These Erie County wrestlers clinched their PIAA tournament spot Saturday
SHARON ― Qualifying for a state wrestling tournament?
That’s a feeling unlike any other.
Dozens of wrestlers took to Sharon High School Friday and Saturday in search of said feeling. Only a handful found it at the Class 2A Northwestern regional tournament, where the top four wrestlers in each weight class earned a place at the upcoming PIAA meet.
Qualifying for the first time is an extra-special feeling, one that eight Erie County wrestlers experienced Saturday. Those eight will be joined in Hershey by eight returnees, topping Erie County’s 2023 mark of 15 Class 2A representatives.
Story Buchanan of Girard headlined Erie County results by winning the 160-pound crown. Others took the runner-up route to states, and a fortunate few saw their dreams realized in the consolation semifinals.
Large-school regionals: Two District 10 wrestlers earn Class 3A Northwest Region titles as march to Hershey goes on
Buchanan wins gold
Four returning state qualifiers populated the 160-pound bracket, making it as strong as any in the Northwest region. For D-10 wrestling fans, it was the usual suspects.
Buchanan beat Fort LeBoeuf’s JoJo Przybycien, 7-2, and Hudson Spires of General McLane beat Reyonlds’ Vito Gentile, 2-1, in two thrilling semifinals. That set up the first career meeting between Buchanan and Spires, one in which the Yellowjacket quickly took control.
Buchanan collected a pair of takedowns and some near-fall points to score an 8-0 major decision, win his first regional championship and secure his third career trip to states. Spires, meanwhile, is a first-time PIAA qualifier, and had to earn his way there.
“I was really proud of my mindset,” said Buchanan, a senior. “I was just going out there and wrestling. It didn’t matter if I won or lost. It’s obviously awesome that I won, but I could have gone home without winning a single match and would have been chill with that.”
Buchanan was Erie County’s lone regional champion. Saturday’s title was a stark contrast from his experience at sections and districts, where he finished sixth and third, respectively.
“It’s supposed to be fun, so don’t make it anything that’s not fun,” Buchanan said. “That’s what’s changed since sections.”
First-time PIAA qualifiers
Saturday’s consolation semifinals became a party for North East, which saw four wrestlers qualify for Hershey in consecutive weight classes.
Rocky Kowle (114 pounds), Bryson Galloway (121) and Kyler See (127) each secured their first trip to states before Cyrus Hurd (133) clinched his second. The Grapepickers’ four-man Hershey contingent will be Erie County’s second largest behind five from McLane, proof that head coach Matt Humes’ rebuild is working.
Galloway is a freshman and Kowle and See are both sophomores. They took a big step forward this season and, for it, they get to wrestle another week.
“I just went in there and wrestled my match at my tempo,” said Galloway, the first freshman in North East wrestling history to reach states. “You need to go in there with the mindset that you’re the best there is, and that you can beat everybody you toe off against.”
McLane will bring both Kimmy brothers to Hershey this year. Older brother Chance went last season, but the senior 152-pounder will be joined in his return by younger brother Clay, whose fourth-place finish at 133 pounds booked his first trip.
Latest rankings: Times-News Toughest: Updated District 10 wrestling rankings after first week of postseason
“Family bonding, it’s the greatest thing you can have, especially as a sophomore and senior,” Clay Kimmy said. “It was our last chance to do it so I’m pretty proud of that.”
Harbor Creek’s Hunter Chew bounced back from a first-round loss with three consecutive wins to reach the 107-pound consolation final. A leader of the Huskies’ co-operative rebuild with Iroquois, the sophomore hopes to be just the first of his group to reach Hershey.
“It’s a dream come true and an accomplishment I’ve worked hard for all year,” Chew said. “My heart just stayed with it and kept me in all of my matches.”
Runner-up finishes from Corry’s Mason Savitz (172), McLane’s Ryan Dedrick (215) and Fort LeBoeuf’s John Duran (285) secured each’s first PIAA bid.
Chiesa among those headed back to states
Northwestern’s Sierra Chiesa followed her historic Friday by punching her second ticket to Hershey in as many years. The 107-pound runner-up, her semifinal victory over Cranberry’s Aiden Thompson sealed Chiesa’s return trip after she was the first female to compete at the PIAA meet in 2023.
More: Century mark: Sierra Chiesa's milestone a first for female high school wrestlers in Pennsylvania
Przybycien’s consolation semifinal victory not only clinched his fourth trip to states, but it also set a new career wins record at Fort LeBoeuf. The senior 160-pounder’s 146 wins are the new best-ever by a Bison.
LeBoeuf’s Conner McChesney and McLane’s Magnus Lloyd each secured a return trip to Hershey. Lloyd will make his second appearance at 189, where McChesney joins him after previously reaching states at 152 and 172.
Grove City, Reynolds combine for six champions
Grove City won three gold medals, including two repeat championships by the Hohman brothers. Hudson Hohman used an overtime reversal to beat Conneaut’s Hunter Gould for the 133-pound title and Hunter Hohman had little trouble in his 172-pound final against Corry’s Mason Savitz, a major decision for the Eagle.
Cody Hamilton’s 152-pound title was perhaps most impressive of the three. In a matchup of returning regional champs, Hamilton’s last-second takedown beat Clearfield’s Brady Collins.
Reynolds crowned three champions in Angelo Lomonte (107 pounds), Louie Gill (121) and Logan Stewart (127). Lomonte edged Chiesa for the second consecutive week, Gill beat Clearfield’s Cash Diehl by technical fall and Stewart, a freshman, stunned returning state medalist Weston Pisarchick of Brockway with a first-period pin.
D-10 produced 34 state qualifiers in total, including a tournament-high five from McLane.
“We won the matches that we needed to qualify,” said GM head coach Ryan Cook. “There were some quarterfinal matchups that were imperative we get the win, and we did that.”
Reynolds claims team crown
Reynolds captured the Northwest regional team championship, its 136 points besting runners-up Clearfield and Grove City (90.5 points each).
McLane (85.5 points) finished sixth, Fort LeBoeuf (75) was eighth and North East (69) finished ninth. North East’s four state reps are its most in a single season in program history.
Hershey’s Giant Center will host the PIAA meet Thursday-Saturday. Class 2A action begins at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Last week: District 10 wrestling: These grapplers captured individual Class 2A championships
Championship finals
107 pounds: Angelo Lomonte (Reynolds) dec. 4-3 Sierra Chiesa (Northwestern); 114: Dalton Wenner (Cranberry) dec. 3-2 Carter Beck (Saegertown); 121: Louie Gill (Reynolds) tech. fall 18-1 Cash Diehl (Clearfield); 127: Logan Stewart (Reynolds) pinned Weston Pisarchick (Brockway) 1:59; 133: Hudson Hohman (Grove City) dec. 3-2 [TB-2] Hunter Gould (Conneaut); 139: Dane Wenner (Cranberry) dec. 1-0 Chase Bell (Reynolds); 145: Cole Householder (Brookville) dec. 3-2 [UTB] Wyatt Lazzar (Commodore Perry); 152: Cody Hamilton (Grove City) dec. 5-4 Brady Collins (Clearfield); 160: Story Buchanan (Girard) MD 8-0 Hudson Spires (General McLane); 172: Hunter Hohman (Grove City) MD 14-4 Mason Savitz (Corry); 189: Carter Chamberlain (Clearfield) dec. 4-3 Easton Belfiore (Brookville); 215: Gavin Hannah (Brookville) MD 11-3 Ryan Dedrick (General McLane); 285: Carson Neely (Port Allegany) pinned John Duran (Fort LeBoeuf) 2:51.
Consolation finals
107 pounds: Aiden Thompson (Cranberry) dec. 5-3 Hunter Chew (Harbor Creek); 114: Rocky Kowle (North East) dec. 4-3 Tanner Hamilton (Grove City); 121: Bryson Galloway (North East) dec. 5-4 Jared Popson (Brookville); 127: Elijah Brosius (Cranberry) pinned Kyler See (North East) 2;57; 133: Cyrus Hurd (North East) pinned Clay Kimmy (General McLane) 2:46; 139: AJ Rueberger (Sharpsville) MD 8-0 Parker Pisarchick (Brockway); 145: Brody Beck (Cambridge Springs) dec. 2-0 Ty Aveni (Clearfield); 152: Caullin Summers (Sharpsville) MD 15-3 Chance Kimmy (General McLane); 160: JoJo Przybycien (Fort LeBoeuf) dec. 7-1 Reece Bechakas (Kane); 172: Aiden Bliss (Port Allegany) dec. 12-8 Andrew Wolfanger (St. Marys); 189: Magnus Lloyd (General McLane) forfeit Conner McChesney (Fort LeBoeuf); 215: Miska Young (Port Allegany) dec. 1-0 Teague Calvin (Greenville); 285: Josh Beal (Central Clarion) dec. 3-2 Joey Peterson (Greenville).
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Girard's Buchanan wins gold; eight Erie County wrestlers Hershey-bound for first time
