Picking the Trib HSSN Wrestling Team of the 2000s: Class AAA upper weights

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, January 1, 2021 | 1:51 PM

Since all high school sports have been put on hold until Jan. 4, and with the postponements of three big holiday wrestling tournaments, now is a good time to take a look back and pick the top wrestlers from the WPIAL since the start of the century.

Wrestling hasn’t been better in the WPIAL than in the past 20 seasons. There are 100 wresters from the WPIAL that have won PIAA titles, and 36 of them were multiple-time champions.

Derry’s Jimmy Gulibon and Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale were four-time champions, while 13 more wrestlers won three titles. That list includes Waynesburg’s Coleman Scott, Franklin Regional’s Spencer Lee and Nico Megaludis, Derry’s Troy Dolan and Micky Phillippi, Kittanning’s Jason Nolf, Latrobe’s Luke Pletcher and Shady Side Academy’s Dane Johnson.

Many went on to star in college.

So with a little help from the wrestling community, let’s see who fans think are the best in each weight class and each classification.

For six straight days, the @TribLiveHSSN Twitter account will post polls asking fans to pick the top wrestler in five weight classes per day.

Check back each day for a new set of weights to vote on and a look at the results from the previous day’s polls.

At the end of the week, I’ll release my teams and we’ll see how they stack up against each other.

It’s not easy. There will be numerous four-time WPIAL champions that might be left off.

There are wrestlers on the list that won more NCAA titles than PIAA titles, but voting is based on their high school career, not their college career.

It’s an impressive list of wrestlers to consider. Wrestlers are slotted into weight classes that they competed in during their careers. The weights they won PIAA titles at are highlighted. There are also some four-time WPIAL champions that didn’t win PIAA titles.

Day 5 features Class AAA upper weights.

170 pounds

Jake Herbert, North Allegheny, 138-18, PIAA champ (171)

Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon-McMillan, 181-16, 2-time PIAA champ (170, 172)

Cody Wiercioch, Canon-McMillan/Charleroi, 167-5, 3-time PIAA champ (152, 170, 170), PIAA runner-up (160)

182 pounds

Matt McCutcheon, Kiski Area, 158-14, PIAA champ (182)

Kellan Stout, Mt. Lebanon, 138-18, PIAA champ (182)

Zack Zavatsky, Latrobe, 166-18, PIAA champ (182)

195 pounds

Jacob Hart, Hampton, 143-21, PIAA champ (195)

Luke Stout, Mt. Lebanon, 153-16, PIAA champ (195)

Jake Woodley, North Allegheny, 148-41 2-time PIAA champ (182, 195)

220 pounds

Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands, 87-22, 2-time WPIAL champ, PIAA runner-up (220), PIAA fifth place

Nate Gaffney, Connellsville, 118-31, PIAA champ (215)

Jacob Robb, Kittanning/Armstrong, 144-25, PIAA champ (220)

285 pounds

Brendan Furman, Canon-McMillan, 138-33, PIAA champ (275)

Tom Parks, North Allegheny, 113-28, PIAA champ (275)

Isaac Reid, Kiski Area, 129-24, PIAA champ (285)

Day 4 results are in and Day 5 polls are open in Trib HSSN Wrestling Team of the 2000s ballotinghttps://t.co/qawaFwppKd

— TribLive HSSN (@TribLiveHSSN) January 1, 2021

Here are the Day 4 Twitter poll results:

CLASS AA

138 pounds

1. Micky Phillippi, Derry 78.5%

2. Shane Welsh, Burrell 16.8%

3. Jacob Ealy, Hopewell 4.7%

140 pounds

1. Travis Shaffer, Derry 47.3%

2. Jared Shields, Burrell 29.5%

3. Donnie Ament, Mt. Pleasant 23.2%

145 pounds

1. Jason Makara, Burrell 45.2%

2. Mike Carr, South Fayette 38.1%

3. Nick Carr, South Fayette 16.7%

152 pounds

1. Dane Johnson, Shady Side Academy 50.0%

2. Steven Edwards, Burrell 41.7%

3. Phil Sorrentino, South Allegheny 8.3%

160 pounds

1. Matt Lebe, Jeannette 42.0%

2. Thayne Lawrence, Frazier 36.2%

3. Jake Wentzel, South Park 21.8%

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.