Previews for Somerset County teams
Previews for Somerset County teams
From the Somerset Daily American
High school wrestling previews
By JEFF MAURER
Daily American Sports Writer
Season previews for the six Somerset County high school wrestling teams:
Berlin
Numbers are low at Berlin this season for third-year head coach Jason Cornell.
The Mountaineers have only seven wrestlers listed on the roster, meaning they must forfeit half of the 14 weight classes in dual meets.
“Another rebuilding year for the Mountaineers,” said Cornell, who guided Berlin to a solid 13-10 record last season. “There are low numbers and young talent with a dedicated group of individuals.”
While Berlin lacks quantity, the Mountaineers do have some quality wrestlers.
Tyler Baker, a student at Rockwood High School, returns for his senior season at 189 pounds. He went 31-10 last year while winning a District 5 championship.
Other returning wrestlers include senior Sean Chaney (140) and sophomores Zack Broadwater (125), Ryan Hoffman (112), Kyle Landis (171) and Philip Shawley (119). Freshman Tyler Crites is listed at 103 pounds.
There are no wrestlers from the junior class on the roster.
Conemaugh Twp.
Jarod Feathers, a 2001 graduate of Conemaugh Township, takes over the head coaching position at his alma mater.
After a few lean years, Feathers is working to build the program back into the area power it once was.
Six starters return from last year’s team that finished with a 4-15 record. Eleven wrestlers are listed on this year’s roster.
“We have a bunch of wrestlers that are working hard to become better wrestlers,” Feathers said.
Seniors include Don Birkhimer (130), Brad Coleman (145), Josh Fultz (171), Travis Moyer (215) and Craig Tresnicky (285).
Juniors are Nick Croyle (160), Joe Hoernick (135), Eric Jordan (119) and Jen Murphy (145).
B.J. Heinrich (103) and Dan Platt (152) represent the sophomore class.
Meyersdale
Mike Swick returns for his fifth season as head coach of the Red Raiders.
Numbers have been low the past few years at Meyersdale, and this year is no exception.
“Lots of experience, but few in numbers,” Swick said. “They are hard workers.”
Eleven wrestlers are listed on the roster, including four returning starters and a few promising underclassmen.
Darian Ervin (160), Joe Henry (285), Glen Hetz (130), Justin Norris (171), Les Shiffer (140) and Kyle Walker (160) make up the senior class.
Mary Lyons (125) is the lone junior. Sophomores include Shawn McKenzie (130), Detrick Peterman (160) and Tanner Smith (171).
Kyle Dunmyer (215) moves up to the varsity squad as a freshman.
North Star
North Star captured its fifth consecutive District 5 team championship last season while finishing with a 21-5 mark. With nine returning starters back, coach Pat Berzonski’s Cougars are in good position the make a run at number six.
“Senior leadership will be a focal point of this squad led by Sam Zimmerman, who will be seeking his fourth District 5 title,” Berzonski said. “If he is able to accomplish this feat, he would join Jenner Boswell’s Bill Meyers (1940-43) as the only four-time District 5 champs in the school’s illustrious history. Direction will also be provided by seniors Logan Fleegle, John Mort and Aaron Delano.”
Fleegle was a District 5 champion last season while Mort earned runner-up honors and Delano took third.
Sophomore Joe Lascari returns to lead a strong corps of underclassman. He won a District 5 title, placed fourth at regionals and qualified for the PIAA state tournament as freshman.
Other returning District 5 placewinners are juniors Andy Darr (2nd) and Mike Knisely (4th) and sophomores Taylor Fleegle (3rd) and Richard Baker (4th).
Probable starters include:
Sophomore Keegan Love (103), sophomore John Valentine (112), Lascari (119), Mort (125), Baker (130), Zimmerman (130), Taylor Fleegle (140), sophomore Josh Kuncher (145), Darr (152), Knisely (160), Delano (171) and Fleegle (189).
There Cougars don’t have wrestlers listed for the 215 and 285 weight classes.
“The bar continues to be set extremely high in the Boswell area,” Berzonski said. “Fortunately we are blessed with a pool of wrestlers who adhere to the philosophy that hard work and intensity will solve a lot of the problems posed by our sport. An intense style of wrestling is simply more fun to watch. The loyalty of our fan base is a tribute to our approach and their love of the sport. Our staff and athletes are grateful for the undying support afforded by the North Star School District and fans alike.”
Shade
Ryan Hill takes over the head coaching duties at Shade as the Panthers continue to work hard building their program.
Four starters return in the Panthers’ sixth season of varsity wrestling.
“We’re looking to continue to build the program to compete with other schools,” Hill said.
Shade has 13 wrestlers listed on its roster.
Joe Benny (160), Brett Custer (171) and Dan Houpt (145) lead the senior class. Juniors are Brandon Devroy (215) and Kevin Weaver (215). Sophomores include Sam Aikey (152), Greg Ames (140), Casey Bloom (112), Cody McDonald (160) and Zach Sirbaugh (130). Josh Golob (125), Brandon Mihelcic (103) and Ryan Rummel (112) are the freshmen.
Somerset
Randy Pyle knows what it takes to succeed in the sport of wrestling. The 1999 graduate of Somerset was a District 6 Class AAA champion for the Golden Eagles. He then went on to excel at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown where he was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American.
Pyle, who coached at Berlin in 2005, brings that knowledge back to his alma mater as Somerset’s new head coach. He takes over for Roger Baer, who retired after guiding the Golden Eagles program for nine years.
“It’s a great honor to be the head coach at Somerset and take over for Roger,” Pyle said. “He left the program in pretty good shape. ... We’re a little short in numbers this year, but we have a few individuals that we expect big things from.”
The Eagles finished 11-9 last season in the always-tough Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference.
Three District 6 Class AA placewinners return to lead Somerset. Senior Vince Corden took third while sophomore Luke Lohr finished fourth and senior Jim Pugh placed fifth. All three advanced to regionals.
Probable starters include:
Lohr (112), Nathan Nibert (119), Caton Scheffel (125), Kevin Maust (125), Landon Faidley (130), Kyle Pucci (135), Dylan Cramer (140), Pugh (145), Roy Penrose (152), Nick Shaulis (160), John Kadillac (171), James Willison (189) and Corden (189).
The Eagles don’t have anyone listed at 103 or 285.
(Jeff Maurer can be reached at [email protected])
High school wrestling previews
By JEFF MAURER
Daily American Sports Writer
Season previews for the six Somerset County high school wrestling teams:
Berlin
Numbers are low at Berlin this season for third-year head coach Jason Cornell.
The Mountaineers have only seven wrestlers listed on the roster, meaning they must forfeit half of the 14 weight classes in dual meets.
“Another rebuilding year for the Mountaineers,” said Cornell, who guided Berlin to a solid 13-10 record last season. “There are low numbers and young talent with a dedicated group of individuals.”
While Berlin lacks quantity, the Mountaineers do have some quality wrestlers.
Tyler Baker, a student at Rockwood High School, returns for his senior season at 189 pounds. He went 31-10 last year while winning a District 5 championship.
Other returning wrestlers include senior Sean Chaney (140) and sophomores Zack Broadwater (125), Ryan Hoffman (112), Kyle Landis (171) and Philip Shawley (119). Freshman Tyler Crites is listed at 103 pounds.
There are no wrestlers from the junior class on the roster.
Conemaugh Twp.
Jarod Feathers, a 2001 graduate of Conemaugh Township, takes over the head coaching position at his alma mater.
After a few lean years, Feathers is working to build the program back into the area power it once was.
Six starters return from last year’s team that finished with a 4-15 record. Eleven wrestlers are listed on this year’s roster.
“We have a bunch of wrestlers that are working hard to become better wrestlers,” Feathers said.
Seniors include Don Birkhimer (130), Brad Coleman (145), Josh Fultz (171), Travis Moyer (215) and Craig Tresnicky (285).
Juniors are Nick Croyle (160), Joe Hoernick (135), Eric Jordan (119) and Jen Murphy (145).
B.J. Heinrich (103) and Dan Platt (152) represent the sophomore class.
Meyersdale
Mike Swick returns for his fifth season as head coach of the Red Raiders.
Numbers have been low the past few years at Meyersdale, and this year is no exception.
“Lots of experience, but few in numbers,” Swick said. “They are hard workers.”
Eleven wrestlers are listed on the roster, including four returning starters and a few promising underclassmen.
Darian Ervin (160), Joe Henry (285), Glen Hetz (130), Justin Norris (171), Les Shiffer (140) and Kyle Walker (160) make up the senior class.
Mary Lyons (125) is the lone junior. Sophomores include Shawn McKenzie (130), Detrick Peterman (160) and Tanner Smith (171).
Kyle Dunmyer (215) moves up to the varsity squad as a freshman.
North Star
North Star captured its fifth consecutive District 5 team championship last season while finishing with a 21-5 mark. With nine returning starters back, coach Pat Berzonski’s Cougars are in good position the make a run at number six.
“Senior leadership will be a focal point of this squad led by Sam Zimmerman, who will be seeking his fourth District 5 title,” Berzonski said. “If he is able to accomplish this feat, he would join Jenner Boswell’s Bill Meyers (1940-43) as the only four-time District 5 champs in the school’s illustrious history. Direction will also be provided by seniors Logan Fleegle, John Mort and Aaron Delano.”
Fleegle was a District 5 champion last season while Mort earned runner-up honors and Delano took third.
Sophomore Joe Lascari returns to lead a strong corps of underclassman. He won a District 5 title, placed fourth at regionals and qualified for the PIAA state tournament as freshman.
Other returning District 5 placewinners are juniors Andy Darr (2nd) and Mike Knisely (4th) and sophomores Taylor Fleegle (3rd) and Richard Baker (4th).
Probable starters include:
Sophomore Keegan Love (103), sophomore John Valentine (112), Lascari (119), Mort (125), Baker (130), Zimmerman (130), Taylor Fleegle (140), sophomore Josh Kuncher (145), Darr (152), Knisely (160), Delano (171) and Fleegle (189).
There Cougars don’t have wrestlers listed for the 215 and 285 weight classes.
“The bar continues to be set extremely high in the Boswell area,” Berzonski said. “Fortunately we are blessed with a pool of wrestlers who adhere to the philosophy that hard work and intensity will solve a lot of the problems posed by our sport. An intense style of wrestling is simply more fun to watch. The loyalty of our fan base is a tribute to our approach and their love of the sport. Our staff and athletes are grateful for the undying support afforded by the North Star School District and fans alike.”
Shade
Ryan Hill takes over the head coaching duties at Shade as the Panthers continue to work hard building their program.
Four starters return in the Panthers’ sixth season of varsity wrestling.
“We’re looking to continue to build the program to compete with other schools,” Hill said.
Shade has 13 wrestlers listed on its roster.
Joe Benny (160), Brett Custer (171) and Dan Houpt (145) lead the senior class. Juniors are Brandon Devroy (215) and Kevin Weaver (215). Sophomores include Sam Aikey (152), Greg Ames (140), Casey Bloom (112), Cody McDonald (160) and Zach Sirbaugh (130). Josh Golob (125), Brandon Mihelcic (103) and Ryan Rummel (112) are the freshmen.
Somerset
Randy Pyle knows what it takes to succeed in the sport of wrestling. The 1999 graduate of Somerset was a District 6 Class AAA champion for the Golden Eagles. He then went on to excel at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown where he was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American.
Pyle, who coached at Berlin in 2005, brings that knowledge back to his alma mater as Somerset’s new head coach. He takes over for Roger Baer, who retired after guiding the Golden Eagles program for nine years.
“It’s a great honor to be the head coach at Somerset and take over for Roger,” Pyle said. “He left the program in pretty good shape. ... We’re a little short in numbers this year, but we have a few individuals that we expect big things from.”
The Eagles finished 11-9 last season in the always-tough Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference.
Three District 6 Class AA placewinners return to lead Somerset. Senior Vince Corden took third while sophomore Luke Lohr finished fourth and senior Jim Pugh placed fifth. All three advanced to regionals.
Probable starters include:
Lohr (112), Nathan Nibert (119), Caton Scheffel (125), Kevin Maust (125), Landon Faidley (130), Kyle Pucci (135), Dylan Cramer (140), Pugh (145), Roy Penrose (152), Nick Shaulis (160), John Kadillac (171), James Willison (189) and Corden (189).
The Eagles don’t have anyone listed at 103 or 285.
(Jeff Maurer can be reached at [email protected])