100-match winners lead Quaker Valley wrestlers at Allegheny County tournament

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, January 26, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Quaker Valley junior Bruce Anderchak has dominated in high school wrestling for the past two-and-a-half years.

Case in point: Anderchak joined an exclusive club Jan. 15 at home against Carlynton when he secured his 100th career win as a QV grappler.

“Bruce has wrestled for more than two-thirds of his life,” coach Austin Heinl said. “This milestone has been expected. This might be the fastest anyone in QV history has achieved this milestone.”

It took Anderchak only 14 seconds to pin Carlynton freshman Jeffrey Spina in the 121-pound weight class and go to 29-2 with 15 falls this season and to 100-23 with 40 falls for his career.

“Getting 100 wins in just my junior season is an accomplishment I’ve been looking forward to all year,” Anderchak said. “I’m thankful that I’ve been healthy enough all through my high school career to wrestle every match and tournament to allow me to get to 100 this early.

“It is a cool accomplishment, but I’m looking forward to bigger and better things the rest of my wrestling career.”

More recently, Anderchak captured his second consecutive Allegheny County Tournament championship with a 17-1 technical fall against North Allegheny senior Charlie LaQuatra at 114. Anderchak won the 107 title last year.

Anderchak improved to 34-2 this season and 105-23 for his career.

“Bruce is our third-ever wrestler to be a two-time county champ,” Heinl said. “He won our ninth county title as a program.”

Jack Diemert, a 152-pound senior who was the leading rusher on the QV football team in the fall, also joined the century club off his performance at the county tournament held Jan. 17-18 at Fox Chapel.

Diemert earned career win No. 100 with a 19-3 technical fall against Fox Chapel junior Calyx Kimbrough.

“Jack is a multi-sport athlete, so being able to perform at a high level in both is a great achievement and speaks to his athleticism,” Heinl said. “He’s been a starter since he was a freshman and has been a key figure in our lineup. One-hundred wins is a milestone that shows the time and effort he’s put in with this team.

“Jack is a super-freak athlete. He’s one of the strongest and most explosive kids I’ve ever coached. If (opponents) can’t withstand his pace, he will throw you around, up and down the mat.”

Junior Matt Danna placed third at 139 at the two-day county event, senior Marcus Richey finished fourth at 172 and Diemert ended up sixth at 152.

The Quakers ended up ninth in the final team scoring.

“I thought we did well as a team this year,” Heinl said. “We had five medalists and a champ. Marcus Richey and Brennan Breisinger earned their first county medal. The rest of our medalists improved their finishes from past years past — Jack Diemert from seventh to sixth and Matt Danna from fourth to third.”

Diemert ended the tournament with a 26-9 record for the season, 101-54 for his career. He started out at 17-16 as a freshman, won 28 decisions as a sophomore and upped it to 30 wins last year.

Anderchak and Diemert are the seventh and eighth grapplers in the nine-year history of QV’s program to reach the century mark in career wins, joining Jack Kazalas (2024, 151-28), Patrick Cutchember (2022, 141-31), John Rocco Kazalas (2019, 134-33), Connor Redinger (2021, 112-20), Logan Richey (2023, 112-50) and Justin Richey (2022, 107-41).

“It’s great company because everyone in the program with 100-plus wins has had great success in their career,” Anderchak said. “It’s fun being able to be added to the banner in the (wrestling) room.”

Anderchak set up his career achievement by going 4-0 and taking first place at 114 pounds at the Burgettstown Invitational on Jan. 10-11.

“It was a well-run tournament that had a lot of great competition,” Heinl said. “I’m happy with how our team and individuals performed while missing three starters.”

Anderchak won a 13-2 major decision over Grove City’s Ian Stearns in the championship round to land the Quakers’ only individual title at the tournament.

“I felt very good about my performance, executing my gameplan and offense very well,” Anderchak said.

The QV grappler was impressive throughout the tournament as he also pinned Upper St. Clair’s Alisher Abdurakhmanov in 37 seconds and Beth-Center’s Alex Medlen in two minutes, then rolled past North Hills’ Brady Rohaly in the semifinals via an 18-1 technical fall.

Anderchak was a section champion and WPIAL runner-up last year when he went 40-8. That followed a 31-13 record as a freshman.

“Bruce is quick and slick on his feet. He scores a lot of takedowns using his fast feet and length,” Heinl said. “He’s also very tough in the top position. Heading into this year, he’s turned into a more well-rounded wrestler being tough in all three positions.”

Diemert rolled past five opponents at the county tournament, starting off with pins against Chartiers Valley’s Ryan Raja and Obama Academy’s Daniel Cabiness.

He also sandwiched 8-3 decisions against Thomas Cloonan of North Hills and Ian Bucheli of Bethel Park in between his milestone victory against Kimbrough.

And at this point in the season, keep an eye out for Richey, QV’s 152-pound senior.

With a 32-10 season record and 87-38 career mark, Richey is expected to become the third QV grappler to join the century club in 2024-25.

Tags: Quaker Valley