Thomas Jefferson’s Bode Marlow seeking 4th Allegheny County wrestling title

By: Paul Schofield
Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | 2:17 PM

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Thomas Jefferson senior Bode Marlow is on a mission.

He wants to be his school’s next wrestler to win a PIAA title.

Teammate Maddox Shaw won a state title last winter, and Marlow, who placed third, wants to be on the top of the podium in early March.

Marlow (27-2, 139-29) is having another super season.

He won the Mid-Winter Mayhem tournament Saturday at IUP and placed third at the Beast of the East and Powerade tournaments in December.

Now he has his eye on becoming the sixth four-time Allegheny County champion when he competes at the annual county tournament Friday and Saturday at Fox Chapel.

Marlow hopes to join Plum’s Sean Clair (2002-05), Shaler’s Nick Nelson (2004-07), North Allegheny’s Dom Forys (2011-14), North Hills’ Gage Curry (2013-16) and Mt. Lebanon’s Mac Stout (2017-20) in the four-time winners’ club.

Shaw is aiming to join a group of 13 three-time Allegheny County champions.

Marlow is favored to win his fourth title as the No. 1 seed at 172 pounds.

“I haven’t looked to see who is in the bracket,” Marlow said. “I really don’t want to think about being the next four-time champion. It would be awesome, but I just want to go out and have fun.”

His two losses this season were to Ryan Burton, 4-2, of St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) at the Beast of the East, and to Max Norman, 11-5, of Baylor (Tenn.) at Powerade. He defeated Norman, 10-2, later in the tournament.

Marlow has been a scoring machine. In seven of his last eight matches, which included one pin, Marlow has scored more than 20 points against his opponents.

In the finals at Mid-Winter Mayhem he fell behind 10-1 to Abington Heights’ Brian Heard after he accidentally got kicked in a sensitive area. But he reset and refocused and rallied for a 26-17 victory.

“I’m not worried about pins, I just want to be aggressive and score points,” Marlow said. “I feel the strongest when I’m in the neutral position. I just want to score a lot of points.

“There are things I’m still working on and there are a lot of challenges out there for me.”

Marlow has committed to Pitt, and he likes the direction the Panthers are headed.

“The coaches are great, and we’re getting a new facility,” Marlow said of the Victory Heights project in Oakland. “It’s also close to home. I can’t wait.”

The other returning Allegheny County champions include Plum junior Owen Campbell, who won in 2023; Quaker Valley’s Bruce Anderchak (107); Fox Chapel’s Landon Funk (114); Moon’s Cael Yanek (121); Pine-Richland’s Dominic Ferraro (139); Central Catholic’s Nez Green (189) and Roman Thompson (215); and Thomas Jefferson’s Shep Turk (285).

Plum has won consecutive team titles, but Thomas Jefferson, North Allegheny, Fox Chapel and Bethel Park appear to be the favorites this weekend.

North Allegheny has won eight team titles, with the last in 2022. Thomas Jefferson won in 2019 and Bethel Park in 2009.

The Tigers also have the most individual county champions at 38. Central Catholic and Plum are second with 22, and Pine-Richland has 21.

23rd Allegheny County Wrestling Championships

When: Friday and Saturday

Where: Fox Chapel High School

Times: First round, 11:30 a.m., Friday; Consolations, 10 a.m. Saturday; Semifinals, 11:30 a.m. Saturday; Parade of champions and finals, 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Schools: Allderdice, Avonworth, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Brashear, Carlynton, Carrick, Central Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel, Gateway, Hampton, Highlands, Keystone Oaks, McKeesport, Montour, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, Neighborhood Academy, North Allegheny, North Hills, Obama Academy, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Plum, Quaker Valley, Riverview, Shaler, South Allegheny, South Fayette, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair, Westinghouse, West Mifflin, Woodland Hills.

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: Bethel Park, Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, Highlands, Moon, Pine-Richland, Plum, Quaker Valley, Riverview, Thomas Jefferson