Picking the winners at Powerade
For scholastic wrestling fans, there are three holidays in December: Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament.
The latter happens in between the first two and begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday in Canon-McMillan High School’s gymnasium. It is one of the top-rated wrestling tournaments in the country, and this year’s talent level might make it No. 1. There are 23 returning state champions, 132 state qualifiers and the defending PIAA Class AAA team champion in Franklin Regional
The following is one writer’s prediction of how each weight class will turn out. You will have to be there for the 7:30 p.m. final Tuesday night to see how well I’ve done.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Gavin Teasdale, Jefferson-Morgan, 2. Aaron Burkett, Chestnut Ridge, 3. Alan Diltz, Benton, 4. Gavin Park, Brookville.
Dark horse – Logan Macri, Canon-McMillan
Winner: Like so many other great wrestlers in the PIAA, Teasdale will take the first step to that status by winning the title over Burkett, one of just two juniors in the weight class.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Devin Brown, Franklin Regional, 2. Charles Lenox, Erie McDowell, 3. Dan Planta, St. Paul’s, Md., 4. Jared Donahue, Parkersburg, W.Va.
Dark horse – Ray Eason, Father Ryan, Tenn.
Winner – It’s hard to pick against a two-time state champion and I’m not going to do it here. Brown will stop Planta in the finals.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional, 2. Ty Agaisse, Delbarton, N.J., 3. Alex Mackall, Walsh Jesuit, Ohio, 4. Logan Grass, Huntington, W.Va.
Dark horse – Vinnie Artigues, Archer, Ga.
Winner – He was unbeaten and won a state title last year, but Ty Agaisse is about to run into the gathering storm that is Spencer Lee.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Jacob Lizak, Parkland, 2. Ethan McCoy, Latrobe, 3. Tate Ortz, Brookville, 4. Ryan Friedman, St. Paul’s, Md.
Dark horse – Gus Solomon, Franklin Regional
Winner – Solomon was four points away from a possible Beast of the East title. Here is the first upset pick of the tournament.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Luke Pletcher, Latrobe, 2. A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg, 3. George Phillippi, Derry, 4. Jordan Allen Huntington, W.Va.
Dark horse – Nic Campbell, Strasburg, Va.
Winner – This might just be the most difficult weight class in the tournament with five state champions, a runner-up and two third-place finishers in the top eight. That means Headlee should get the Outstanding Wrestler award after he edges Pletcher in one of the best finals of the tournament.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Sam Krivus, Hempfield, 2. Cam Coy, Penn-Trafford, 3. Grant Aycox, Archer, Ga., 4. Tyler Vath, Saegertown
Dark horse – Chase Childers, Huntington, W.Va.
Winner – Still scratching my head over how Krivus was fourth in the state last season. He’ll be first at Powerade.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Michael Kemerer, Franklin Regional, 2. Hunter Dean, Strasburg, Va., 3. Travis Vasquez, Delbarton, N.J., 4. Hayden Hidlay, Mifflin County
Dark horse – Jose Taylor, Arlington-Martin, Texas.
Winner – The most talked-about digit last week was Kemerer’s infected finger. He sat out against Belle Vernon and Franklin Regional lost to the Leopards. If Kemerer is healthy, he should win it.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Vincenzo Joseph, Central Catholic, 2. Josh Maruca, Franklin Regional, 3. Jake Wentzel, South Park, 4. Connor Francis, Buchanan, Calif.
Dark horse – Sam Bullard, Archer, Ga.
Winner – How do you pick against the No. 2-rated wrestler in the country? You don’t. Joseph wins this, but he better be at his best because Maruca is ranked seventh in the country.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Josh Shields, Franklin Regional, 2. Thomas Bullard, Archer, Ga., 3. Cole Walter, Mifflinburg, 4. D.J. Hollingshead, Altoona
Dark horse – Trapper Hays, Parkersburg, W.Va.
Winner – Shields beat Walter in overtime in last year’s 152-pound final. This year, it won’t be that close. Shields is recovering from flu that kept him out earlier this month. So that’s a concern.
Top 4 seeds – 1. David Bullard, Archer, Ga., 2. Donte McGee, Admiral Farragut, Fla., 3. Austin Bell, Belle Vernon, 4. Jake Shaffer, Latrobe
Dark horse – Bill Bowlen, Jefferson-Morgan
Winner – Finally, a bright, shiny moment for a Bullard in this tournament.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Kellen Stout, Mount Lebanon, 2. Josh Colella, Cedar Cliff, 3. Donovan McAfee, Good Counsel, Md., 4. Milton Kobaly, Belle Vernon
Dark horse – Colin McCracken, Waynesburg
Winner – Looking for a reason to pick against Stout, but can’t find any. Not a strong weight.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Dylan Reynolds, Saegertown, 2. Kevin Snyder, Good Counsel, Md., 3. Drew Phipps, Norwin, 4. Bakhtiyar Zaynullaev, Mount Lebanon
Dark horse – Young Woo An, Buchanan, Calif.
Winner – Phipps will win this but I am not sure you can call it an upset.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Omar Haddad, Parkland, 2. Fred Mantsch, Hempfield, 3. Robert Enmon, Admiral Farragut, Fla., 4. Jacob Robb, Kittanning
Dark horse – Quinn Miller, Archer, Ga.
Winner – Enmon had 67 wins last season, but he will come up one win shy of winning this weight. Haddad repeats as champion.
Top 4 seeds – 1. Allen Beattie, Burrell, 2. Elliott Lee, Archer, Ga., 3. Zeynul Zaynullayev, Mount Lebanon, 4. Patrick Mayernik, Belle Vernon
Dark horse – Gene Ringer, Reynolds
Winner – Lee gives Archer its second individual gold medal with win over Beattie.
Team
1. Franklin Regional, 2. Latrobe, 3. Archer, Ga.
Assistant sports editor Joe Tuscano can be reached at jtuscano@observer-reporter.com.