Tyrone and Bellwood-Antis were two of the 25 schools to participate in the District 6-AAwrestling Tournament, which began Friday morning and will be staged over the entire day yesterday and today as well.
When all the wrestling is said and done, five wrestlers from each of the 14 weight classes will advance in two weeks to the Southwest Regional at the War Memorial in Johnstown.
In the first of the three stops on the postseason tournament schedule, a total of three wrestlers fromthe two local teams are still in the hunt for an elusive district championship. Last year the are had two champs in Tyrone teammates T. J. Albright and Robert Waite. After Friday’s first two championship rounds, Tyrone 103-pounder A. J. Schopp, the Eagles 130-pounder Anthony Romano and Bellwood-Antis 145-pounder Ricky Shawley are the only local grapplers left to try for the gold ring.
Schopp (31-2), the top seeded wrestler in his weight class, pinned Forest Hills sophomore Shane Gallaher (4-7) in 1:30 and deecked Adam Weinell of Blairsville in 3:42. Today at 12:30 p.m., A. J. will wrestle freshman Patrick Myers (18-4) of Penn Cambria in the semifinals.
Romano (15-11) upset Mount Union senior Dave Grove (31-8) who picked up his 100th career victory in the consolation bracket, by a 6-2 score, and outlasted Amos Albright of West Branch 12-7. In the semifinals, Romano will face second seeded Westmont sophomore Pat Dumire (27-11).
Shawley (28-1) pinned Caleb Price of Southern Huntingdon, in 2:14 and shut out Kelsey Tarr of Glendale 3-0 to advance to the semifinals, where he will wrestle Cambria Heights junior Joseph Leppert (25-4).
Still alive in the consolation brackets after the first three consi rounds are Eagles T. J. Albright (125), Cody Weaver (135), Jeremy Barlett (145), Jake Smerekar (152), Shayne Tate (160), Justin Schopp (171), and Donnie Conrad (189).
Albright (24-8)will battle Devon Smith (22-14) of Mount Union, Weaver (12-11) will wrestle Somerset’s Jimmy Pugh (17-8), Barlett (6-20) will meet Kelsey Tarr of Glendale (17-13), Smerekar (20-10) will wrestle Tyler Capitosti (20-10) of United, Tate (18-13) will wrestle Dustin Drake (34-5) of Mount Union, who also won his 100th career match at this tournament, and Conrad (20-11) will face James Martin (10-13).
Blue Devils still alive in the consolation brackets, include Troy Weyant (103), Ronnie Wilson (152) and Jimmy Watters (189).
Weyant (19-10) will battle Central’s Lynn Lewis (11-12), whom he has already defeated twice this year, Wilson (16-9) will wrestle Joseph Leppert 25-4) of Cambria Heights, and Watters (12-15) will wrestle Joe Shook (23-6),
