Mar 5, 2021 3 min read

One step away.

That’s where the 65 qualifiers to the PIAA Class AA Super Regional wrestling tournament find themselves.

Be successful here, at Indiana University, and the Giant Center in Hershey will be your next stop. There is more than enough pressure for these wrestlers.

For Chris Vargo, the undefeated 113-pound freshman from Bentworth High School, pressure is something he lives with every match.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself,” said Vargo after winning the WPIAL title two weeks ago.

It’s a situation many top-flight wrestlers go into each match.

“He the type that puts pressure on himself,” said Bentworth head coach Mike Shrader at last week’s PIAA Class AA Regional, also at Indiana.

“We’re proud of him at the level he’s wrestling at. He puts that on himself. He was upset with the way he wrestled in the WPIAL finals. He wanted to wrestle a complete match. I don’t know that he’s wrestled a complete match, from minute one to minute six. That tells you how dangerous he can be.”

Vargo enters Saturday’s Super Region with a 14-0 record. The tournament will be split into two parts. Wrestlers from 106 to 138 will begin competition at 8 a.m. and wrestle through to the semifinals. Then the same will take place for wrestlers from 145 to heavyweight.

Semifinals begin 3:30 p.m. Finals for the first group begin at 4:30 p.m. Semifinals for the second group is 6:30 p.m. and finals are at 7:30 p.m.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class qualify for the PIAA Championships March 12 and 13 in Hershey.

Vargo is one of four freshmen in the eight-man bracket at 113 pounds.

His first-round opponent is Callan Bollman, a sophomore from Chestnut Ridge who was ranked No. 1 in the state before he lost twice in the regional and placed fifth.

Bryce Beatty, a senior from Mount Union with a 12-2 record, is seeded third and Justin O’Neill, a senior from Hickory with a 26-4 record, is seeded second.

“Chris is the type who likes to score points and feels that is what wrestling should be about,” Shrader said. “He believes it like all the new wrestlers out there. When you feel like you had to stall a little bit to win, that leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

“Trust me, it’s not like I never told a wrestler to not move to win a match but at the same time, if you want to get better, you have to push. And he’s that kind of kid.”

On the east side of the state, Dillon Reinart of Brandywine Heights is the top seed at 113 pounds and Gavin Bradley of Athens is second seed.

In the state rankings, Vargo is fourth behind Bobby Gardner of South Williamsport, Jaden Pepe of Wyoming Area and Bradley.

Burgettstown will take four wrestlers to the Super Region, three fourth-place finishers and one fifth-place. Parker Sentipal (106), Gavin Suica (120) and Shane Kemper (189) were each third and Joey Sentipal (126) was fifth.

Beth-Center will take two, a third-place finisher in Kyle McCollum (132) and fourth-place finisher in Tyler Berish (145).

“This experience is incredibly important,” said Beth-Center head coach Gary Welsh. “Those butterflies are there. So when you have done that, you have a been-there, done-that attitude.”

Vargo is the lone qualifier from Bentworth.