The District 6-AA Wrestling Tournament is always viewed, as Tyrone wrestling coach Blair Packer explained recently, “the reason for the season.” All dual meets and inseason tournaments are just so much prologue, the beginning, preparation, fill in your own idiom here to signify what comes afterward is what really counts.
In the first step along the postseason ladder that eventually reaches the mecca of all high school wrestling-the state championships at the Giant Center in Hershey, it matters not where you place. The only significance is that you are somewhere in the top five at each weight class-that buys a ticket to the Southwest Regional Tournament at the War Memorial in Johnstown, in two weeks, plus IT stretches the season at least two more weeks.
Tyrone and Bellwood-Antis wrestlers came away from the Altoona Fieldhouse without a district champion, but most importantly, five local wrestlers earned the right to continue.
All of the individuals would sooner have won a title, but all get the opportunity to hitch up their singlets and continue that climb to Hershey. Tyrone freshman 103-pounder A. J. Schopp was the highest area placewinner with a third place medal, and teammates Anthony Romano (130) was fourth, and T. J. Albright (125) and Jacob Smerekar (152) and Bellwood-Antis senior Ricky Shawley (145) all claimed the final spots at their respective weight classes with fifth-places.
A. J. Schopp (33-3) pinned his first two opponents, getting Shane Gallaher of Forest Hills, in 1:30 and Adam Weinell of Blairsville, in 3:42, but was beaten in the semifinals 4-1 by Penn Cambria freshman Patrick Myers. In the consolations, Schopp came back strong to pin Michael Younce of Mount Union, in 4:35 and shutout second seed Luke Lohr (23-6) of Somerset, 5-0. Leading just 2-0 after two periods, Schopp cemented the third-place medal with three nearfall points midway through the final period. Schopp defeated Younce twice during the regular season, once by 15-0 tech fall at the Zeigler Tournament, and then by fall in 3:25 during the dual meet.
T. J. Albright (27-9, 128-41 career) decisioned Robert Bopp of Forest Hills, 6-0, before getting edged 9-8 against eventual 125-pound champion and Outstanding Wrestler Cory Feathers of Claysburg-Kimmel. A questionable reversal of an apparent Albright escape that would have tied the score 9-9, was nullified when the mat judge and referee talked it over. In the consolation bracket, Albright handled Mount Union’s Devon Smith 7-1, and pinned Craig Harris of Richland, in 4:20, before getting edged 3-2 by Penn Cambria’s Paul Myers. In the battle for fifth place with the winner moving on and the loser done for the year, Albright trailed T. J. Keklak, of Westmont-Hilltop 2-1 at the end of one period. Albright, who moved past Thadd Westley (127-32) into second place on the Tyrone career win list with his 128th victory, moved in front 3-2, with an escape and penalty point in the second and added another penalty point in the third when Myers got called for his fourth caution. Albright trails only Terry Tate (149-24) on the Eagles’ career win list. Albright shut out Smith twice during the season, 11-0 at the Zeigler tourney and 5-0 in the dual.
Feathers earned his Outstanding Wrestler Award by knocking off the third seeded Albright, a returning District Champ and OW from last year’s tournament, pinning second seed Scott Knarr to hand the Northern Cambria sophomore his first loss of the year and then headlocking top seed and returning runner-up Glenn Winslow of Cambria Heights, for a thrilling 6-3 win in the final 10 seconds of the championship final at 125.
Anthony Romano (17-13) continued a strong second half with four wins over the weekend to earn a fourth place finish and a berth in the Regional Tournament. Romano upset Mount Union’s Dave Grove, with a 6-2 opening round decision and had a 12-7 win over Amos Albright of West Branch. After dropping a 3-2 decision by Pat Dumire of Westmont-Hilltop, Romano edged Joel Rudy of Blairsville, 4-3, before falling to Matt Aungst of Claysburg-Kimmel in the third place consi-final. Romano gained a measure of revenge over two foes, having lost to Grove 6-4, and to Albright 4-2, in the respective dual meets against Mount Union and West Branch.
“I was very pleased with this final round we had,” said Tyrone wrestling coach Blair Packer. “A J. walked away with his match and the other three – Albright, Romano, Smerekar – all four making the Regionals is great. We always would like more to go, but you can’t be greedy. This is one of the toughest districts I have ever been in. There are a lot of tough teams here. It looks like Westmont will walk away with it, but there are other teams here, who have a lot of tough wrestlers on their teams, not just one or two, but multiple tough kids. I am pleased to have four kids going to Regionals, it’s a great accomplishment.”
Ricky Shawley (30-3) although troubled all weekend by sore ribs, still managed to earn a trip to Regionals. Shawley opened with a forfeit, pinned Caleb Price of Southern Huntingdon, and shut out Kelsey Tarr of Glendale, 3-0. Shawley then dropped two shutouts in a row, getting beaten by Joseph Leppert of Cambria Heights, 2-0 and Drew Golias of Westmont-Hilltop, 1-0. In a must-win situation, the B-A senior jumped out to a 5-2 lead with a takedown and back points and escape in the opening period, then added a third-period takedown for a 7-2 win over Matt Orndorf of Penns Valley. Shawley defeated Orndorf 6-3 in the dual meet with no physical problems. Shawley also pinned Price in 0:20 in the Zeigler Tournament, and in 1:29 in the dual meet.
“There was some disappointment there,” explained Bellwood-Antis coach Ron Wilson. “I think we could have wrestled a lot better. Guys that we beat during the season are moving on. We have some of our kids back next year, hopefully they will realize that they have the ability to get to the next level and work toward that end. But we are satisfied that we got one through. Hopefully Ricky can do the job at regionals and move on down to the state tournament and be our first state qualifier in a quite a few years.”
The only other Blue Devils to win 30 matches in a season are Wilson and Tracey Karlie, who each did it twice.
Jacob Smerekar (23-12) opened with a 5-1 win over John Julian of Penn Cambria, before losing a 3-0 match to Chad Miller of Richland. In the consolation bracket, Jake pinned Tyler Capitosti of United, in 3:45, and Jon Rajnish of Northern Cambria, in 4:24, but was turned for a pair of three-point nearfalls in a 9-3 loss to Chad Moyer of Forest Hills. In the battle for the final spot at 152, Smerekar opened with a takedown and pair of backpoints and closed with an escape and takedown for a 7-2 win over Nate Yingling of Central Cambria for fifth place.
Nine Eagles and four Blue Devils entered the Saturday rounds with a chance to advance, but eight were eliminated short of their goal.
Cody Weaver (12-12) opened with a win by forfeit, at 135, but was pinned by Robbie Roxby from Portage. In his first match in the consolations, Weaver majored Central’s Darren Mattern, before falling to Jimmy Pugh of Somerset, 1-0. Jeremy Barlett (7-21) decisioned Adam Petrosky of Central Cambria, 4-2, at 145, but was sent to the consolation bracket with a 1:18 pin by Drew Golias of Westmont. Barlett then pinned Forest Hill’s Garry Lallemand in 1:44 and downed Brandon Derricot of Richland, 6-2. Glendale’s Kelsey Tarr ended Barlett’s tournament with a fall in 2:14. Shayne Tate (18-14) dropped an 8-6 overtime decision to Zakery Newton of Penn Cambria, pinned Brock Shirk of Central Cambria, in 1:40, before dropping a 6-3 verdict to Mount Union’s Dustin Drake, at 160. Justin Schopp (20-14) pinned Doug Mansell of Penns Valley, for the second time this season, in 1:02, but dropped a 4-1 match to Mount Union’s Eric Hoffmaster at 171. In the dual Hoffmaster won 5-4. Schopp added two pins in the consi round, decking Central’s Jason Prokop in 0:22, and C. J. Calvetti of Penn Cambria, in 1:20, before falling to Robert Oshaben of Forest Hills, by fall in 4:41. Donnie Conrad (20-12) pinned Delwyn Fry of Glendale, in 1:23, before dropping a 5-4 match to Trevin Byers of Central Cambria. In his first consolation match, Conrad was leading James Martin of Forest Hills, 9-4 when he hit his head on Martin’s knee shooting in low for a takedown. The Tyrone senior was unable to continue, losing by injury default after feeling a tingly sensation and being taken to the hospital for precautionary measures. Donnie was back at the tournament in the stands before the day was over with a neck brace.
Bellwood-Antis 103-pounder Troy Weyant finished his freshman season with 19 wins, second best win total for the Blue Devils, a win behind both Tracey Karlie (20-7 in 1980-81) and Tony Montanaro (20-8 in 1990-91). Weyant (19-11) pinned Nathan Jacoby of Moshannon Valley, in 4:56, but lost two straight to second seed Luke Lohr of Somerset, by fall in 1:12, and to Central’s Lynn Lewis 8-7 after defeating Lewis twice during the season.
Ronnie Wilson (17-10) went 2-2 at 152, downing Tyler Capitosti of United, 4-2, before getting pinned by top seed Mike Brant in 1:35. In the consolations round, The B-A senior decisioned John Julian of Penn Cambria, 6-1, but was pinned by Nate Yingling of Central Cambria. After jumping out to a 4-2 lead, Wilson was taken down twice by Yingling before the fall. At 189, B-A sophomore Jimmy Watters (12-16) dropped his opening match on Saturday by fall to Joe Shook of Portage, in 1:41. Shook also pinned Watters in the dual meet and at the Tri-County Tournament. On Friday, Watters was pinned by Zach Hicks of Mount Union, also for the third time this season, and pinned Jaron Cunrod of Penns Valley. Watters pinned Cunrod in 1:29 in the dual meet.
Brandon Oswalt (285) and John Markel (140) were 2-2 for the Eagles, Brady Williams (215) and Donnie Hunter (112) and Tyler Poorman (119) were 0-2.
For the Blue Devils, Timmy Collier (130), Cody Fink (135), and Caleb Stevens (215) were 1-2 and Donnie Partner (119), Shane Noye (125), Dustin Pruznak (140), Garett Wyland (160), Troy Byers (171) and Cody Smith (285) were 0-2.
Westmont-Hilltop ran away with the team title, finishing 30 points ahead of second place Huntingdon 207-177. Penn Cambria was third (166.5), Richland was fourth (152) and Mount Union completed the top five with 141. Tyrone was 10th in the 25-team race with 109 points and Bellwood-Antis was 24th with 39.
