While New York prepares to crown its high school wrestling champions in Albany this weekend, south of the state line, the postseason is just beginning for the Pennsylvania half of the Big 30.
More than four dozen local wrestlers will head to Clearfield High School on Friday and Saturday, where the District 9 Class AA tournament is set to start today, while Class AAA action picks up on Saturday.
Fresh off a fourth-place finish at the PIAA team event, five-time defending D-9 champion Brookville is favored to extend its winning streak, but Port Allegany and Kane should contend for a spot on the leaderboard in the 13-team Class AA field. The Gators and Wolves each claimed three No. 1 seeds, with several other wrestlers from both squads expected to be in the mix for a top-four finish and a trip to Sharon for next weekend’s Northwest Regional.
Port seniors Reese Vollmer (113 pounds, 24-2) and Issac Smoker (145, 23-4), along with Smethport sophomore Braedon Johnson (120, 28-1), now competing for the Gators as part of a co-op agreement, each garnered a top seed. Braedon’s older brother Bryent (19-4), a junior, is seeded second at 106 pounds after winning the same weight class and going on to qualify for states for the Hubbers last season. Other top-four seeds for Port include junior Eli Petruzzi (25-7, fourth at 132) and sophomores Justin Young (28-3, third at 195) and Dalton Distrola (16-13, fourth at 182).
Kane’s No. 1 seeds include Noah Blankenship (138, 23-6), returning 152-pound champ and state qualifier Alec English (160, 25-1), and Ty Stalhi (220, 22-6). A fourth Wolves senior, Aiden Hulings (23-3), is slotted second at 152, as is junior Teddy Race (15-3) at 182. Junior Cameron Whisner (22-7, third at 170), sophomore Dillon Illerbrun (17-10, fourth at 113), and freshman Shawn Nystrom (9-6, fourth at 285) round out Kane’s top-four seeds.
Coudersport senior and 2018 state qualifier Eli Ayers (25-2) is seeded second at 195 pounds, while younger brother Cale (20-8), a sophomore, is fourth at 220. Oswayo Valley junior Colton Geitler (21-8), second at 145, completes the local contingent of top-four seeds in Class AA.
Other returning district champs include Brockway’s Anthony Glasl, Eric Johnson and Garrett McClintick, three-time state qualifier from Curwensville Blake Passarelli, and unbeaten Brookville heavyweight Colby Whitehill.
One other 2018 gold medalist with an unblemished record, Bradford senior Dillon Keane (29-0), will attempt to add a Class AAA title to his Class AA one after the Owls moved back up to the large-school division this season. Overall, Bradford entered six wrestlers in the combined District 4/9 Class AAA tournament, with juniors Colby Keane (24-6, second at 160) and Derek Sunafrank (24-7, second at 182) also in good position to move on to next weekend’s Northwest Regional in Altoona.
The Class AA action in Clearfield is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. with the prelims and quarterfinals, then resume at 10:30 a.m. Saturday with semifinals and consolation rounds. The parade of champions and District 9 Hall of Fame induction will take place at 3:30 p.m., followed by the championship and third-place matches at 4 o’clock. The Class AAA tournament begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, with the parade of champions/Hall of Fame ceremony at 4:15 p.m. and medal-round matches at 4:45 p.m.
For the third time in four years, there’s a Port Allegany connection in the Hall of Fame class, with 1994 graduate Mike Sauers part of a four-man class along with Ridgway coach Rick Leitzel, longtime referee Bob Colgan and Clearfield wrestler/coach Brent Lykens.
A state qualifier and a four-year starter for the Gators, Sauers enlisted in the military following graduation. Passing the rigorous course to become a Navy SEAL, he spent more than a decade on active duty, including several combat deployments, as an operator and instructor in the elite program. Before retiring from the service, he also co-founded the Forged clothing brand with a fellow SEAL, and has since used the platform to raise in the neighborhood of two million dollars to help the families of fallen service members and first responders.
