Another strong performance by Waynesburg
Some final thoughts on the WPIAL wrestling championships:
Waynesburg High School’s wrestling team continues to stretch its muscles this season.
The Raiders put on another outstanding performance, this time at the WPIAL Class AAA championships at Canon-McMillan over the weekend.
The Raiders had three individual champions, one runner-up and a third-place finisher, running away with the team title and looking like they has a good chance to win the team portion of the state tournament next weekend.
Mac Church, a talented 106-pounder, got back on track after stumbling in last week’s section tournament and pinned Vince Kilkeary of Latrobe in 4:17 to win the title.
Wyatt Henson had arguably his most significant victory of the season when he avenged a loss in the December Powerade tournament and knocked off two-time state champion Sam Hillegas of North Hills in the 138-pound final.
And Luca Augustine simply outlasted Kiski’s Jack Blumer in the 160-pound final. Augustine won in ultimate tiebreaker and it appeared Blumer was in need of some oxygen at the end of the bout.
Rocco Welsh finished second at 126 pounds and Cole Homet was third at 132 pounds. But it’s not a stretch to think that these two wrestlers can go one step further when the PIAA championships get underway Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
- I have never been a fan of keeping the team points in the individual tournaments.
Isn’t that why we have the team tournament in the WPIAL and PIAA?
Those organizations undercut the teams that have already battled for those trophies. It’s not easy to win and the teams that make it to the finals in the state tournament go through a grueling schedule of dual meets.
To watch another team celebrate winning the team title from the points they scored at an individual tournament just seems unfair. So it was nice to see Waynesburg on the winning end of both team titles in the WPIAL so there is no debate over who deserves it.
- Augustine’s win over Blumer shows the type of physical condition Waynesburg head coach Joe Throckmorton demands of his wrestlers.
But you might be surprised at how he accomplishes that.
The team goes through running drills, but not as much as you might think. Throckmorton doesn’t run them until they drop.
And while there are weight lifting programs tailored for each individual, no one is required to bench press 500 pounds or do 700 push-ups at each practice.
Throckmorton said after the championships Saturday night he believes the grueling tournament and dual meet schedule he puts together was why Augustine and others made it to the top of the award stand inside Canon-McMillan’s gym.
Waynesburg competes in all of the big-name tournaments, including Beast of the East, Powerade and Ironman. He knows his wrestlers are going to be pushed, most of the time having to battle the full six minutes on the mat for a victory. And even more if the situation requires it.
Being in those situations not only prepares the body but the mind for the times when you think you are pushed to your limit but somehow find the strength to go on.
That was the difference, or so it seems, from Augustine having a gold rather than silver medal hanging around his neck on the award stand the other night.
- Maybe the most improved wrestler on Waynesburg team since the start of the season is Henson.
The junior 138-pounder looks twice as quick and more powerful than early on in the season. His win over Hillegas was all the more amazing, considering he lost a decisive 8-3 decision so the North Hills senior at Powerade.
Henson seems to be able to handle any style an opponent can bring. He is a must-see in Hershey.
- The WPIAL was considering changes to the Class AA section tournaments and team tournament.
Section tournaments in Class AA could be eliminated with the wrestlers opening the individual postseason in the WPIAL championships.
Also being considered is slicing the number of participants in the Class AA team tournament.
The decision is expected soon on other issues, including reducing the weight classes from 14 to 12.
Assistant sports editor Joe Tuscano can be reached at jtuscano@observer-reporter.com