Blade
02-20-2010, 05:29 PM
Shamokin has five top seeds
COAL TOWNSHIP -- The host Shamokin Indians grabbed five No. 1 seeds Thursday night for Saturday's District 4 Class AA South Sectional wrestling tournament.
But that wasn't the big news. More importantly, Line Mountain junior 140-pounder Travis Erdman, a returning state place-winner, was scratched from the tournament because of injury.
Erdman, 26-5 on the season and 97-23 for his career, broke his hand during practice Wednesday and was unable to wrestle. A returning state eighth-place finisher, he would have been the No. 1 seed. He was replaced in the bracket by freshman teammate Britton Heim.
The district will again hold four sectional tournaments as the individual postseason gets into full swing, with the top three place-winners in each weight class advancing to the district tournament the following Friday at Williamsport High School.
The other sectional tournaments are the east, at Benton elementary school; the west, at Montoursville High School; and the north, at Athens High School. Quarterfinals in each event begin at 9 a.m., with the semifinals and consolation quarterfinals and consolation semifinals to follow. The championship and consolation finals (for third and fourth place) will begin at 6.
In addition to Shamokin, the other schools with more than one top-seeded wrestlers are Mifflinburg with three and Line Mountain, now with two, after the loss of Erdman.
No. 1 seeds for defending team champion Shamokin are junior Brandon Pesarchick, 27-5, at 130 pounds; junior Josh Lahr, 11-5, at 135; junior Lee Supsic, 18-10, at 145; senior Kegan Polastre, 19-8, at 171; and junior Wes Tillet, 26-3, at 285.
Mifflinburg's No. 1s are sophomore David Sheesley, 24-4, at 103; senior Ethan Midkiff, 23-1, at 125; and freshman Ty Walter, 27-3, at 152.
For Line Mountain, the top seeds are freshman Seth Lansberry, 19-12, at 112, and junior Bryce Martz, 13-4, at 215.
The other No. 1 seeds are Danville junior Garrett Llewellyn, 25-4, at 160; Midd-West senior Chris Baker, 27-4, at 189; and East Juniata freshman Sean Heggs, 24-2, at 119.
Sheesley, Lahr, Pesarchick, Polastre and Tillet are all returning sectional champions with Lahr and Pesarchick each finishing sixth in the PIAA championships. Erdman, second in the sectional, finished eighth in the state tournament.
n East Sectional
BENTON -- Host and defending champion Benton led the way with five No. 1 seeds while Warrior Run garnered three. Central Columbia, Muncy and Bloomsburg had two apiece.
For the Defenders, the top seeds are sophomore Darren Heddings, 21-3, at 103; senior Chris Pfirman, 22-5, at 135; and senior two-time PIAA runner-up Tyler Hain, 25-2, at 152.
Benton's No. 1s are freshman Colt Cotten, 23-4, at 112; senior Mike Rhone, 29-3, at 119; junior Coltin Fought, 30-6, at 125; senior returning state champion Eric Hess, 29-2, at 160 and senior and returning state runner-up Tyler DeMott, 29-1, at 285.
By Harold Raker
The Daily Item
COAL TOWNSHIP -- The host Shamokin Indians grabbed five No. 1 seeds Thursday night for Saturday's District 4 Class AA South Sectional wrestling tournament.
But that wasn't the big news. More importantly, Line Mountain junior 140-pounder Travis Erdman, a returning state place-winner, was scratched from the tournament because of injury.
Erdman, 26-5 on the season and 97-23 for his career, broke his hand during practice Wednesday and was unable to wrestle. A returning state eighth-place finisher, he would have been the No. 1 seed. He was replaced in the bracket by freshman teammate Britton Heim.
The district will again hold four sectional tournaments as the individual postseason gets into full swing, with the top three place-winners in each weight class advancing to the district tournament the following Friday at Williamsport High School.
The other sectional tournaments are the east, at Benton elementary school; the west, at Montoursville High School; and the north, at Athens High School. Quarterfinals in each event begin at 9 a.m., with the semifinals and consolation quarterfinals and consolation semifinals to follow. The championship and consolation finals (for third and fourth place) will begin at 6.
In addition to Shamokin, the other schools with more than one top-seeded wrestlers are Mifflinburg with three and Line Mountain, now with two, after the loss of Erdman.
No. 1 seeds for defending team champion Shamokin are junior Brandon Pesarchick, 27-5, at 130 pounds; junior Josh Lahr, 11-5, at 135; junior Lee Supsic, 18-10, at 145; senior Kegan Polastre, 19-8, at 171; and junior Wes Tillet, 26-3, at 285.
Mifflinburg's No. 1s are sophomore David Sheesley, 24-4, at 103; senior Ethan Midkiff, 23-1, at 125; and freshman Ty Walter, 27-3, at 152.
For Line Mountain, the top seeds are freshman Seth Lansberry, 19-12, at 112, and junior Bryce Martz, 13-4, at 215.
The other No. 1 seeds are Danville junior Garrett Llewellyn, 25-4, at 160; Midd-West senior Chris Baker, 27-4, at 189; and East Juniata freshman Sean Heggs, 24-2, at 119.
Sheesley, Lahr, Pesarchick, Polastre and Tillet are all returning sectional champions with Lahr and Pesarchick each finishing sixth in the PIAA championships. Erdman, second in the sectional, finished eighth in the state tournament.
n East Sectional
BENTON -- Host and defending champion Benton led the way with five No. 1 seeds while Warrior Run garnered three. Central Columbia, Muncy and Bloomsburg had two apiece.
For the Defenders, the top seeds are sophomore Darren Heddings, 21-3, at 103; senior Chris Pfirman, 22-5, at 135; and senior two-time PIAA runner-up Tyler Hain, 25-2, at 152.
Benton's No. 1s are freshman Colt Cotten, 23-4, at 112; senior Mike Rhone, 29-3, at 119; junior Coltin Fought, 30-6, at 125; senior returning state champion Eric Hess, 29-2, at 160 and senior and returning state runner-up Tyler DeMott, 29-1, at 285.
By Harold Raker
The Daily Item