Kempers have support system for state tournament
Jonathan Guth/For the Observer-Reporter
Burgettstown’s Shane Kemper, top, is making his second trip to the state tournament, this time with his brother, Riley.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Burgettstown’s Riley Kemper will be looking for pins in the state tournament.
It’s the toughest wrestling tournament of the season, no layups in the opening round, no soft weight classes and no gimmes of any kind.
That’s how tough the PIAA Championship are for the competitors.
Even making it to this point requires a certain toughness and resiliency.
And a lot of support.
That’s where Shane and Riley Kemper have an edge. They have each other’s back. The brothers from Burgettstown High School will make the nearly four-hour trip to the Giant Center in Hershey with the same goal: a gold medal.
And Shane, a 145-pound sophomore, can help his brother prepare for Thursday’s first round in Class AA because he made the trip last year as a 113-pound freshman. Riley was at the Giant Center last year but as a spectator.
“I’ve been there before and I know what goes on up there,” Shane Kemper said. “I’ll be more prepared than last year and not be as nervous. I talked to (Riley) about it. I think he’ll be all right. We’ve wrestled in some pretty big tournaments before and been on some big stages before. I don’t think this will be a big problem for him.”
Burgettstown coach Joey Vigliotti can relate. He and his brother, Louie, wrestled two years apart for the Blue Devils but never competed in Hershey together.
“It rarely happens together,” said Joey Vigliotti. “So this is an experience they won’t forget. That’s awesome.”
Shane Kemper earned his spot in the state tournament with a fourth-place finish at the PIAA Southwest Region Tournament at Indiana University two weeks ago.
Riley got there via a fifth-place finish in the same tournament.
“It’s a positive having (Shane) with me,” Riley Kemper said. “Two weeks ago, we roomed together and that made it more comfortable.”
Shane Kemper enters the state tournament with a 34-7 record. His first opponent in Hershey is Chris Whiteman, a senior from Lehighton with a 25-8 record. Whiteman finished sixth in the Southeast Region.
Riley Kemper has a 35-8 record and faces Owen Zechman of Midd-West. Zechman has a 25-7 record and finished fourth in the Northeast Region.
Both Kempers moved up in weight this season. Shane jumped four weight classes to 145, the result of weight gain to play football.
“Shane is not wrestling these 113-pounders anymore,” Joey Vigliotti said. “I think he learned that at the first tournament of the year at Chartiers-Houston. He tried to some of the same things on the mat he would do with 113-pound wrestlers and realized that’s not going to work. Now, it’s more technique than strength for him.
“His brother had to do that too, bumping up from 220 to heavyweight. At the beginning of the year, he was wrestling like a 220-pounder. Riley is good at scrambling. They both had to adapt and they both went through it. … Riley had to pick and choose his shots better.”
Riley Kemper was a 220-pounder last season but also gained weight to play football. He’s settled at 260 pounds.
“We told them they are all hard matches at this point,” Joey Vigilotti said. “You better be ready for a barn-burner every time they step on the mat.”
Other local wrestlers making the trip to Hershey are Nate Yagle (113) and Christian Clutter (170) of McGuffey, Jimmy Gwyer (120) of Beth-Center, John Vargo (195) of Bentworth and Gerald Comedy (Hvy) of Washington.