Led by the alphabet kids, the Tyrone wrestling team ran into a lot of strong opposition in 2006-07. While compiling a 6-9 dual record, the Golden Eagles nevertheless, did a lot of individual damage that carried all the way to the PIAA state championship in Hershey at the Giant Center.
Freshman A. J. Schopp and senior T. J. Albright gave the Eagles a tough, talented one-two punch.
Schopp wrestled his way into the state finals at 103, wrestling with the wisdom and talent of a much more accomplished grappler instead of one, who despite experience at other levels, was in his first year at the varsity level. A. J. lost just twice during an outstanding 29-2 regular season, both times in tournaments. Schopp then finished third at Districts to qualify for Regionals at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown. At the Southwest Regional, Schopp defeated two of the wrestlers who had beaten him earlier, taking first place and establishing himself as one of the favorites in Hershey. Three straight wins followed, before the clock finally struck midnight for the Golden Eagle freshman in a single-point loss. With a 40-4 overall record and a second place medal at states, A. J. Schopp has gotten off to a tremendous beginning to his high school wrestling career.
Schopp is the first Tyrone freshman to win 40 matches in a year, one of just four Tyrone wrestlers to accomplish the feat and only Terry Tate did it before his senior year, with a 44-3 season as a junior.
A. J. led the squad in 2006-07, with 20 pins, 78 takedowns, 20 two-point nearfalls, 42 three-point nearfalls, and 62 total nearfalls. Schopp was selected to the First Team All-Stars in both the CWC and MAC. Schopp is just the second Tyrone ninth grader to qualify for states and the second freshman to earn a state medal.
In the Regional and PIAA state finals, Schopp and fellow ninth grader Frank Martellotti exchanged victories. Schopp handed Martellotti, from Shady Side Academy, his only loss of the season to win the Southwest Regional, then came one point short in the state finals to Martellotti (42-1).
“Naturally, we were very disappointed in the loss in the state finals, but A. J. has a story to be told,” said Tyrone wrestling coach Blair Packer. “He has created a legend, he has mastered his sport. It is simply a matter of maturing and placing himself at the top of the rung. This is sensational for him to make it to this point as a freshman, to finish second in the state. This should be motivation for the next three years. He has handled adversity and wants to prove he is number one in the state.”
T. J. Albright fell short in winning a state medal, but has set his own story at Tyrone, and set it high. The first Eagle to qualify for the state tournament, and the first to earn a state medal, with an eighth place medal as a ninth grader in 2003-04, T. J. accomplished 30 wins or more for four straight years, the first Tyrone wrestler to accomplish that mark, and has moved into second place on the Tyrone all-time win list with a 133-44 mark, that is second only to Tate (149-24). In 2006-07, T. J. was 32-12 as a senior. He had the misfortune of beginning his state tournament against eventual 125-pound state champ Andrew Arnold, who gave up nothing but escapes in his first three matches at Hershey and only a late reversal and two more escapes in the championship finals.
In 2005-06, Albright was the 112-pound District 6-AA champ and was chosen the Outstanding Wrestler of that tournament.
A three-time state qualifier, Albright, who moved up two weight classes this year to 125, finished the regular season by winning 19 of his last 22 matches entering the district tournament. The losses came by a combined total of five points and were administered by Cody Myers of Southern Huntingdon (2-1), in the finals of the Zeigler Blair/Huntingdon Counties Tournament, Sam Zimmerman of North Star (5-2), in the finals of the Thomas Chevrolet Tournament and Brandon Potts of Altoona (3-2), in a dual meet. Myers finished second at the state tournament for the second straight year, and Albright reversed the decision by defeating Zimmerman at the Regional tournament 4-1. Potts finished second at Triple-A districts, forfeiting the finals match because he tore the miniscus in his knee, and qualified for states gritting out a third place finish at the AAA Northwest Regionals.
“T.J. has left his mark on the Tyrone wrestling program,” said coach Packer. “His legacy will be around for some time to come. He was the first freshman to place at states when he was eighth and his work ethic instilled others around him to work harder. Preparation is one thing that a wrestler can control, and T. J., you could tell had that preparation, it showed in his time on the mat at Tyrone.”
Albright had 17 pins, 49 takedowns and a total of 38 nearfalls, all second on the team this season. For his high school career, Albright finishes with 69 pins. Albright was selected to the CWC First Team All-Stars, moving up from a Second Team selection last year
T.J. is the last of a tremendously talented group of Golden Eagle wrestlers who have completely rewritten the Tyrone record books. Although not in the same graduation class, the 2003-04 wrestling team included Terry Tate (149-24), Thadd Westley (127-32), David Miller (116-44), Robert Waite (112-48), and Brice Mertiff (101-32) in addition to Albright. In the previous history of the Tyrone wrestling program, only legendary Bruce Wallace (111-14-0) had won more than 100 matches.
The 2006-07 Eagles featured a team with a lot of experience. No fewer than six wrestlers finished their third year with at least 21 matches wrestled, and three more had wrestled for two years.
Jake Smerekar finished his high school career with a 24-13 mark to extend his career record to 56-40. Justin Schopp and Donnie Conrad shared 20-14 records, Justin finishes 57-49, while Conrad was 45-46 at Tyrone after losing 18 matches as a sophomore. Juniors Shayne Tate (18-14, 42-49 career) and Anthony Romano, a Regional qualifier (19-15, 55-47 career), Cody Weaver (12-12, 32-27 career) and J. P. VanAllman (8-9, 22-30 career) should join A. J. Schopp to form a strong nucleus for the 2007-08 team next winter.
Justin Schopp had 15 pins and 47 takedowns, Romano had 36 takedowns, and Conrad had 10 pins and 35 takedowns.
Brady Williams (10-11 overall), Weaver and A. J. Schopp were First Team MAC All-Stars, while Schopp, Albright and Romano were CWC First Team All-Stars, with Smerekar on the Second Team CWC All-Star Team.
