Five local wrestlers began their quest for the second step on the coveted road to Hershey on Friday at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown. T. J. Albright, the district 6-AA champion at 112, and Robert Waite, district champ at 119, from Tyrone along with third place winner Josh Ervine (140), fourth place winner Ricky Shawley (135) and fifth placer Eli Colyer (125) from Bellwood-Antis reached the state qualifier where the top five from each weight class advance to the PIAA state tournament at the Giant Center in Hershey next weekend.
Three are alive to battle today for a spot, only one has put together a run to the Regional semifinals, which begin at 12 Noon today.
Tyrone 112-pounder T. J. Albright (30-3) opened his tournament with a solid 8-2 decision over freshman David Burrows from Derry Area of District 7. Albright took an early lead, hitting a four-point move in the first period (takedown-two-point nearfall) and after yielding a reversal, added three more back points and a point for a technical violation to complete the 8-2 triumph. In the quarterfinals, Albright reached a milestone, pinning Dustin Brodmerkel of South Side Beaver, for his 100th career win. With the score tied 2-2 and just a half-minute to wrestle in the third period, the Tyrone junior worked for the fall to end the bout at the 5:28 mark.
Albright will face sophomore District 5 champion Gary Pfahler (32-6) of Chestnut Ridge in this afternoon’s semifinals.
Robert Waite drew a bye through the opening round, but then was sidetracked by South Park senior Vasily Ivashschenko (25-3) by an 11-7 decision. In the consolation preliminaries, Robert stayed alive with a fall over Caleb Musselman of Northern Bedford. Waite jumped out on Musselman with a first-period takedown, then built the lead with a reversal and nearfall. Leading 7-0, Waite gave up a reversal to his foe, but reversed Musselman to his back and applied the pin at the 2:43 mark in the second period.
Waite will wrestle junior Joel Rudy (27-11) of Blairsville, the fourth place medalist from District 6 in today’s consolation quarterfinals.
Josh Ervine (28-5) opened his day with a 5-2 win over Mount Pleasant senior Joe Geary. Ervine was wrapped up in a 2-2 tie, when the Blue Devil senior escaped and took Geary down in the middle period and neither wrestler could score a point in the third stanza. In the quarterfinals, District 5 champ and 2005 runner-up to defending three-time District, Regional and PIAA state champ Garret Scott, Brent Willison of Hyndman. Ervine and Willison were tied 2-2 in the second period, when Willison caught Ervine in a cradle for the fall. In the consolations, Ervine used two second-period back points to defeat Lance Faidley of Somerset 4-2. With the wins over Geary and Faidley, Ervine (80-22) moves past Ara Aposhian (77-22-1) into fourth place on the B-A career win list.
Ervine will face Southern Huntingdon senior Justin Berrier in today’s consolation quarters. Berrier and Ervine have wrestled twice this year with Berrier edging Ervine 1-0 at the Tri-County Tournament and majoring the B-A senior 11-2 in the dual meet.
Eli Colyer (24-7) went 1-2, and Ricky Shawley (23-9) went 0-2 to be eliminated from the Regional.
Colyer dropped his opening match by fall to Ed Petrosky (34-5) of Highlands, defeated Josh Switzer (25-14) of Elderton in 1:47, before falling 8-1 to Burrell senior Zack Pisano (33-9) of Burrell.
Shawley lost a 14-2 major decision to Devon Maloney (36-7) of Burrell and was shut out 7-0, by Vinnie Destefano (24-23) of Charleroi.
Semifinals and consolation quarterfinals will begin at 12 Noon today. Consolation semifinals will be wrestled at 2:30 p.m.. Consolation finals for third and fifth place will take place at 5:30 p.m. and championship finals will be at about 7 p.m., with an estimated finish time of about 9 p.m.
