Wrestling notebook: Franklin Regional’s Marion claims Mid-Winter Mayhem title again

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 | 4:39 PM

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Franklin Regional senior Juliano Marion rebounded from a loss to Ringgold senior Jake Conroy by winning his second consecutive tournament title at IUP on Jan. 13.

Marion pinned Trinity’s (Camp Hill) Tucker Paynter at the Mid-Winter Mayhem to go with his third Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association title (Jan. 6).

He wasn’t the only WPIAL wrestler to win a title. Butler sophomore Santino Sloboda won the 114-pound title and Thomas Jefferson junior Maddox Shaw grabbed the 145 title.

Sloboda edged Line Mountain’s Brick Rothermel, 2-1, and Shaw overwhelmed Central Mountain’s Griffin Walizer, 7-1.

Marion’s teammate, senior Tyler Kapusta, lost in the 127-pound final to Bishop McCort’s Jax Forrest, 26-11.

Shaw’s teammate Bode Marlow placed third at 160 pounds, while West Allegheny’s Nick Jones placed fourth at 152.

Marion also pinned Berlin-Brothersvalley’s Trace Hay in 27 seconds, blanked General McLane’s Ryan Dedrick, 10-0, and won by injury default against Clearfield’s Carter Chamberlain.

Sidun ranked No. 1

Norwin freshman Landon Sidun earned the top ranking at 114 pounds in the latest FloWrestling rankings.

This came after Sidun placed third at the Beast of the East tournament and won the Powerade tournament.

Sidun was favored to win another title at the Escape the Rock tournament at Council Rock South on Jan. 14 but did not compete.

The Knights finished 31st out of 59 schools and had two placewinners: Nathan Campbell finished seventh a 189, and Aiden Pham was eighth at 215.

Looking for a triple

Quaker Valley senior Jack Kazalas and Marlow look to become three-time Allegheny County Wrestling Tournament champions.

The annual tournament, which started in 2002, will be held Friday and Saturday at Fox Chapel High School.

Action gets underway 11:30 a.m. Friday. The semifinals at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and the Parade of Champions start at 4:30 p.m.

Kazalas won the 121-pound title by defeating Chartiers Valley’s Brad Joling, 9-2, in 2023 and the pinned Bethel Park’s Aiden Bench to win the 113 title in 2022.

Marlow decked Pine-Richland’s Mac Miller to win the 152 title in 2023 and toppled Montour’s Peter Chacon, 6-2, to win the 138 title in 2022.

Kazalas is the top seed at 133, but Marlow is seeded second behind Baldwin’s Keith Mincin at 160.

Plum won the team title in 2023 and should be in the running along with Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Quaker Valley and Pine-Richland.

Wrestlers looking for their second titles are: North Allegheny’s Casey Walker (106, 2022), Bethel Park’s Mason Kernan, Bethel Park (120, 2022), Plum’s Owen Campbell (107, 2023), Plum’s Rylan Campbell (114, 2023), Thomas Jefferson’s Maddox Shaw (139, 2023), Pine-Richland’s Spencer Vaughn (189, 2023) and North Allegheny’s Aiden Buggey (215, 2023).

The top two seeds at each weight class are:

107: 1. Quaker Valley sophomore Bruce Anderchak; 2. Highlands sophomore Javion Chambers.

114: 1. South Fayette sophomore Brock Dennison; 2. North Hills senior Giavonie Schipani.

121: 1. Central Catholic senior Charlie Colantonio; 2. Plum sophomore Rylen Campbell.

127: 1. Baldwin senior Owen Klodowski; 2. South Fayette senior Jonny Baiano.

133: 1. Quaker Valley senior Jack Kazalas; 2. Baldwin junior Ramil Islamov.

139: 1. Highlands junior Aiden Burford; 2. Quaker Valley sophomore Matt Danna.

145: 1. Thomas Jefferson junior Maddox Shaw; 2. Quaker Valley junior Mason Diemert.

152: 1. Plum senior Antonio Walker; 2. West Mifflin sophomore Cooper Dietz.

160: 1. Baldwin senior Keith Mincin; 2. Thomas Jefferson junior Bode Marlow.

172: 1. Pine-Richland junior Vaughn Spencer; 2. South Park junior Wyatt Markovich.

189: 1. North Hills senior Evan Letky; 2. Pittsburgh Central Catholic sophomore Nez Green.

215: 1. North Allegheny senior Aiden Buggey; 2. Carlynton junior Braiden Sudor.

285: 1. Thomas Jefferson junior Turk Shepherd; 2. Carlynton junior Henry Barbisch.

This and that

Canon-McMillan went 1-3 at the Virginia Duals. … Waynesburg placed 14th at the Gerry Raymond Automotive Invitational at Fairmont, W.Va. There with 28 teams in the tournament that was won by Johnson Central (Kentucky). … Latrobe went 2-0 at the Connellsville Duals, defeating North Allegheny, 34-28, and Frazier, 60-13. North Allegheny defeated Connellsville, 28-25. Frazier, which was shorthanded because of injuries to Rune Lawrence and Jonah Erdely, also fell to Connellsville, 54-15, and North Allegheny, 63-11.

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.