Norwin’s Landon Sidun, Latrobe’s Hunter Snyder reach Powerade semifinals on busy wrestling weekend

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, December 27, 2024 | 10:21 PM

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It is good to have options, especially if you’re an avid wrestling fan. Friday and Saturday provided two top-notch tournaments within the WPIAL.

The 58th Powerade Tournament at Canon-McMillan featured 71 teams and numerous nationally ranked wrestlers. There were 16 WPIAL teams.

The 25th Southmoreland Holiday Classic in Alverton, meanwhile, featured 33 teams, including 31 from the state.

The two out-of-state teams at Southmoreland — Inland Lake, S.C. and Rockbridge County, Va. — are coached by former WPIAL coaches. Ryan Shaw coaches Indian Land and Mike Wood coaches Rockbridge County.

Usually, these two tournaments don’t go head to head. But because where Christmas and New Year’s Day fell on the calendar, both were scheduled on the same days.

Obviously, the 16 teams from the WPIAL to compete at the Powerade tournament ran into very tough competition Friday. Heading into the quarterfinal round on Day 1, only 12 WPIAL wrestlers were alive for gold medals. Only returning 114-pound champion Landon Sidun of Norwin and Latrobe sophomore Hunter Snyder at 189 reached the semifinals.

Connellsville senior Evan Petrovich, who placed sixth at 145 pounds, was one of the 11 to fall in the quarters.

The others were Thomas Jefferson seniors Bode Marlow (172) and Shepherd Turk (285), Connellsville senior Lonzy Vielma (160), Latrobe seniors Leo Joseph (121) and Luke Willochell (133), Derry sophomore Brady Brown (189), Kiski Area junior Cooper Roscosky (215), Indiana senior Nic Fanella (127), West Greene’s Colin Whyte (285) and Franklin Regional’s Henry Patts (189).

Thomas Jefferson senior Maddox Shaw, who finished third at 139 in 2023, was one of the 15 seeded wrestlers to withdraw from the tournament. Shaw was injured at the Beast of the East tournament Dec. 22.

Sidun advanced to the semifinals with a 4-0 victory against Tommy Marchetti of Delbarton, N.J., while Snyder blanked Aiden Peterson of St. Edward in Ohio, 9-0.

The semifinals at Powerade are at 11 a.m. and the finals are at 3:30 p.m.

Latrobe had three wrestlers in the quarters and three in the consolation round.

Wildcats coach Mark Mears said the biggest thing he wanted his wrestlers to gain was the experience of competing against outstanding talent.

“This is as high or higher than they’re going to face at regional or states,” Mears said, “So this will prepare them for some of the showdowns at regionals. Our goal was to come here and return with three or four medals.

“Everyone is good here. The wrestlers in the quarterfinals are outstanding.”

Connellsville coach Bill Swink this tournament provides valuable experience.

“We’re wrestling tough matches and tough kids from all over the country,” Swink said. “You’re learning how to compete in those matches and that goes a long way in March.”

“I’d like to have five wrestlers still competing on Saturday,” Swink said. “That would be good.”

Burrell did not have any wrestlers left in the winners bracket, but first-year coach Steve Ansani still had seven competing in the consolation rounds.

“I want to see that guys give effort and with effort comes wins,” Ansani said. “This is probably the best competition in the country, and I just want our guys to compete.”

Kiski Area had Roscosky in the quarters and three others in the consolations.

One wrestler who Kiski Area coach Chris Heater hoped to shine was freshman Mario Hutcherson, who wrestled a match and then became ill and was forced to withdraw.

“I don’t know how he got through his match,” Heater said.

Though the top national competition wasn’t at Southmoreland, it still had state-caliber wrestling. Fox Chapel coach Mike Frank said the tournament provided quality competition.

“There is a good variety here,” Frank said. “There are a lot of wrestlers here we will never face. There is a bunch of good teams.

“We can use this tournament to help teach some of our younger kids who get a chance to compete.”

There were six returning champions who advanced to Saturday’s semifinals: Butler’s Santino Sloboda (127), Fox Chapel’s Michael Worsen (121), North East’s Cyrus Hurd (133), Baldwin’s Ramil Islamov (139), Corry Area’s Mason Savitz (172) and Somerset’s Rowan Holmes (215).

Corry Area leads in the team scoring with 135.5 points. Butler is second with 123.5 and Fox Chapel is third with 114.

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.