TRAVELING THE LONG ROAD TO HERSHEY
SOL Wrestlers Now Have Chance at Gold
By Glenn Kaiser
The road has been rough, and it has been a long journey for SOL wrestlers who now have the opportunity to capture gold in Chocolate Town, USA. These accomplished grapplers have now realized their dreams they had when they were youth wrestlers, to reach the pinnacle of Pennsylvania wrestling by qualifying for the 2026 PIAA AAA Individual Championships. All will battle to reach the podium in the Giant Center Saturday night after battling through this 3-day event that features the best-of-the-best. Throw-out the rankings, it’s time to settle things on the mat. All will vie for a state title and will certainly settle for a medal.
It’s time to shine, so let’s take a look at the individual brackets and who from the SOL will finish in the top eight in their respective weight classes with my picks.
107-pounds: Council Rock South’s super frosh Quinn Bagnell is positioned to medal in his first ride to Hershey. Bagnell (40-5) has posted 40 wins against stiff competition for the Golden Hawks. Central Bucks East’s Johhny Hunter (34-9) is also making his first trip to the Giant Center as a freshman. This bodes well for both down the road, but seizing the moment now is what all the competitors are looking for. Bagnell may very well be a semifinalist against D1 foe Shaefer Hoffman (42-3) from Downingtown West.
Top 5-Jacob Carr (Sun Valley), Hoffman, Bagnell, Leo Dreshman (Canon-Mac) and Sean Morely (Conestoga Valley)
114-Dom Powell (Upper Dublin) is 35-3 and will look to improve on his 5th place finish here a year ago. He has wrestled extremely well in the postseason and is headed for a showdown with Central Dauphin’s Thunder Beard (44-2) in the semis. Northampton’s Brayden Wenrich (32-1) is the one to beat here after dropping a weight class, with his only loss coming to Hatboro-Horsham’s Dom Morrison at Mid-Winter Mayhem at 121-pounds. South’s John Segata (42-8) is a seasoned veteran with title aspirations, and he is up top of the bracket with Wenrich. Segata should rise on the podium along with North’s A.J. Kane (28-9) if the bracket shakes out well. Quakertown’s Cole Borzio (37-10) has an outside chance to medal.
Top 5-Wenrich, Powell, Bagnell, Beard and Gabe Benyo (Hazleton)
121-This weight class is absolutely loaded here in PA with highly nationally ranked talent. Leading the way is H-H’s Dom Morrison (43-2) who has been nothing but stellar all year. He has prepared for this chance at another state title. He will be challenged in the lower half of this bracket by Landon Sidun (Norwin), who nipped Morrison in OT at the Beast of the East in the semis. However, there are no easy victories here and landmines everywhere. Mateo Gallegos (DuBois) upset Lindun (47-1) in another overtime scrum 3-2 TB2 in the West Region to garner the #1 seed, wreaking havoc on the bracket. Morrison downed Gallegos (45-2) in SV 4-1 at Mid-Winter Mayhem. But throw out the rankings and previous results, as this is for all the marbles. Golden Hawk Logan Worth (46-9) is up in weight, but can medal with his super frosh season. CB South’s Alex Su (27-8) has surprised many this postseason, finishing as the runner-up to Morrison at both the D1 North and SE Region tourneys. Keep an eye on him.
Top 5-Morrison, Gallegos, Sidun, Nico Emili (Bethlehem Catholic) and Nico Kapusta (Hempfield Area)
127-Reigning state champion Chase Williams (Central Bucks East) is peaking at the perfect time and appears primed to win his second straight title. He pinned his way through a rugged SE Regional, taking out Perk Valley’s Max Tancini (39-4) with a cradle in the finals. Williams’ (37-4) path to the finals is clear if he can knock off Easton’s Nicholas Salamone (34-8), also a state champ a year ago, in perhaps the best quarterfinal of the tourney. Pennridge’s freshman phenom Matthew Coffin (40-7), Emmaus’ Emilio Albanese (37-2) and Tancini are all down below in the bracket. Additionally, Butler’s Santino Sloboda (43-1) is also lurking below as the #2 seed. This lightweight-class winner will showcase the fourth straight outstanding finals in the lower weights.
Top 5-Albanese, Williams, Salamone, Sloboda and Tancini
133-North Penn’s Shane Young (43-7) has put together an outstanding season advancing to Hershey in his second season as a sophomore. CR North’s Pierce Kane (30-7) will look to rebound after not wrestling his best at regionals, and close out his scholastic career with a medal. BECA senior, Keanu Dillard (43-3) is the man to beat here as he attempts to become a 4x state champion. Fellow state champ Wilmont Kai (39-3) from Whitehall will be his opponent in the finals.
Top 5-Dillard, Kai, Braiden Weaver (Altoona), Cale Yanek (Moon) and Mason Whitney (Abington Heights)
139-CR South’s Pat Woloshyn (37-9) is the lone SOL representative here in the lower half of the bracket, which will be a war. He will seek to improve on his 4th place finish a year ago to close out his senior campaign as he garnered his 150th career win at Oxford this past weekend. He will be pressed by Cedar Cliffs’ Aiden Herndon (37-5) in the semis if he can take down a former state champ in Northampton’s Trey Wagner (34-4) in the quarters. This is another premier quarterfinal match-up in Hershey. Blake Boyer (43-2) is the #1 seed from Kennett is on top of the bracket.
Top 5-Boyer, Herndon, Woloshyn, Dalton Wenner (Cranberry) and Collier Hartman (Canon-Mac)
145-Another loaded weight class in Hershey will be highlighted by several SOL grapplers. Chris Dennis (36-4) from CB West is just a sophomore, but he is poised to medal after qualifying last season and capturing his for regional title last weekend. Joining him here in the mining for precious metal will be Pennridge’s Quinn McBride (35-9) who is now a 4x SQ seeking his third medal. Souderton’s Dominic Ramos (39-6) is worthy as well, making his second trip to the Giant Center. And next man up for CR South is Daniel Kornev (33-12) is making his first journey. Connellsville Kia Vielma (47-3) has separated himself from the field at this weight, but it’s wide open after him.
Top 5-Vielma, Jack Campbell (Nazareth), Dennis, McBride and Myles Grossman (Gettysburg)
152-CB West Buck Kevin Mallon (33-6) is no longer under the radar with his postseason performance. He is definitely a wild card for a medal here. Harry S Truman’s Malik Kelly (34-7) had a terrific regional performance and qualified to the big dance, the first Truman wrestler to make it in a long while. CB East’s Coltan Jones (31-9) joins him here. Both will have to fight hard to put them into a position to place from the first whistle late Thursday afternoon.
Top 5-Luke Knox (Perk Valley), Gabe Ballard (Northampton), Cade Campbell (Nazareth), James Whitbred (State College) and Luke Hitchcock (CD)
160-North Penn’s Johnny O’Brien (37-4) is healthy and jacked to climb the podium come Saturday night after dropping down from 172. He too will have work to do, especially in another key quarterfinal matchup with Nathaniel Replogle (41-3) from Central York. Quakertown’s Logan Pfistner (38-8) has had a fine senior season as SQ, but has a tough task early on in the tourney if he can win his pig-tail bout and get to Altoona’s Gavin Ciampoli (34-6).
Top 5-Jon Smith (Oxford), O’Brien, Tommy Schenechterly (West Scranton), Ciampoli (Altoona) and Replogle
172-CB West senior, Chris Dennis is on a mission to win a state title. He is 38-2 this season and has already earned three medals in this most prestigious event. He will look to pick up his 150th win as well while in Chocolate Town. He will have to take down Wilson-West Lawn’s McKadden Speece (51-1) to do it. Abington’s Ryan Solomon (32-7) makes his first trip as a senior for his swan song. He will have a big task in Southern Lehigh’s Brock Frable (41-5) should he advance in pig-tail action.
Top 5-Dennis, Speece, Blake Hostetter (Oxford), Frable and AJ Corp (WC Rustin)
189-With 189 not being the strongest weight class this year has created opportunity for Quakertown’s David Clayton (40-7) with his 3rd place finish at region and a D1 North title. But it will be tough sledding.
Top 5-Mario Hutchinson (Kiski Area), Franco Latorre (Interboro), Dominic Sumpolec (ND-Green Pond), Michael Speilman (Strath Haven) and Brayden Zuercher (Nazareth)
215-Sawyer Ermigiotti (42-4) has put together a nice resume this season for the Pennridge Rams. He is in a tough spot up top with #1 Elijah Brown (Bell Vernon) who only has one loss (42-1), but can wrestle back to get himself up on the podium. The bigs here are highly touted, with D1 foes Paxton Hunt (43-1), Garnet Valley, and Decker Bechtold (33-4) from Owen J Roberts who is banged up.
Top 5-Brown, Hunt, Bechtold, Kendahl Hoare (DuBois) and Ermigiotti
285-The heavy-weight class here in PA is dominated by OJR’s Dean Bechtold (24-0). But he is not the only undefeated wrestler here, as Shikellamy’s Brody Rebuck (39-0) and Gettysburg’s Nolan Reinert is (32-0). However, the SOL’s Matt Scott (46-5) from CR South and H-H’s Robbie Rose (37-5) are battled tested and ready to fight. Scott is athletic and a much-improved skilled wrestler for the Golden Hawks and has made a name for himself as a senior after a breakout season last year. Rose proved his worth at the Mid-Winter Mayhem with a 3rd place finish. So keep an eye on these two as the tournament unfolds late in rounds, as they should be on the podium.
Top 5-Bechtold, Braydan McConneha (N. Allegheny), Scott, Rose & Nolan Reinert (Gettysburg)
I know what you are thinking, I am seeing things through the SOL lens with my predictions, which is correct. It’s tough to pick against our guys, but we have proven it can be done and will strive to repeat success here in Hershey! Now mind you, my top five picks in each weight class will be affected by early results and wrestle-back cross-bracketing, so I may have guys out of place with this variable. All and all, I think I’ll be close with my picks!?! Can’t wait for the first whistle and the last hand to be raised…
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