Breaking down the 2022-23 WPIAL wrestling semifinals

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, February 3, 2023 | 4:29 PM

WPIAL team wrestling championship

Class 3A

Semifinals

10 a.m. Saturday at Peters Township High School

No. 1 Waynesburg (12-2) vs. No. 4 Connellsville (14-4)

Path to semifinals: Waynesburg defeated Fox Chapel, 54-9, in first round and Plum, 48-14, in the quarterfinals. Connellsville defeated Franklin Regional, 46-18, in the first round and West Allegheny, 36-24, in quarterfinals.

Playoff record: Waynesburg (28 years, 3A 36-26, 5 years 2A 11-2); Connellsville (45 years, 86-38).

WPIAL team tournament titles: Waynesburg (7, 3A: 1989, 2020, 2021, 2022; 2A: 1979, 1980, 1988); Connellsville (7, 3A: 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008).

WPIAL semifinal appearances: Waynesburg (2A: 5; 3A: 11); Connellsville (3A: 26)

Record in finals: Waynesburg (7-4); Connellsville (7-8)

Last meeting: Connellsville 36, Waynesburg 33 (Dec. 22, 2022)

2022 championship: Waynesburg 35, Connellsville 18

The skinny: Waynesburg has won three consecutive WPIAL Class 3A titles. … Connellsville is the only team to qualify for the team tournament every year since it began in 1979. … Both teams have won one PIAA title, Connellsville in 2005 and Waynesburg in 2021.

Wrestlers to watch: Waynesburg: Mac Church (145 pounds), Rocco Welsh (172) and Eli Makel (285); Connellsville: Jacob Layton (121), Evan Petrovich (127) and Lonzy Vielma (139).

No. 2 Canon-McMillan (12-2) vs. No. 11 Hempfield (8-4)

Path to semifinals: Canon-McMillan defeated Penn-Trafford, 49-15, in the first round and Norwin, 56-9, in the quarterfinals. Hempfield defeated Trinity, 33-33, (criteria D most wins 7-6), in the first round and Butler, 32-31, in the quarterfinals.

Playoff record: Canon-McMillan (40 years, 94-33); Hempfield (26 years, 29-25).

WPIAL team tournament titles: Canon-McMillan (9, 3A: 1983, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013); Hempfield (1, 3A: 2007).

WPIAL semifinal appearances: Canon-McMillan (3A, 30); Hempfield (3A, 10)

Record in finals: Canon-McMillan (9-9); Hempfield (1-0)

Last meeting: Canon-McMillan 40, Hempfield 24 (Dec. 22, 2022)

2022 championship: Waynesburg 35, Connellsville 18

The skinny: Canon-McMillan won PIAA titles in 2012 and 2013. … Hempfield is 1-8 in the semifinals. … Canon-McMillan is 18-11 in the semifinals.

Wrestlers to watch: Canon-McMillan: Tanner Mizenko (107), Brandon Dami (127) and Matt Furman (172). Hempfield: Ethan Lebin (133), Eli Carr (139) and Lucas Kapusta (152).

Class 2A

Semifinals

Noon Saturday at at Chartiers-Houston

No. 1 Burgettstown (13-0) vs. No. 5 Frazier (11-6)

Path to semifinals: Burgettstown defeated Southmoreland, 70-3, in the first round and Mt. Pleasant, 42-25, in the quarterfinals. Frazier defeated Hopewell, 54-18, in the first round and Highlands, 45-20, in the quarterfinals.

Playoff record: Burgettstown (29 years, 20-20); Frazier (1 year, 2-0)

WPIAL team tournament titles: Burgettstown (29 years, 0); Frazier (1 year, 0)

WPIAL semifinal appearances: Burgettstown (2A, 10); Frazier (2A, 1)

Record in finals: Burgettstown (0-3); Frazier (0-0)

Last meeting: First meeting

2022 championship: Quaker Valley 30, Burrell 28

The skinny: Burgettstown is 0-3 in the finals and 3-6 in the semifinals. … The Blue Devils lost to Quaker Valley, 35-34, in the 2022 semifinals. … Frazier makes history every time it steps on the mat in the playoffs during its first appearance.

Wrestlers to watch: Burgettstown: Parker Sentipal (114), Dylan Slovick (127) and Joe Baronick (285). Frazier: Jonah Erdely (145), Ryan Celaschi (160) and Rune Lawrence (189).

No. 3 Burrell (10-3) vs. No. 2 Quaker Valley (14-4)

Path to semifinals: Burrell defeated Knoch, 71-3, in the first round and Laurel, 39-19, in the quarterfinals. Quaker Valley defeated Jefferson-Morgan, 42-36, in the first round and McGuffey, 44-21, in the quarterfinals.

Playoff record: Burrell (31 years, 67-13); Quaker Valley (6 years, 10-5)

WPIAL team tournament titles: Burrell (17, 2A: 1997, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021); Quaker Valley (1, 2A: 2022).

WPIAL semifinal appearances: Burrell (2A, 27); Quaker Valley (2A, 2)

Record in finals: Burrell (17-4); Quaker Valley (1-0)

Last meeting: Quaker Valley 30, Burrell 28 (Feb. 3, 2022)

2022 championship: Quaker Valley 30, Burrell 28

The skinny: Burrell has been in the 2A finals every year since 2003. Its semifinal record is 21-5. … The Bucs first title came in 1997. … Quaker Valley is 1-3 in the semifinals.

Wrestlers to watch: Burrell: Cam Baker (107), Cooper Hornack (127) and Isaac Lacinski (172). Quaker Valley: Jack Kazalas (127), Michael Carmody (139) and Logan Richey (145).

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.

Tags: Burgettstown, Burrell, Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Frazier, Hempfield, Quaker Valley, Waynesburg