CLARION, Pa. – A trio of wrestlers earned their third District 9 titles at the individual championships held Saturday at PennWest Clarion’s Tippin Gym (Feb. 25) – 114-pounder Weston Pisarchick of Brockway, Johnsonburg 160-pounder Aiden Zimmerman, and 172-pounder Waylon Wehler of St. Marys.
Pisarchick’s and Wehler’s performances at the tournament were such that they shared Outstanding Wrestler honors as voted upon by the district’s coaches.
A junior, Pischarchik was the first of the trio to win his third championship.
The Brockway grappler pinned his way to the finals – sticking Johnsonburg’s Brady Porter in the
quarterfinals (1:05) and Bryndin Chamberlain of Clearfield in the semis (1:27).
In the finals, Pisarchick was all over St. Marys’s Aiden Beimel, scoring a 16-1 technical fall over the Dutch wrestler early in the third period (4:12).
“It means a lot (winning a third district title),” Pisarchick said. “Coming out here and watching this growing up (the district tournament), always dreaming of it, and then coming out here and actually doing it. It’s a good feeling,
“I started (the tournament) a little tired from the weight cut and then just picked up from there. At the end of the day, I came out on top, it’s alright. I thought I was on top of my game and wrestled well on my feet.”
The 114-pound medal stand for the 2023 D9 wrestling championships included champion Parker Pisarchick of Brockway (2nd from right) as well as runner-up Aiden Beimel of St. Marys (2nd from left), 3rd-place finisher Carter Chamberlain of Clearfield (far right), and 4th place finisher Logan Powell of Clarion (far left). Photo by Kenn Staub
Wehler, a senior, started his tournament by pinning Curwensville’s Jarett Anderson in the first period (1:04). He then took a 4-1 decision over Jack Smith of Brockway, reaching the finals with a third-period fall against Coudersport’s John Wright (3:30).
Aiden Bliss of Port Allegany was Wehler’s opponent in the title tilt.
Like Pisarchick, Wehler earned his championship with a third-period technical fall, 16-1 (4:32).
“It means that hard work pays off,” Wehler said. “We have a bigger tournament at regionals (March 3-4) and hopefully a medal at states this year.
“This tournament was what I was expecting, what I pictured in my mind. I came out here to wrestle and that’s what I did. I came here to work and that’s what I did.”
The 172-pound medal stand for the 2023 D9 wrestling championships included champion Waylon Wehler of St. Marys (2nd from right) as well as runner-up Aiden Bliss of Port Allegany (2nd from left), 3rd-place finisher Rayce Milliard of Johnsonburg (far right), and 4th place finisher Jack Smith of Brockway (far left). Photo by Kenn Staub
Zimmerman, also a senior, advanced to the finals with two consecutive falls – pinning St. Marys’s Hunter Chillelli in the quarterfinals (0:30) and Juuso Young of Port Allegany in the semifinals.
The Johnsonburg wrestler wrestled the full six minutes in the finals, taking a 3-1 decision from Luke Ely of Kane.
Ely scored first, notching an escape in the second period, to go up 1-0.
Behind on the scoreboard, Zimmerman opted to start the third on bottom.
An escape six seconds into the period tied the bout and a takedown with 1:03 left on the clock gave Zimmerman the victory.
“It (the third district championship) feels really good because I’ve been working really hard for 13, 14 years of my life,” Zimmerman said. “Always wrestling, working out in the weight room, doing all this extra stuff.
“My tournament was excellent. I was coming in after a long break from live tournaments, 20-some days. It felt good to be back on the mat and win some matches.”
The 160-pound medal stand for the 2023 D9 wrestling championships included champion Aiden Zimmerman of Johnsonburg (2nd from right) as well as runner-up Luke Ely of Kane (2nd from left), 3rd-place finisher Logan Augenbaugh of Curwensville (far right), and 4th place finisherCoyha Brown of Brookville (far left). Photo by Kenn Staub
Five teams had two titlists – Clearfield, Brookville, Cranberry, Brockway, and St, Marys.
Clearfield’s first title came at 121 pounds with Evan Davis making a takedown in the first period stand up for a 2-0 decision over Elijah Brosius of Cranberry. The championship was Davis’s first after three consecutive district runner-up finishes.
Brady Collins got the second Bison title at 139 pounds, pinning St. Marys’s Ben Reynolds halfway through the second period (3:01). Collins was the 3A champion at 126 pounds last season.
Davis’s and Collin’s performance paced Clearfield, who had six other placers, to the team title.
The Bison’s second-day performance catapulted the squad over first-day leader St. Marys, 186 points to 160.
Clearfield’s team win snapped a three-year run by Brookville as the top squad at individual districts. The Raiders finished fourth in the team competition with 143 points.
Dalton Wenner won the first of two championships for Cranberry, opening the final round with a first-period pin of Oswayo Valley’s Andrew Coriaty (1:01) at 107 pounds.
The Berries’ second titlist was the product of 215-pounder Brayden McFetridge’s 20-4 technical fall of Coudersport’s Gavyn Ayers as time wound down in their bout (6:00).
It was the first district crown for both Wenner and McFetridge.
In addition to Wenner and McFetridge, Cranberry has four other wrestlers advancing to next weekend’s regional tournament.
This, as well as the Berries’ performance during the regular season, earned Cranberry headman Dustin Wenner the Coach of the Year award as voted upon by his peers.
Cranberry took third in the team race, earning 155.5 points.
Brookville’s two champions were Cole Householder (127 pounds) and Jackson Zimmerman (189 pounds).
It was Householder’s second consecutive district title and Zimmerman’s first.
Householder’s final-round victory came via a first-period fall (1:31) against Cole Neil of St. Marys.
Zimmerman scored a 5-2 decision against Carter Chamberlain in the finals.
Weston Pisarchick’s younger brother, Parker, was Brockway’s other champion.
Parker Pisarchick pitched a shutout in the final round, earning his first district title with a 7-0 victory over Conner Reszkowski of Cranberry at 133 pounds.
Brockway finished fifth as a team (113 points).
Like Johnsonburg, Kane and Port Allegany had one champion apiece.
Reece Bechakas was Kane’s champion downing Clarion’s Mason Gourley, 3-1, at 152 pounds. The contest was a rematch of last year’s 145-pound final also won by Bechakas.
Port Allegany’s 285-pounder Carson Neely rebounded from a 4-9 2021-2022 campaign to win his first district title. His victory against Gavin Thompson of Brockway came when the Rover’s grappler had to default in the second period due to injury.
Displaying exemplary sportsmanship, Neely helped Thompson, who suffered an apparent leg injury, off the mat and to the trainer’s table when the latter proved unable to continue wrestling.
In addition to the district champion and runner-up at each weight, the third and fourth-place finishers also qualify for regionals.
The NW Regional 2A Tournament for District 9 and 10 teams is scheduled for next weekend (March 3-4) at Sharon High School. The top four placers in each weight class will advance to the state tournament in Hershey (March 10-11). ‘
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Clearfield 186.0
2. St. Mary’s 160.0
3. Cranberry 155.5,
4. Brookville 143.0
5. Brockway 113.0
6. Port Allegany 108.0
7. Curwensville 81.5
8. Kane 66.5
9. Johnsonburg 63.0
10. Coudersport 57.0
11. Clarion 51.5
12. Redbank Valley 42.0
13. Sheffield 38.5
14. Cameron County 21.0
14. Oswayo Valley 21.0
16. Ridgway 15.0
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
107 pounds: Dalton Wenner (Cranberry) over Andrew Coriaty (Oswayo Valley) (Fall at 1:01)
114 pounds: Weston Pisarchick (Brockway) over Aiden Beimel (St. Marys) (Tech fall 16-1 at 4:12)
121 pounds: Evan Davis (Clearfield) over Elijah Brosius (Cranberry) (Dec. 2-0)
127 pounds: Cole Householder (Brookville) over Cole Neil (St. Marys) (Fall at 1:31)
133 pounds: Parker Pisarchick (Brockway) over Conner Reszkowsk (Cranberry) (Dec. 7-0)
139 pounds: Brady Collins (Clearfield) over Ben Reynolds (St. Marys) (Fall at 3:01)
145 pounds: Jaden Wehler (St. Marys) over Ty Aveni (Clearfield) (Major Dec. 8-0)
152 pounds: Reece Bechakas (Kane) over Mason Gourley (Dec. 3-1)
160 pounds: Aiden Zimmerman (Johnsonburg) over Luke Ely (Kane) (Dec. 3-1)
172 pounds: Waylon Wehler (St. Marys) over Aiden Bliss (Port Allegany)(Tech fall 16-1 at 4:32)
189 pounds: Jackson Zimmerman (Brookville) over Carter Chamberlain (Clearfield) (Dec. 5-2)
215 pounds: Brayden McFetridge (Cranberry) over Gavyn Ayers (Coudersport) (Tech fall 20-4 at 6:00)
285 pounds: Carson Neely (Port Allegany) over Gavin Thompson (Brockway) (Inj. Default)
THIRD-PLACE BOUTS:
107 pounds: Cash Diehl (Clearfield) over Michael Copello (Ridgway) (Dec 10-1)
114 pounds: Brydin Chamberlain (Clearfield) over Logan Powell (Clarion) (Dec 7-4)
121 pounds: Cole Bish (Redbank Valley) over Jayce Walter (St. Marys) (Dec 8-7)
127 pounds: Dylan Deluccia (Curwensville) over Colton Ryan (Clearfield) (Dec 6-2)
133 pounds: Colton Bumbarger (Clearfield) over Ryder Kuklinskie (Curwesnville) (Fall 3:30)
139 pounds: Dane Wenner (Cranberry) over Anthony Ceriani (Brookville) (Fall 1:58)
145 pounds: Nik Fegert (Curwensville) over Avery Bittler (Johnsonburg) (Dec 4-2)
152 pounds: Andrew Wolfanger (St. Marys) over Devyn Fleeger (Cranberry) (Dec 17-6)
160 pounds: Logan Augenbaugh (Curwensville) over Coyha Brown (Brookville) (Fall 2:24)
172 pounds: Rayce Milliard (Johnsonburg) over Jack Smith (Brockway) (Fall 0:26)
189 pounds: Beau Azzato (Cameron County) over Juuso Young (Port Allegany) (Fall 1:52)
215 pounds: Miska Young (Port Allegany) over Gavin Hannah (Brookville) (Dec 4-1)
285 pounds: Cooper Rossman (Coudersport) over Bailey Miller (Brookville) (Inj. Default)
FIFTH-PLACE BOUTS
107 pounds: Austin Gilliland (Curwensville) over Gage Park (Brockway) (Dec 5-2)
114 pounds: Alex McLaughlin (Cranberry) over Ian O’Shea (Port Allegany) (Fall 3:44)
121 pounds: A.J. Barnes (Sheffield) over Antonio Thornton (Brookville) (Dec 6-3)
127 pounds: Brandon Murray (Cranberry) over Brett Moss (Coudersport) (Fall 3:23)
133 pounds: Brecken Cieleski (Brookville) over Collin Brown (Sheffield) (Dec 10-4)
139 pounds: Colton Ross (Brockway) over Chase Kyler (Sheffield) (Dec 6-5)
145 pounds: Burke Fleming (Brookville) over Nolan Barnett (Redbank Valley) (Dec 10-5)
152 pounds: Rylan Arnold (Port Allegany) over Patrick Knepp (Clearfield) (Dec 4-0)
160 pounds: Mason Gordon (Port Allegany) over Carter Freeland (Clearfield) (Dec 5-2)
172 pounds: Easton Belfiore (Brookville) over John Wright (Coudersport) (Dec 5-1)
189 pounds: Seth Stewart (Brockway) over Ben Walter (Kane) (Fall 2:10)
215 pounds: Trenton Guiher (Curwensville) over Logan Edmonds (Clarion) (Inj. Default)
285 pounds: Gabe Carroll (Redbank Valley) over Nick Bailor (Clearfield) (Fall 1:45)
REGIONAL QUALIFIERS BY SCHOOL
Clearfield (8): 1st place-2, 2nd place-2, 3rd place-3, 4th place-1
St. Marys (7): 1st place-2, 2nd place-3, 3rd place-1, 4th place-1
Brookville (6): 1st place-2, 4th place-4
Cranberry (6): 1st place-2, 2nd place-2, 3rd place-1, 4th place-1
Brockway (4): 1st place-2; 2nd place-1; 4th place-1
Port Allegany (4): 1st place-1, 2nd place-1, 3rd place-1, 4th place-1
Curwensville (4): 3rd place-3, 4th place-1
Johnsonburg (3): 1st place-1, rd place-1, 4th place-1
Kane (2): 1st place-1, 2nd place-1
Coudersport (2): 2nd place-1, 3rd place-1
Clarion (2): 2nd place-1, 4th place-1
Oswayo Valley (1): 2nd place-1
Cameron County (1): 3rd place-1
Redbank Valley (1): 3rd place-1
Ridgway (1): 4th place-1
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story identified Cranberry head coach Dustin Wener as Dalton Werner
