Times' high school notebook: CV wrestling duo primed for WPIAL repeats
After winning WPIAL wrestling championships last year as underclassmen, Central Valley’s Antonio Boni and Brenan Morgan obviously want to repeat.
But more than anything throughout this season, they’ve just focused on getting better every time they step on the mat whether it’s at practice or in actual competition.
“I want them to go out there and wrestle their best and let the results speak for themselves,” CV coach Kevin Mroz said. “Don’t talk about what's going to happen. Just prepare for it.”
At this stage of wrestling season – with post-season tournaments just weeks away – Boni and Morgan have prepared as well as can be expected.
Last year as a freshman, Boni won the WPIAL Class 2A title in the 107-pound weight class by pinning Burrell’s Cam Baker in 4:53. After finishing third at Regionals and sixth in the state tournament, he finished the season with a 34-7 record.
This year, Boni has moved up two weight classes and now wrestles at 121 pounds. So far this year, he’s a perfect 17-0. While two of his 17 wins came by forfeit, he has pinned 12 of the 15 opponents he’s actually wrestled.
Last year as a junior, Morgan won the WPIAL title at 215 with a 6-2 decision over Bentworth’s Vitali Daniels. He finished the season with a 34-6 record after winning at Regionals and placing second at states.
So far this year, he’s a perfect 20-0 including two wins by forfeit. Morgan started the season with 13 straight pins and has 15 in all.
“They’re pretty much where I expected them to be,” Mroz said. “They’re both hard-working kids. So yeah, they're developing fine and they're kind of ready for that next level.”
That next level starts soon.
This weekend, Boni, Morgan and their Warrior teammates will compete in the Fred Bell Tournament at Grove City High School. There are 33 teams in the field including three from the Beaver County Times coverage area: Moon, South Side and Central Valley.
Then it’s on to the WPIAL post-season matches. The 2A sectionals will be held Feb. 16-17 at various sites while the WPIAL Championships will be held Feb. 23-24 at Chartiers Valley.
Beside Boni and Morgan, there are two other local wrestlers who won WPIAL titles last year as underclassmen. Quaker Valley’s Jack Kazalas won the 2A title in the 121-pound weight class while West Allegheny’s Shawn Taylor won the 3A title at 160 pounds.
This year as a senior, Kazalas is wrestling at 132 pounds and has a 28-2 record with 18 pins.
Taylor, also a senior, is wrestling 172 this year and has yet to lose at 16-0 with 12 pins.
The Class 3A sectionals start Feb 23-24 while 3A finals will be held March 1-2.
EIGHT LOCAL BASKETBALL TEAMS CONTENDING FOR SECTION TITLES
With four weeks left in the regular season, five local boys basketball teams either lead their sections or share first place.
In Class 5A, Moon (12-3 overall, 5-0 section) just might be the best team in the entire classification. But the Tigers face a tough test Thursday in Section 4 when they play at South Fayette (9-6, 4-1). When the teams met Jan. 3 at Moon, the Tigers won 54-52 in overtime.
In 4A, Lincoln Park (12-3, 6-0) can basically clinch the Section 2 title on Friday with a win at North Catholic (10-5, 6-0). The Leopards beat the Trojans, 72-58, on Dec. 27 in a game played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
In 3A, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (11-4, 6-1) is in second place in Section 2 behind Seton LaSalle (11-3, 6-0). OLSH lost to the Rebels, 51-41, on Jan. 12 at Seton LaSalle. They meet again Feb. 6
In 2A, Aliquippa (10-3, 5-0) has a one-game lead over Northgate (10-3, 4-1) in Section 1. The Quips beat the Flames, 55-50 on Jan. 9 in a game played at Aliquippa. They meet again Feb. 2.
In 1A, Rochester (8-5, 4-1) is tied for first place in Section 1 with Union (7-9, 4-1). The Rams lost to the Scotties, 50-36, on Jan. 12 in a game played at Rochester. They meet again Feb. 6.
Meanwhile in girls basketball, three local teams lead their sections or are tied for the section lead going into this week’s games.
In 5A, Lincoln Park (14-0, 4-0) is tied with Trinity (11-3, 4-0) in Section 4. The Leopards and Hillers have yet to play. But they will play Tuesday (Jan. 23) at Trinity and Feb. 8 at Lincoln Park.
In 4A, Blackhawk (13-2, 5-0) has a firm grip on first place in Section 2.
In 2A, Aliquippa (13-1, 7-0) had a one-game lead over Rochester (9-5, 6-1). The Quips nipped the Rams, 37-36, on Jan. 8 in a game played at Aliquippa. They meet again Feb. 1.
PIAA LIKELY TO ELIMINATE OVERTIME IN SOCCER
When the PIAA board of directors meet on Wednesday in Mechanicsburg, one of the items on the agenda is overtime in soccer.
Based on a recommendation from the PIAA soccer committee, overtime in regular-season games would be eliminated.
Under current PIAA rules, teams play up to two 10-minute overtime periods while trying to snap ties with a golden goal.
At its Jan. 10 meeting, the PIAA steering committee voted 13-0 to eliminate OT in regular-season games.
If approved, regular-season games tied after regulation would end in a draw.
The PIAA soccer steering committee wants to eliminate overtime in hopes of finishing games earlier on school nights as well as protecting the health and safety of athletes playing soccer.
One of the members of the WPIAL soccer committee is Moon athletic director Alan Alcalde. He knows first-hand about regular-season overtime games. This past fall when the Moon girls won the Class 2A state title, the Tigers played in three double-overtime games. The Moon boys also played in two double-OT affairs.
ALIQUIPPA WILL APPEAL TO PIAA ON WEDNESDAY
According to the PIAA website, another item for its board of directors meeting Wednesday is “schools requesting appeal of the Competition formula.”
First, it will review correspondence from Pennsylvania State Representative Rob Matzie and US Representative Chris Deluzio in regards to the PIAA’s “competitive balance” formula that takes into account a team’s success and number of transfers over a two-year period.
Matzie, the vice chairman and longest-serving member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee, has announced that he will introduce legislation to analyze the policy, practices, finances and structure of the PIAA with an aim toward overhauling how the PIAA operates and makes decisions. Matzie has concerns about the way the PIAA classifies schools for competition.
Matzie is among those who are disappointed that the PIAA keeps trying to bump Aliquippa’s football team from 4A to 5A.
Matzie is on record of saying “I would wage this fight for Aliquippa or any student-athlete in our commonwealth. Simply put, it’s unfair, unsafe and a dangerous disadvantage to our kids. What’s most disturbing is that I believe that this rule comes off as ignorant at best and arrogant at worst. Legislative action is necessary, and necessary now. Be assured, however, this is just the beginning.”
After reviewing correspondence from Matzie and Deluzio, the PIAA board of directors will address appeals from the following teams: Villa Maria, field hockey; Springfield Township, boys soccer; Wyomissing Area, football; Aliquippa, football; and Bishop Guilfoyle, football.
Aliquippa’s hearing appeal will be at 3:30 Wednesday via Zoom.
On Dec. 21, the PIAA informed Aliquippa that it would be moved up because the Quips had 23 transfers in the past two years. Among them was junior running back Tiqwai “Tikey” Hayes, who has always lived in Aliquippa. Since then, the PIAA corrected its accuracies and now says Aliquippa had five transfers. That number, combined with success points achieved in the postseason play the past two years, would still bump Aliquippa to Class 5A.
But Aliquippa contends that those five transfers made minimal to no contributions to the team’s success.
Aliquippa has had great success the past two seasons, going 27-1 with two WPIAL Class 4A titles and two appearances in the state championship game. The Quips lost in the PIAA final last year but won this year
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Times' high school notebook: CV wrestling duo primed for WPIAL repeats
