Pine-Richland makes statement at Allegheny County wrestling tournament

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, January 29, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Pine-Richland wrestling left the Allegheny County wrestling championships with some gold, silver and more proof of a program on the rise.

The Rams had three county champions, a pair of runners-up and placed second overall in the team standings at the annual tournament at Fox Chapel.

Anthony Ferraro (133) and Joey Schneck (285) became two-time county champs, while Vaughn Spencer (189) won his first.

They helped the Rams finish just behind Plum in the overall standings.

Spencer, a sophomore, was recently cleared to return after missing 18 months due to several injuries. He pinned North Hills’ Evan Letky in the finals. Scheck pinned Keystone Oaks’ Christian Flaherty and Ferraro earned a 6-1 decision over Elizabeth Forward’s Damon Michaels.

There were nearly two Ferraros crowned county champs. Dominic Ferraro advanced to the 127-pound final but lost by fall to Quaker Valley’s Brandon Krul.

It isn’t a surprise to Pine-Richland coach Caleb Kolb to see the success of the Ferraro brothers.

“Both of the Ferraro brothers are wrestlers through and through,” Kolb said. “They live, eat and breathe wrestling. They are passionate about it. Anthony is committed to Edinboro. It’ll be nice to follow these guys once they graduate and see how they wrestle in college.”

Schneck’s second county championship is another step toward qualifying for states in his final season. Kolb said Schneck trained all summer and even comes in before school to train on a regular basis. He does that all while being a member of the National Honor Society, with the goal of one day becoming a doctor.

“He’s doing all the right things to get to that next level, and it’s paying off for him,” Kolb said. “He’s had colleges calling him. That’s been a big joy. He’s one of those project guys that you put a lot of time in with. Whether he decides to wrestle in college or not, nobody ever regrets hard work.”

The Rams had a promising freshman make a strong debut at the county tournament in Mac Miller.

Miller advanced to the 152-pound final, where he lost by fall to Thomas Jefferson’s Bode Marlow.

Miller was 18-4 on the year entering a big section match with Butler on Jan. 25.

“We had a good heart to heart, and I let him know that he’s not too young to win,” Kolb said. “He’s a special guy that can truly do really amazing things with wrestling. He works hard every time he’s in the room. He asks questions and wants to get better. That’s exciting. You love coaching those kids.”

Jake Lukez (160) placed fifth and Rowan Foster (139) was eighth.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Pine-Richland