District 10 wrestling: These grapplers captured individual Class 2A championships
SHARON – It was a matchup we expected to see long before Feb. 24.
Luckily for District 10 wrestling fans, we’ll likely see it again.
The 189-pound final at Saturday’s District 10 Class 2A championships pitted General McLane’s Magnus Lloyd against Fort LeBoeuf’s Conner McChesney. Two of Erie County’s more prominent student-athletes, the seniors had never faced one another despite three prior sectional championships for McChesney, three D-10 titles for Lloyd and multiple PIAA appearances by each.
Round one belonged to Lloyd.
A pair of near-fall points in the second period powered a 3-1 decision for Lloyd, now a four-time D10 champion. Moments later, he watched his practice partner win his first, as Ryan Dedrick secured the 215-pound championship.
“That’s where I make my living, on your wrists riding like that,” Lloyd said of his decisive tilt. “That’s where I wanted to be. It was just perfect. I love riding and little tilts like that… It was exactly my bread and butter.”
Twin titles for McLane
Lloyd became the only active four-time D-10 champion and the only wrestler to accomplish the feat in McLane’s storied wrestling history. Saturday marked his second Class 2A title to match the two he won in Class 3A as a freshman and sophomore.
“It was no different,” Lloyd said of comparing his first title to his fourth. “It was a great atmosphere, and I love scrapping. It’s a fun show, a fun tournament, and I love everything about District 10 wrestling, so it was super awesome.”
Dedrick, meanwhile, squared off against Greenville’s Teague Calvin, who threw the Lancer to his back in the first period. Dedrick responded late with a five-point move, however, to power an 8-6 victory.
“It was a lateral drop – something I don’t really train very often, but I try to keep myself in the match and I know I have those moves when it’s there,” said Dedrick, a senior. “I shot in, came out with that tie-up, and felt it there. Thirty seconds left and I’ve got to go for it, so that’s what happened and it worked out in my favor.”
McLane’s 137 points were second-best to Reynolds’ 192. Fort LeBoeuf (135.5), Corry (104.5) and Grove City (104) rounded out the top five.
“It means a lot for coaches to watch the progression of each of those athletes,” said McLane head coach Ryan Cook. “(Lloyd) has been a stud from day one and part of his success has been managing expectations that himself and others put on him. Then we have (Dedrick), who started wrestling a little later than Magnus and has steadily climbed and gotten better and better. For him to reach this level now is pretty special.”
Hurd’s gold medal leads North East youth movement
Cyrus Hurd spent nearly the entire third period on bottom. A reversal in the closing seconds of his 133-pound final against Conneaut’s Hunter Gould, however, won the North East junior his first D-10 championship via 2-1 decision.
“It was just all in my heart,” Hurd said. “At practice, my mindset is to go, go, go. Blow your lungs out as much as you can so they won’t be blown out in a match.”
Gould, a two-time D-10 champ himself, had beaten Hurd in three of four prior meetings. The Grapepicker thanked a young fan named Maverick for motivation.
“I had to win it for him,” he said.
Hurd headlines North East’s rising group of lightweights who have made their mark on the district. The Grapepickers put two into the finals, five on the podium and finished ninth in the team standings.
“It’s a testament to these guys every day in the room,” said North East head coach Matt Humes. “They’re the leaders of the room and they’re a big part of this rebuild we’ve done the last couple years. They showed grit and there is zero quit in these guys.”
More: PIAA team wrestling: Reynolds returns to Class 2A podium with fourth-place finish
Three-peat for Przybycien; Duran wins first for LeBoeuf
JoJo Przybycien dominated his 160-pound final against Hudson Spires to win his third career D-10 title. The Fort LeBoeuf senior was joined atop the podium by junior heavyweight John Duran, who won his first.
Duran rode Commodore Perry’s Garet Guthrie throughout the second period before an escape and takedown in the third secured his championship.
“(The takedown) was there all match and I decided I need to execute on it there and get my points,” Duran said. “A lot of it comes out of my coaches and practice partners pushing me; making sure wrestling these big matches isn’t as stressful as it used to be.”
Third titles for Gill, Hohman
Reynolds senior Louie Gill and Grove City senior Hunter Hohman each won their third district title. Gill pinned Franklin’s Cael Dailey in the 121-pound final and Hunter Hohman received a forfeit at 172.
Three wrestlers won their second D-10 crown: Saegertown’s Carter Beck (114 pounds), Commodore Perry’s Wyatt Lazzar (145) and Grove City’s Cody Hamilton (152).
Lomonte denies Chiesa repeat
Saturday’s best bout may have come at 107, a 2023 finals rematch between Northwestern’s Sierra Chiesa and Reynolds’ Angelo Lomonte.
The juniors gave fans eight minutes of thrilling wrestling, but after sudden-victory overtime and two tie-breaker periods, they’d worked to a 4-4 draw. Lomonte chose top for the ultimate tie-breaker – a 30-second, sudden victory period out of the referee’s position – and won a 50/50 scramble position to secure two near-fall points and win his first district title.
Top eight advance
The top eight finishers at each weight will return to Sharon March 1, where they’ll be joined by District 9’s top four for the Class 2A Northwest Regional. There, the top four at each weight qualify for the PIAA tournament.
“I’m very pleased with our progression throughout the postseason,” Cook said. “Even the guys who didn’t make it through, they improved and are wrestling well. But having two champions makes it a lot better than walking out of here without any big pieces of paper.”
Last week: Sectional wrestling: See who advanced to next week's District 10 Class 2A tournament
Championship finals
107 pounds: Angelo Lomonte (Reynolds) dec. 6-4 [UTB] Sierra Chiesa (Northwestern); 114: Carter Beck (Saegertown) MD 13-5 Rocky Kowle (North East); 121: Louie Gill (Reynolds) pinned Cael Dailey (Franklin) 4:00; 127: Logan Stewart (Reynolds) tech. fall 16-0 Chase Blake (Maplewood); 133: Cyrus Hurd (North East) dec. 2-1 Hunter Gould (Conneaut); 139: Chase Bell (Reynolds) dec. 6-2 Alex Rueberger (Sharpsville); 145: Wyatt Lazzar (Commodore Perry) dec. 6-0 Brody Beck (Cambridge Springs); 152: Cody Hamilton (Grove City) pinned Caullin Summers (Sharpsville) :40; 160: JoJo Przybycien (Fort LeBoeuf) MD 14-0 Hudson Spires (General McLane); 172: Hunter Hohman (Grove City) default Mason Savitz (Corry); 189: Magnus Lloyd (General McLane) dec. 3-1 Conner McChesney (Fort LeBoeuf); 215: Ryan Dedrick (General McLane) dec. 8-6 Teague Calvin (Greenville); 285: John Duran (Fort LeBoeuf) dec. 3-2 Garet Guthrie (Commodore Perry).
Consolation finals
107 pounds: Isaac Huya (Saegertown) tech. fall 16-0 Van Ward (Union City); 114: Waylon Waite (Reynolds) dec. 3-2 Adika Fiscus (Warren); 121: Carter Wise (Mercer) dec. 4-2 Steven Willis (Corry); 127: Kyler See (North East) dec. 6-2 Travis Huya (Saegertown); 133: Hudson Hohman (Grove City) MD 12-2 Clay Kimmy (General McLane); 139: Hunter Cox (Greenville) dec. 5-2 Mequan Maxwell (Sharon); 145: Peter Sadchikov (General McLane) dec. 8-4 Riley Horn (Girard); 152: Chance Kimmy (General McLane) dec. 4-1 Zac Turberville (Slippery Rock); 160: Story Buchanan (Girard) MD 12-2 Mitchell Tingley (Commodore Perry); 189: Colton Tupper (Reynolds) pinned Kaleb Brunst (Titusville) 1:49; 215: Kael Albers (Corry) dec. 6-2 Jack Sangl (Fort LeBoeuf); 285: Joey Peterson (Greenville) pinned Drew Dygert (Conneaut) 2:10.
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: District 10 wrestling: McLane, LeBoeuf each crown two champs; Hurd leads North East
