2020 PIAA AAA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
CATHEDRAL PREP DOWNS QUAKERTOTN
By Glenn Kaiser
Hershey, PA - Quakertown, the runner-up from District One, took on District 10 champion Erie Cathedral Prep (the #4 ranked team in AAA by PA Power) in late (8:00pm) first round action of the 2020 PIAA AAA Team Championships on a rainy evening on Thursday. The big stage in Chocolate Town, USA, in the Giant Center, pitted many powerful teams from around the state in this dual meet competition.
The Panthers (ranked #10) were up for the challenge with the Ramblers, but the grapplers from the far northwest of Pennsylvania were just a bit too much with their tosses and superior wrestlers. Cathedral Prep won the dual convincingly 41-22. It certainly was not a push-over, as the Panthers were in the match most of the night. But early losses in the match, which started at 113-pounds cost the Panthers a shot of a mild upset.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they dropped two of the first three matches that they were winning, only to lose late in both matches. The Panthers’ Todd McGann lost by fall with only eight seconds left in his 113-pound contest with Rambler Phillip Stark. McGann had a 9-4 lead after a 5-point toss in the first period. Kyle Miller recorded a brilliant fall coming out of a cradle in the first period for the Panthers to tie the score at 6-6 at 120-pounds. But another miscue for the Panthers’ occurred at 126, where Vinny Despirtio was holding a lead late in the third when he got hit with a Peterson roll and dropped a 7-5 decision.
Quakertown jumped out in front 12-9 with a fall from Zach Lewis at 132lbs coming out of a scramble. Previous to the pin, Lewis showed tremendous flexibility fighting off a takedown with his leg up over his head. Teammate Dom DeFalco followed with a 9-5 win over Prep’s Ben Tirpak to extend the lead in the team scoring to 15-9. It was DeFalco's 100th career win.
With momentum back on their side, the Panthers seemed to be gaining confidence in this dual, but Rambler standout Paniro Johnson knocked the wind of the Panthers’ sail with a devastating fall at 145 over Patrick McCoy. Paniro hit a couple of tosses before securing a tight bar-half stack to finish McCoy. The Ramblers ran off three straight wins, pushing ahead 24-14 in the dual.
Dustin Pompei hit a late switch to score a 2-1 victory over Prep’s Owen Shetler at 170-pounds to bring the Panthers back to striking distance at 24-18. After a fall at 182 for the Ramblers, Q-town’s Freddie Retter notched a major decision at 195lbs over Hunter Tirpak (Cath Prep) 9-1, keeping Head Coach Kurt Handel’s Panthers alive with the team score 30-22. Another fall by the Ramblers at 220 shut the door on Q-town 36-22.
Panther heavyweight Kyle McGuigan continued on with his stellar season with yet another big headlock for a 12-second pin to finish the scoring for Quakertown. The Panthers will have to battle back in the consolation bracket versus Central Dauphin Friday. Central Dauphin defeated Council Rock South in a preliminary bout Monday 37-31.
Erie Cathedral Prep 41, Quakertown 28
on Thursday, February 6, 2020
PIAA Class AAA Duals (Championship Round 1)
at Giant Center, Hershey
113 - Philip Stark pinned Todd McGann, 5:52 (6-0)
120 - Kyle Miller pinned Jamale Crockett, 1:56 (6-6)
126 - Kaemen Smith dec. Vinny DeSpirito, 7-5 SV (9-6)
132 - Zack Lewis pinned Steffan Lynch, 5:30 (9-12)
138 - Domenic DeFalco dec. Ben Tirpak, 9-5 (9-15)
145 - Paniro Johnson pinned Patrick McCoy, 1:44 (15-15)
152 - Marques McClorin pinned Aaron Sanchez, 0:59 (21-15)
160 - Kelyn Blossey dec. Kyle Goodwin, 2-1 (24-15)
170 - Dusten Pompei dec. Owen Shetler, 2-1 (24-18)
182 - Luke Sittinger pinned Micah Kunkle, 1:21 (30-18)
195 - Freddie Retter maj. dec. Hunter Tirpak, 9-1 (30-22)
220 - Dorian Crosby pinned Ralph Martin, 1:27 (36-22)
285 - Jeremy McGuigan pinned Mark Hudson III, 0:12 (36-28)
106 - Jacob Van Dee won by tech. fall over Zach Borzio, 16-1 4:47 (41-28)
Erie Cathedral Prep wrestlers in bold.
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