Dec 25, 2019 4 min read

Each year, they get more mat time than anyone else in the Powerade Wrestling Tournament.

This year will be no different.

Fans can tell who they are by the uniforms they wear. The black and white stripes give them away.

The officials who work this power tournament do a good job. One can tell that by the fact they are hardly noticed on the mat during the tournament. Since it’s inception, Powerade has had few, if any, major blunders from these talented individuals.

Not only are they good at their jobs, but they hold a spot in this event that other officials, many from across the country, would dearly love to be involved with.

First-round action for Powerade begins at Canon-McMillan High School Friday at 8:15 a.m. Quarterfinal action will follow at 7:30 p.m. The semifinals are at 11 a.m., Saturday and the finals are at 5 p.m.

Larry Maggi had his first tournament appearance come in 1974, when the event was held at California University. He was recruited by Frank Vulcano Sr., and his day was nearly short-lived.

“I was on the mat with Stan Mousetis from Washington on one side and Joe Shook from Trinity on the other,” Maggi said. “I did so poorly. Whatever the coaches called, I was giving points. Finally, Frank came over and said, ‘Larry, why don’t you take a break for a while.'”

Being asked to work the tournament is as much an honor as it is a responsibility. Tournament director Frank Vulcano Jr. is particular about who gets an invite.

“I try to pick the best guys from our area, and also from outside of our area so people don’t think we’re biased,” said Vulcano. “I use the eye test, watching them grow and determining whether they can work a tournament like this one. Considering that this tournament is nationally known and is one of the best in the country, I get calls from all over from people who want to come and ref.”

There have been many memorable matches in Maggi’s 46-year tenure in this event. But he believes this tournament is one of the best in the nation and used to joke that he made more people upset with his calls on the mat than when he was carrying out an arrest while working for the Pennsylvania State Police.

He might be right.

“Southwestern Pennsylvania is a hotbed for wrestling, but Frank Vulcano Sr., and Jr., expanded the tournament to include other teams,” said Maggi. “When you have a good wrestler, you want to get him the best competition. So you’re taking them to Powerade to see how good they really are.”

Normally, the group of officials who work Powerade are seated matside at the far end of the main gymnasium. One only has to watch for a short while to see the type of camaraderie they share.

“We are like a family,” said Heath Graff, who has been officiating in this event for 13 years. “We all get along really well, and I enjoy the camaraderie with the other officials. We have fun with it. That’s what makes it. We have fun with one another (during down times). That’s a big part of it.”

Most of the officials who work Powerade have also worked other major tournaments, including the PIAA Championships in Hershey.

“This is the No. 1 tournament for us,” said Kurt Kesneck, who has worked this tournament for more than two decades. “It’s an honor to work this tournament. You have to be on your toes because you’re going to have No. 1 versus No. 2 in a lot of bouts. The intensity is incredible.”

When discussing the best matches of this event, two of them kept popping up. The first was the 170-pound final in 2012 between Canon-McMillan’s Cody Weircioch and Chance Marsteller of Kennard-Dale. The match went to overtime and the undefeated Marsteller survived with a 3-2 decision.

The second was the bout between Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan and Beau Bartlett of Wyoming Seminary in the 126-pound final of the 2017 tournament. Bartlett handed Teasdale, then a senior, his first loss of his varsity career, 4-3.

“The quality of this tournament is equal to anything I’ve done, including the state tournament, if not more,” said Kesneck. “This event is exciting for the community but it’s also exciting for us, getting out there and doing the big matches.”