Trib HSSN wrestler of the week: Bethel Park’s Luke Montgomery

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, January 1, 2019 | 8:33 PM

Wrestler of the week: Luke Montgomery, Bethel Park, jr.

Montgomery’s first action of the season came at the Southmoreland Holiday Classic, and he put on quite a show.

The 195-pounder, who wasn’t seeded for the tournament after going 38-26 in his first two seasons at Bethel Park, beat all five of his opponents to claim an individual title.

Among the victories in Montgomery’s run to the championship was a 10-5 decision in the round of 16 over Beth-Center’s Dominic Fundy, a former PIAA runner-up. Montgomery also had a pin and technical fall, and he beat top-seeded Hunter Tremain of North Star by a 5-0 decision in the finals.

Other nominees

Dylan Chappell, Seneca Valley, so.: His teammate Alejandro Herrera-Rondon won a Powerade Christmas Tournament title, but Chappell had an impressive run to finish runner-up at 106 pounds. The seventh seed in his bracket, Chappell beat second-seeded Pacey Najdusak of Mason (Ohio) in the quarterfinals before ultimately falling 5-3 to top-seeded Gary Steen of Reynolds — a defending state champion — in the final.

Sam Hillegas, North Hills, jr.: Hillegas won the Powerade Christmas Tournament for the second time in three years, beating friend and practice partner Darren Miller in the 132-pound final. It was a strong tournament for Hillegas, who won his first three matches by pin and never trailed in his three others.

Kurtis Phipps, Norwin, jr.: The 120-pound weight bracket at the Powerade Christmas Tournament included a dozen returning state medalists from across the country. Phipps beat three of them to defend his title at the prestigious Powerade. Phipps had two falls, two decisions and a major decision to reach the finals, where he overcame a 4-2 deficit to beat Stroudsburg’s Cameron Enriquez, 6-5.

Max Shaw, Thomas Jefferson, sr. : The star football player made the most of his first appearance at Powerade, rolling to the 195-pound title. Shaw, a third-place finisher at the PIAA championships last season, pinned two opponents, beat another by major decision and posted two comfortable decisions to earn the championship.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Doug at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.

Tags: Bethel Park, North Hills, Norwin, Seneca Valley, Thomas Jefferson