Picking the Trib HSSN Wrestling Team of the 2000s: Class AAA lower weights

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, December 28, 2020 | 12:33 PM

Since high school sports have been put on hold until Jan. 4, and with the postponements of three big holiday wrestling tournaments, now is a good time to take a look back and pick the top wrestlers from the WPIAL since the start of the century.

Wrestling hasn’t been better in the WPIAL than in the past 20 seasons. There are 100 wresters from the WPIAL that have won PIAA titles, and 36 of them were multiple-time champions.

Derry’s Jimmy Gulibon and Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale were four-time champions, while 13 more wrestlers won three titles. That list includes Waynesburg’s Coleman Scott, Franklin Regional’s Spencer Lee and Nico Megaludis, Derry’s Troy Dolan and Micky Phillippi, Kittanning’s Jason Nolf, Latrobe’s Luke Pletcher and Shady Side Academy’s Dane Johnson.

Many went on to star in college.

So with a little help from the wrestling community, let’s see who fans think are the best in each weight class and each classification.

For six straight days, the @TribLiveHSSN Twitter account will post polls asking fans to pick the top wrestler in five weight classes per day.

Check back each day for a new set of weights to vote on and a look at the results from the previous day’s polls.

At the end of the week, I’ll release my teams and we’ll see how they stack up against each other.

It’s not easy. There will be numerous four-time WPIAL champions that might be left off.

There are wrestlers on the list that won more NCAA titles than PIAA titles, but voting is based on their high school career, not their college career.

It’s an impressive list of wrestlers to consider. Wrestlers are slotted into weight classes that they competed in during their careers. The weights they won PIAA titles at are highlighted. There are also some four-time WPIAL champions that didn’t win PIAA titles.

The Day 1 ballot features Class AAA lower weights.

106 pounds

• Devin Brown, Franklin Regional/Saegertown, 171-13, 3-time PIAA champ, (106, 113)

• Kurtis Phipps, Norwin, 152-10, PIAA champ (126), 2-time PIAA runner-up (106, 120), 4-time WPIAL champ (106, 106, 120, 126)

• Shane Young, Penn-Trafford, 153-19, 3-time PIAA champ (103, 112, 119)

113 pounds

• Jeff Breese, McGuffey, 103-9, PIAA champ (112)

• Colin Johnston, Canon-McMillan, 163-10, PIAA champ (112), 4-time WPIAL champ

• Nico Megaludis, Franklin Regional, 170-1, 3-time PIAA champ (112, 119, 125), PIAA third place, 4-time WPIAL champ

120 pounds

• Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional, 144-1, 3-time PIAA champion (113, 120, 120), PIAA runner-up (125), 4-time WPIAL champ

• Logan Macri, Canon-McMillan, 152-30, PIAA champ (120)

• Justin Spates, Mt. Pleasant, 124-5, PIAA champ (119)

125 pounds

• Sam Hillegas, North Hills, 157-5, 2-time PIAA champ (113, 126)

• Coleman Scott, Waynesburg, 156-12, 3-time PIAA champ (106, 112, 125), 4-time WPIAL champ

• Connor Schram, Canon-McMillan, 158-11, 2-time PIAA champ (103, 126)

132 pounds

• AC Headlee, Waynesburg, 167-16, PIAA champ (132)

• Donnie Jones, Greensburg Salem, 154-7, 2-time PIAA champ (130, 140), PIAA runner-up (152)

• Tyler Smith, Franklin Regional, 158-21, PIAA champ (132)

Trib HSSN is picking the WPIAL wrestling team of the 2000s and we need your help. For the next six days, we'll be posting 5 polls per day, asking fans to choose the top wrestler of the last 20 years in all weight classes and classificationshttps://t.co/f1z71U2BF4 pic.twitter.com/qGLdcA7uIe

— TribLive HSSN (@TribLiveHSSN) December 28, 2020

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.