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

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, January 2, 2021 | 2:16 PM

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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 6 features Class AA upper weights.

171 pounds

Kurt Brenner, Freedom, 151-13, 3-time PIAA champ (171)

Matt Cunningham, Shady Side Academy, 162-12, PIAA champ (171), 4-time WPIAL champ

A.J. Graves, Jeannette, 135-18, PIAA champ (171)

182 pounds

Greg Bulsak, South Park, 148-18, 2-time PIAA champ (170, 182)

Dakota DesLauriers, Burrell, 152-14, PIAA champ (182)

Dayton Pitzer, Mt. Pleasant, 43-1, PIAA champ (182)

195 pounds

Shane Datz, Southmoreland. 138-18, 3-time WPIAL champ (189)

Jordan Kitta, Southmoreland, 119-39, 2-time WPIAL champ (189)

Roman San Doval, Shady Side Academy, 153-28, PIAA champ (189)

220 pounds

Dan Conley, Burgettstown, 78-23, PIAA champ (215)

Jordan Roussos, Carlynton, 120-37, PIAA champ (220)

Jake Temple, Avella, 145-19, PIAA champ (220)

285 pounds

Allan Beattie, Burrell, 156-30, PIAA champ (285)

Jake Beistel, Southmoreland, 146-18, PIAA champ (285)

Ric San Doval, Shady Side Academy, 125-12, 2-time PIAA champ (275)

Day 5 results are in and Day 6 polls are open in Trib HSSN Wrestling Team of the 2000s ballotinghttps://t.co/I6nT1kycvp

— TribLive HSSN (@TribLiveHSSN) January 2, 2021

Here are the Day 5 Twitter poll results:

CLASS AAA

170 pounds

1. Jake Herbert, North Allegheny 44.3%

2. Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon-McMillan 35.0%

3. Cody Wiercioch, Canon-McMillan/Charleroi 20.7%

182 pounds

1. Zack Zavatsky, Latrobe 37.9%

2. Matt McCutcheon, Kiski Area 32.4%

3. Kellan Stout, Mt. Lebanon 29.7%

195 pounds

1. Luke Stout, Mt. Lebanon 47.7%

2. Jake Woodley, North Allegheny 37.2%

3. Jacob Hart, Hampton 15.1%

220 pounds

1. Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands 48.5%

2. Nate Gaffney, Connellsville 28.8%

3. Jacob Robb, Kittanning/Armstrong 22.7%

285 pounds

1. Isaac Reid, Kiski Area 46.7%

2. Brendan Furman, Canon-McMillan 34.2%

3. Tom Parks, North Allegheny 19.1%

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.