The United States All-Stars have dominated the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic since 2000.
Including Saturday, the USA squad is 22-3.
The last time Pennsylvania won was a 27-23 victory in 2021.
This could have been a win for the Pennsylvania Stars at Peters Township’s AHN Arena if it had some of the state’s top wrestlers.
Bishop McCort’s Jax Forrest left high school to join Oklahoma State and won a national championship.
Teammate Bo Bassett at Bishop McCort, a three-time PIAA 2A champion, was competing in a major tournament in Florida this weekend.
And Brandt Harer suffered a lower-body injury during a workout recently.
Despite not having those three wrestlers, the Pennsylvania squad put up quite a battle but fell short 23-19.
Will Deter (127 pounds) of Trinity Camp Hill and Keanu Dillard (133) of Bethlehem Catholic won overtime matches to give Pennsylvania an early 6-3 lead.
But the USA squad won the next six, including three close matches to clinch the team win.
Moses Mendoza of California edged Camden Baum, 8-6, at 139 pounds; Kellen Wolbert squeezed by Michael Turi, 4-1, at 145; and Hunter Stevens nudged Hudson Hohman of Grove City, 4-1, at 152.
Pennsylvania finished strong with Faith Christian’s Adam Waters edging Michael White at 189 before Belle Vernon’s Elijah Brown (215) and Owen J. Roberts’ Dean Bechtold each posted 15-0 technical fall wins.
On the other hand, it was a dominant performance by the WPIAL all-stars and Pennsylvania girls all-stars in the preliminary matches.
The WPIAL and Pennsylvania girls squads each won 11 of the 12 matches they wrestled.
The WPIAL triumphed 56-3 and has won three of the four meetings against Oklahoma.
Burrell senior Cam Baker got things going with an 18-2 technical fall win in the first match for the WPIAL stars.
“We connected as a team,” Baker said. “We just wanted to go out and have fun, and I got it started. The team rallied behind me.”
He defeated Salina senior Kolten Terwillger, a one-time Oklahoma state champion, in the 121-pound weight class.
Oklahoma had six state champions in its lineup, and only Deer Creek senior Garon Kaiser came away with a victory.
The WPIAL stars got pins from Central Valley’s Antonio Boni (133 pounds), Canon-McMillan senior Collier Hartman (139), Burrell senior Julian Bertucci (145) and Beth-Center senior Malachi Peak (189).
“It was awesome, this environment,” Bertucci said. “It was so cool. When I pinned him, I heard the roar from the fans. That made it so much more exciting.”
Boni, who was named Outstanding Wrestler, beat three-time state champion Marlow senior Tommy Dean Miller.
Others winning by technical fall were Frazier’s Jonah Erdely (152), Thomas Jefferson’s Zach LaBryer (172), Kiski Area’s Cooper Roscosky (215) and North Allegheny’s Bradyn McConneha (285).
“It is not the way I wanted to end my career,” Roscosky said. “I would rather have been a PIAA champion and wrestled for the Pa. team. But not having the season I was hoping for motivated me. I am going to show I am the best.”
Kiski Area’s Ava Golding (142) and Mt. Lebanon’s Paige Jox helped lead the Pennsylvania girls to a 51-3 victory.
“This season has been so bittersweet,” Golding said. “Some girls are ready to go on and get ready for college. I am not ready yet. I was glad to have the opportunity to have one more match.”
Jox felt the same way.
“Everyone knows that I like to score points and get technical falls,” Jox said. “I was able to accomplish that in my final match.”
The Pennsylvania girls are now 2-1. They lost to Ohio in 2024 and defeated New Jersey last year.
The Southwestern Pa. Wrestling Hall of Fame inducted four new members: West Mifflin/Greensburg Central Catholic’s James Fleming, Canon-McMillan/Charleroi’s Cody Wiercioch, Hempfield’s Jake Kemerer and Latrobe’s Luke Pletcher.
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