No. 1 Waynesburg rallies to win WPIAL Class AAA wrestling title in 31 years
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Saturday, February 1, 2020 | 8:32 PM
Waynesburg’s Eli Makel celebrates after defeating Seneca Valley’s Marshall Adamson during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Canon-McMillan’s Jacob Houpt wrestles Hempfield’s Brair Priest during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Hunter Swedish wrestles Waynesburg’s Nate Jones during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Chanz Shearer celebrates after beating Waynesburg’s Colten Stoneking during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Waynesburg’s Cole Homet wrestles Seneca Valley’s Alejandro Herrera-Rondon during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Waynesburg’s Eli Makel celebrates after defeating Seneca Valley’s Marshall Adamson during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Alejandro Herrera-Rondon wrestles Waynesburg’s Cole Homet during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Hempfield’s Julian Chillinsky wrestles Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis during the WPIAL Class AAA third-place match at Norwin.
Waynesburg’s Eli Makel celebrates after defeating Seneca Valley’s Marshall Adamson during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Marshall Adamson wrestles Waynesburg’s Eli Makel during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Alejandro Herrera-Rondon wrestles Waynesburg’s Cole Homet during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis Rohaley wrestles Hempfield’s Julian Chillinsky during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Chanz Shearer wrestles Waynesburg’s Colten Stoneking during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Hunter Swedish wrestles Waynesburg’s Nate Jones during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Seneca Valley’s Hunter Swedish wrestles Waynesburg’s Nate Jones during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Waynesburg’s Eli Makel celebrates after defeating Seneca Valley’s Marshall Adamson during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis Rohaley wrestles Hempfield’s Julian Chillinsky during the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship semifinal at Norwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
Waynesburg found itself in an unfamiliar position in the finals of the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling team championship.
With three bouts left Saturday, the top-seeded team needed to win all three and get bonus points in the process, and that’s what they did.
Wins by Nate Stephenson (152 pounds) and Luca Augustine (160) pulled Waynesburg to within three points, which set up a big finish by freshman Eli Makel.
Leading 2-0 in the second period, Makel pinned Marshall Adamson to give No. 1 Waynesburg a thrilling 33-30 victory against No. 2 Seneca Valley.
Both teams have qualified for the PIAA Team Tournament at Giant Center in Hershey on Thursday.
No. 3 Canon-McMillan, which defeated No. 4 Hempfield, 41-16, for third place, can join them if it defeats City League champion Carrick on Monday.
It’s Waynesburg’s first team title since 1989, and sixth since the tournament began in 1979.
“I had beaten the kid earlier this season, and I knew I could major him,” Makel said. “I knew a win wouldn’t do it because we had a team point deducted earlier in the match and we would have lost by criteria. So I had to get at least a major. When I locked in the headlock, I knew he wasn’t getting up.”
Waynesburg reached the finals by defeating Hempfield, 37-33.
“We just didn’t wrestle well,” Hempfield coach Tommy Dolde said. “I’d like to have a couple of those matches back against Waynesburg. Canon-McMillan just isn’t a good matchup for us.
“We had a couple wrestlers competing up, and they were light. We were just outgunned in a couple weight classes.”
Hempfield’s Justin Cramer (195) and Isaiah Vance (285) had pins against Waynesburg, a win by Ethan Berginc (120) and three forfeits after Waynesburg had clinched the match.
In the finals, Waynesburg won eight of the 14 bouts wrestled but pins by Liam Volk-Klos (182), Dave Beahm (285), Dylan Chappell (120) and Chanz Shearer (145) had Seneca Valley up 30-21.
“They kind of positioned themselves at the beginning, and we didn’t anticipate that,” Waynesburg coach Joe Throckmorton said. “I kind of knew what we had at the end and I tell our guys, if you lose momentum the next guy has to step up.”
The biggest win down the stretch came from Stephenson, who edged Antonio Amelio, 3-2, with a takedown in the third period. Augustine followed with a 9-4 win over Drew Vlasnik, which set up Makel’s heroics.
“Nate’s win was one that we had to have to make it all work,” Throckmorton said. “We needed an upset and we got one from Nate. That’s what we work so hard for.”
Waynesburg also got pins from Rocco Welsh (126), a forfeit to Wyatt Henson (138), and decisions from Mac Church (106), Ryan Howard (220) and a major decision by Noah Tustin (195).
Seneca Valley, which lost to Kiski Area in last year’s finals, was close to winning its first title.
“The loss isn’t on the final couple wrestlers,” Seneca Valley coach Kevin Wildrick said. “I’m very proud of the guys. We battled. We just had a couple points that didn’t go the right way.”
It was Seneca Valley that rallied to defeat Canon-McMillan, 31-30, in the semifinals. It was down 24-12 and won four of the last five for the thrilling win.
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: Canon-McMillan, Hempfield, Seneca Valley, Waynesburg
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