Pisani, Brothers seek more medals

by Tri County Courier Express

Posted on March 5, 2009

HERSHEY - For the second straight year, the Tri-County Area will have six representatives take to the mats when the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships get underway Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey and most of the area wrestlers could be in the hunt to win a coveted state medal.
The group is highlighted by Ridgway junior Garet Pisani (130) and Curwensville junior Derek Brothers (119), both of whom have brought home state hardware in the past.
Joining the duo in Hershey are Curwensville's Jeff Thomas (145), Redbank Valley's Logan Shirey (171), Ridgway's Joe Chittester and newcomer senior Jaron Licatovich of Brockway.
Licatovich, who placed fourth at regionals last week at 140, will make the trip Hershey after Smethport senior Jon-Marc Burdick (regional runner-up) was forced to withdraw due to an injury suffered in the regional finals last weekend in Sharon.
Of the six, Pisani by far has the most momentum entering Chocolatetown after upsetting Reynolds senior Cody Kelly, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state, in last weekend's regional final, 3-2. Pisani is making his third straight trip to states and placed sixth last year at 119.
The 130-pound bracket has nine wrestlers in it who were at states last year, but on paper Pisani's huge win last week appears to have put him in the more favorable half of the draw.
Pisani (35-2) opens with Burrell senior Tyler Berger (30-9) and with a win could face returning state qualifier Logan Sheldon (34-1) of Hyndman in the second round.
Pisani's half of the draw also features Pen Argyl senior Austin Williams (35-3), who placed fourth at 125 last year, and returning state qualifiers Colin Sheridan (37-9) of Mount Pleasant and Warrior Run's Bryson Brooke (31-2), both of whom won one match last year in Hershey.
Any of those could be potential semifinal opponents for Pisani if the Elker wins his first two bouts.
The top half at 130 features three wrestlers who placed in the top three last year at states.
Kelly (44-3), who was third at 125 last year, opens with returning qualifier Brandon Pesarchick (35-4) of Shamokin with the winner likely to face Shady Side Academy junior Frank Martellotti (27-6).
Martellotti was third at 112 last year and won a state title at 103 two years ago. Wyomissing's Nick Hodgkins (39-2), the Southeast Regional Champ who was second at 125 last year, also is in the top half of the draw.
Brothers, also making his third trip to states, finds himself at one of the toughest weights in Class AA as 11 of the 16 kids at 119 were at states a year ago.
Brothers, who didn't place last year but medaled two years ago, actually landed in the perceived easier half of the draw despite losing last weekend in Sharon.
Brothers (32-3) opens with Saucon Valley's Adam Phillippi (34-6) and with a win could wrestle Benton's Mike Rhone (30-6) in the second round. Rhone placed eighth at 112 last year.
The top half of the draw also features Southwest Regional champ AJ Schopp (36-0) of Tyrone, who upset defending state champ Anthony Zanetta of Keystone Oakes last weekend.
Schopp was fifth at 112 last year.
Schopp's second round opponent will be the winner between the other two returnees North East's Christian Drain (27-7) and Brandywine Heights' Zane Yocco (32-4), who placed seventh at 112 last year.
The bottom half of the draw at 119 could have an interesting second-round matchup - a rematch of last year's 112-pound state final between Zanetta and Boiling Springs' Joe Spisak (36-2).
The bottom half also features Forest Hills senior David Fogle (31-5), who was fourth at 119 last year and three other returning qualifiers, including Reynolds' Adam Matthews, who beat Brothers 6-5 last weekend.
Thomas finds himself at a weight (145) with few state returnees (five), but three are on his half of the draw. Thomas (30-4) opens with Warrior Run's Tyler Hain (32-4) and with a win could face Portage's Shawn Perich (35-0), the Southwest champ who placed sixth at 135 last year.
Midd-West's Ty Knepp (39-2), who placed fourth at 140 in 2008, also is in the bottom of the bracket.
The top half of the bracket features state runner-up Eric Hess (33-2) of Benton, who was second at 130 last year.
Shirey (171) and Chittester (285) both find themselves in wide open weight classes with few returnees as well. Shirey (30-5), making his first trip to Hershey, opens with Montoursville's Sam Shaheen (32-10), and the only returnee in his half of the draw is Octorara's Josh Smith (33-3), who placed fourth at 171 last year.
The bottom half at 171 features Grove City senior Caleb Kolb (35-0), the odds-on favorite to win the weight this year.
Kolb placed third at 160 a season ago. Fort Cherry's Sam Guidi (36-5) is the only other returnee and would be a potential semifinal foe for Kolb.
There are four state returnees in the heavyweight field, only one whom medaled last year. Chittester (35-3) happened to draw that medalist - Lackawanna Trail's Lance Moore (33-2) - in the opening round. Moore placed fifth at 215 last year. Carlynton senior Jordan Roussos (36-1), the Southwest champ who made it to states at 215 last year, also is in Chittester's half of the draw.
Licatovich finds himself in the challenge of gearing back up after thinking his season was over. The Rover opens with Claysburg-Kimmel senior Daniel Knott (31-4), a returning qualifier at 140 who went 0-2 at states last year.
Licatovich also has three other four other state returnees in his half of the bracket, including Bermudian Springs senior Derek Schmelyun (43-0), who placed third at 135 last year.
The bottom half at 140 is dominated by Shady Side Academy senior Dane Johnson (49-2), a two-time defending state champ who won at 125 last year.
Other District 9 wrestlers who will be in action at states are Smethport's Tim Hubbard (125), defending state champ Dirk Cowburn (152) of Coudersport, Keystone's Mike Switzer (160) and Kane's Ross Nicholson (215).

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