Faith should want to declare up. I know it's easy to find fault with what goes on in District 11. But BECA declared up for the challenge. Go back to 1976 and Saucon Valley declared up and won the AAA title. I think they had 3 State champs.
PA HS Wrestling thread
- Thread starter El-Jefe
- Start date
Tied for shortest. This happened about 10 years ago when Beca was still AA. Palisades forfeited every weight. D11 suspended the coach for the postseason. PIAA upheld the suspension, and added that any team he coached the following season would be ineligible for the postseason. Palisades fired him.
Will be interesting to see what if any consequences Westmont Hilltop sees from this. The Palisades coach claimed mass injuries/illnesses and PIAA didn't buy it, so precedent is set.
Gamesmanship at it's best😟 . Saucon Valley weighed in girls against Notre Dame at some weights. Notre Dame had policy of not allowing boys to wrestle girls. It allowed Saucon to win the team match(es). The Disocece I believed changed the guidelines after that.
IDK if that guideline has since changed, but it was never a school policy -- it was a nationwide Catholic Church policy, and was used against Catholic schools in other states.
Honestly am surprised it wasn't used more frequently, both by more teams and more weights per team.
It's coming
Same person... but Boy one week, "girl" the next.
Hope they're prepared for this BS, cuz it's inevitable.
I thought it was an Allentown Archdiocese policy and that it could vary jurisdiction to jurisdiction (I don’t think the Philadelphia Archdiocese had the same policy, for example). And I always found it funny that the policy only extended to team completions and suddenly it was no longer a concern once individual tournaments started. I also think the advent of girls teams kind of makes it moot at this point?
Hats off to Becahi for winning their third straight - with all the turmoil of the offseason and the uneven beginning of the year performances, it was impressive for Mike Cole and company to pull this group together and get it done.
Shane McFillin’s quote today in the Call that this was the first time “it didn’t feel like we just had an automatic state title” I think was an accurate way to sum it up.
Becahi I think only graduates Jacob Lance (215) and Dario Cruz (172) of their starters, so all of the major impact guys return. Kind of weird that they haven’t won for straight, but they’ll have a great shot next year as that awesome class they brought in in 2022 (even without Desmond) are seniors. They’ll be thin in the upper weights, but awesome again through the middle. It’ll also be interesting to see if they are able to backfill with freshmen, in a way they haven’t the last two years with only the Dillard brothers coming in. I’ve taken that as a statement on the program, but I also could be very wrong.
I think Easton may be a big challenger again next season. They didn’t have a true hammer this year, but I think there are kids who are a year away from being really high impact kids - Fenner, Salamone, and particularly Cosover could really jump levels with another year of physical maturity - and they’ll bring back 9 starters and have some pretty obvious replacements (Carss had kind of a lost freshman year due to injury, but can slot in, and I think they’re really excited about the freshman heavyweight who they recruited off the football field who shows some real upside). I think if you asked Jody when he’d have a state-finals caliber team, he would have pointed to ‘25.
Shane McFillin’s quote today in the Call that this was the first time “it didn’t feel like we just had an automatic state title” I think was an accurate way to sum it up.
Becahi I think only graduates Jacob Lance (215) and Dario Cruz (172) of their starters, so all of the major impact guys return. Kind of weird that they haven’t won for straight, but they’ll have a great shot next year as that awesome class they brought in in 2022 (even without Desmond) are seniors. They’ll be thin in the upper weights, but awesome again through the middle. It’ll also be interesting to see if they are able to backfill with freshmen, in a way they haven’t the last two years with only the Dillard brothers coming in. I’ve taken that as a statement on the program, but I also could be very wrong.
I think Easton may be a big challenger again next season. They didn’t have a true hammer this year, but I think there are kids who are a year away from being really high impact kids - Fenner, Salamone, and particularly Cosover could really jump levels with another year of physical maturity - and they’ll bring back 9 starters and have some pretty obvious replacements (Carss had kind of a lost freshman year due to injury, but can slot in, and I think they’re really excited about the freshman heavyweight who they recruited off the football field who shows some real upside). I think if you asked Jody when he’d have a state-finals caliber team, he would have pointed to ‘25.
I believe the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania now allows each Diocese to decide on policy. Allentown Diocese agreed to allow coed competition in wrestling .
From what I hear Rath will not be back at BECA. Going to give up Senior year. I hear he's going out to Colorado Springs. Also heard Rutgers offered him some nice incentive. He just like Mizzou better.
I’ve heard the Colorado Springs rumor on Rath too. Probably won’t be official until the spring/summer, but obviously a big blow to their hopes of repeating. He’s obviously special.
Still wrapping my head around him going to Mizzou, not that it’s not a great program, I just don’t think I remember them having any presence in the Lehigh Valley. The last kid I remember them recruiting (not landing, just recruiting) from our area was Alex Krom, and they was 20 years ago.
The Pa Catholic Conference sets the policy and Allentown Diocese went rogue. Officially it is a statewide policy but if one can buck the policy, why couldn't others? My kids are k12 Catholic schoolers. A few from around the state tried to get it changed elsewhere but none of the other bishops would give us the time of day, all citing the statewide-decision.
God only cares about the individual postseason.
Not that I follow Missouri's roster all that closely, but I can't recall anyone from east of Michigan/Indiana.
They went after Verk when he decommitted from Iowa State. Otherwise I can't think of any kid east of MI/IN they've pursued, at least to being a finalist for those kids.
In that sense, Rath was surprising. OTOH Missouri has started recruiting the west, so why not the east as well.
I remember Troy Dolan from Derry spent a couple seasons at Mizzou before ending up at UPJ in his mid-20s. But that's the only PA kid I can think of who went to Mizzou
Ashton Primus made a stop there. Not sure how long he was there. Ended up at Notre Dame
Ashtin Primus a couple years earlier from Connellsville. Ended up transferring out, but started at Mizzou. But again, that’s getting to be a long time ago.
It’s not that I can’t think of D11 (and I guess larger, Pa) kids who went there. But even programs that don’t get a lot of kids from our area are around - Ohio State had been all over the area and in on a bunch of kids before finally landing Sasso. Oklahoma used to always be a presence when Spates was there before they finally landed Ecklof. NC State through every administration going back to local boy Guzzo a serious presence. Nebraska has obviously been embedded for a long time, etc. etc. Mizzou just hasn’t been on the radar, but I guess that matters less with true freaks like Rath, particularly as the relationship with the high school coach is less and less important in recruiting.
The Rath situation opened my eyes a little on the current recruiting spectrum. I know someone that talked to Rath's father. There is a variable that certainly has changed college football and is part of the wrestling recruitment. The NIL promises are pretty dynamic to a top recruit from some programs.
As I mentioned before, Rutgers offered Rath a nice amount of NIL incentive . I heard the figure but not sure if it was intended to be made public.
College sports is becoming a business. The education is secondary to a majority of top talent. The NCAA is going to have to figure out NIL and transfer portal. Maybe allowing non grad athlete one transfer in 4 years???? If not you are going to have kids shop themselves yearly.
As I mentioned before, Rutgers offered Rath a nice amount of NIL incentive . I heard the figure but not sure if it was intended to be made public.
College sports is becoming a business. The education is secondary to a majority of top talent. The NCAA is going to have to figure out NIL and transfer portal. Maybe allowing non grad athlete one transfer in 4 years???? If not you are going to have kids shop themselves yearly.
College sports has ALWAYS been a big business. in 2021, 49 schools exceeded $100M in revenue -- big money didn't just happen this century. And athlete education has for decades been secondary if not a complete fraud at many schools. Just ask Julius Peppers among others.
If athletes get to capitalize on their short window, and have mobility similar to their coaches, good for them. The athletes bear all the risk.
Not sure what the NCAA can do about NIL. It's been legislated by all 50 states, so it's basically out of the NCAA's hands. The portal? Vast improvement over the days of year-round poaching.
No need to fear athletes shopping themselves annually. It might happen but won't be widespread. Coaches will lose interest in obvious prima donnas, and schools limit academic credit transfers (which is a huge disincentive for Olympic sport athletes). Schools also typically revoke scholarships when players enter the portal, which increases risk to the athlete and costs them leverage.
Your comments are fair. The issue I have is a high school athlete makes a decision to go to a certain school on where there appears to be an opportunity to be able to compete for a starting job in a year or two. All of sudden a coach decides to bring in a transfer athlete. The kid that originally committed because he saw opportunity now has to make a decision. It is really pronounced in sports like wrestling and basketball.
I just feel bad for the kid that gets pinched.
I also feel bad for that kid, to an extent. It was always a risk that such kids needed to be aware of.
NIL didn't change that at all, and could mitigate the risk since it's not a bottomless pool of money.
I don't know why it's such a trigger for me but I absolutely hate it when people say they qualified for "state" or they're going to "state." Nobody goes to "national" in college it's "nationals" just like it's "states." If you think otherwise you're from a powerhouse state for wrestling like Mississippi or Alaska.
Trophies don’t say Big Tens Champion or Nationals Champion or NCAAs Champion or Olympics Champion or Worlds Champion either.
But I’m betting you refer to them as Big Tens, Nationals, NCAAs, Olympics and Worlds.
Last edited:
Going to state is a hayseed term. States is a hardhat term.
You pick how you identify.
You pick how you identify.
District 3 girls wrestling: A look at the top four seeds in each bracket of Friday’s two sectionals
Wrestling begins at 10 a.m. Friday at Mechanicsburg and Susquenita High Schools.
@ira we need a women’s program.
Last edited:
Any video of the 121 AA D6 final match. Is Landon okay? I got two stories and neither add up. Someone said Landon wanted to continue and his dad made him default because of the hatred with Mcort. Then I heard his nose wouldn’t stop bleeding and he ran out of blood time. Anyone have footage
No blood. He was on recovery time after a hard crossface was called unnecessary roughness. After 2 minutes recovery time he did not continue so Bainey wins by DQ. His dad was inciting the McCort fans afterwards.
Only video I know of is on BEA's Eagle Ambassadors on YouTube. It's a bad angle from across the gym.
This was the only angle I got to see too. Thats ashame it ended like that. I am glad Landon won his fourth but not that way. Prayers to him on a speedy recovery.
It’s a district qualifier, it’s just a sport, people lose their minds sometimes, regionals and states await
PIAA individual tickets for sale. 2 all session tickets, section 121, row V, seats 4&5. Sell at face value
District 4 predictions
I think this group will represent well in Hershey like always. I am biased but D4 AA is the toughest AA district in the state.
107 Aristotlis Bobotas
114 Brock Rothermel (D4 next big thing)
121 Bradley Wagner
127 David Kennedy
133 Brandt Harer (should win PIAA title this year)
139 Nolan Baumert
145 Reagan Milheim (should win PIAA title this year)
152 Cam Milheim (should win PIAA title this year)
160 Conner Harer (should win PIAA title this year)
172 Caden Finck (Top three at Hershey)
189 Lots of familiar D4 family names (Garcia, Rodarmel, Betz and Higley) Garret Garcia finds a way
215 Austin Johnson (will make state finals)
285 Jude Bremigen
I think this group will represent well in Hershey like always. I am biased but D4 AA is the toughest AA district in the state.
107 Aristotlis Bobotas
114 Brock Rothermel (D4 next big thing)
121 Bradley Wagner
127 David Kennedy
133 Brandt Harer (should win PIAA title this year)
139 Nolan Baumert
145 Reagan Milheim (should win PIAA title this year)
152 Cam Milheim (should win PIAA title this year)
160 Conner Harer (should win PIAA title this year)
172 Caden Finck (Top three at Hershey)
189 Lots of familiar D4 family names (Garcia, Rodarmel, Betz and Higley) Garret Garcia finds a way
215 Austin Johnson (will make state finals)
285 Jude Bremigen
Good picks. Wagner has had a good freshman season. But, I predict Wade at 121 over Wagner.
Wade's only losses are to state place finishers from last season.
Last edited:
Hey Brock, I'm not as savvy about D4 wrestling as you are, but am still interested. Could you please identify the HS of each projected wrestlers you identify? Thank you.
I think it's District 1, and we only have one team!
Quite honestly you might be right this year and the next 3-4. I would venture to say Faith could be entire District all star teams. I would still think D4 Champions would beat Faith in a dual but it would be close.
Holy bananas
Weiss over Perry & Simcox over Manville!
I hope we aren’t missing the boat with Simcox here at Happy Valley
Weiss over Perry & Simcox over Manville!
I hope we aren’t missing the boat with Simcox here at Happy Valley
