PREDICTIONS, BRACKET BREAK-DOWNS & WHAT TO EXPECT
2024 PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships
by Glenn Kaiser
It’s time to throw out the rankings and look to the mats. The time of year is here, especially for wrestling fans as it’s time to head to Chocolate Town, USA, to watch the greatest show on earth, the 2024 PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. We head on the road to Hershey this weekend to watch the best-of the-best wrestlers in the top wrestling state in the United States of America - Pennsylvania. Strap on your head gear and get ready for some good ole grappling, but this ain’t your father’s root beer, or should I say root-beer float. Some of the best milkshakes and ice cream floats can be found next to the Giant Center in the Hershey Chocolate Factory.
You know Spring is around the corner when the days get longer and the state finals are on tap. I have been going to Hershey, PA, since I was a senior in high school (1983) at Hatboro-Horsham to watch the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. Haven’t really missed one since, as I went on to wrestle at Lebanon Valley College just a driver/wedge away from the old arena and the new Giant Center. And I can honestly say this is the most excited I have ever been to root for Suburban One League wrestlers and teams. Although it was the old Bux-Mont League when I wrestled and the SOL’s power-ten of wrestling, everyone rooted for District One wrestlers in the end. This year we will all do the same, but for us here in the SOL, we will all be on our feet every time an SOL wrestler gets their hand raised.
So, no delay, let’s get to the bracket breakdowns and predictions…
107-pounds: This is Hatboro-Horsham’s Dominick Morrison’s weight-class to lose. He has beaten all the other serious contenders in CR North’s Alex Diaz twice and Perk Valley’s Max Tancini right here in D1. Tancini was sixth last year at this weight-class. Morrison only has two losses, one to Pennridge’s Colby Martinelli, who is favored to win the 114-pound weight-class in Hershey, and to Joey Bachman (FCA), the #1 ranked wrestler in the country, who will compete on the AA side. The bracket sets up great for Morrison as the three-seed down below. Diaz and Tancini are up top. There were some upsets in other regions, but either way, here is how I see it. Predicting only the top three in each weight-class, here’s how it goes: 1st-Morrison , 2nd-Diaz & 3rd-Tancini
Don’t be surprised to see Upper Dublin’s Dominick Powell on the podium as well, he’s peaking.
114: Colby Martinelli (Pennridge) is primed to win a state title. He settled in at 114-pounds and is the clear favorite here after finishing 3rd a year-ago at 107-pounds. He is the #1 seed but will need to be on top of his game to finish atop the podium. With his hardnosed wrestling and scrambling ability, he has the tools to get the job done. 1st-Martinelli, 2nd-Santino Sloboda (Butler) & 3rd-Kaedyn Williams (Manheim Twp)
121: Quakertown’s Mason Ziegler has been on a mission all year to win a state title. He was second last year and is headed for a battle with Bethlehem Catholic’s Keanu Dillard in the finals. With the number one-seed, Ziegler, on top of the bracket, will await the winner of Dillard and Grater Latrobe’s Luke Willochell down below. Ziegler will find a way, either way. Dillard was a perfect 24-0 last year winning the 107-pound state title. 1st-Zeigler, 2nd-Dillard & 3rd-Willochell
127: Council Rock North’s Eren Sement is ready to climb the podium this year, he is tired of possibly being the second-best guy despite being third at his first two attempts in Hershey. Eren has already committed to the University of Penn to wrestle upon his graduation in 2025. Why wait, this is the year he figures it out with a good first night in Hershey with a nice path to the finals down below. Imagine this weight-class with CRS’s Anthony Mutarelli & Ziegler (if he stayed up), we very well would have been 1-2-3, you pick the order. 1st-Sement, 2nd-Andrew Binnini (Cannon-Mac) & 3rd-Dean Houser (Daniel Boone)
Yes, that’s right four predicted SOL wrestlers winning state championships so far, I know I am such a homer, but don’t bet against me.
133: Chris Dennis from CB West will need to up his game if he wants to contend for a top-three finish. Nazareth’s Tahir Parkins is the man to beat here. James Garcia from Wilson-West Lawn is dangerous, but faces an upset Gavin Sheridan (Boyertown) out of the gate in Round 1. Upper Perk’s Branden Rozanski was the SE Regional champ. This one is wide-open after Parkins. 1st-Parkins, 2nd-Ben Fanelli (Easton) & 3rd-Tyler Adams (York Suburban)
139: Another barn-burner bracket that is somewhat wide-open. Patrick Kelly (CBW) won a questionable regional title for some and is up top with #1 seed Maddox Shaw (Thomas Jefferson). Seamus Mack (Hempfield) and Dalton Perry (Central Mountain) are on a collision course for a quarterfinal battle royale. Perry was a state champ in 2022, but lost to undefeated (30-0) Brock Weiss from Jersey Shore in the NW Region. I have no clue…1st-Weiss, 2nd-Mack & 3rd-Shaw
145: Gavin Carroll (Quakertown) has proven he is to be a contender here, but there is a drop-off after #1-seed Luke Simcox from Central Mountain, who is a defending state champion. Pierson Manville from State College is no slouch with a lone loss to Simcox. Evan Petrovich will be third from Connellsville. 1st-Simcox, 2nd-Manville & 3rd-Petrovich
152: There are two horses in this race to the top of the podium at 152-pounds. One is Q-town’s Collin Gaj, the other Kollin Rath (BECA). Gaj has proven he can beat returning state champions, defeating Waynesburg’s Mac Church in last year’s 145-pound final. Church was a two-timer before he met Gaj. 1st-Gaj, 2nd-Rath & Eli Carr (Hempfield Area)
160: I like Ryan Garvic here from Central Dauphin, he was the runner-up at 152 last year and is in a home environment, but he will see Nick Kunstek (Pottsville) in the semis. Kunstek sat out a season a year after returning home from Blair where he won a National Prep title. Ashter Cunningham (State College) will look to be another possible champ from a very good State College team. Gunnar Myers (Wallenpaupack) is a brawler, I saw him at the Coal Cracker and he is impressive. Gavin Cole from CRS will get on the medal stand, but it will be tough sledding throughout. 1st-Kunstek, 2nd Cunningham & 3rd-Myers
171: CR South’s Bekhruz Sadriddinov has had only one goal on his mind all season, a state championship. But Bek is a wounded warrior coming out of regionals with a banged-up shoulder after he was already nursing a sore knee. Owen J Roberts’ Sam Gautreau nearly upset Bek at regions, and Connor Weitzel (Shik) and Vaughn Spencer (Pine-Richland) are all lurking down below, which bolds well for Bek to advance to the finals. This weight-class will be a war. 1st-Sadriddinov, 2nd-Gautreau & 3rd-Weitzel
189: Daniel Boone’s Tucker Hogan rules here at 45-0. He is a defending state champ who will be tested but should repeat. Unfortunately, but fortunately Northern York’s Cole Bartram is down-below after losing to Hogan in the South-Central Regional final, which was his only loss on the season. He will still have to see Hogan in the finals. 1st-Hogan, 2nd Bartram & 3rd-Jared Karabinus (Freedom)
215: D1’s OJR’s Dillon Bechtold wins going away here at 215-pounds. He is a perfect 38-0 and is ready for all challengers after finishing second last year to Nazareth’s Sammy Sasso. 1st-Bechtold, 2nd-Jake Conroy (Ringgold) & 3rd-Aiden Hight (Chambersburg)
285: Don’t bet against the Bechtold brothers. Dillon’s younger brother will give three potential champs from the PAC’s Owen J Roberts, but he will be in a field of land mines. He avoids two-time state champion Sean Kinney (Nazareth) up top, but he will see #2-seed Nick Pavlechko (State College) in the semis. Quakertown’s Calvin Lachman will need to rebound with his loss to Bechtold in the SE Regon final and have a good run early, as he will have to deal with Kinney in the quarters. 1st-Kinney, 2nd-Bechtold & Pavlechko.
In the team race Quakertown should be in the hunt with two-potential champs and Carroll and Lachman finishing on the podium. CR South has the numbers and will also be in it. Pennridge was fourth in the state as a dual team and the Southeast Regional champs, but they will need tremendous efforts from all of their entries to win an individual team championship from the wrestle-backs. But not too shabby for three SOL teams to be in the hunt here in 2024. Look for State College, Bethlehem Catholic, Owen J Roberts (if they have at least two champs as they only have 3-competitors), Nazareth and Central Mountain to all be on top of the leader board at some point in the tournament. Keep an eye on Kennett from D1’s Ches-Mont League, as they are taking six wrestlers to Hershey, matching Pennridge and CR South in terms of qualifiers.
If my predictions pan-out. that would be six SOL state-champs which would shatter the record books and add another one or two champs form D1 and D1 will also make the history books.
The weekend in Hershey will be a long one for all, as for the first time ever the girls will compete alongside the AA ands AAA boys wrestling in staggered sessions all three days culminating with a 4:00pm final Saturday featuring all three championship matches.
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