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Wrestling MVP: Rocco Welsh, Waynesburg

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For the second year in a row, Rocco Welsh was unstoppable in the high school wrestling postseason.

The senior from Waynesburg cut through the competition again to win the 172-pound title at the PIAA Class 3A championships.

Welsh won a 9-2 decision over Matthew Furman of Canon-McMillan in this year’s finals.

That victory gave Welsh his second gold medal in as many years and also made him the Wrestler of the Year on the Observer-Reporter’s All-District Wrestling team.

Welsh’s last match was a 3-1 overtime victory against Joshua Barr of the United States in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic held at Peters Township High School.

It was the last bout of the evening, a spot usually reserved for the two most talented wrestlers.

Welsh went 43-0 this past season and 89-1 over the past two years, transforming himself from a small but talented 125-pounder as a freshman to a muscular 172-pound senior.

Welsh began this state tournament with a pin of Tasso Whipple of Penn Trafford in 1:10 and followed it with a 25-10 technical fall over Macon Myers of Central York in the quarterfinals.

A 21-8 thrashing of Luke Thomas of Bethlehem Catholic put Welsh in the finals.

Now, it’s off to Ohio State to see what it holds for him.

“It’s all been great,” Welsh said. “Now I’m ready to move on.”

Honorees Ty Banco, senior, Trinity Joseph Baronick, junior, Burgettstown Andrew Binni, junior, Canon-McMillan Mac Church, senior, Waynesburg Brody Evans, senior, Wayneburg Dylan Evans, senior, Chartiers Valley Matthew Furman, senior, Canon-McMillan Chris Vargo, junior, Bentworth Brady Joling, senior, Chartiers Valley Eli Makel, senior, Waynesburg Blake Reihner, junior, Trinity Braedon Welsh, sophomore, Fort Cherry Vitali Daniels, junior, Bentworth {related_content_uuid}185ed859-dc7d-4b62-a0c3-cec34fbdb33f{/related_content_uuid}

Ty Banco, senior, Trinity

Joseph Baronick, junior, Burgettstown

Andrew Binni, junior, Canon-McMillan

Mac Church, senior, Waynesburg

Brody Evans, senior, Wayneburg

Dylan Evans, senior, Chartiers Valley

Matthew Furman, senior, Canon-McMillan

Chris Vargo, junior, Bentworth

Brady Joling, senior, Chartiers Valley

Eli Makel, senior, Waynesburg

Blake Reihner, junior, Trinity

Braedon Welsh, sophomore, Fort Cherry

Vitali Daniels, junior, Bentworth

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