PIAA Preview: AA Lightweight
PIAA Preview: AA Lightweight
The PIAA Individual Championships return to FloWrestling on Thursday. Here's what to watch with the lightweights.
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The PIAA Individual Championships return to FloWrestling on Thursday, March 5th. We'll kick off the action with the AA division at 9AM Eastern.
All matches will be live from the Giant Center in Hershey. Catch all the action as 28 individual state champions will be crowned. Brackets can be found in FloArena.
Check out our heavyweight preview
106
Overview:
This is a weight without a clear favorite. Not a single competitor has been in the field at the individual tournament in Hershey. Cade Bollman (9th, Chestnut Ridge) is the top seed, and is without a loss at the weight class to a AA competitor. He owns a win over second seed, Cayden Walter (11th, Brookville). Evan Maag (10th, Notre Dame) also has the distinction of not having a loss to a AA competitor at 106lbs.
Throughout the season PJW champion Jaden Pepe (9th, Wyoming Area) and Cade Wirsnberger (9th, Meadowbrook Christian) were thought to be the class of the field. The NE region had an abundance of talent at the weight and Wirsnberger had the tables turned on him by opponents he defeated through the sectional and district tournaments. Wirnsberger failed to qualify, and Pepe came back from a semifinal loss to finish third.
Top Bracket:
Bollman and Maag are the regional champions on the side. Both appear to have formidable quarterfinal opponents lurking with Pepe and NE runner-up Ethan Kolb (9th, Benton). You could tell me any of these four make the final and it wouldn’t surprise me. I think Pepe gets back on track after the hiccup at the regional tournament.
Bottom Bracket:
Cayden Walter and Branden Wentzel (9th, Montoursville) are the seeded regional champions. Wentzel came through the same section as Wirnsberger and Kolb, and he finished fourth. He was third at the District 4 tournament before avenging those losses en route to the NE Regional Championship.
Deven Jackson (10th, West Perry) is a double amputee, losing the lower parts of both legs to meningitis, to keep an eye on in the quarter with Walter. This isn’t just a feel-good story of a kid overcoming adversity in his life, he can wrestle.
Wentzel has been in the fire all year long, and I like that he’s been in numerous tight matches that he found a way to win at the right time. I’ll take the Montoursville freshman out of the bottom bracket.
Prediction:
Jaden Pepe, 9th, Wyoming Area over Branden Wentzel, 9th, Montoursville
2019 Results:
1st: Sheldon Seymour (Troy Area) DEC Levi Haines (Biglerville), 5-4
3rd: Gary Steen Hermitage, PA (Reynolds) DEC Joey Fischer (South Park), 2-1 TB2
5th: Kai Burkett (Chestnut Ridge) DEC Gavin Bradley (Athens), 6-0
7th: Noah Frack (Brandywine Heights) DEC Matt Vulakh (Pope John Paul II), 5-0
113
Overview:
2018 PIAA state champion Gary Steen (11th, Reynolds) is the top seed. 2019 NJSIAA Brett Ungar (11th, Notre Dame) is the fourth seed. What a matchup in the semis. Steen brought home titles from Ironman and Powerade, while Ungar won Escape the Rock and finished second at Beast of the East and Ironman. As a fan you can’t help but look forward to the Friday night showdown. This will be the rubber match of their series this season. However, Gary Steen will be the first person to tell you to slow down. Steen was a returning champion and top seed a year ago at 106lbs. He was defeated in his opening bout in the round of 16. This weight class has so much more than the two nationally ranked headliners.
Joey Fischer (11th, South Park) pushed Steen to tiebreaker last year in the third-place match. He spent most of the year at 120lbs and comes into the weekend as the second seed.
Top Bracket:
Steen sits at the top of the bracket and faces a potential quarterfinal challenge from Scott Johnson (9th, Muncy). Johnson split matches the past two weeks with returning 6th place finisher Gavin Bradley (10th, Athens).
Ungar is faced with a similar challenge in returning 5th place finisher Kai Burkett (11th, Chestnut Ridge) in his quarter. I still feel the fans will get the show they want in the semifinal. Both guys have had time to make adjustments from the two bouts they split on the season. I think a conservative match favors Ungar, while a wide-open match plays into the scrambling ability of Steen. Give me Steen out of the top half.
Bottom Bracket:
Bradley and Fischer are the regional champions in the bottom half. Easton Toth (10th, Forest Hills), Owen Reinsel (10th, Brookville), Conor Brown (11th, Littlestown), and Matt Inman (12th, Annville-Cleona) all have experience in the Giant Center. Bradley and Reinsel is the quarter to watch if they are able to officially get the bout scheduled.
Give me Fischer out of the bottom half.
Prediction:
Gary Steen, 11th, Reynolds over Joey Fischer, 11th, South Park
2019 Results:
1st: Jackson Arrington (Forest Hills) DEC Kole Biscoe (Southern Columbia), 10-3
3rd: Ryan Michaels (Elizabeth Forward) MD Nate Holderbaum (Chestnut Ridge), 14-0
5th: Gable Strickland (Benton) DEC Adam Jacob (East Pennsboro), 3-0
7th: Connor Pierce (Harbor Creek) DEC David Kreidler (Allentown Central Catholic), 7-2
120
Overview:
Sheldon Seymour (12th, Troy) is a returning state champion, and Brandan Chletsos (10th, Notre Dame) is currently ranked 7th in the country. They are the headlining acts that are meeting at 120lbs from different paths. Seymour took home the title at 106lbs a year ago, while Chletsos was sixth at 126lbs. They meet at 120 this year and are the anticipated final. I wouldn’t use anything very permanent when filling out the 120lb bracket. It is the deepest AA weight class with a lot of title challengers.
Kole Biscoe (10th, Southern Columbia), Ryan Michaels (12th, Elizabeth Forward), Nate Holderbaum (12th, Chestnut Ridge), Gable Strickland (11th, Benton) finished second through fifth a year ago at 113lbs. Nate Smith (12th, Bishop McDevitt) has three medals and finished third at this weight a year ago. Logan Jaquay (12th, Eisenhower) closes out the field of medalists as he finished eighth at the 2018 championships.
Top Bracket:
The top quarter houses three returning medalists including top-seeded Seymour. Seymour, Holderbaum, and Smith all medaled at different weights a year ago. Smith has taken a medal home every year, and has twice made the semifinals. I like him out of this side of the bracket.
Bottom Bracket:
Chletsos vs Strickland and Biscoe vs Michaels appear to be the quarterfinals in the bottom half. A typical year these are final worthy matchups. Biscoe defeated Michaels in the semifinal a year ago. Strickland defeated Seymour in the District 4 semifinal and has two fifth-place finishes on his resume. However, I see Chletsos as the class of the field. I like Chletsos in tight matches through the bottom side of the bracket.
Prediction:
Brandan Chletsos, 10th, Notre Dame over Nate Smith, 12th, Bishop McDevitt
2019 Results:
1st: Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame Green Pond) DEC Beau Bayless Greenville, PA (Reynolds), 3-0
3rd: Nate Smith (Bishop McDevitt-Harrisburg) DEC Hunter Thompson (Titusville), 1-0
5th: Ian Oswalt (Burrell) DEC Caydin Wickard (Boiling Springs), 4-2
7th: Baylor Shunk (Penns Valley) DEC Blake Showers (Biglerville), 10-5
126
Overview:
Returning state champions Ryan Crookham (10th, Notre Dame) and Jackson Arrington (10th, Forest Hills) appear to be on a collision course. This would be a historic meeting. Never have returning state champions met in their sophomore year.
Top Bracket:
Crookham sits at the top of the bracket and is a heavy favorite in his quarter. The bottom quarter has some intriguing matchups. Tyler Cymmerman (11th, Derry Area) is a returning fourth-place finisher. David Evans (12th, Tunkhannock) is making his third appearance in Hershey and has won back-to-back NE Region titles. David Kreidler (11th, Allentown CC) is a returning eighth-place finisher. I like Cymmerman to come out of the quarter, but it’s a great quarter for the fans.
Bottom Bracket:
State medals are abundant in the bottom bracket at 126lbs. Connor Pierce (10th, Harbor Creek) is the third seed and a returning seventh-place finisher. It appears he will have returning runner-up Levi Haines (10th, Biglerville) in the quarterfinal in the top quarter.
Jacob Blair (12th, Muncy) was a medalist way back in 2017 during his freshman season. Weight and injury issues have derailed him the past two seasons, but he is wrestling well and looking for another medal. Blair will square off with Noah Frack (11th, Brandywine Heights) for the opportunity against Arrington. Frack took home a medal a year ago, and this will be a premier round of 16 match.
I like Arrington in the bottom in a close one over Haines.
Prediction:
Ryan Crookham, 10th, Notre Dame over Jackson Arrington, 10th, Forest Hills
2019 Results:
1st: Brock Mcmillen (Glendale) DEC Chase Shields (Bishop McDevitt-Harrisburg), 3-2
3rd: Bronson Garber (Upper Dauphin Area) DEC Tyler Cymmerman (Derry), 7-2 SV
5th: Anthony Glasl Brockway, PA (Brockway) DEC Brandan Chletsos (Notre Dame Green Pond), 5-2
7th: Tyler Denochick (West Branch) DEC Dalton Gimbor (Hamburg), 3-0
132
Overview:
Brock McMillen (11th, Glendale) has made two finals in two appearances in Hershey. He is in search of his second title. The bottom bracket has several potential finalist with Ian Oswalt leading the way. McMillen has several overtime victories over Oswalt, and that has the potential to be the all SW Region final.
Top Bracket:
McMillen is a heavy favorite on the top side of the bracket. Kaeden Berger (11th, Reynolds) is a returning medalist and should face-off with NE Regional champion Kyler Crawford (11th, Milton) in the quarters.
Bottom Bracket:
Several returning medalists litter the bottom bracket. Adam Jacob (12th, East Pennsboro), Ian Oswalt (11th, Burrell), Anthony Glasl (12th, Brockway), and Amonn Ohl (11th, St. Joseph’s Catholic) have all earned medals in the past. Glasl and Ohl are a potential round of 16 match that everyone should set their alerts for in Arena. Oswalt is good in all three positions and is my pick from the bottom half.
Prediction:
Brock McMillen, 11th, Glendale over Ian Oswalt, 11th, Burrell
2019 Results:
1st: Joshua Jones (Saucon Valley) DEC Tye Varndell (Cambridge Springs), 7-3
3rd: Kaden Cassidy (Bedford) DEC Zack Witmer (Saint Joseph's), 6-5
5th: Garret Cornell (Everett) F John Wheeler (Northwestern), 3:46
7th: Kaeden Berger (Reynolds) DEC Joe Hester (Montrose), 1-0
138
Overview:
Kaden Cassidy (12th, Bedford) and Kenny Kiser (12th, Saegertown) are the top two seeds. Cassidy is a two-time third-place finisher, who is undefeated on the year. Kiser made the final at this weight a year ago. I think the seeds will hold here and this will be one of the more highly anticipated finals on the AA side.
Top Bracket:
Cassidy is a clear favorite on the top side. The other regional champion on the top side is Jacob Jones (9th, Saucon Valley). It would be an interesting twist if they met in the semifinals, as Cassidy was defeated by Jacob’s brother in the semifinals a year ago. It’s probably not the younger Jones’s time yet, but he is a pinner. In his regional final he turned around a major decision loss from earlier in the season when he pinned Hunter Mays (10th, Conwell Egan). Jones trailed 4-0 at one point in the bout. The takedown prior to the fall closed it down to a 4-3 deficit. I like Cassidy, but set your alerts to watch Jones.
Bottom Bracket:
The top quarter houses three former medalists in Patrick Edmondson (11th, Southern Columbia), Patrick Demark (12th, Trinity), and Zach Witmer (11th, St. Joseph’s Catholic). Witmer has been in the semifinals each of the past two seasons. Demark made a final two years ago before missing the tournament last season. The opening round match between Demark and Witmer is alert worthy. Kiser is the returning runner-up at the weight and a strong favorite out of the bottom quarter. I think he makes his second straight final.
Prediction:
Kaden Cassidy, 12th, Bedford over Kenny Kiser, 12th, Saegertown
2019 Results:
1st: Jacob Ealy (Hopewell) DEC Kenny Kiser (Saegertown), 7-5
3rd: Erik Gibson (Forest Hills) DEC Marckis Branford (Wilson Area), 14-7
5th: A.j. Corrado (Burrell) DEC Tyler Martin (Bishop McDevitt-Harrisburg), 1-0
7th: Malachi Duvall (Penns Valley) DEC Thomas Spirk (Saucon Valley), 9-8
145
Overview:
The top talent at 145lbs was concentrated in two regions, the NE and SW. This made for an interesting bracket layout after some upsets, and the prestige point system. Erik Gibson (10th, Forest Hills) and Gage McClenahan (12th, Bald Eagle Area) split matches between districts and regionals, with McClenahan drawing the fourth seed due to his lack of prestige points. McClenahan was a AAA runner-up in 2018, but missed the entire season with a knee injury last year. Nathan Highley (11th, Sullivan County) is the top seed. Higley missed the podium a year ago after earning a medal as a freshman. Gibson was third a year ago and will find himself in the top opening round match of the tournament.
Top Bracket:
This half looks pretty straight forward. Higley and McClenehan should be facing off Friday evening in the semifinals. I think Mclenehan will punch his ticket to a second final.
Bottom Bracket:
Avery Bassett (11th, Midd-West) has been nationally ranked for almost the entire season. He hit some bumps in the road the last few weeks, but has a chance to rectify those losses in Hershey. The premier round of 16 bout on the AA side will take place here as Bassett and Gibson hit in the opening round. Bassett defeated Gibson 10-8 at Super 32 in October. Gavin D’Amato (12th, Tunkhannock) knocked off Bassett in the regional semifinals and will take on state medalist Tristan Pugh (12th, Berlin-Brothersvalley) in another quality round of 16 bout. I like Gibson out of the bottom bracket.
Prediction:
Erik Gibson, 10th, Forest Hills over Gage McClenehan, 12th, Bald Eagle Area
2019 Results:
1st: Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame Green Pond) MD Gabe Miller (Pequea Valley), 14-0
3rd: Caleb Dowling (Saint Joseph's) DEC Gavin Garcia Catawissa, PA (Southern Columbia), 3-0
5th: Johnrocco Kazalas (Quaker Valley) MD Tristan Pugh (Berlin-Brothers Valley), 16-8
7th: Nathan Haubert (Palisades) DEC Nicholas Rosengrant (Saucon Valley), 2-1