Burrell, Waynesburg set to defend WPIAL wrestling titles as brackets are revealed
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Tuesday, February 9, 2021 | 12:13 PM
Burrell’s AJ Corrado beats Mt. Pleasant’s Noah Gnibus in the 172-pound bout during WPIAL AA team sectionals Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 at Valley High School.
Burrell’s AJ Corrado and Kiski’s Enzo Moriacci compete in the 160-pound bout during the Westmoreland County wrestling tournament finals Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, at Kiski Area High School.
Waynesburg (Class AAA) and Burrell (Class AA) were seeded No. 1 in their classifications for the WPIAL wrestling team tournaments which are scheduled to begin Wednesday.
Both are returning champions, and Burrell will be looking for its 15th consecutive title and 17th in school history. Waynesburg has won six titles, two in Class AAA and four in Class AA.
Class AAA includes seven teams, and Class AA includes a six-team bracket.
Waynesburg (10-0) received an opening-round bye and will face the winner of North Allegheny (12-2) and Thomas Jefferson (8-3), which begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Waynesburg received a bye because Section 1 champion Kiski Area opted not to participate in the tournament.
All semifinal-round matches are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Waynesburg moved its semifinal match to Canon-McMillan to accommodate more fans, according to WPIAL wrestling chairman and Canon-McMillan athletic director Frank Vulcano Jr.
No. 2 Seneca Valley (18-1) will host the other quarterfinal and semifinal rounds in Class AAA. The Raiders face Peters Township (9-2) and the winner will take on either No. 3 Connellsville (6-3) or No. 6. Penn-Trafford (12-7).
Connellsville is making its 43rd consecutive appearance in the WPIAL tournament. The Falcons are the only program to qualify for the WPIAL tournament every year since the first tournament in 1979.
Burrell and No. 2 Burgettstown are Wednesday’s host sites in Class AA. They both received a bye in the quarterfinals.
Burrell (10-1) will face the winner of No. 5 Quaker Valley (12-5) and No. 4 Mt. Pleasant (10-6). Burgettstown (12-0) gets the winner of No. 3 Beth-Center (14-2) and No. 6 Montour (5-2).
The finals are Saturday at Canon-McMillan. Class AA is at noon and Class AAA at 2:30 p.m.
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: Burrell, Waynesburg
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