Area is shut out of state gold

They didn't intentionally save the best match for last at the PIAA State Class AAA wrestling championships yesterday.

It just turned out that way.

Abington's David Osei, a 6-5, 250-pound Rutgers football recruit, and Abington Heights' Evan Craig carried unbeaten records into the heavyweight final: Osei was 44-0 and Craig 40-0.

Unfortunately for Osei, only Craig remained unbeaten after a 3-1 win, completing a gold-medal shutout of area wrestlers in the state tournament. Only three area wrestlers reached the finals, and all three lost.

In the Class AAA finals, Central Dauphin's Tony Dallago won the state title at 189, pinning Council Rock North's Jamie Callender in 1 minute, 33 seconds.

Callender brought a 44-6 record in against Dallago, who was 45-3 going into the title bout.

A pair of brothers from Central Mountain, Andrew Alton (140) and Dylan Alton (145) won back-to-back titles.

In third-place matches, Zac Haynes of Council Rock North won the bronze with a 3-2 decision over Bellefonte's Mitchell Port in the 119-pound bout.

At 145, Kyle Bove of Kennett needed overtime to beat Ryan Krecker of Nazareth, 2-1.

Other District 1 wrestlers to take home third-place medals were Andy Petroski of Springfield (Delaware County), who decisioned Northampton's Joe Piro, 6-1, in overtime, and Great Valley 215-pounder Carl Buchholz, who also needed overtime to subdue Bald Eagle Area's Jonathan Gingrich, 5-3.

Class AA. Only two points separated Octorara's Josh Smith from a state wrestling championship yesterday.

Smith made it all the way to the 171-pound final in Class AA, only to be topped by Caleb Kolb of Grove City, 3-2, in the title match at the Giant Center in Hershey.

The results

CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team Scoring: Central Dauphin 119, Blue Mountain 82, Central Mountain 79, Cumberland Valley 63.5, Hempfield (Dist.7) 63, Northampton 53, Erie Cathedral Prep 39, Council Rock North 37, (tie) Derry, Latrobe, & West Mifflin 36.

103: Jimmy Gulibon, Derry Area, maj. dec. Paul Bewak, Hempfield Area, 13-3; 112: Nico Megaludis, Franklin Regional, dec. Zach Horan, Nazareth, 3-1 (OT); 119: Shane Young, Penn Trafford, dec. Tyler Rauenzahn, Blue Mountain, 5-3 (OT); 125: Sam Sherlock, West Mifflin, dec. Nathan Pennesi, Greater Latrobe, 6-3; 130: Joe Waltko, North Allegheny, dec. Rocco Wellek, Erie Cathedral Prep, 10-6; 135: Josh Kindig, Blue Mountain, pinned Joey Walters, Greater Latrobe, 3:03; 140: Andrew Alton, Central Mountain, pinned Jack Bachman, Hempfield Area, 1:24; 145: Dylan Alton, Central Mountain, dec. Joe Napoli, Cumberland Valley, 6-3; 152: Marshall Peppleman, Centra Dauphin, dec. Mark Bavers, Bradford, 8-0; 160: Jake Kemmerer, Hempfield Area, dec. Kenny Courts, Central Dauphin, 4-2; 171: Clay Gable, Dallastown, tech. fall over Clint Morrison, Cedar Cliff, 16-1 (5:58); 189: Tony Dallago, Central Dauphin, pinned Jamie Callender, Council Rock North, 1:33; 215: Nate Gaffney, Connellsville, dec. Spencer Myers, Selinsgrove, 5-4. Hwt.: Evan Craig, Abington Heights, dec. David Osei, Abington, 3-1.

CLASS AAA THIRD PLACE

103: Shyheim Brown, Central Dauphin, dec. Alex Dunaway, McGuffey, 4-1. 112: Tanner Bidelspach, Spring Grove, dec. Dan Dortone, Springfield (D), 6-5. 119: Zac Haynes, Council Rock North, dec. Mitchell Port, Bellefonte, 3-2. 125: Steve Spearman, Erie McDowell, dec. Jordan Rich, Central Mountain, 6-2. 130: Shawn Greevy, Cumberland Valley, dec. Nicholas Catalano, Canon McMillan, 3-0. 135: Kyle Bove, Kennett, dec. Ryan Krecker, Nazareth, 2-1 (OT). 140: Tye Boyer, Indian Valley, dec. Robert Blotzer, South Allegheny, 8-3. 145: Jake O'Hara, Crestwood, dec. Bo Candelaria, Middletown, 4-3. 152: Bryce Busler, Cumberland Valley, dec. Dan Karpency, Albert Gallatin, 3-2. 160: Jimmy Sheptock, Northampton, dec. Ed Shupe, Council Rock South, 6-4. 171: Nick Milano, Erie Cathedral Prep, won by forfeit. 189: Andre Petroski, Springfield (D), dec. Joe Piro, Northampton, 6-1 (OT). 215: Carl Buchholz, Great Valley, dec. Jonathan Gingrich, Bald Eagle, 5-3 (OT). Hwt.: Sean Owen, Clearfield, dec. Tyler Cowman, Wyoming Valley West, 3-1.

CLASS AAA FIFTH PLACE

103: Corey Keener, Blue Mountain, dec. Jordan Conaway, New Oxford, 10-2. 112: Anthony Marino, Bethlehem Liberty, dec. Tom Traxler, Bellefonte, 21-9. 119: Simon Rice, Central Dauphin, dec. Cameron Throckmorton, South Western, 5-0. 125: Tyler Buckman, Central Dauphin, def. Joey Rizzolino, Easton, injury default. 130: Cort Choate, Blue Mountain, pinned Josh Yurasits, Northampton, 4:42. 135: Travis Shaffer, Derry Area, dec. Kenny Stank, Central Dauphin, 4-2. 140: Phil Marano, Northampton, dec. Dave Cawley, North Allegheny, 3-1 (OT). 145: Cole Baxter, Butler, dec. Brandon Loro, Springfield (D), 11-7. 152: Nick Fuschino, Owen J. Roberts, dec. Matt Hundenski, Hopewell, 6-2. 160: James Fleming, West Mifflin, pinned Devon Passman, Central Bucks East, 3:52. 171: Patrick Tasser, Belle Vernon, won by forfeit. 189: Shane Rosenberry, Elizabethtown, dec. Jacob Bachman, Central Mountain, 7-5. 215: Antonio Giorgio, Warwick, dec. Scott Syrek, Owen J. Roberts, 7-1. Hwt.: Justin Grant, Easton, dec. Alex Myers, Hatboro-Horsham, 9-2.

CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team scoring: Shady Side 84, Benton 74, Reynolds 58.5, Wyomissing 50, Westmont Hilltop 43, Burrell 41.5, Delone Catholic 38.5, Grove City 38.5, Schuylkill Valley 37.5, Greenville 37.

103: Nick Roberts, North Star, dec. Evan Link, Penn Cambria, 4-1. 112: Arty Walsh, Wyomissing, dec. Zach Beitz, Juniata, 5-2. 119: Anthony Zanetta, Keystone Oaks, dec. A.J. Schopp, Tyrone, 4-3. 125: Evan Yenolevich, Northwestern Lehigh, dec. Coty Burnett, Greenville, 7-4. 130: Nick Hodgkins, Wyomissing, dec. Logan Sheldon, Hyndman, 10-2. 135: Colin Shober, Schuylkill Valley, dec. Phillip Steiberg, Central Cambria, 9-3. 140: Dane Johnson, Shady Side, dec. Robert Henderson, United, 11-3. 145: Eric Hess, Benton, dec. Tyler Hain, Warrior Run, 9-2. 152: Dirk Cowburn, Coudersport, dec. Joe Harper, Susquenita, 10-5. 160: Corey Lear, Benton, dec. Matthew Cunningham, Shady Side, 7-2. 171: Caleb Kolb, Grove City, dec. Josh Smith, Octorara, 3-2. 189: Jon Fausey, Line Mountain, dec. Dallas Brown, Delone Catholic, 7-5. 215: Brandon Palik, Saucon Valley, dec. Josh McDannell, Chestnut Ridge, 3-2. Hwt.: Jordan Roussos, Carlynton, dec. Tyler Demott, Benton, 9-6.