Wrestling notebook: Key matches possible in section tournaments

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 | 7:41 PM

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Some potentially interesting matchups could be in store at the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA section team tournaments.

In Class AAA, the Section 1 showdown between No. 4 Hempfield and No. 5 Kiski Area and the Section 4 showdown between No. 1 Waynesburg and No. 3 Canon-McMillan headline the possible matchups.

The top teams in Section 2 are Connellsville and Mt. Lebanon, while the Section 3 elite are North Allegheny and Seneca Valley.

The best matchup in Class AA will be in Section 1, where McGuffey and Burgettstown could collide. The Section 2 tournament has a possible rematch between Laurel and Quaker Valley.

The section tournaments will serve as seeding for the WPIAL team tournament, which begins on Monday.

Gulibon, Shields to be inducted

Former Derry Area and Penn State wrestler Jimmy Gulibon and former Burrell wrestler Jordan Shields will be part of the 2020 Southwest Pennsylvania Hall of Fame that will be inducted March 14 at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic.

Official John Hnath and coach Dave Ciafre also is part of the class.

Gulibon was a four-time PIAA and WPIAL champion with a 134-4 career record at Derry. He also was a four-time Powerade champion and an NCAA All-American.

Shields was a four-time WPIAL Class AA champion and a PIAA champion in 2007. His career record was 163-27.

Billett to be inducted

Former Latrobe wrestling coach Marc Billett will be part of the 27th class of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The banquet will be April 26 at the Hershey Lodge.

Billett was a 1972 graduate of Lock Haven University. He coached both the Latrobe high school and junior high school teams.

He coached the junior high team for 19 seasons and compiled a 177-21-1 record. In 1991, he became the high school coach and finished with a 218-104-1 record.

Others to be inducted with Billett are Roger Crebs of William Tennant as a coach, Ken Daws as an official, Robert Koffler of Philadelphia as a coach, John Little of Solanco as a coach, Carl Poff of Bloomsburg as a coach, Steve Capoferri of Elizabethtown as a coach, Marty Strayer III of Manheim as an official and Rich Vetock of Central Cambria as a coach and contributor.

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.