Big Macs send 4 to semifinals
CANONSBURG – Jacob Houpt and Andrew Binni had hoped to move down a weight class for the postseason tournaments, but a misinterpretation of the weigh-in rules by Canon-McMillan’s coaching staff kept the two at the weight class they had competed in during the regular season.
Both began the postseason last week at the Section 4 Tournament. Houpt earned a third consecutive berth to the WPIAL Class 3A Tournament by winning a section title at 120 pounds, while Binni earned his second WPIAL berth by placing second at 126.
Houpt, Binni, and six Big Macs teammates appeared in the WPIAL Class 3A Tournament Friday night at Canon-McMillan High School with hopes of earning a berth in next week’s PIAA Tournament by placing among the top four in their weight class. Four of the eight posted two victories to earn a berth in Saturday’s semifinals.
Houpt, the No. 3 seed at 120 pounds, opened the evening with an 18-3 technical fall of Plum’s Dylan Overcash, then posted a 10-1 win over Pine-Richland’s Dominic Ferrerao in the quarterfinals to earn a return trip to the semfinals.
“I got a little frustrated with the coaching staff,” Houpt said. “I am in the best shape of my life. It was difficult to learn that I couldn’t drop to 115. It took three days to come to terms with it. My club coach Jim Akerly at Quest really helped me to mentally reset and come back and do my thing. I’ve wrestled at 120 the last two years and had pretty good results, so I had to put it behind me and move forward.”
Houpt will face Penn-Trafford’s Troy Hohman in the semifinals.
“Troy is a tough opponent,” Houpt said. “It will be a tough match. I think I can beat him.”
Binni, the No. 6 seed at 126, wasn’t as fortunate as Houpt. He posted a 15-9 win over Highlands’ Aiden Burford in the first round, but dropped a 3-1 decision to Hempfield’s Ethan Lebin, the No. 2 seed, in the quarterfinals. He is still alive in the consolation bracket.
Houpt was one of four Canon-McMillan wrestlers who earned a berth in the semifinals. Tanner Mizenko, Brandon Dami, and Matthew Furman were the other three.
Mizenko, the No. 5 seed at 106 pounds, upset No. 4 seed Connor Smith of Seneca Valley, 6-5, in the quarterfinals. Mizenko will face Latrobe’s Luke Willochell, the top seed, in the semifinals.
Dami, the No. 3 seed at 113, earned his first trip to the semifinals w ith a 12-7 win over Baldwin’s Ramil Islamov, the No. 6 seed, in the quarterfinals. Dami will face Peters Township’s Darius McMillon in the semifinals in a rematch of last week’s Section 4 final. McMillon, the No. 2 seed, earned his semifinal berth with at pin of Plum’s Sam Snyder, at 2:47, in the quarterfinals.
Furman, the No. 2 seed at 172, earned a return trip to the semifinals with a pin at 2:22 of North Hills’ Evan Letky in the quarterfinals. Furman will face Belle Vernon’s Logan Hoffman in the semifinals. Hoffman, the No. 3 seed, advanced to the semfinals with a pin of Seneca Valley’s Manuel Santos, at 3:14 in the first round; and a 12-1 win over Butler’s Mickey Kreinbucher in the quarterfinals.
Hoffman will be joined in the semifinals by Leopards teammate Cole Weightman, a two-time WPIAL champ at 215 pounds. Weightman earned his third trip to the semifinals with a pin of Connellsville’s Dennis Nichelson, at 1:56, in the semifinals. He will face Seneca Valley’s Liam Volk-Klos, the No. 6 seed, who upset No. 3 seed Eli Makel of Waynesburg, 7-0, in the quarterfinals.
Waynesburg had six wrestlers earn semifinal berths: Zander Phaturos, Mac Church, Colton Stoneking, Rocco Welsh, Brody Evans, and Noah Tustin.
Phaturos, the No. 5 seed at 126, posted a 10-1 win against No. 4 seed Dominic Ferraro of Pine-Richland, in the quarterfinals. He will face Thomas Jefferson’s Maddox Shaw, the No. 1 seed, in the semifinals.
Church, the No. 1 seed at 132 , earned his third trip to the semifinals with a 20-4 technical fall of West Allegheny’s Nick Jones in the quarterfinals. His opponent in the semifinals is Moon’s Khyvon Grace, the No. 4 seed.
Stoneking, the No. 3 seed at 138, earned a return trip to the semifinals with a 6-1 win over Belle Vernon’s Cole Doppelheuer. He will face Connellsville’s Lonzy Vielma, the No. 2 seed, in the semifinals.
Welsh, the No. 1 seed at 172, earned his third trip to the semifinals with a 22-7 technical fall of Bethel Park’s Ryan Walsh. His semifinal opponent is Armstrong’s Connor Jacobs.
Evans, the No. 3 seed at 189, won by default over North Hills’ Matt Serwatka in the quarterfinals. His semifinal opponent is Franklin Regional’s Juliano Marion, the No. 2 seed.
Tustin, the No. 2 seed at 285, advanced to the semifinals with a pin at 5:10 of Penn-Trafford’s Joe Enick in the quarterfinals. His opponent in the semifinals is Butler’s Jake Pomykata, the No. 6 seed, who upset Trinity’s Ty Banco, the No. 3 seed, 3-2 in the quarterfinals.