Waynesburg needs Welsh’s help to win
Joe Tuscan0/Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg’s Luke Rush tries to turn Daniel Hernandez of Shikellamy during their 127-pound bout in the PIAA Class 3A Team Tournament in Hershey Thursday. Rush won by decision.
Joe Tuscan0/Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg’s Ky Szewczyk (left) is upside down while wrestling Alex Reed of Shikellamy during their 114-pound bout in the PIAA Class 3A Team Tournament in Hershey Thursday. Szewczyk won by decision.
Joe Tuscan0/Observer-Reporter
Tanner Mizenko (back) of Canon-McMillan takes an arm to the chin from Ben Hoover of Chambersburg during their 107-pound bout in the PIAA Class 3A Team Tournament in Hershey Thursday. Mizenko won by fall.
HERSHEY – There was nothing surprising about saving Rocco Welsh until the last bout of a dual meet.
He can cure a lot of ills because the senior from Waynesburg High School is such a good wrestler. You know Welsh, a returning PIAA champion, is going give the Raiders either six points by a fall or five points by technical fall.
No, the surprising part wasn’t putting him last but needing his points at last to win the match. That’s the predicament the Raiders found themselves in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A Team Tournament Thursday.
Welsh went out with the score tied, 27-27, with Shikellamy, the District 4 champion.
Welsh went out and destroyed Matthew Shaffer by 17-2 technical fall to save the Raiders, 32-27. The win moves Waynesburg into the quarterfinals today (2 p.m.) against Bethlehem Catholic, who is favored to win the Class 3A title.
WPIAL champion Canon-McMillan also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 41-24 win over Chambersburg.
“At the beginning of the match I didn’t think so,” said Welsh of his last-bout heroics. “But the match looked like that would happen, so sure. I haven’t really had to do the last match. I’ve been in bigger matches.”
The dual meet started at 189 and Welsh has moved up to that weight and even 215 during the regular season. But Waynesburg head coach Kyle Szewczyk decided to hold him at 172.
“It’s the state duals so everybody is good,” said Szewczyk. “There are no below average teams here. If there were below-average teams, they wouldn’t be here.”
Szewczyk said he couldn’t recall a time when Welsh, an Ohio State commit, wrestled last with the dual meet on the line.
“I’m sure he has but I don’t remember when it was,” said Szewczyk. “It’s nice to end the match with the No. 1 kid in the country. It makes you feel good.”
With the score tied 24-24, Nate Jones gave Waynesburg a 27-24 lead with a 3-0 decision over Cole Wetzel at 152 pounds. But Shikellamy tied it 27-27 at 160 pounds, where Connor Wetzel decisioned Jake Stephenson, 3-0, forcing the need for Welsh.
Canon-McMillan, 41-24
Maybe they should check the birth records of Brandon Dami to see if his middle name is Dependable.
Because this season, the Canon-McMillan wrestler has been very dependable. Of his 26 wins, 16 have come by fall, one by technical fall, four by major decisions and three by decisions.
You know what you get when you send Dami out on the mat: dependability.
Dami kept up his strong season with a 9-0 major decision over Rylan Carter that helped the Big Macs overcome Chambersburg, 41-24, in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A Team Tournament at the Giant Center.
Canon-McMillan will take on Spring-Ford in today’s quarterfinals (2 p.m.).
These Big Macs have improved by laps and bounds this season.
“That’s the plan. That’s what we’re working for,” said C-M head coach Brian Krenzelak. “I knew coming out of last year, these guys were going to buy into it.”
And Dami, Tanner Mizenko and Andrew Binni have dominated down low. Dami is eight wins away from 100.
“I’m counting them down,” said Dami. “My goal is just to go out and get bonus points. There are only so many chances you get to be a hero for the team. My goal is to go out there and get better.”
Since 1979, the year the team tournament was born, there has been a Dami on the roster for all 10 of C-M’s titles.
“I truly believe we the hardest working team out there,” said Dami. “As a team, we’re like family. Everyone pushes each other.”