Saturday, the Franklin Regional Panthers won the Westmoreland County Coaches Association wrestling tournament for the first time since 2015. It was their fourth program history. The Franklin Regional win brings Kiski Area’s five-year run of consecutive titles to a close. The Panthers finished with 189.5 points. Mt. Pleasant finished second with 163 points, followed by Kiski Area 154.5, Hempfield 151.5 and Burrell 149.
Individually, Franklin Regional had four campions across the 13 weight classes: Carter Dibert (126 pounds), Finn Solomon (138), Mario Sarnic (145) and Garrett Thompson (152).
In addition to Thomson’s strong perforce, it should be noted that teammate, Dibert, a future Arizona State Sun Devil, was one of three wrestlers to win a third title. The other two were Hempfield senior heavyweight Isaiah Vance, a future Army West point grappler, and Kiski Area senior Brayden Roscosky (195), who has yet to make his college choice.
Two other wrestlers could have won their third titles, but Hempfield senior Ty Linsenbigler (152) lost to the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, Thompson, in overtime, and Burrell senior Ian Oswalt missed the event entirely due to injury.
Other matchups of note, ones that had possible WPIAL and PIAA finalists were at 113, 132, 160, 215 and 285.featuring possible WPIAL and PIAA finalists were at 113, 132, 160, 215 and 285.
Just as the WPIAL shined at Powerade 54 earlier this season, many of those same wrestlers performed well again Saturday afternoon.
Latrobe sophomore Vinny Kilkeary, the returning PIAA Class 106 champion, defeated Penn-Trafford junior Troy Hohman, 4-0 at 113. Kilkeary and Hohman are wrestling partners at Young Guns. The Latrobe product has been on fire as of late.
Kilkeary used a second-period escape and then got a 3-point nearfall in the third period to earn his first WCCA crown Both Homan and Kilkeary expect to see one another again this season, Kilkeary told the Tribune-Review’s Paul Schofield following the match.
A couple bouts later, at 132 pounds, Hempfield junior Briar Priest rode a first-period takedown to a 2-0 victory against Latrobe sophomore, Kilkery’s teammate, Nate Roth at 132. Priest won an early match 6-5.
Solomon used a first-period takedown and edged Hempfield sophomore Lucas Kapusta, 3-1, in a low scoring affair at 138.
Sarnic, who had to do a little more work than some others for his crown. He wasn’t seeded in the top four and had to wrestle in Friday’s round. He showed the seeding committee they made an oversite. Sarnic won the 145 title via 16-0 win against Hempfield senior Nolan Daerr.
Thompson’s win at 152 required overcoming a 3-1 deficit take out a talented Linsenbigler in overtime. Thus Thompson’s effort were befitting of the Outstanding Wrestler Award. The Franklin Regional prep kept Linsenbigler from winning his third title at this event.
Roscosky used a takedown in the third period to defeat Belle Vernon’s Logan Hoffman, 3-1 at 195, in one of many tighly-contested battles..
With respect to the big guys, Heavyweight Vance won his third title by edging Greensburg Salem heavyweight Billy McChesney by the slimmest of margins, 1-0.
Roscosky used a takedown in the third period to defeat Belle Vernon’s Logan Hoffman, 3-1.
Other Champions
Burrell freshman Cooper Hornack (106) and senior A.J. Corrado (160), Mt. Pleasant junior Dayton Pitzer (215) and Kiski Area sophomore Ryan Klingensmith (120) and senior Sammy Starr (172).
Hornack defeated Franklin Regional’s freshman Ty Kapusta, 9-0; Klingensmith blanked Hempfield sophomore Ethan Lebin, 7-0; Corrado edged Kiski Area junior Enzo Morlacci, 3-1; Starr beat Mt. Pleasant junior Colin Gnibus, 4-0; and Pitzer nipped Belle Vernon junior Cole Weightman, 6-4, in a battle of the top 215-pound wrestlers per classification in the WPIAL. Pitzer (22-2) is Class AA ,and Weightman (15-4) in Class AAA.
Full results can be found on FloWrestling. Other coverage can be found though the Westmorland Sports Network.
