Burgettstown gets WPIAL in win column at PIAA team wrestling championships
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Thursday, February 9, 2023 | 5:30 PM
Burgettstown junior Gaven Suica takes down Honesdale senior Braden McLaughlin during the 133-pound match at the PIAA Class 2A team championship Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Burgettstown heavyweight Joey Baronick pins Honesdale’s Evan Funk in the PIAA Class 2A team championship first round Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Burgettstown junior Darius Simmons attempts to pin Honesdale’s Sam Eisele during the 107-pound match at the PIAA Class 2A team championship Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
HERSHEY — Burgettstown ended a long streak for WPIAL Class 2A teams other than Burrell at the PIAA team championship Thursday at the Giant Center.
The WPIAL champions defeated District 2 champion Honesdale, 34-27, and became the first Class 2A team other than Burrell to win in Hershey in 16 years. It was also the Blue Devils’ first win in the state tournament at the Giant Center. They won a match in 2022 to reach Hershey.
Burgettstown got pins from heavyweight Joey Baronick, 114-pounder Parker Sentipal and 127-pounder Dylan Slovick.
And for the second consecutive week, it was junior Rudy Brown securing the win with a 12-3 major decision victory. His win in the WPIAL finals finished off the Bucs and gave the Blue Devils their first WPIAL team title since the tournament began in 1979.
“It’s good to get a win, but it wasn’t the preferred way we were hoping to win,” Burgettstown coach Joey Vigliotti said. “Hopefully this was a wake-up call. We have to wrestle a lot better.”
Burgettstown will face District 11 runner-up Saucon Valley, which defeated District 6 champion United, 42-21, in the quarterfinals at noon Friday.
Brown stepped onto the mat with Burgettstown clinging to a 30-27 lead thanks to three straight wins by the Hornets.
But Brown, who threw up during the match, controlled Bennett Fritz and claimed a 12-3 victory.
“My goal was to go out and win,” Brown said. “I was glad it was me out there. Wrestling in the Giant Center is a great atmosphere.”
Burgettstown won seven of the 13 bouts. Jake Noyes gave the Blue Devils the early lead with a victory at 172.
Darius Simmons collected a major decision win at 114 and Gaven Suica was a winner by technical fall at 133.
First round
Burgettstown 34, Honesdale 27
172: Jakes Noyes (B) d. Levi Landy, 4-0.
189: Joe Landry (H) t.f. Tristin Roach, 17-1 (4:30).
215: Paul Renner (H) p. Tyler Cody, 1:51.
285: Joey Baronick (B) p. Evan Funk, :21.
107: Darius Simmons (B) major dec. Sam Eisele, 9-0.
114: Parker Sentipal (B) p. Justin Scanlon, 4:38.
121: Josh Young (H) p. Daniel Smith, 1:43.
127: Dylan Slovick (B) p. Charles Moran, 2:53.
133: Gaven Suica (B) t.f. Braden McLaughlin, 21-6 (5:32).
139: Tim Martin (H) d. Joseph Sentipal, 6-4.
145: Joey Giannetti (H) dec. Eric Kovach, 8-7.
152: Mason Avery (H) major dec. Logan Noyes, 11-0.
160: Rudy Brown (B) major dec. Bennett Fritz, 12-3.
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.
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