By Ron Bracken
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Ever since the PIAA split the wrestling field into two classes there has always been the argument over what would happen if you matched one of the top Class AAA teams against the AA king.
Next season we’ll get a glimpse.
On Dec. 2 Bald Eagle Area, which finished fourth in the Class AAA team duals and second in the individual tournament, will go on the road to take on Reynolds, which won both Class AA crowns this year.
You’ll have to look hard to find a more interesting season-opening matchup than that one.
Reynolds returns 103-pound PIAA champ Cody Kelly, 112-pound state qualifier Sam Fuchs, 130-pound state qualifier Steve Nestor, 140-pound runner-up Aaron Nestor and 160-pound fourth-place finisher Lawrence Beckman.
BEA will have 145-pound runner-up Quentin Wright, 135-pound third-place finisher Grant Paswall and 275-pound qualifier Kevin Struble back in the lineup to go along with five other starters.
“It’ll be an interesting match, “said Eagle coach Skip Pighetti. “I can’t wait. Reynolds has been the best Class AA team around for several years. And we’re a double AA school that’s wrestling up at triple-A. I’m anxious to see where we stand with the best double-A team.
“This is something I’ve pursued since I became head coach. I talked to their coach (Brian Hills) at Manheim about it but they didn’t have any room on their schedule. Last year, we had one (competition) point left but they still didn’t have any room.
“But this year at the Dapper Dan he said they had an extra point and asked if we wanted to wrestle them. I said if we can get together let’s do it. So we have a two-year agreement with them. They’re coming here next year.”
New rules
Two new rule changes will take effect for the 2006-07 season.
The heavyweights will get bigger, thanks to the addition of 10 pounds to the 275-pound weight class.
And the overtimes will get longer, thanks to the addition of a second 30-second rideout.
Under the new rule any bout that ends tied in regulation will go to a one-minute overtime period. If the wrestlers are still tied they will go to a 30-second rideout. And if that doesn’t break the tie, they will go to a second 30-second rideout. If, at the end of the second rideout, the score is still knotted, the wrestler on top will win, just as he would have under the old rule.
In this year’s PIAA Class AAA finals three championships were decided on rideouts.
Beastly field
The field has been set for the 2006 Beast of the East tournament at the University of Delaware.
Several of Pennsylvania’s top teams will be entered including BEA, Connellsville, Cumberland Valley, Lewistown, Nazareth, Northampton, Reynolds and Upper Perkiomen. Easton, however, is not entered.
Blair Academy, Caesar Rodney (Del.), St. Marks (Del), Great Bridge (Va.) and Christiansburg (Va.) are also in the field.
A big loss
The Philipsburg-Osceola wrestling family suffered a major loss earlier this week when Murray Darke died.
Darke was a former P-O athletic director and was also one of the Mounties’ greatest fans. He was one of a unique group of men that included Dr. Pat Gianopoulos, Jere McCamley and Jim McCall, who loved P-O wrestling and followed the Mounties everywhere.
No matter the size of the crowd in the P-O gym it will always seem a little emptier without Darke there.
MAWA placewinners
A number of area wrestlers placed in the older divisions of the MAWA tournament recently.
Penns Valley’s Tyler Myers won the 145-pound elite class while P-O’s Bo Reifer was second at 189 and Barry Shoemaker was fourth at 108. In the advanced class, P-O’s Kurt McCamley took second at 125.
In the Open class, BEA assistant coach Ed Hockenberry won the 167 title while former BEA wrestler Seth Nyman took fourth at 215 and ex-Bellefonte standout Josh Jones was fifth at 285 pounds.
A list of local wrestlers in the younger weight classes will appear in Sunday’s Kids Korner.
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