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By Todd Irwin
tirwin@altoonamirror.com
Five of the eight Mirror coverage area qualifiers to the PIAA Championships have wrestled in both this postseason's District 6 Tournament and regional finals.
Those five will have to battle through tremendously deep weight classes beginning today at Hershey's Giant Center in the toughest high school state tournament in the United States to match what they've done so far in the postseason.
Altoona's Northwest Regional Class 3A champion Luke Sipes (152) and runner-up Luke Hileman (106) are wrestling in stacked weight classes.
Penn Cambria Southwest Regional Class 2A champion Trent Hoover (126) and Glendale regional silver medalists Zeke Dubler (160) and Suds Dubler (172) are also trying to climb wrestling's Mount Everest to the finals.
Tyrone's Korry Walls (Southwest third, 106), Ashton Sipes (fifth, 132), and Braden Ewing (fourth, 285), Central Cambria's Ethan Kubat (fifth, 189) and Glendale's Britton Spangle (sixth, 215) will also try to climb the mountain in their first state tournament appearances.
"We're looking forward to going to the state tournament," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said. "I know these guys are excited. We're going to have to pay special attention to our warm-ups, what we eat, when we're eating to manage the energy and use every advantage we can come up with."
Central Cambria coach Matt Niebauer confirmed on Wednesday morning that Kubat will wrestle in Hershey. Kubat was slammed in his fifth-place bout at regionals and taken by ambulance to Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital on Saturday night.
The PIAA Class 2A Championships begins at 9 a.m. today with a short preliminary round, followed by a first round. A win in the first round means wrestlers are done until Friday. A loss means they will have to wrestle in the consolations at 1:15.
The Class 3A action begins at 4 p.m. today with a short preliminary round, followed by the first round. First-round winners are off until Friday. If they lose, the first round of consolations will follow at 8:15.
Friday's wrestling begins with the Class 2A quarterfinals and second-round consolations at 9 a.m. Class 3A wrestling starts at 2:15. Class 2A semifinals are at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Class 3A semifinals are at 9 a.m. The Class 2A medal round is at 2 p.m. The Class 3A medal round is set for 7 p.m.
The freshman Sipes (33-1) enters his first state tournament with the most wins of the three once-beaten wrestlers at 152. He'll wrestle the preliminary winner of Sun Valley's Alexander Gamble-Williams (29-9) and Daniel Boone's J.T. Hogan (30-2).
"I think Luke will be ready to go," Altoona coach Joel Gilbert said. "I understand that this is his first state tournament, but he's been on the highest levels before. He's wrestled at the Super 32s and out at Fargo. This is just one more tournament. We expect to him to go out, be loose and be ready to wrestle."
Hileman (32-4), a senior, won't have a soft opener for his first Hershey appearance. He wrestles Indiana freshman Nico Fanella (31-1), who suffered his first loss in the Southwest Regional finals.
"I think he's looking to come out of there with a medal this year," Gilbert said. "I think he's pretty excited about getting down there and have the opportunity to compete. Down there, they don't know what he has. He's a dangerous wrestler. We're hoping he can put some guys in some danger down there."
The sophomore Hoover (32-6) will be wrestling in his first state tournament. He'll open up against the preliminary round winner of Port Allegany's Chase Weimer (28-12) and Littlestown's Cameron Mingee (32-9).
"That's a tough weight class," Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer said. "The Northeast Region is bringing the top three kids in the state. It's going to be an eye opening experience. He's been on these big stages as far as the junior levels, but it's different when you get down there for the first time. I'm hoping he gets down there and feels comfortable."
Zeke Dubler (35-3), wrestling in his second state tournament, appears to have a very winnable opener against Reynolds' Vito Gentile (29-15). Dubler, a junior, dropped a 1-0 decision to Laurel state champion Grant MacKay in the Southwest finals. MacKay is in the other bracket.
Suds Dubler (36-3) will be looking for his first medal in his third tournament appearance. The senior also opens with Reynolds wrestler in Jalen Wagner (30-9). Dubler lost, 2-1, in the regional finals to Frazier state champ Rune Lawrence, who is in the top bracket.
"I'm excited," Glendale coach Brian Storm said. "I think the Dublers have a chance to do well. I think they have a legit shot to beat anybody. I thought they both wrestled great (in the regional finals). They closed the gap a little bit from the last time they wrestled those guys."