Eight area athletes began the weekend with hopes and aspirations of continuing on to the final step on the long road that is high school wrestling. Five of the eight were eliminated by the one of the first day on Friday. Three started the second day of Southwest Regionals at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown and two punched their tickets to Class AA states at the Giant Center in Hershey. Thad Westley took advantage of a new addition to the Southwest Regionals this year to finish fifth at 125, and Terry Tate gained a measure of revenge at 275 to nail down a third place medal.
In previous years, there were just four wrestlers at each weight that went to Hershey, but beginning in 2003, because of the number of schools in the three districts that comprise the Southwest Region, an additional wrestler qualifies in each weight class.
After dropping a tough overtime decision in his opening match on Friday night, Thad Westley was forced to wrestle four times on Saturday. Westley began with an 11-2 major decision over fellow District VI wrestler Clyde Hendrickson (22-14) of Mount Union. Westley wrestled the Mount Union senior in both the Blair/Huntingdon County Tournament and the dual meet earlier this season with both resulting in pins by Westley. Thad then won by 13-2 major decision over another District VI opponent, Justin Berrier of Southern Huntingdon as fellow district wrestlers eliminated each other in the consolation rounds in an effort to fight back to a qualifying position. Westley had won similar decisions earlier with a 14-2 win in the Blair/Huntingdon tourney and a 14-1 win last weekend at districts. In the consolation semi at 125,
Westley dropped a controversial 10-8 decision to three-time state qualifier Sal Lascari (23-2) of North Star. Thrown into the battle for fifth place and the final qualifying spot at 125, against Lee Beatty (31-7) of Chartiers-Houston, Westley (38-8) responded with a solid 7-3 triumph to nail down that elusive spot, he had been so close to winning as a junior in the 2002 Regional. Westley pinned Beatty in the first round pigtail consi in 2001, when both wrestlers were freshmen for Thad’s only win. Last year, Thad opened up his Regional Tournament with an 8-2 decision over Beatty, but fell one win short (3-2) of going to States.
“It’s a great experience to Thad’s credit to come back like that to win the way he did,” said Tyrone coach Blair Packer. “It makes it all the sweeter the way he lost the afternoon round on a controversy and to come back and win here to qualify for States. I know that’s in his goals.”
Terry Tate was pinned by Justin Poole of Southmoreland on Friday to drop into the consolation rounds, the last of the eight local wrestlers to do so.
On Saturday, Tate won four straight matches to claim his berth at Hershey this week. The Eagle sophomore pinned Joe Fitzpatrick 0f Chestnut Ridge in 3:31. Fitzpatrick, the fourth-place wrestler at the District V tournament last weekend, was summoned when the No. two wrestler, Mark Gunter (22-4) of Conamaugh Township, was unable to wrestle at Regionals. Tate then shut out Eric Miller (26-2) of Everett 7-0. In the consolation semi at 275, Tate used takedowns in the second and third periods to decision John Maraldo (28-10) of Charleroi 4-1. Tate (36-7) then punctuated his trip to Hershey with a measure of revenge, decking Poole (28-5) in a rematch from Friday night for third place.
“They say revenge is sweet,” explained Packer. “This Poole kid is really tough, there was very little that we had a chance to do in the first match. This time, Terry wrestled a lot smarter and did what he had to do and turned it on.”
In 2002, Tate went 0-2 at Regionals.
“I think Terry and Thad are both going to have a good tournament at Hershey,” said Packer. “I think both of them are highly capable of placing at States. They have the tools, they have the drive, they have the work ethic. I think they should be placewinners.”
After racking up two quick pins in the consolation bracket on Friday night, Brice Mertiff (27-15) began Saturday morning with a match against Fort Cherry’s Gary Greene (28-7) who knocked the Tyrone sophomore pout of the Regional tournament.
District VI qualified 24 wrestlers for Hershey, including Adam Whetstone (30-3) of Claysburg-Kimmel, at 103, Brock Scott (30-1) of Juniata Valley, at 112, Jake Strayer (40-0) of Forest Hills, at 119, Jared Ricotta (33-0) of West Branch, at 160, Josh Kirsch (37-0) of Mount Union, at 215, and Nate Morris 28-0) of Central Cambria, at 275, won their respective weight classes.
Regional notes: Strayer, a junior, has won three District titles, three Regional crowns and is a returning state champion. The battle in the finals at 125, won by returning state champ Joe Makara (33-4) 5-4 over Everett’s Tom Brambley (29-1) featured Makara, who becomes a four-time Regional champ against two-time Regional champion Brambley. At States, Makara has first, second and fourth place medals in his three previous trips. Ricotta is a two-time Regional champ, as is Freedom’s Kurt Brenner (34-2), a State Champ at 171 last year. Brandon Reasy (34-2) of Tri-County League champion Northern Bedford, won his second Regional title, after a third place finish in 2001. Reasy has finished third and fifth in two trips to Hershey. Juniata Valley junior Brock Scott, who wrestled all weekend like a man on a mission, reversed a decision to Shane Valko (38-3) of Forest Hills, in the District finals last weekend in his methodical 12-4 major decision in the Regional finals over Valko. Brock qualified for Hershey last year with a third place finish after being bumped out one win short by Reasy in the 2001 Regional Tournament. Brock Scott and Juniata Valley’s Garrett Scott (29-2), who qualified with a second-place finish at 119, are cousins. Both of Garrett’s losses are to Strayer, in the finals of the District and Regional tournaments. Forest Hills was the Regional team champ with 95.5 points.
