Trio of local wrestlers win titles in Class 2A
HEIDELBERG – When you are the top seed in the weight class, a lot is expected of you.
Just ask Noah Layhue.
The senior from Beth-Center was picked as the No. 1 seed in the 215-pound weight class in the WPIAL Class 2A Individual Championships over the weekend. In a cool, calm and collected way, Layhue was one of three local champions.
The top eight wrestlers from each class advanced to the PIAA Class 2A championship at Altoona. Layhue, West Greene heavyweight Colin Whyte and McGuffey senior 133-pounder Lucas Barr will attend as WPIAL champions.
“I came in with a full game mindset,” said Layhue, who chalked up his 104th career win Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School. “The whole season I got the number two seed. When I came in and found I was the No. 1, so I felt this is my time to shine at the No. 1.”
Layhue stopped Laurel’s Kolton Carlson 8-1 in a rough match.
“Being the No.1 seed puts pressure on you especially since the No. 2 seed is the one that is the returning state qualifier,” said Beth-Center Gary Welsh. “They crossed paths at the Moon Duals but didn’t wrestle.”
Colin Whyte was a No 1 seed and he had to battle to come away with a 4-2 decision over Laurel’s Casey Wilson.
“It was good to win it again,” Whyte said. “I wrestled him earlier this season and it was the same score.”
Lucas Barr took another step closer to becoming the all-time leader in career wins for McGuffey by winning the 133-pound weight class with an 11-0 shutout of Camden Olson of Derry. That brings his record to 170-32. Jeremy Hunter, who won four state titles for the Highlanders, has a career record of 171 wins.
“I told my coach in my freshman season that I will hold that record,” Barr said. “He was like that’s a lot. I don’t know if you can. Now I can see it.”
His next chance will come next weekend in Altoona at the PIAA Class 2A individual championships.
McGuffey had a chance at a second WPIAL title but Emmett Wolfe came up just short, 7-3, against Julian Bertucci of Burrell. Wolfe saw his record fall to 28-3 after this latest loss.
Alex Palko of Jefferson-Morgan saw his chance for a gold medal dissolve in a 5-1 loss to Derry’s Ewan Olson at 160 pounds. Palko knocked Owen Ivcic of Bentworth, the top seed in the weight class with an 11-4 victory in the semifinal.
Malachi Peak of Beth-Center ripped through the 189-pound weight class until he ran into Brady Brown of Derry in the finals , losing by a 17-2 technical fall.
Burgettstown advanced seven wrestlers, Derry had 10 and Burrell nine.
WPIAL Wrestling
Class 2A Championships
Individual Results
Finals
107-Mason Keesecker (Derry) dec. Angelo Boni (Central Valley), 7-2
114-Patrick Bulger (Derry) dec. Javeon Chambers (Highlands), 5-0
121-Preston Bubash (Elizabeth Forward) dec. Bruce Anderchak (Quaker Valley), 11-5
127-Cameron Baker (Burrell) maj. Dec. Auston Kosanovic (Avonworth), 16-5
133-Lucas Barr (McGuffey) maj. dec. Camden Olson (Derry), 11-0
139-Michael McNeal (Derry) dec. Drake Mcclure (Bentworth), 6-3
145-Julian Bertucci (Burrell) dec. Emmett Wolfe (McGuffey), 7-3
152-Jonah Erdely (Frazier) dec. Lucas Boyer (Elizabeth Forward), 5-3
160-Ewan Olson (Derry) dec. Alek Palko (Jefferson-Morgan), 5-1
172-Mason Horwat (Derry) pinned Domenic Willis (Laurel), 1:44
189-Brady Brown (Derry) tech. fall Malachi Peak (Beth-Center), 17-2 5:33
215-Noah Layhue (Beth-Center) dec. Kolton Carlson (Laurel), 8-1
285-Colin Whyte (West Greene) dec. Casey Wilson (Laurel), 4-2