Wrestling notebook: PIAA looking to finalize site for team tournament

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 | 8:49 PM

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PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi is meeting with the wrestling committee on Wednesday, and he hopes to announce the site of the 2025 team championship.

The championship is scheduled to be held Feb. 6-8, and Lombardi has been looking for a site since the summer.

Lombardi has had a tough time finding a spot to host the three-day tournament, which was held at Hersheypark Arena or Giant Center in Hershey every year except 2021 since 1999.

“They don’t want us,” Lombardi said. “We don’t have a lot of options.”

The PIAA individual championships will be March 6-8 at Giant Center.

Lombardi did announce a site for the competitive spirit championship.

It has found a new home. It will be Jan. 30 and 31 at Santander Arena in Reading. It also was held in Hershey since 2013.

Dual of the Week

Two of the top teams in Section 7-3A will square off at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

No. 10 Thomas Jefferson, led by three PIAA placewinners including returning champion Maddox Shaw, visits a much-improved Belle Vernon squad, which is led by PIAA placewinner Elijah Brown.

Shaw (170), Bode Marlow (172) and Shepherd Turk (285) are ranked No. 1.

Brown is ranked No. 2 at 189 pounds, and Kole Doppelheuer is ranked No. 3 at 152. Senior Deydon Soto, at 139, is new to the program. He was a Connecticut state champion.

Other big duals Wednesday: Southmoreland at Elizabeth Forward, Pine-Richland at Butler, Valley at Highlands, Bentworth at Jefferson-Morgan and North Hills at West Allegheny. On Saturday, Burrell visits Kiski Area at 2 p.m.

A look ahead

The big tournaments this weekend are the King of the Mountain at Central Mountain High School near Lock Haven on Friday and Saturday, the Beast of the East at the University of Delaware and the NursePro Plus Tournament at University High School in Morgantown, W.Va.

Headed to Central Mountain are Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Latrobe, Shaler and West Allegheny.

Going to Delaware are Norwin and Thomas Jefferson. Off to Morgantown are Chartiers-Houston, Connellsville, Fort Cherry, Franklin Regional, Frazier, Southmoreland and Trinity.

Notes

• No. 1 (3A) Connellsville (2-1) competed in Ohio. The Falcons lost to St. Edwards but defeated Beavercreek and St. Francis de Sales.

• No. 2 (3A) Franklin Regional turned in a dominating performance at Point Pleasant, W.Va. The Panthers went 5-0.

• North Allegheny took top honors at the Kiski Area Duals. The Tigers went 5-0 and defeated host Kiski Area, 37-29, for the title.

• No. 2 (2A) Derry (13-2) went 5-1 at the Moon Duals. The lone team to defeat the Trojans was Parkersburg, W.Va.

• No. 1 (2A) Burrell placed third at the PennStro Leasing Kick-Off Classic at Cumberland Valley. The Bucs finished with 140 points. They were behind Bishop McDevitt (234.5) and Nazareth (190.5). Cam Baker placed second at 127 pounds, Carter Thomas was third at 121 and Isaac Lacinski was third at 172.

• No. 3 (3A) McGuffey placed third at the Panther Holiday Classic at Mount Aloysius College. The Highlanders finished with 149.5 points. They followed The Hill School (160) and Hickory (155). Lucas Barr won the 139 title, and Emmett Wolfe was third at 133.

• Ringgold won its dual tournament going 6-0.

• Bethel Park took top honors at the Hampton Duals. Fox Chapel placed second.

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.