Area wrestlers set sights on Hershey

by Tri County Courier Express

Posted on March 2, 2009

For the thousands of wrestlers that started the season in December, the last leg of the journey for the best of them is nearly here as the preliminary-round pairings have been announced for this week's PIAA Wrestling Championships.
In Class AAA, the Clearfield Bisons have three horses in the race that begins Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey while the DuBois Beavers have two, while St. Marys, Punxsutawney and Bradford each have one.
DAHS junior T.J. Stanton will take a 28-5 mark as he faces McGuffey junior Alex Dunaway (29-7). Both were regional runners-up, Stanton in the Northwest and Dunaway in the Southwest.
Beaver 160-pound senior Billy Morrison (28-7) was third at regionals and he has a tough opening draw in facing Plymouth Whitemarsh sophomore John Staudenmayer (40-1). He was unbeaten before losing in the Southeast finals.
For the Bisons, unbeaten and defending 285-pound state champ Sean Owen (39-0) opens with LaSalle senior Kyle DiGiacobbe (40-7). He was fourth in the Southeast.
A pair of wins for Owen could match him with the wrestler he beat for his first state title in 2008 - Abington Heights junior Evan Craig - in the semifinals. Craig hasn't lost since dropping a 9-7 decision to Owen in the finals and is 37-0, the Northeast champ.
Bison senior 130-pounder Holden Lowe (36-6) gets started with Unionville sophomore Mason Popham (29-5), the Southeast runner-up.
Bison senior 119-pounder Andrew Spicer (26-14) pulled some surprises to get to states and he'll face off against Council Rock North senior Zac Haynes (36-9), the Southeast champ.
For Dutchmen 215-pounder Sean Sadosky (32-2), he opens with Southwest runner-up Adam Lazenga of Bethel Park. Lazenga (32-5) is a junior.
Punxsy sophomore Kody Young is 39-1 and opens with Pleasant Valley junior Jordan Toledo (32-5), the Northeast champ, at 125.
Bradford sophomore Mark Havers is still rolling along at 29-0 after a dominating weekend at Altoona. He opens with Great Valley senior Travis Donnor (29-8), the fourth-place wrestler from the Southeast.
Wrestling in AAA begins at 4 p.m. Thursday.
In AA, Ridgway junior Garet Pisani (35-2) leads the Tri-County Area contingent to Hershey. Pisani is the Northwest champ after pulling off the surprise of the Northwest Regional in Sharon, beating top-ranked Cody Kelly of Reynolds.
Pisani's first opponent is Burrell senior Tyler Berger (30-9), the fourth wrestler from the Southwest.
Teammate Joe Chittester (35-3) joins Pisani after he wrestled back for third at 285. He opens with Lackawanna Trail junior Lance Moore (33-2), the second wrestler from the Northeast.
Curwensville also has two at states in 119-pounder Derek Brothers (32-3) and 145-pounder Jeff Thomas (30-4) after each finished second. Thomas opens with Warrior Run junior Tyler Hain (32-4) and Brothers starts with Saucon Valley junior Adam Phillippi (34-6).
For Redbank Valley, senior Logan Shirey (30-5) will begin with Montoursville senior Sam Shaheen (32-10).
Wrestling in AA begins at 9 a.m. Thursday.

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