As the 2021 PIAA Team Championships forge onward, Burrell (13-1) and Waynesburg Central (14-0) have been the most dominant teams in the WPIAL in their respective divisions by a wide margin this season. Wednesday night, March 24, both squads advanced to the semifinals of their respective 2021 Team Postseason Championships set for this Saturday, March at 27 at Cumberland Valley High School, where the semifinals and finals are set to unfold throughout the day Saturday.
For Burrell, its quarterfinal matchup against Chestnut Ridge (11-1) was one of its tightest of the season, advancing with a 32-31 victory over the Lions of Chestnut Ridge thanks to criteria D, most individual wins, including forfeits. The Bucs won seven matchups to the Lions’ six to survive and advance.
The team win bares a little extra importance for the Bucs as Chestnut Ridge has become a bit of a dream crusher for Burrell in recent years, knocking the Bucs out of the PIAA postseason tournament each of the last two seasons.
Heading into the 215-pound bout Burrell’s postseason hopes were up in the air. Burrell’s Cole Clark and Chestnut Ridge’s Baltzer Bollman were on the mat. The Bucs trailed by six points with three matches remaining. They were in need of a momentum-shifting win.
Clark came through for his WPIAL squad. With one second left in the first period, Clark pinned Bollman for the second time this season, which tied the match at 25.
Each team forfeited one of the remaining two matches, knotting the score at 31-31. Burrell was awarded the victory, 32-31, based on tiebreaker criteria D.
In addition to Clark, fellow Burrell grapplers Nicholas Salerno (132), Aaron Edwards (145) and Damian Barr (152 won via decision. Ian Oswalt (145) picked up a major decision, Cooper Hornack (106) accepted a forfeit, and AJ Corrado (172) and Cole Clark (215) won by fall.
With their win, the Burrell recorded their first top-four PIAA finish since 2014, advancing to Cumberland Valley, where they will wrestle District 10 champion Reynolds at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Match Results
Burrell 32, Chestnut Ridge 31
113 – Hunter Riggleman won by forfeit (0-6)
120 – Calan Bollman maj. dec. Nicholas Ferra, 8-0 (0-10)
126 – Ross Dull dec. Shawn Szymanski, 9-7 SV (0-13)
132 – Nicholas Salerno dec. Kobi Burkett, 12-5 (3-13)
138 – Aaron Edwards dec. Colton Bollman, 8-4 (6-13)
145 – Ian Oswalt maj. dec. Jack Moyer, 17-6 (10-13)
152 – Damian Barr dec. Luke Moore, 5-4 (13-13)
160 – Trevor Weyandt pinned Colby Christie, 3:35 (13-19)
172 – A.J. Corrado pinned Dominick Claar, 1:33 (19-19)
189 – Daniel Moore pinned Dylan Slahtovsky, 3:51 (19-25)
215 – Cole Clark pinned Baltzer Bollman, 1:59 (25-25)
285 – Matthew Davis won by forfeit (25-31)
106 – Cooper Hornack won by forfeit (31-31)
* Burrell wins on Criteria (most wins, 7-6).
Burrell wrestlers in bold.
With respect Waynesburg on the Class-3A side of things, the Raiders were able to advance in traditional, convincing fashion by earing a 54-12 decision to remain unbeaten on the year. The Raiders of Waynesburg won 11 of the 13 individual matches along the way.
Waynesburg was able to amass a 30-0 lead before suffering its first defeat of the bout at 152 pounds where freshman Colby Pauley got the nod in place of two-time 152-pound PIAA runner-up Rocco Welsh. Cathedral Prep was able to put another six points toward the team score at 215 pounds where Waynesburg’s Noah Tustin fell by fall.
Of Waynesburg’s 11 individual victories, seven came by fall or forfeit.
With their win, the Waynesburg has advanced to the semifinals at Cumberland Valley, where they will wrestle Williamsport out of District 4 at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Match Results
Waynesburg 54, Erie Cathedral Prep 12
113 – Joseph Simon won by forfeit (6-0)
120 – Zander Phaturos dec. Sam Staab, 5-2 (9-0)
126 – Mac Church pinned Ian Irvin, 3:49 (15-0)
132 – Colton Stoneking dec. Philip Stark, 7-2 (18-0)
138 – Cole Homet pinned Elijah Hunt, 2:54 (24-0)
145 – Wyatt Henson pinned Steffan Lynch, 4:21 (30-0)
152 – Clay Mallory pinned Colby Pauley, 2:52 (30-6)
160 – Nate Stephenson dec. Kelyn Blossey, 5-0 (33-6)
172 – Luca Augustine dec. Paniro Johnson, 3-1 (36-6)
189 – Eli Makel pinned Owen Shetler, 0:43 (42-6)
215 – John Campbell pinned Noah Tustin, 5:48 (42-12)
285 – Ryan Howard pinned Mark Hudson III, 0:22 (48-12)
106 – Ky Szewczyk won by forfeit (54-12)
Waynesburg Central wrestlers in bold.
Team Postseason Brackets
The Class-2A Team Championships Bracket can be found here.
The Class-3A Team Championships Bracket can be found here.
