Marshall Peppelman of Central Dauphin will be remembered
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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)
Walking out of Giant Center late Saturday night and into the bluster and drizzle, it was the perfect time to reflect on the events that occurred over the high school wrestling season.
At first, there was some anxiety taking over for longtime wrestling writer and colleague Rod Frisco, someone who has a limitless knowledge of the sport and has been a staple for 25 years.
But after a while, things settled down and I was able to get a grasp of what was going on. Along the way, the wrestling community was patient and provided great moments that won’t soon be forgotten, at least not from this side of the room.
My mind wondered to an epic dual meet between Central Mountain and Central Dauphin in the state semifinal dual that many experts rank above and beyond anything they have ever seen. That match alone sold me on team wrestling.
But by the time I reached down to open my car door, my thoughts shifted to what was witnessed on the floor of Giant Center over the last three days during the PIAA Wrestling Championships, where members of the 2009-2010 class of local wrestlers made memorable runs and solidified legacies.
It will be a long time before anyone forgets Central Dauphin’s Marshall Peppelman.
The 160-pound superstar displayed his power by standing West Allegheny’s Troy Reaghard straight up on his back like one of those buoys that bounced up and down in the ocean and pinned him in 3:02.
It was the perfect end to a career that included three straight individual state titles, six team titles, Powerade and Beast of the East championships and a district record 181 wins.
All were accomplished with a touch of class.
"I can’t name one moment out of all the success I had — the team titles, the individual titles — each is a moment all in itself," Peppelman said. "These are all memories that I can look back on that will last a lifetime."
Potential was also realized and completed in the Rams’ camp during this state tournament.
Kenny Courts came in as a highly touted freshman, got hurt and missed states and then came back to finish second last year as a sophomore. You could just sense at the beginning of this season, he was going to complete his mission.
"It’s been an amazing ride," the lightning-quick Courts said. "I’ve worked so hard since last year’s loss, especially on improving on the bottom, and it feels great to get something that I’ve worked so hard for."
Watching Buckman on the mat is fun any time. Whether he is leading or trailing, this guy can pull athletic moves that just captivate and wow a crowd.
"It’s been a pleasure coaching these kids," CD head coach Jeff Sweigard said. "They earned everything they got. Besides all the medals, they go out and work hard.
"They came up through the program together. They do the extra training, the extra lifting and they are all buddies and get a long."
But this season wasn’t just about Central Dauphin and its wrestlers. Not by a long shot.
How about Cumberland Valley’s Shawn Greevy? Was there a wrestler that showed more guts and moxie this season than this guy, coming back from an ugly knee injury in December to get a silver medal at 135?
No way.
The Eagles’ Warner should be commended for his efforts. He lived in Courts’ shadow most of the season and kept racking up impressive wins. He never wilted under pressure and if not for Courts, he would be the one celebrating a state championship.
A new star also stepped to the forefront this season in the form of East Pennsboro’s Zachary Nye.
Some speculated —- we took a wait-and-see attitude —- that he feasted on Capital Division competition and didn’t have the chops to hold up against the heavy hitters in Class AAA.
Wrong.
Fact is, Nye is legit. His speed and his tactical wrestling ability netted him a silver at states. One more offensive flurry or counter, and he beats Selinsgrove’s Spencer Myers for the gold.
"It was a goal, and is really everyone’s goal, to win a state title," Nye said. "But my expectations weren’t exactly to be a state runner-up.
"I’m proud of what I did this year. I’m disappointed with the end, but happy with the season."
Don’t worry, Zach, you will be in the hunt next season. And no doubt it will be fun to watch.
A special thanks also goes out to Boiling Springs’ Joe Spisak. This kid is classy and took some tough defeats in three seasons before reaching the top of the podium on Saturday afternoon at 130.
No one deserved it more.
The regular season was also dotted with great team matches. Big Spring and Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg and Chambersburg and Big Spring and Mechanicsburg again. See the trend here? That young Wildcats squad is going to be a handful during the 2010-2011 season.
Stay tuned.
Central Dauphin to Cumberland Valley, Middletown to Mechanicsburg and all the wrestlers in between, it was a great season.
Tyler Buckman vs. Steve Spearman was the event's top match
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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)
1. WILDCATS REVENGE: After falling short in the team championships, it only seems fitting that Central Mountain win the team title in the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. The Wildcats were led by Andrew and Dylan Alton, who won titles at 145 and 152, but also had two other placers to break Central Dauphin’s streak of six straight team titles.
2. CRAIG IS KING HOSS: When you look at Abington Heights’ Evan Craig, you see a big guy who looks like he doesn’t have much athletic ability. Ah, that is the first mistake. Craig has that and more, proving it by pinning every one of his opponents on the way to a second straight state title at 285.
3. BEST IN SHOW: If the Class AAA and Class AA finals were the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the match between Central Dauphin’s Tyler Buckman and McDowell’s Steve Spearman was the top entry — by far. It had twists, turns, suspense and drama all wrapped into one, and the crowd showed appreciation with a postmatch ovation.
4. NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST: Boiling Springs’ Joe Spisak is a friendly and respectful kid that keeps his nose clean and works hard. He is the poster child for what this sport is really about, and it was good to see him get rewarded for his four years of tireless work with a state title.
5. LEGACY CEMENTED: It isn’t often that you catch a glimpse of someone so developed and so accomplished at their craft that they are in a class of their own. But Central Dauphin’s Marshall Peppelman getting his arm raised after a pin in the finals for a third straight state title seemed like an appropriate ending.
Kenny Courts of Central Dauphin celebrates his state title.
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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)
1. RAM TOUGH: Central Dauphin's unbeaten stars, Marshall Peppelman and Kenny Courts, were as good as advertised in winning the 160 and 171 titles during the PIAA Class AAA wrestling tournament. Peppelman, a three-time champ, pinned West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard in 3:02 at 160, and Courts edged Cumberland Valley's Tristan Warner 6-4.
2. EMOTIONS BUBBLE OVER: At long last, Boiling Springs star Joe Spisak is a state champion. The fiery senior captured the PIAA Class AA 130-pound crown with a last-second 4-3 win over Shady Side Academy star Frank Martellotti. Spisak, a four-time placewinner, escaped with 5 seconds left to break a 3-3 tie.
3. KING OF THE (AA) MOUNTAIN: Schuylkill Valley senior Colin Shober scored five takedowns on Juniata's Seth Beitz to record an 11-4 win in the Class AA 140-pound final, earning his second gold.
4. HALFWAY THERE: Looking for Pennsylvania's next four-time state champ? Derry sophomore Jimmy Gulibon is a good bet after he won his second title, 12-5 over Blue Mountain's Corey Keener in the Class AAA 112 final.
5. YOUTH IS SERVED: Two freshmen were very impressive during the finals, both of them Class AA competitors. Line Mountain's Zain Retherford handled Bermudian Springs' Brad Farley 6-2 at 103, and a six-point second period propelled Charleroi's Cody Wiercioch to an 8-3 victory over Bethlehem Catholic's Kyle Dehaut at 152.
Walt Peppelman, left, congratulates son Marshall after his third straight PIAA wrestling championship.
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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)
Marshall Peppelman and Kenny Courts have a lot in common.
They have wrestled together since they were kids, working out in the room and spending long hours sweating on the mat. They have the same coach in Ken Courts, Kenny’s father, and more important, they are best friends.
It’s a tight-knit bond that was developed when Peppelman was five and Kenny Courts was four, comrades with the same goals of winning a state title.
And now they are brothers in arms, draped in gold.
Peppelman and Courts completed life long dreams on the same night by giving Central Dauphin back-to-back state championships at 160 and 171 in front of 8,262 at Giant Center.
“We are such good friends and want each other to succeed,” Peppelman said. “I work out with Kenny every day, and I’m so close to him and his dad [Ken]. If not for coach Courts, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“I’m so blessed to be around both of them, and I don’t know what I’m going to do next year without them.“
Peppelman couldn’t have started this run any better.
His opponent, West Allegheny’s Troy Reaghard did everything possible to stay away from the chiseled Rams senior, but Peppelman managed to wear his opponent down and build a 4-0 lead into the second on a first-period takedown and reversal early in the second.
Peppelman couldn’t get in too close on Reaghard, which took away the patented Central Dauphin tilts that have led to so many bonus point victories. But that didn’t stop the Cornell bound standout from ending this one on a high.
Just when it looked like this was going to be an ordinary major, Peppelman slipped in a brutal half nelson and pinned Reaghard in 3:02.
“I knew he was big on the funks, so I just wanted to be patient,” Peppelman said. “The tilts weren’t there but the half was, so I took it and stood him straight up.”
And put the finishing touches on a career that includes three straight state titles, 181 wins and more tournament victories then can be counted.
“I’ve had some great times and tough times under the lights here,” Peppelman said of the Giant Center. “But I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
“I’ve been so blessed to have great team accomplishments and great individual accomplishments. I can’t believe this. It all went so fast.”
Courts was equally impressive against an opponent that he has faced about as many times as he has faced Peppelman in the room in Cumberland Valley’s Tristan Warner.
The Rams junior took the fight to Warner early, scoring a takedown and two near fall points to end the first period 4-0.
Warner closed the gap on a pair of escapes in the second, but Courts turned a reversal to start the third and hung on for the 6-4 decision.
“I have pretty good feet, so I knew that once I got up by three points, he wasn’t going to be able beat me with only a minute left.
Continued Courts, “When I was a freshman, I got hurt and beat the guys that were in the finals. Last year, I just had a tough bracket and had a big jump from 135 to 160.
“This is unbelievable. I’ve been coming here since I was five years old, and I’m happy to be able to go out and finally win.”
Warner had no answer for Courts this season, losing three times.
“I was definitely ready for this,” Warner said. “I worked all week trying to get his left leg where he is weakest, but he did a good job.
“I guess he is just a better wrestler than me.”
The Rams fell seconds short of having three state champions, when Tyler Buckman dropped a heart-thumping 7-6 decision to McDowell Steve Spearman in three overtimes.
In what was the most entertaining bout of the day, the two traded blows like a fast-paced welter-weight championship bout./p
The two felt each other for the first two periods in a 2-2 dead-heat before opening up their repertoires in the third.
Spearman escaped and hit a double-leg takedown to take a three-point lead. Buckman stormed back with an escape and takedown to knot the match. Both wrestlers had a chance to win in regulation, but picture-perfect counters sent this one to OT.
The first overtime period provided no points, but Buckman escaped to start the second. But Spearman caught Buckman and lifted him into a takedown to take a 7-6 lead into the second 30 second period.
Buckman try to tilt Spearman twice but failed. When the buzzer sounded, the Rams senior was still pouring his heart onto the mat but in the end, he missed by inches.
“I have to hand it to Spearman,” said Buckman, who along with Spearman received a raucous ovation from the crowd. “He is a great kid and a great wrestler. He is only a sophomore, and I’m sure he will be back next year to win again.
“But looking back, I’m proud of my season, I reached most of my goals. I made it to the state finals, and I can’t be ashamed with the way I performed.”
Cumberland Valley’s Shawn Greevy settled for a runner-up finish at 130 after being pinned by Council Rock South’s Josh Dziewa in 1:28.
“I wanted to be aggressive and stay on my feet, but it didn’t work so well,” said Greevy, who finished third a year ago. “I wanted to get 100 wins but because of the injury, I wasn’t able to do that.
“But I did what I could to help the team and placed at states to years in a row. I’m pretty happy with that.”
East Pennsboro’s Zachary Nye battled but lost a tight 5-3 decision to Selinsgrove’s Spencer Myers at 215.
103 POUNDS In an ultimate tie breaker fourth overtime, Canon McMillan's Conner Schram burst out of the grasp of Hempfield's Austin Miller to win a, let's say, 'tentative' 103-pound final. The wrestlers exchanged escapes in the first and second periods and did little from their feet on their way to a four-overtime marathon.
112 POUNDS Derry Area's Jimmy Gulibon won his second PIAA title in as many years, putting on a clinic from his feet in a 12-5 decision over Blue Mountain's Corey Keener. Gulibon struck twice in the first period and never trailed to finish his season with a 36-1 record and state gold.
119 POUNDS Franklin Regional's Nico Megaludis out-lasted Liberty's Anthony Marino, using constant pressure in the final period to win an 8-4 decision. Megaludis, the state champ at 112 pounds last season, scored a late takedown to put the finishing touches on the victory.
125 POUNDS Bellefonte's Mitchell Port and Nazareth's Zachary Horan went back and forth in a match jam-packed with action. Port got the better end of some wild flurries and came away with a 6-3 win.
130 POUNDS A wild ride from start to finish, McDowell's Steve Spearman scored an emphatic late takedown to topple Central Dauphin's Tyler Buckman 7-6 in rideout time. Buckman escaped to take a 6-5 lead, but surrendered the winning takedown and just missed turning Spearman for back points in the final seconds.
135 POUNDS Council Rock South's Josh Dziewa finished his dominant run through the 135 bracket, making short work of Cumberland Valley's Shawn Greevy with a first-period pin. Dziewa won two matches by fall and out-scored his other two opponents 7-0 in capturing the gold.
140 POUNDS Blue Mountain's Josh Kindig led from start to finish, disposing of Pittsburgh Central Catholic's Lorenzo Thomas in an 8-3 victory in the finals. Kindig was the gold medal winner at 135 last season and repeated at 140 with two pins and two decisions.
145 POUNDS Central Mountain's Andrew Alton won his second straight PIAA title with a 23-8 technicall fall over West Allegheny's Aaron McKinney. Alton tore through the 145 bracket with two pins and two technicall falls, in which he totaled 50 combined points.
152 POUNDS Dylan Alton used a quick flurry to grab an early lead and cruise to an 11-4 victory over Lasalle's Shane Springer. Dylan Alton one-upped twin brother Andrew with his third straight PIAA gold medal.
160 POUNDS Central Dauphin's Marshall Peppelman used his signature tilt to put West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard on his back, then sunk in a deep half nelson to flatten him out in a second-period pin. The win sent Peppelman to his third straight state title.
171 POUNDS Familiar rivals squared off in the state finals as Central Dauphin's Kenny Courts won a third straight matchup against Cumberland Valley's Tristan Warner, this time for state gold. Courts took an early 4-0 lead when he dumped Warner to his back and held on for a 6-4 win.
189 POUNDS A second caution stall against Council Rock North's Jamie Callender gave Springfield's Andre Petroski the tying point, and after taking a 5-4 lead on an escape, Petroski re-paid the favor with a couple of stalling calls in the final minute. Callender cashed in 33 seconds into overtime, wrapping up a clean double leg and securing a 7-5 win.
215 POUNDS Selinsgrove's Spencer Myers controlled East Pennsboro's Zach Nye from the neutral position and handed Nye his first loss of the season, 5-3. Nye was aiming to become East Penn's first gold medalist since 1978.
285 POUNDS Abington Heights' Evan Craig battered and bruised Central Mountain's Zack Corl on his way to defending his state title with a second-period pin. Craig led 4-0 when he cranked Corl to his back with an arm bar and finished the pin at the 2:45 mark.
103-pound consolations 3rd place: Jordan Conaway, New Oxford, d Chris Vassar, Cedar Cliff, 3-1. 5th place: Anthony Cabrera, Liberty, d Evan DiSora, Easton, 3-0. 7th place: Ethan Kenney, Connellsville, d Billy Rappo, Council Rock South, 6-3.
112-pound consolations 3rd place: C.J. Palmer, Delaware Valley, d Dereck Enders, Big Spring, 3-1. 5th place: Thomas Traxler, Bellefonte, d Paul Bewak, Hempfield Area, 5-2. 7th place: Devon Lotito, Liberty, won by DQ over Kevin Flack, William Tennet.
119-pound consolations 3rd place: Brandon Choate, Blue Mountain, d Matt Harkins, Hatboro, 11-5. 5th place: Derrick Nelson, Waynesburg Central, d Nick Bongard, Monsignor Bonner, 3-1. 7th place: Matt Malfaro, Boyertown, d Dylan Nguyen, Red Lion, 7-0.
125-pound consolations 3rd place: Casey Kent, Lasalle, d Jordan Glykas, Northampton, 5-4. 5th place: Cameron Throckmorton, South Western, md Scott Wolfinger, Quakertown, 11-3. 7th place: Matt Rappo, Council Rock South, p Dylan Mogan, Bethel Park, in 2:41.
130-pound consolations 3rd place: Tyler Rauenzahn, Blue Mountain, d Dan Neff, Solanco, 9-4. 5th place: Mitchell Minotti, Easton, d Jordan Toledo, Pleasant Valley, 4-0. 7th place: Mason Popham, Unionville, d Erik Galloway, State College, 3-2.
135-pound consolations 3rd place: Nick Catalano, Canon McMillan, d Travis Shaffer, Derry, 8-6. 5th place: Alex Pellicciotti, Boyertown, d Jacob Chamberlain, Pleasant Valley, 7-0. 7th place: Joey Mazzi, Lasalle, p Seth Ehlo, Central Bucks West, in 0:25.
140-pound consolations 3rd place: Mark Hartenstine, Easton, d Joseph Marino, Garnet Valley, 5-0. 5th place: Brian Brill, Central Mountain, d Matt Martoccio, Council Rock South, 4-0. 7th place: Anthony White, Northeast Catholic, d Brett Harner, Norristown, 3-1.
145-pound consolations 3rd place: Bo Candelaria, Middletown, d Ryan Krecker, Nazareth, 3-2. 5th place: Andy Candiello, North Allegheny, p Billy Randt, West York, in 1:33. 7th place: Donald Paul-Miller, Pocono Mt. East, d Justin Harold, Kiski Area, 2-1.
152-pound consolations 3rd place: Austin Sommer, Northampton, d Zack Shannon, Kiski Area, 5-2. 5th place: Matt Hundenski, Hopewell, p Cameron Fine, Elizabeth Forward, in 1:50. 7th place: Will Resnick, Penncrest, d Jayshon Wilson, Carlisle, 4-3 in OT.
160-pound consolations 3rd place: JM Staudenmayer, Plymouth Whitemarsh, d Colton Spade, Lewistown, 3-2. 5th place: Wade Rivera, Parkland, won by forfeit over Pat LaBuz, Hazleton Area. 7th place: John Bolich, Upper Moreland, d Nick Bonaccorsi, Bethel Park, 3-1.
171-pound consolations 3rd place: Jared Kay, Hazleton Area, d Josh Popple, Coughlin, 4-3. 5th place: Tyler Wilps, Chartiers Valley, p Robbie Fitzgerald, Downingtown East, in 4:53. 7th place: Jermaine Easter, Cathedral Prep, d Matthew Transue, Stroudsburg, 6-5.
189-pound consolations 3rd place: Antonio Giorgio, Warwick, d Phil Sprenkle, Dallastown, 8-3. 5th place: Michael Pollard, Corry, p Kyle McWreath, Trinity, in 4:45. 7th place: Eric Shaffer, Greater Latrobe, d Tarik Haddad, Parkland, 2-0.
215-pound consolations 3rd place: Nick Ruggear, Oxford, d Joe Stolfi, Souderton, 9-4. 5th place: Sean Sadosky, St. Mary's, d Taray Carey, Whitehall, 8-3. 7th place: Brandan Clark, Methacton, d Travis Friend, Cumberland Valley, 2-1.
285-pound consolations 3rd place: Adam Lazenga, Bethel Park, d Marcus Robbins, Norristown, 6-2. 5th place: Caleb Baker, General McLane, d Averee Robinson, Susquehanna Twp., 3-2. 7th place: Cody Mason, Jersey Shore, d Dave Dewan, Springifeld, 5-1.
Over the past five seasons, everything has gone pretty well for the Cumberland Valley and Central Dauphin wrestling teams.
That changed a little bit over the past three months.
Graduation and injuries turned the normally dominant Eagles into a beatable team. That became more evident than when Wilson went into the CV Dome and bounced the Eagles out of team districts.
As for the Rams, their impenetrable armor was nicked a bit at districts when they only advanced four wrestlers to this weekend’s state tournament.
But now that the Class AAA portion of the PIAA Wrestling Championships is in high gear, the Eagles and Rams are back on top of their game, occupying five spots in tomorrow morning’s semifinal round, which begins at 8 a.m.
The Eagles Shawn Greevy led the Eagles contingent with a breath-taking 9-6 rally over Crestwood spunky senior Hunter McGraw in a match that the CV senior trailed 6-1 in the first period.
"This win really helped a lot with my confidence," Greevy said. "It showed that I can get down and have enough heart to come back. It shows that I can come back and score points and win the match."
Greevy’s epic Giant Center comeback started with an escape and takedown to close the first period, bringing the margin to 6-4. One minute later, the deficit was erased when the Eagles star escaped and hit another takedown to take a 7-6 lead heading to the third.
There, Greevy (22-2), who suffered a knee injury in December, put the finishing touches on the match with a textbook Russian that had many purists gleaming.
"I didn’t expect anything less than the state semifinals at the beginning of the season," Greevy said. "After I hurt my knee, I didn’t know how long I was going to be out. I was going to take one match at a time and hope everything fell into place.
"Now that I already have a medal, I’m not going to be anxious and just do what I have to do to win the match."
There was plenty of anxiety coming into this year’s championships for the Rams, who normally are the team doling out headaches.
But Tyler Buckman (36-4) squashed some of the uneasiness, when he mustered a 6-4 overtime decision over Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Tyler Zymroz, in one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far.
Buckman looked like a sure consolation candidate trailing 4-2 with nine seconds left, but the CD senior slipped a reverse to tie the match with one second left.
In the overtime period, Buckman was the aggressor and hit a double-leg takedown with 31 seconds showing on the clock to end it.
"Once I got to my feet and reached down and got one of his legs up, I looked at the clock and turned it into a double-leg to tie it," Buckman said. "I just kept the momentum and knew I had it in overtime.
"Me and Marshall [Peppelman] talked at the beginning year, and our goal was to win state titles, me getting my first and his third. We pushed each other and didn’t want to lose whether it was lifting or running."
Peppelman (160) and Kenny Courts (171) also advanced to the semifinals for the Rams.
Tristan Warner (37-2) avenged last year’s season-ending loss to Hazelton’s Jared Kay by beating Kay in the quarterfinals 1-0 to give the Eagles their second semifinalist.
This was a defensive struggle that saw Warner ride Kay out in the second period before escaping in the third for a 1-0 decision.
"I knew it was going to come down to who could ride who out; it was the same as last year," Warner said. "I was pretty confident that I could get out in the third period, but I wasn’t sure I could hold him down.
"This is huge for me. He beat me last year, and it is a great feeling to place at states. This takes the pressure off and now I can see how high on the podium I go."
Tyler Buckman of Central Dauphin celebrates after defeating Tyler Zymroz of Pittsburgh Central Catholic 6-4 in overtime at PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal wrestling championships.
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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)
Central Dauphin's Tyler Buckman got the better end of Pittsburgh Central Catholic's Tyler Zymroz for the second time this season, this time in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships.
Buckman reversed Zymroz with nine seconds left to send the match into overtime, then needed just 29 seconds to score the winning takedown in a 6-4 decision.
Earlier this season, Zymroz was leading Buckman 13-1 at the Beast of the East Tournament in Delaware before Buckman caught him for a third-period pin. This time around, with the stakes a little higher, the match was more even throughout with an equally strong finish by Buckman.
Buckman marches on to tomorrow's semifinals, where he faces Easton's Mitchell Minotti, a 7-1 winner over Erik Galloway from State College in today's quarterfinals.
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.
