Dauphin: Peppelman's first-round win has become the norm for him this season: takedown, tilt, 36-second pin over Spring-Ford's Matt Krueger. The senior is looking for his third PIAA title.

Luke Etter, Big Spring: Etter, a third-place finisher at the District 3 tournament, started on a strong note with a 7-3 victory over Upper Moreland's John Bolich. Etter faces Hazleton Area's Pat LaBuz in tomorrow's quarterfinals.

171 pounds
Kenny Courts, Central Dauphin: Courts stayed unbeaten (39-0) and began his quest for PIAA gold with a first-period pin against Nick Lynch from Hatboro. Courts faces Coughlin's Josh Popple in tomorrow's quarterfinals.

Tristan Warner, Cumberland Valley: Warner posted a major decision against Upper Moreland's James Nicholson, winning 12-2 to set up a quarterfinal date with Hazleton Area's Jared Kay.

215 pounds
Zach Nye, East Pennsboro: Nye was impressive in a first-round pin against Blue Mountain's Brook Gosch, shutting him out before putting him on his back at the 5:43 mark. Nye also benefitted from the first-round loss of defending state championship Nate Gaffney, who would have been the junior's opponent in the quarterfinals.

Travis Friend, Cumberland Valley: Friend made short work of Ringgold's Neal Rands, registering a pin midway through the second period. He faces unbeaten Sean Sadosky (34-0) from St. Mary's in the quarters.

285 pounds
Averee Robinson, Susquehanna Twp.: Robinson cruised through his first-round bout with Penn Trafford's Zach Baker and tacked on a late takedown in an 11-4 victory. He faces Clearfield's Andre Buck, also an 11-4 winner, in the quarterfinals.

Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson, center, watches the PIAA AAA preliminary matches from a suite at the Giant Center.

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(JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News)

With a week between the Big Ten championships and NCAA championships, Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson took a break from preparations to observe some of his prized recruits in action at the PIAA wrestling tournament.

Three defending state champs, Central Mountain's Andrew and Dylan Alton and Coudersport's Dirk Cowburn, are Penn State recruits for next season, and Franklin Regional junior 119-pounder Nico Megaludis has verbaled to PSU.

Central Mountain senior wrestlers Andrew and Dylan Alton turned in two of the most dominant performances of the PIAA Class AAA wrestling tournament. The twins accomplished their feats differently - one with a machine-like technical fall and one with a blink-and-you-missed-it pin.

Andrew Alton squared off with Mechanicsburg senior Rustin Barrick, who, to his credit, spent little time on his back in a 27-9 defeat. But, Barrick was no match for Alton on his feet during a match-long exchange of takedowns and escapes. Late in the second period, Alton put an end to the back-and-forth, sealing the tech fall with a takedown and adding three nearfall points for good measure.

The 27 points by Alton were part of a dominant effort by the big dogs in the top half of the 145-pound bracket. The four winners combined for 76 points, topped by Alton's tournament-best (AA and AAA) 27.

Dylan Alton eliminated the suspense early, countering a double-leg attempt by Neshaminy's Nick Russell with an impressive display of power and leverage. With one burst, Alton sprawled, cranked Russell to his back and got the whistle for a pin just 14 seconds into their preliminary bout.

The midstate is about to get a little more familiar with both of these defending state champs and prized Penn State recruits. Dylan Alton faces Carlisle's Jayshon Wilson, a 5-2 winner over Blue Mountain's Travis Moyer, in tomorrow's quarterfinals. And, if both take care of business tomorrow, Andrew Alton would face Middletown's Bo Candelaria in the semifinals of the 145-pound bracket.

Candelaria has some work ahead of him before meeting Andrew Alton. The senior has a quarterfinal date with Nazareth's Ryan Krecker, who beat Candelaria 7-2 at the Beast of the East tournament earlier this year.

Central Dauphin's Kenny Courts, drags Cumberland Valley's Tristan Warner, to the mat during their 171 pound match in the District 3 Wrestling Championships.

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(CHRIS KNIGHT, The Patriot-News)

Four weeks ago, state wrestling fans were whipped into anticipation mode for the next three days.
   
Who wouldn’t be after seeing Central Dauphin clip Central Mountain 35-34 in the PIAA Class AAA Team Championships semifinals. You could just sense that these two mat behemoths would go at it again in the individual brackets during the PIAA Championships at Giant Center.
   
Too bad it didn’t turn out that way.
   
Oh, Central Mountain did its part. The Wildcats will bring eight wrestlers to Hershey, five of whom were Northwest Region champions, while the Rams stumbled a bit at districts and qualified only four wrestlers. In other words, the team championship will probably be heading north to District 6.
   
So instead of focusing on a monster team showdown — there is no reason to — it would be more prudent to shift gears and focus on the best weights in class.
   
And there are plenty.
   
The crown jewel of Class AAA bracketology is the 171-pound weight. There are arguably six or seven wrestlers in this group who could end up at the top of the podium Saturday night.
   
“People are going to remember who comes out on top at 171,” Cumberland Valley hammer Tristan Warner said. “The weight is pretty strong top to bottom, but I think I’m up to the challenge. I’m looking forward to it.”
   
Warner (35-2) is a strong contender, as his only losses this season have come at the hands of Central Dauphin’s Kenny Courts (38-0), the last of which was a 4-2 overtime barn burner in the district final.
   
Courts, who took silver a year ago at 160, has already beaten four of his competitors at 171 and has a Beast of the East crown, which came with a victory over Warner in the final, making him the favorite.
   
But in order to earn best in class honors, he will have to run a gauntlet of talent that would like nothing more than to knock off a Central Dauphin wrestler on the way to gold.
   
Chartiers Valley’s Tyler Wilps (37-0) is undefeated and on a quarterfinal collision course with Central Mountain’s Dylan Caprio (35-5). Butler’s Cole Baxter (36-1), if nothing else one of the toughest names in wrestling, has made the leap from 145 and could meet Courts in a quarterfinal tilt.
   
As for Warner, if he can win his first-round match against Upper Moreland’s James Nicholson, he likely will face Hazleton’s Jared Kay (36-5), who bounced him out of the tournament last year, in the quarters.
   
“He beat me 1-0 last year,” said Warner, who will wrestle at Old Dominion next year. “He kept me from a medal and, if I win there, I will probably meet Wilps in the semifinals. There are no weak matches.
   
“I just have to bring my A game and get through one match at a time.”
   
If there is a close second as far as a tough weight class, it comes at 135, where seven competitors have four losses or less.
   
Heading the list is Council Rock South’s Josh Dziewa (35-1), whose only loss this season came at the hands of Central Mountain’s Andrew Alton 10-6. Other heavy hitters are Central Mountain’s Jordan Rich (34-2), Boyertown’s Alex Pellicciotti (41-4), La Salle’s Joey Mazzi (44-3), who will meet Rich in the first round, and Cumberland Valley’s Shawn Greevy (20-2).
   
One of the best finals in Class AAA could come at 125, where Nazareth’s Zachary Horan (35-1) and Bellefonte’s Mitchell Port (41-0) are on opposite ends of the bracket. And if that doesn’t trip your trigger, you can tune in to see if Central Mountain 152-pounder Dylan Alton (41-0) and Central Dauphin’s Marshall Peppelman (46-0) can make it three titles in a row.
   
The Class AA brackets aren’t as deep as their Class AAA counterparts, but there are plenty of notables that bode well for the fan shelling out money at the ticket window.
   
The best weight of the bunch could be 135. Sure, Wyomissing’s Nick Hodgkins (33-1), the defending 130-pound champion, is lurking, but Tyrone’s A.J. Schopp (38-0), Montoursville’s Luke Frey (30-0) and Ridgway’s Garet Pisani (34-2) are by no means pushovers.
   
Six returning champions will be vying to duplicate last year’s feat in Class AA, two of whom are on course to meet in the finals at 160. Benton’s Eric Hess (37-2) won at 145, while Coudersport’s Dirk Cowburn (45-1) was the 152-pound champ.
   
If you are looking for a team race, you’ve got it in Class AA.
   
Schuylkill Valley heads the list of entries with eight, followed by Pen Argyl, Benton and Burrell, each with six. Shady Side Academy and Reynolds boast five.
   
That means there will be an emphasis on winning a title, giving the advantage to Schuylkill Valley with defending 135 champ Colin Shober at 140. But don’t discount Shade Side Academy, which has three returning placers, including 2007 champion Frank Martellotti at 130, and Burrell, a team that has four returning place winners.

Nazareth's Zach Horan is the Lehigh Valley's best chance for a state title.

Express-Times Photo | MATT SMITHNazareth's Zach Horan, in control, is a two-time silver medalist in the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships. He will begin his quest for the gold during Thursday's first round at Hershey's Giant Center. The PIAA Wrestling Championships start Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. Accordingly, this grappling guru will put percentages on the chances of striking state gold for some of the hopefuls from the Lehigh Valley.

Anthony Cabrera, Liberty, 103 pounds: Cabrera was ranked fourth in the state in the latest release of PennsylvaniaWrestlingRankings.com. Junior Jordan Conway of New Oxford is ranked No. 1 but is on other side of bracket. No. 2 Austin Miller of Hempfield is on the same side as Cabrera. Even with a lingering shoulder injury, the Hurricanes' district/regional champ is hitting his stride. Percentage of striking gold: 20 percent.

Zach Horan, Nazareth, 125 pounds: Horan is a two-time silver medalist who is on a mission. The junior is ranked No. 1 in Pennsylvania. Undefeated Mitchell Port of Bellfonte is No. 2 but on other side of the bracket. Horan is the best wrestler in the state to never win PIAA gold. That should change. Percent: 80.

Mitchell Minotti, Easton, 130 pounds: Minotti is much-improved over last season when he placed seventh in the state at 119. The sophomore is No. 2 in Pennsylvania but this weight class appears wide open. No. 1 Steve Spearman of Erie McDowell, who is 38-0, is on the opposite side of bracket. Plenty of obstacles but not impossible. Percent: 33.3.

Mark Hartenstine, Easton, 140 pounds: Hartenstine could be best wrestler EVER from Easton to never win a district or regional title. Hard to believe but this talented Maryland-bound senior is without a postseason championship. Of course, defending state champ Josh Kindig of Blue Mountain again is in Hartenstine's path. Kindig defeated the Red Rover in the district and regional final. Kindig is ranked No. 1; Hartenstine No. 2. But the challenger must stay focused for three matches before taking on the champ in Saturday night's final. Percent: 7.5.

Austin Sommer, Northampton, 152 pounds: Sommer is an accomplished wrestler who won district/regional titles this year but is often overlooked. If the Konkrete Kids' senior can win his first two matches -- no easy task -- he will likely meet undefeated No. 1-ranked state champion Dylan Alton of Central Mountain in the semifinals. Sommer is one of District 11's best wrestlers, but is in the wrong weight class. Percent: 2.5.

Others to watch: Anthony Marino, Liberty, 119; Ryan Krecker, Nazareth, 145; Mike Ottinger, Parkland, 145; Taray Carey, Whitehall, 189.  

Randy Cruz, Bethlehem Catholic, 112 pounds: As the Golden Hawks sophomore said after claiming the Southeast Regional title on Saturday night, "I feel like I'm on fire." Indeed. Cruz looks better than ever after three major decisions in the regional tournament. Of course, the competition toughens Thursday but Cruz appears prepared. Cruz is ranked No. 5 in the state but on the right side of the bracket as Nos. 1, 2 and 3 all are on the same side. Though not the favorite, Cruz is my pick. Percent: 45.

Mikey Racciato, Pen Argyl, 130 pounds: Just a freshman, Racciato is one of the most talented wrestlers in the Lehigh Valley and possesses a bright future. He lost to Boiling Springs senior Joe Spisak in the Southeast Regional final, 7-3. Racciato is ranked No. 6 and No. 1-ranked Frank Martellotti of Shady Side Academy looms in the semifinals, assuming the Green Knight wins his first two. Percent: 15.

Phil Racciato, Pen Argyl, 145 pounds: It's a tough road to a state title for the senior district/regional champion. He is ranked No. 5 with one unbeaten foe on each side of the bracket. Racciato, though, is a big-move specialist with the capability of knocking off even the best of the best. Percent: 15.

Kyle Dehaut, Bethlehem Catholic, 152 pounds: Like Racciato, Dehaut is a big-move specialist who has been on a roll through the district and regional tournaments. The junior is ranked No. 7 but spoke confidently about his ability to compete with anyone in the state tournament. Dehaut will need a few breaks -- and land a couple cement jobs. Percent: 10.

Ian Gimbar, Saucon Valley, 189 pounds -- Football player who rounded into form late in the season and is coming off gold-medal efforts at districts and regionals. The Panthers junior is ranked No. 6 in the state but is 2-1 vs. fourth-ranked Garth Lakitsky of Tamaqua. Unbeaten No. 2 Stephan Ceremuga of Commodore Perry is on the same side of the bracket as Gimbar. Percent: 20.

Others to watch: Jamie Welsh, Pen Argyl, 112; Luke DeLuise, Pius X, 171; Colin Hedash, Northern Lehigh, 171.

The 2010 Dream Team is full of talented wrestlers in one of the deepest talent pools of recent memory. Anchored by Northwestern bound Heavyweight Phenom Michael McMullen of Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania this team also sports the Alton brothers from Central Mountain, PA and throw in Marshall Peppleman at 160 to round out the Pennsylvania prospects taking part in the event.

112 Blake Thomas, Brentwood, TN
College: Unsigned
2x State Champion
Fargo Junior FS All-American

119 #1 Ryak Finch, Safford, AZ
College: Iowa State
4x State Champion
Double Fargo National Champion
NHSCA Junior National Champion

125 #3 Devin Carter, Christiansburg, VA
College: Virginia Tech
3x State Champion
Fargo Runner-Up
Super32 Champ
Ironman Champ
Beast of the East Champ

130 Jamie Clark, Lakewood, OH
College: Illinois
2x State Champ
Ironman Champ
Fargo All-American

135 #3 Ryan Nieman, Bullock Creek, MI
College: Indiana
2x State Champ
Fargo 3rd

140 #1 Chris Villalonga, Blair Academy, NJ
College: Cornell
3x Ironman Champ
3x Beast Champ
3x Fargo AA

145 #1 Andrew Alton, Central Mountain, PA
College: Penn State
State Champion
5x Fargo National Champion
2 x Ironman Champion

152 #1 Dylan Alton, Central Mountain, PA
College: Penn State
2x State Champion
4x Fargo National Champion
2 x Ironman Champion

160 #1 Marshall Peppelman, Central Dauphin, PA
College: Cornell
2x State Champion
Fargo Champ
4x Powerade Champ
3x Beast Champ

171 #1 Derek Garcia, Sedro-Wooley, WA
College: Ohio State
4x WA State Champ
Fargo National FS Champ

189 #1 Mike Evans, Blair Academy, NJ
College: Iowa
Fargo Double AA
2x Beast Champ
2x Manheim Champ
Ironman Champ
Bethlehem Champ

215 #1 Trevor Rupp, Pocatello, ID
College: Unsigned
2x State Champion
Double Fargo AA

285 #1 Michael McMullen, Wyoming Seminary, PA
College: Northwestern
National Prep Champ
Beast Champ
Ironman Champ

Past Dream Team Classic Dual Results
2009 Team Oklahoma 24, Team USA 23
2008 Team USA 40, Team Iowa 15
2007 Team USA 27, Team Ohio 16
2006 Team USA 37, Team New Jersey 12
2005 Team USA 63, Team Texas 12
2004 Team USA 42, Team California 12
2003 Team USA 60, Team Iowa 0
2002 Team USA 36, Team Wisconsin 9
2001 Team USA 39, Team Iowa 21
2000 Team USA 32, Team Minnesota 18
1999 Team USA 49, Team Virginia 3
1998 Team USA 44, Team Iowa 10
1997 Team USA 40, Team Iowa 12

 
A few weeks ago, we let it slip that we weren’t overly enthused by the whole team concept at the expense of premier individual matchups in wrestling.

But we can’t help admitting that we did our best flip-flop impression after last week’s killer PIAA Class AAA semifinal between Central Dauphin and Central Mountain. Marshall Peppelman vs. Dylan Alton didn’t happen — it was close — but who cares, I say.

It’s tough to complain or find anything wrong with a 35-34 decision that came down to the last match and had that much drama. It was so good that many wrestling old-timers and enthusiasts called it the best dual meet they had ever seen.

As good as those moments were, it is time to get down to the nitty-gritty of the season. We look forward to the individual postseason, those mano-e-mano tilts with no regard or concern about team points for your friends on the side of the mat.

It’s the season of selfishness, personal gain and personal goals. And it starts today with the District 3 sectional tournaments that are scattered around the midstate.

Can’t wait.

Looking over the alignments and the seeding, you could go on all day about the consistency of Class AAA Section I at Mechanicsburg, which features Cumberland Valley, Big Spring, Mechanicsburg and Chambersburg. If you want star power, look no further than Section II at CD East, where Central Dauphin, Middletown and Cedar Cliff will lock up.

All are a must-see. But after surveying the sectional landscape, the most intriguing of all the fields may rest at Susquenita High School in the Class AA Section III tourney.

No less than six district qualifying teams will converge on the mat. District runner-up Boiling Springs is in the field, as is fourth-place team finisher Juniata. Each has its share of hammers, and there is a smattering of wrestlers from Milton Hershey, Newport and Susquenita — all district team qualifiers — as suitable compliments to the heavy hitters.

What puts this section over all the rest in Class AA is the edition last year of lone wolf Lancaster-Lebanon entry Annville-Cleona, a program that is making an impact on the local wrestling scene.

“It’s different from when we were at Milton Hershey,” A-C coach Mike Miller said. “It’s tough up there [at Susquenita]. Looking top to bottom, I think it is the toughest section.

“Christian Shifflett is 30-3 at 125 and is the fourth seed behind Juniata’s Zach Beitz, Boiling Springs’ Ean Starner and Newport’s Justin Willi. Looking at that weight alone, you have four of the top five guys in the districts according to a lot of rankings.”

Now that’s loaded.

But the Dutchmen made their mark a year ago, when Tony Yohe (103) and Dylan Killian (130) walked out of Blackhawk territory with sectional gold.

Want to know how tough this sectional is? Neither wrestler is the top seed at their new weight. Yohe is seeded No. 2 at 112 behind Milton Hershey’s Nick Lamoreaux, and Killian is No. 2 behind Juniata’s Seth Beitz, brother of Zach Beitz.

That shows the depth and prowess of this sectional. It’s certainly different then when the Dutchmen traveled to the Spartan Center two years ago.

“You would get five or six guys that were really good,” Miller said. “You would kind of lose focus. You would be happy to get fourth, get to Hershey and be two and done.

“But if you can battle your way out of this section, even as a fourth seed, you see better competition than many the other sections. At that point, you have no one else to fear. If you face a No. 1 seed from another section at districts, so what. You just came out of a meat grinder of a section.”

Miller didn’t use to make such statements. In fact, he was just happy to field a team.

There was a time when Annville-Cleona had seven wrestlers on the varsity roster. Forfeits were more common than wins.

And forget about competing. That was an afterthought.

“We had to get things in place at the lower level, and it had to work its way up through,” Miller said. “I have good assistants like Scott Graby [former Palmyra head coach] and that’s helped.

“Right now, we have 15 juniors. They have been around wrestling a long time and do a good job. They are hungry.”

They better be.

Especially if they want to get out of this section and have any chance of making it to states.

“You have a lot of guys that study brackets, but we just try to stay within ourselves and take one match at a time,” Miller said. “We preach that.

“Being in this sectional is tough, but you have to beat someone good somewhere along the line. We will just see what happens.”

Central Dauphin head coach Jeff Sweigard didn’t have his head in his hands. There were no anxious moments.

The most successful head coach of the most successful team in Pennsylvania Class AAA wrestling didn’t have to show much emotion in the state championship match against Parkland.

Good thing, because he probably had very little left in his 50-year-old body after the Rams’ 35-34 semifinal win over Central Mountain.

No worries. His kids had a firm grip on the title match.

The Rams showed no signs of a letdown and took care of business swiftly in blasting the District 11 Trojans 41-28 to capture their third straight PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships crown at Giant Center.

“That was OK with me,” Sweigard said. “After that semifinal, it was fine.”

What is fine is the way this senior class, led by Tyler Buckman (130), Marshall Peppelman (160), Kyle Wolfe (215) and Nick Stewart (285), closed out their dual meet careers.

In four years, this group has helped the Rams amass a 65-3 mark and its current 49-match winning streak. In that time, they also were instrumental in the Rams winning six straight state team titles, three of which came during the state individual tournament.

“This group, which is led by Marshall, is a special group,” said Sweigard, who has been coaching wrestling for 26 years. “You look at this group and what they accomplished, and it is pretty unbelievable.

“There was a lot of pressure this year. We lost some kids, and there were new challenges for us. I told the younger guys to stop riding the coat tails of the seniors and set the tone for your own accolades. Everyone really stepped up.”

Challenging is an understatement when classifying the Rams’ semifinal match against a powerful Central Mountain club — easily the best match of the tournament — that had state title aspirations and enough hammers and depth to get it done.

Everything set up perfect for the Wildcats. They got the starting weight they wanted at 145 and took a quick 12-0 lead with pins by Andrew Alton and Tyler Buckwalter (152).

CM head coach Doug Buckwalter bumped defending 145-pound champion Dylan Alton up to face Peppelman at 160. Sweigard countered by sending Justin Wolfe on to the mat under a chorus of boos by the Wildcats faithful. Alton pinned Wolfe in a semifinal-record 23 seconds and increased the advantage to 18-0.

Peppelman moved and got a pin at 171, and Kenny Courts followed it up with a 11-3 major at 189 to make it 18-10. But the Wildcats showed their strength at 215 and 285, when Cody Dolan decisioned Kyle Wolfe 7-4 and Zach Corl decked Nick Stewart 4-1 to make it 24-10.

An upset was brewing.

“It was exciting,” freshman Tyson Dippery said. “The atmosphere was crazy. I didn’t wrestle well at New Oxford, and I knew I needed to step it up for the state team tournament.”

Dippery got the Rams on a roll by pinning Logan Bechdel at 103. Sophomore Shyheim Brown cradled Cole Hanley at 112 and injured Nick Varndell (119) gave CD a narrow 25-24 lead after his 4-0 one-legged decision over Joey Miller at 119.

Kevin Gooding (125) and Tyler Buckman capped the five-match Rams sweep. Gooding scored a major, and Buckman planted Dillon Gavlock in 1:24 to give the Rams a 35-24 advantage.

But no lead was safe.

Jordan Rich dominated Colton Peppelman at 135 and got a fall in 5:27. That put the match in the hands of A.J. Sweigard and the Wildcats’ Brian Brill, who needed a tech fall to help his team win on criteria or a pin to win outright.

He got neither, although there was some doubt.

In the second period, Brill nailed a headlock and dropped A.J. Sweigard to his back. But before he could get the pin, he readjusted and gave the Rams junior enough time to shift and keep his right shoulder inches off the mat for the next minute.

“I was queasy,” said Jeff Sweigard, who left the side of the mat and went to the other end of Giant Center. “I couldn’t take it. I was going to be sick.”

A.J. Sweigard wiggled enough to make Brill break the hold and was only down 7-0 after two periods. In the third, Brill only managed three more points and settled for a 10-1 major, sending the Rams’ bench swarming around A.J. Sweigard after their victory.

“It was tight,” A.J. Sweigard said of Brill’s headlock. “For the first few seconds, I didn’t think I would get out. But once I readjusted, I was able to keep that shoulder up.

“I was just thinking about the team and winning for the seniors. The team and everybody rooting for me was great.”

Said Jeff Sweigard, “That took guts to be in that for a minute and not give up the pin. That was heart. He must get that from his mother.”

Some teams would have a letdown after exuding such effort and emotion into one two-hour match. But not the Rams.

Peppelman got things rolling with a pin at 160, and Courts followed. Wolfe (215), Stewart (285), Dippery (103) and Buckman also had falls, tying Upper Perkiomen’s record of six set in 2006.

“We knew once we got by Central Mountain, we needed to finish strong,” Peppelman said. “We didn’t win states yet. It was just another dual meet. We needed to win one more to get the state title.

“Once we got out front 31-0, we knew we were looking pretty good. At that point, we could smile a little.”

Even the head coach.

“We’ve been stressing team, team, team the last two weeks,” Jeff Sweigard said. “Each individual was a piece of the puzzle. I told them that if I put you in, you have a job to do. The kids really stepped up.”

HSWrestling has Central Mountain outside of their top ten while all of the other rankings had them in it… Our credibility continues to rise with each correct prediction.

Finals Boxscores
AAA
Central Dauphin 41, Parkland 28
160- Marshall Peppelman , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Major Wade Rivera , (PARKLAND ) 10-0
171- Kenneth Courts , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Andrew Laudenslager , (PARKLAND ) 1:15
189- Zacharay Koller , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Dec Cory Bruder , (PARKLAND ) 6-3
215- Kyle Wolfe , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Shaun Heist , (PARKLAND ) 1:07
285- Nick Stewart , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Joe Canelon , (PARKLAND ) 0:46
103- Tyson Dippery , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Ian Evans , (PARKLAND ) 1:51
112- Mike Fake , (PARKLAND ) Dec Shyheim Brown , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 2-0
119- Brandon Davis , (PARKLAND ) Fall Austin Rose , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 3:57
125- Kevin Gooding , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Major Michael Marano , (PARKLAND ) 13-2
130- Tyler Buckman , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Forrest Touchberry , (PARKLAND ) 3:44
135- Justin Heller , (PARKLAND ) Dec Colton Peppelman , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 5-3
140- Michael Kistler , (PARKLAND ) Fall Timothy Foran , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 2:39
145- Michael Ottinger , (PARKLAND ) Fall Wesley Rick , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 1:59
152- Andy Moore , (PARKLAND ) Major Jamison Peake , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 15-3

AA
Fort LeBoeuf 32, Reynolds 29
160- Casey Pace , (FORT LEBOEUF) Dec Tyler Rhoades , (REYNOLDS ) 9-3
171- Greg Baptiste , (REYNOLDS ) Dec rich kolesar , (FORT LEBOEUF) 10-5
189- Craig Cihon , (FORT LEBOEUF) Dec JEREMY FOWLER , (REYNOLDS ) 7-6
215- Brandon bradney , (FORT LEBOEUF) Major Jamar Henry , (REYNOLDS ) 12-2
285- Blake Heim , (REYNOLDS ) Dec EVAN DALEY , (FORT LEBOEUF) 5-1
103- Brandon Puckly , (FORT LEBOEUF) Fall Neal Engstrom , (REYNOLDS ) 5:31
112- Rodney Harnett , (REYNOLDS ) Major Tavis Abbott , (FORT LEBOEUF) 11-3
119- Mason Beckman , (REYNOLDS ) Fall Taylor Fox , (FORT LEBOEUF) 4:42
125- Dylan D’Urso , (REYNOLDS ) Major mitch kaltenbaugh , (FORT LEBOEUF) 13-2
130- Kody Pace , (FORT LEBOEUF) Fall ADAM MATTHEWS , (REYNOLDS ) 4:00
135- Austin Matthews , (REYNOLDS ) Dec Riley Smith , (FORT LEBOEUF) 6-1
140- David church , (FORT LEBOEUF) Fall Cam Cianci , (REYNOLDS ) 2:56
145- Luke Taylor , (REYNOLDS ) Fall Shawn Stancliff , (FORT LEBOEUF) 4:54
152- Jeremy king , (FORT LEBOEUF) Major MATT TOFANI , (REYNOLDS ) 15-1

3rd Place Duals
AAA
Central Mountain 38, Easton 25
160- Tyler Buckwalter , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Dec Zachary Bambary , (EASTON ) 1-0
171- Blaze Buckwalter , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Dec Jose Rotger , (EASTON ) 4-2
189- Dylan Caprio , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Tyler Greene , (EASTON ) 0:43
215- Cody Dolan , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Major Jalal Paige , (EASTON ) 13-5
285- Zach Corl , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Thomas Cevoli , (EASTON ) 0:16
103- Evan DiSora , (EASTON ) Fall Logan Bechdel , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 3:11
112- Michael Fleck , (EASTON ) Fall Cole Hanley , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 1:53
119- Joseph Rizzolino , (EASTON ) Dec Joey Miller , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 5-3
125- Calvin Daly , (EASTON ) Dec Bryant Vannoy , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 7-1
130- Mitchell Minotti , (EASTON ) Major Nathaniel Powers , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 9-0
135- Jordan Rich , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Major Joseph Rizzolino , (EASTON ) 15-3
140- Mark Hartenstine , (EASTON ) Dec Brian Brill , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 7-0
145- Andrew Alton , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Anthony Minotti , (EASTON ) 0:26
152- Dylan Alton , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Solomon Sohn , (EASTON ) 0:45

AA
Pen Argyl 31, Ridgeway 24
160- SAM SKRABA , (RIDGWAY AREA) Dec JD Rabenold , (PEN ARGYL ) 5-3; OT
171- Dylan Evans , (PEN ARGYL ) Fall Seth Stahl , (RIDGWAY AREA) 0:36
189- Zack Zelcs , (RIDGWAY AREA) For , (PEN ARGYL ) For
215- Jesse Sheasley , (RIDGWAY AREA) Dec Ryan Barry , (PEN ARGYL ) 5-2
285- Joe Chittester , (RIDGWAY AREA) Fall Kirby Mutton , (PEN ARGYL ) 0:18
103- Matt Williams , (PEN ARGYL ) Dec Corey Bush , (RIDGWAY AREA) 5-4
112- James Elphick , (PEN ARGYL ) Dec Trevor Delhunty , (RIDGWAY AREA) 4-3
119- Jamie Welsh , (PEN ARGYL ) Dec Slade Horner , (RIDGWAY AREA) 5-1
125- KYLER KUTZLER , (PEN ARGYL ) Dec Kyle Caggiano , (RIDGWAY AREA) 2-0
130- Michael Racciato , (PEN ARGYL ) Major Jeff Slattery , (RIDGWAY AREA) 16-5
135- Garet Pisani , (RIDGWAY AREA) For , (PEN ARGYL ) For
140- Luciano Burriesci , (PEN ARGYL ) Dec Steven Mitchell , (RIDGWAY AREA) 3-2
145- Rex Lutz , (PEN ARGYL ) Dec NATE DORNISCH , (RIDGWAY AREA) 4-3
152- Philip Racciato , (PEN ARGYL ) Dec D.J. SKRABA , (RIDGWAY AREA) 8-2

Semifinals
AAA
Central Dauphin 35, Central Mountain 34
145- Andrew Alton , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Wesley Rick , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 0:30
152- Tyler Buckwalter , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Jamison Peake , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 2:48
160- Dylan Alton , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Justin Wolfe , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 0:23
171- Marshall Peppelman , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Blaze Buckwalter , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 3:07
189- Kenneth Courts , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Major Dylan Caprio , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 11-3
215- Cody Dolan , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Dec Kyle Wolfe , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 7-4
285- Zach Corl , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Dec NATE STEWART , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 4-1
103- Tyson Dippery , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Logan Bechdel , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 1:49
112- Shyheim Brown , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Cole Hanley , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 1:00
119- Nick Varndell , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Dec Joey Miller , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 4-0
125- Kevin Gooding , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Major Bryant Vannoy , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 14-2
130- Tyler Buckman , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) Fall Dillon Gavlock , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) 1:24
135- Jordan Rich , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Fall Colton Peppelman , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 5:27
140- Brian Brill , (CENTRAL MOUNTAIN ) Major AJ Sweigard , (CENTRAL DAUPHIN ) 10-1

Parkland 36 , Canon-McMillan 30
145- Michael Kistler , (PARKLAND ) Fall JOHN PEZZA , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 2:27
152- Michael Ottinger , (PARKLAND ) Major Zach Thomas , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 20-9
160- Colin Ryan , (CANON MCMILLAN ) Dec Andy Moore , (PARKLAND ) 6-5
171- Wade Rivera , (PARKLAND ) Major Mark Dami , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 19-6
189- Tarek Haddad , (PARKLAND ) Dec Alex Campbell , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 8-4
215- Cody Klempay , (CANON MCMILLAN ) Dec Cory Bruder , (PARKLAND ) 6-2
285- Shaun Heist , (PARKLAND ) Dec Ian Binotto , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 4-2; OT
103- Conner Schram , (CANON MCMILLAN ) Major Ian Evans , (PARKLAND ) 9-0
112- Mike Fake , (PARKLAND ) Fall Colton Shorts , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 4:52
119- Brandon Davis , (PARKLAND ) Major Nicholas Oberhaus , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 15-5
125- Michael Marano , (PARKLAND ) Dec Dario Dobbin , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 3-0
130- Forrest Touchberry , (PARKLAND ) Dec William Pihiou , (CANON MCMILLAN ) 8-6
135- Nicholas Catalano , (CANON MCMILLAN ) Fall Justin Heller , (PARKLAND ) 0:25
140- Richard Trotta , (PARKLAND ) vs Sam Lombardo , (CANON MCMILLAN )

AA
Reynolds 34, Burrell 26
145- Luke Taylor , (REYNOLDS ) Fall CHUCK MAKARA , (BURRELL ) 0:23
152- MATT TOFANI , (REYNOLDS ) Dec Hayden Greenwald , (BURRELL ) 4-3
160- Travis McKillop , (BURRELL ) TF Tyler Rhoades , (REYNOLDS ) 15-0; 6:00
171- NOLAN GREENWALD , (BURRELL ) Dec Greg Baptiste , (REYNOLDS ) 3-2
189- Dakota Deslauriers , (BURRELL ) Fall Tommy Davis , (REYNOLDS ) 1:39
215- JEREMY FOWLER , (REYNOLDS ) Major CORY KLEMS , (BURRELL ) 9-0
285- Brian Beattie , (BURRELL ) Dec Blake Heim , (REYNOLDS ) 6-0
103- Dan Shepherd , (BURRELL ) Dec Neal Engstrom , (REYNOLDS ) 7-2
112- Rodney Harnett , (REYNOLDS ) Fall Carl Samuels , (BURRELL ) 1:11
119- Mason Beckman , (REYNOLDS ) Fall Phillip Marra , (BURRELL ) 5:22
125- Dave Makara , (BURRELL ) Dec Dylan D’Urso , (REYNOLDS ) 8-1
130- Austin Matthews , (REYNOLDS ) For , (BURRELL ) For
135- ADAM MATTHEWS , (REYNOLDS ) Dec Jeremy Landowski , (BURRELL ) 3-1; OT
140- Cole Harkins , (BURRELL ) Dec Cam Cianci , (REYNOLDS ) 2-1; UTB

Ft. LeBoeuf 32, Schuylkill Valley 30
145- Shawn Stancliff , (FORT LEBOEUF) Dec Noah Horst , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 8-6; OT
152- jeremy king , (FORT LEBOEUF) Fall Giuliano Caloiero , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 3:31
160- Ryan Maurer , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) Dec rich kolesar , (FORT LEBOEUF) 9-2
171- Jeff Mohn , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) Fall casey pace , (FORT LEBOEUF) DQ; 4:21
189- craig cihon , (FORT LEBOEUF) Dec Mitch Moll , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 11-7
215- Dylan Scheidt , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) Dec Brandon bradney , (FORT LEBOEUF) 4-0
285- EVAN DALEY , (FORT LEBOEUF) Dec Zach Greene , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 11-5
103- brandon puckly , (FORT LEBOEUF) Fall Zach Homan , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 0:46
112- Tavis Abbott , (FORT LEBOEUF) Major Ryan Griffiths , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 15-4
119- Nate Giorgio , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) Fall Taylor Fox , (FORT LEBOEUF) DQ; 2:27
125- mitch kaltenbaugh , (FORT LEBOEUF) Major John Korpics , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 10-0
130- kody pace , (FORT LEBOEUF) Dec Dakota Davis , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) 7-3
135- Mike Giorgio , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) For , (FORT LEBOEUF) For
140- Colin Shober , (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) For , (FORT LEBOEUF) For