Burrell wrestling seeks revenge against Quaker Valley in WPIAL semifinals

By: Michael Love
Friday, February 3, 2023 | 6:26 PM

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The last time the Burrell wrestling team didn’t make it to at least the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals was in 2000.

While that two-decades-long streak remains intact — Burrell is in the final four with Quaker Valley, Burgettstown and Frazier — the goal, as it always has been for the Bucs, is to bring home WPIAL gold. The semifinals begin at noon Saturday at Chartiers-Houston High School.

“We’ve been preparing for this weekend ever since it ended last year,” coach Josh Shields said. “It’s been something that has been circled on their calendars. The kids have been looking forward to getting back and competing for a WPIAL title.”

The sting of last year’s 30-28 loss to Quaker Valley in the WPIAL championship and the end to a remarkable 15-year title streak remains for Burrell, and it will get the chance to return the favor as the teams — the second-seeded Quakers (14-4) and third-seeded Bucs (10-3) — renew pleasantries at noon.

The winner will face No. 1 Burgettstown (13-0) or No. 5 Frazier (11-6) in the championship about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the semifinals.

Eight Burrell wrestlers who competed in last year’s title match with Quaker Valley are back.

Junior Nico Zanella, senior Cam Martin, sophomore Luke Boylan, junior Cooper Hornack, and sophomore Isaac Lacinski each picked up wins against the Quakers.

It was QV’s first WPIAL title in only its fifth year of competition in the WPIAL and PIAA.

It came down to 152 pounds, and then-senior Justin Richey, now wrestling at Gettysburg, scored the decisive points with a pin in less than a minute.

Burrell and Quaker Valley will meet for the fourth straight year in the semifinals or finals.

The Bucs topped the Quakers, 41-27, in the 2021 semifinals and 57-15 in the 2020 semis.

Quaker Valley’s first crack at the WPIAL tournament came in 2018 when it lost in the first round. The next year, the Quakers fell in the semifinals to Freedom.

“The guys have really focused on the big picture, and that is winning both matches tomorrow,” Shields said.

“But I am glad, and the kids are glad, to get to wrestle Quaker Valley in the semifinals. Obviously, there is history there. That match last year was super competitive, like we expected. But that is just the first step. The guys are going in excited and ready to battle, but there is a little bit more to the semifinals that it is Quaker Valley who we are facing.”

The Quakers, who defeated Jefferson-Morgan (42-36) and McGuffey (44-21) in the first two rounds Wednesday, are led by five wrestlers ranked by Trib HSSN. At the top are junior Jack Kazalas (21-2), No. 1 at 121 pounds, and senior Logan Richey (22-7), No. 1 at 145.

“They have a lot of good lightweights and middleweights,” Shields said.

“Kazalas was a state placewinner last year. Richey is a really tough wrestler. He’s given Cooper (Hornack) some tough matches over the years. They also have a nice influx of freshmen. We also have strength in the lightweights and in the middle, so it will be interesting to see how all of that will play out.”

Burrell punched its ticket to the semifinals with convincing victories Wednesday over Knoch (71-3) and Laurel (39-19). Martin, Hornack, Zanella, and Boylan; senior Niko Ferra; and freshmen Cam Baker, Julian Bertucci, and Luca Rosa recorded two victories each on the evening.

“It was nice to see the guys take that first step on Wednesday and look good doing it,” Shields said.

“It was a solid effort from the team in both matches. They went out and took care of business and didn’t start looking ahead until the matches were over. It was something to build off of, and it gave us a lot of momentum heading into Saturday.”

Hornack’s two wins — a pair of pins — put him at 24 on the season (24-5) and three shy of 100 for his varsity career. He is No. 2 at 127 pounds in the latest Trib HSSN rankings.

Right behind Hornack in third at 127 is Quaker Valley senior Brandon Krul (25-2).

Burgettstown and Frazier on the other side of the bracket is a matchup of a team with a long history of wins at the WPIAL level — the Blue Devils won the first WPIAL Class 2A title in 1974 and previously captured the Class 3A crown in 1958 — and the other making its first WPIAL tournament appearance.

Burgettstown hopes to break its title drought in its 11th straight trip to the WPIAL tournament.

The Blue Devils wrestled in the 2020 and 2021 championship match, and they lost to Quaker Valley, 36-35, in a semifinal thriller last year.

Burrell also beat Burgettstown in the 2014 semifinals and the 2017 quarterfinals.

Frazier is in its seventh season of WPIAL and PIAA competition. The Section 2 champion defeated No. 4 Highlands, 45-30, in the quarterfinals to advance.

The two finalists and the consolation-match winner will advance to the PIAA tournament.

“It’s a pretty interesting final four,” Shields said. “You have Quaker Valley, Burgettstown and us who have been right there (in the WPIAL tournament). Frazier is a team where the coach puts in a lot of time, and it’s good to see them reap the benefits.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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