The PIAA Championships return to FloWrestling March 9-11. All bouts will be streamed live starting with AA on Thursday morning at 9am EST. AAA gets underway at 4pm Thursday afternoon.This four part series will preview each bracket for lightweights (107-145) and heavyweights (152-285) on both the AA and AAA side. AA release will be followed by AAA. Check into the event hub for all written and video content. Interactive brackets will be live on FloArena.

152

Returning Qualifiers: (10)

Zach Borzio, 12th, Quakertown (2021)

Brian Heard, 10th, Abington Heights

Returning Medalists: (8)

Ty Watters, 12th, West Allegheny 1st 145

Ryan Garvick, 11th, Central Dauphin 2nd 160

Michael Duggan, 12th, Boiling Springs 3rd 152 (AA)

Dagen Condomitti, 12th, Northampton 4th 152

Lucas Kapusta, 12th, Hempfield Area 5th 145

Luke Sipes, 10th, Altoona 5th 152

Kelly Kakos, 12th, Perkiomen Valley 6th 138

Griffin Gonzalez, 12th, Lebanon 7th 152

Eight returning medalists is the high mark for any weight class. Last season it was a theme and coincidence in the alignment of talent in regions that the top seed typically found the toughest path through the bracket. I think you could say that holds true here for top seed, #3 nationally, Ty Watters (West Allegheny). If the bracket goes to chalk, he could hit a returning medalist in every round. 

Top Bracket:

Watters is so hard to take down even when you get deep to the leg. He presents a unique challenge. Dagen Condomitti (Northampton) could present the biggest challenge. He has some down performances, but also probably has the highest ceiling of anyone in the weight when he is firing on all cylinders. 

Bottom Bracket:

Griffin Gonzalez (Lebanon) was a huge story on day one last year as he knocked off Nico Taddy (West Allegheny) and Condomitti. He ultimately finished seventh. He finished fourth in his region, could he be positioned to spoil the bracket again?

Ryan Garvick (Central Dauphin) is down a weight from his runner-up finish a year ago. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking big for the weight is better. Optimum weight is best for each guy. I trust Garvick’s decision that this is his optimum weight, just don’t overvalue the weight drop. 

Prediction: Ty Watters (West Allegheny) over Ryan Garvick (Central Dauphin)

2022 Results:

152 LBS

1st Dylan Evans (Chartiers Valley) DEC Kaemen Smith (Erie Cathedral Prep), 3-2

3rd Jack Pletcher (Greater Latrobe) DEC Dagen Condomitti (Northampton), 3-1 SV

5th Luke Sipes (Altoona) DEC Kelin Laffey (Pine Richland), 3-2 UTB

7th Griffin Gonzalez (Lebanon) DEC Dominic Frontino (Shippensburg), 2-1

160

Returning Qualifiers: (9)

Brett Barbush, 12th, Manheim Central

Josh Barlow, 12th, Kennett

Caleb Butterfield, 12th, Erie McDowell

Bekhruz Sadriddinov, 11th, Council Rock South

James Spindler, 12th, Pittston Area (2021)

Returning Medalists: (4)

Dylan Evans, 12th, Chartiers Valley 1st 152

Shawn Taylor, 11th, West Allegheny 4th 160

Andrew Harmon, 12th, Bethlehem Catholic 7th 138 (2021)

Dominic Frontino, 12th, Shippensburg 8th 152

Four wrestlers in the field have previously earned a medal in Hershey. Three of them are on the bottom half. Shawn Taylor (West Allegheny) earned the top seed taking three out of four matchups from returning state champion Dylan Evans (Chartiers Valley). 

Top Bracket:

Regional champions Taylor and Bekhruz Sadriddinov (Council Rock South) appear clear favorites to meet in the semifinal. Sadriddinov has a U16 National Championship on his resume. Both guys have been tested throughout the season. I think Taylor has been more consistent and is the pick on this side.

Bottom Bracket:

Returning champion Evans seems to have found the most difficult path through the bracket. Andrew Harmon (Bethlehem Catholic) should be waiting in the quarters and Dominic Frontino (Shippensburg) in the semifinal. Evans beat Frontino in the  quarters a year ago 10-3.

Prediction: Shawn Taylor (West Allegheny) over Dylan Evans (Chartiers Valley)

2022 Results:

160 LBS

1st Jared Keslar (Connellsville) DEC Ryan Garvick (Central Dauphin), 7-5

3rd Matt Colajezzi (Council Rock South) DEC Shawn Taylor (West Allegheny), 1-0

5th Chase Barlow (Strath Haven) DEC Enzo Morlacci (Kiski Area), 4-0

7th Jack Lledo (Lower Merion) DEC Ryan Fairchild (Nazareth), 7-4

172

Returning Qualifiers: (6)

Macon Myers, 12th, Central York

Kevin Olavarria, 11th, J.P. McCaskey

Luke Thomas, 12th, Bethlehem Catholic

Returning Medalists: (3)

Rocco Welsh, 12th, Waynesburg 1st 172

Matt Furman, 12th, Canon-McMillan 4th 172

Dominic Wheatley, 12th, Nazareth 7th 132 (2021)

Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg) is #1 in the country and seeking his second title. He finished runner-up in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. 

Top Bracket:

Welsh is the top seed and has distanced himself from the field. Across the board on the top half you have a lot of parity. I think I like Luke Thomas coming out of the pigtail. Lots of questions will get answered on the Resilite.

Bottom Bracket:

Returning medalists Matt Furman (Canon-McMillan) and Dominic Wheatley (Nazareth) should square off in the qurterfinal. Wheatley beat Furman during the PIAA duals in sudden victory 4-2. Kevin Olavarria (J.P. McCaskey) is undefeated and now a three-time qualifier. He spent his first two seasons at Manheim Township.

Prediction: Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg) over Matt Furman (Canon-McMillan)

2022 Results:

172 LBS

1st Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg) TF Dom D'agostino (Interboro), 24-8 5:00

3rd Tucker Hogan (Daniel Boone) DEC Matthew Furman (Canon-McMillan), 5-3

5th Dillon Bechtold (Owen J. Roberts) DEC Logan Hoffman (Belle Vernon), 9-6

7th Connor Jacobs (Armstrong) DEC Cole Bartram (Northern), 6-2

189

Returning Qualifiers: (11)

Jake Allred, 12th, Conestoga

Brody Evans, 12th, Waynesburg

Adrian Gacek, 12th, Parkland

Aiden Hight, 11th, Chambersburg

Caleb Marzolino, 11th, Abington Heights

Sam Milligan, 12th, Strath Haven

Melquan Warren, 12th, Whitehall

Returning Medalists: (4)

Tucker Hogan, 11th, Daniel Boone 3rd 172

Hadyn Packer, 12th, Jersey Shore 3rd 189 (AA)

Juliano Marion, 11th, Franklin Regional 6th 189

Cole Bartram, 11th, Northern York 8th 172

Let’s go back to 2021. Jack McGill (Springford) beat Cole Spencer (Pine-Richland) in the semifinal match before giving up a late score to Jagger Condomitti (Northampton) to send the match to overtime in the title bout. Condomitti ultimately won in sudden victory. You may be asking, what does this have to do with 189lbs in 2023? That summer rising freshman Vaughn Spencer (Pine-Richland) defeated McGill at Disney Duals. Off season results should be taken with a grain of salt, but you can’t deny under any circumstances an eighth grader beating a senior state runner-up is impressive. Spencer missed his freshman season with an injury and was late hitting the mat this season. He is 27-0 with 26 bonus point victories. Keep an eye on this kid making his debut in the Giant Center.

Top Bracket:

Tucker Hogan (Daniel Boone) is the top seed. He excels in the top position and isn’t afraid to put himself there when it’s his choice. I’m going to put the cart in front of the horse and tell you how excited I am for a Hogan vs Spencer semifinal. Hogan is very much a proven entity and we will get to see where Spencer stacks up after missing some very important time on the mat.

Bottom Bracket:

The bottom half is very different than the top. You have to favor Haydin Packer (Jersey Shore), who was third in AA a year ago. However, I won’t even be penciling in any predictions into my bracket. Juliano Marion (Franklin Regional) and Cole Bartram (Northern York) are both returning medalists that square off in the round of 16. Marion defeated third seed, Adrian Gacek (Parkland), during the season 6-3. I think you favor the winner of the Marion/Bartram match in the quarter.

Prediction:Vaughn Spencer (Pine-Richland) over Hadyn Packer (Jersey Shore)

2022 Results:

189 LBS

1st Sonny Sasso (Nazareth) DEC Quinn Collins (Central Bucks East), 5-0

3rd Maclane Stout (Mt. Lebanon) DEC Johnny Miller (Exeter), 3-0

5th Griffin Buzzell (Meadville) MD Juliano Marion (Franklin Regional), 11-1

7th Trey Shoemaker (Mifflin County) DEC Carter Chamberlain (Clearfield High School), 4-1

215

Returning Qualifiers: (9)

Magnus Bibla, 12th, Crestwood

Diesel Koser, 12th, Shippensburg

Calvin Lachman, 11th, Quakertown

John Pardo, 11th, Kennett

Returning Medalists: (5)

Sonny Sasso, 12th, Nazareth 1st 189

Dillon Bechtold, 11th, Owen J. Roberts 5th 172

Corey Boerio, 12th, Greater Latrobe 6th 215

Connor Jacobs, 12th, Armstrong 7th 172

Jose Garcia, 12th, J.P. McCaskey 8th 215

Sonny Sasso (Nazareth) was a huge story at last year’s championships as he won the premier semifinal of the tournament over Mac Stout (Mt. Lebanon). This year he briefly moved to 189lbs to help strengthen Nazareth’s dual team. He bounced back up for the post season and eyes his second title. 

Top Bracket:

Sasso has bonus in 23 of 24 matches. He is going to have quality competition through the bracket and I think he’s going to show how elite he is against the field.

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Bottom Bracket:

In the bottom quarter returning medalists Connor Jacobs (Armstrong) and Dillon Bechtold (Owen J. Roberts) should hit in the quarterfinal. They finished sixth and seventh at 172lbs a year ago, but didn’t hit along the way. I like that quarterfinal winner to make the final.

Prediction: Sonny Sasso (Nazareth) over Dillon Bechtold (Owen J. Roberts)

2022 Results:

215 LBS

1st Brian Finnerty (Thomas Jefferson) DEC Cole Weightman (Belle Vernon), 6-5

3rd Nicholas Pavlechko (State College) MD Carl Digiorgio (Central Bucks West), 10-2

5th Liam Volk-klos (Seneca Valley) DEC Corey Boerio (Greater Latrobe), 3-1

7th Samuel Rodriguez (Gettysburg) MD Jose Garcia (J.P. McCaskey), 12-3

285

Returning Qualifiers: (7)

Ty Banco, 12th, Trinity (2021)

Aiden Black, 11th, Delaware Valley

Ben Farabaugh, 12th, Strath Haven

Layton Schmick, 12th, Carlisle

Bailey Schindle, 12th, Kennett

Returning Medalists: (2)

Sean Kinney, 11th, Nazareth 1st 285

Nick Pavlechko, 11th, State College 3rd 215

Top Bracket:

Sean Kinney (Nazareth) is the returning champ and top seed. He has put up bonus points in all 31 matches this season and only two of those are major decisions. He is as dominant as they come against the field. 

Bottom Bracket:

Second seed Nick Pavlechko has wins over five guys in the bracket, with his losses coming against New Jersey State Champ Jim Mullen and AA favorite Riley Robell. He was third at 215lbs a year ago and isn’t the biggest frame at the weight. It will be interesting to watch if he can navigate the field on the bottom side. 

There are several guys in the bracket with a handful of losses and many of them create round robin scenarios. Take a look at Nicholai Brotzman (Donegal), Joe Collins (Central Bucks East), Ben Farabaugh (Strath Haven) and Layton Schmick (Carlisle): Brotzman over Collins, Colins and Schmick split matches, and Schmick over Brotzman, Collins over Farabaugh, and Farabaugh over Brotzman. Start flipping coins when you try to fill out your consolation brackets.

Prediction: Sean Kinney (Nazareth) over Nick Pavlechko (State College)

2022 Results:

285 LBS

1st Sean Kinney (Nazareth) DEC Matthew Cruise (Easton), 2-0

3rd Frederick Retter (Quakertown) F Oliver Billotte (Clearfield High School), 1:51

5th Charles Crews (Williamsport) DEC Billy Mcchesney (Greensburg Salem), 2-1

7th Noah Tustin (Waynesburg) F Trevor Gallagher (Gettysburg), 1:3