A-K Valley Class 3A wrestling preview: Fox Chapel a dual threat

By: Jerin Steele
Tuesday, November 26, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Fox Chapel wrestling coach Michael Frank watched his group work to master the art of the dual last season.

As a team, the Foxes worked together to win their first section title since 1971 and with 10 wrestlers returning who won at least 15 matches, expectations are high once again.

“For the outsider to understand how each wrestler plays a vital role in a dual meet … it’s a complicated matter,” Frank said. “Most people see wrestling as an individual sport and at the heart of it, it truly is. You have to go out and handle your own business, but when you watch how it develops into a team aspect … it’s amazing.

“I’m blessed to watch these guys be selfish when it comes to bettering themselves in certain aspects of wrestling, but then be absolutely selfless when it comes to helping their practice partner or teammate work to reach their goals. In the long run that comes back to help the team. It’s such a unique sport with that. To anyone that’s been involved in it, I think they get it.”

The Foxes won a first-round match in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs against Peters Township before falling to champion Connellsville in the quarterfinals.

Landon Funk, Youssef Abdelsalam, Josh Alexander, Milo Chiu, Joey Geller, Adam Haines, D’Angelo Hamilton, Andrew Krasta, Daniel Noel, Jack Viti and Michael Worsen are the 10 wrestlers who won 15-plus matches last year.

Only two wrestlers from the starting lineup, Alexander Kauffman and Josh Alexander, graduated.

Funk went 31-7 and won the 115-pound Allegheny County Championship. Hamilton was 30-12 and Worsen was 27-8.

All 10 returners are either a junior or a senior and with some younger guys in the mix as well, there’s plenty of depth for the Foxes to choose from.

“We’re just over 40 wrestlers on the varsity squad and a lot of them are seniors and juniors that have varsity experience,” Frank said. “They have seen what it’s like to wrestle at a high level. It makes coaching so fun, because we have options at a bunch of weights and not only is it depth, but it’s depth that has wrestled in a varsity room for a while and has a lot of varsity matches under their belt.”

Fox Chapel is in Section 5-3A with Kiski Area, Hampton, Indiana and Armstrong. Hampton and Indiana bumped up from Class 2A.

A pair of Kiski Area wrestlers had strong sophomore campaigns.

Cooper Roscosky won the WPIAL Class 3A 189-pound title and placed sixth in the state. Roscosky defeated Norwin’s Nathan Campbell with a 4-2 sudden victory in the WPIAL championship match. He’s amassed a 72-15 record through two seasons and was 40-5 last year.

Abrahm Taylor nearly qualified for states, finishing seventh at WPIALs.

Other Cavaliers with 20-plus wins last season are senior Ryder Evans, junior John Deluca and sophomore Travis Shearer.

The Cavaliers made the WPIAL team tournament, defeating Moon in a play-in match before falling to Trinity in the first round.

Plum also made the team tournament but lost to Norwin in the first round. The Mustangs graduated a half-dozen wrestlers — Antonino Walker, Carson Yocca, Jack Tongel, Sam Snyder, Rylen Campbell and Dylan Overcash — all of whom had strong careers. Walker, Snyder, Yocca and Campbell are wrestling in college. Walker finished third at WPIALs last year and was a two-time state qualifier.

Seniors Julian Sepelyak and Trent Reese and juniors Owen Campbell and Frank Grazulis are key returners to the Mustangs lineup. Coach Mike Supak said freshman Jake Ligo is an intriguing newcomer.

Plum is in Section 9-3A with Franklin Regional, Norwin, Penn-Trafford and Gateway.

There will be a few rule changes when it comes to scoring this year. The PIAA adjusted the scoring system closer to NCAA wrestling and more points are up for grabs.

“Scoring should be up, and that’s going to be a big change for wrestlers and coaches with how that changes the strategy within matches,” Frank said. “In my 36 years being involved in wrestling as a competitor and coach, my wrestling math was pretty set and now it’s totally different, so that’ll be a change for everyone.

“I think it’ll be good. The goal, from what I’ve seen, is they’re trying to promote more offense, activity and a better pace overall to matches.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Fox Chapel, Kiski Area, Plum