The Herald, Sharon,
PA Published Sunday, Feb. 23, 1997

WINTER SPORTS Wrestling
Saturday's Class AA mat results

action shot
In a battle of unbeatens, Commodore Perry's Nevada Walker rides Lakeview's Mike Dye in the 145-pound championship match. Walker won 9-5 to improve his season mark to 29-0, while Dye fell to 30-1. (Jean Angelo/Herald)

DISTRICT 10 WRESTLING

Panthers cop crown

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4 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPS KEY CP TEAM TITLE

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33 Mercer County matmen qualify for NW regionals

By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor

It's comforting to have the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the state as your heavyweight in a close match. Actually, it's nice to have him even when it isn't close.

Josh Pearce put the finishing touches on Commodore Perry's dominating performance in the District 10 Class AA Championships Saturday night at Sharon High gym by winning his third straight individual crown.

Pearce and three other Panthers _ Wes Sindlinger (135), Nevada Walker (145), and Mark Chess (171) _ pulled in titles as CP won the team crown with 134 1/2 points. Saegertown finished second with 107, followed by Sharon 91, Reynolds 84 and Greenville 74.

Perry qualified six wrestlers for next week's regional competition at Sharon, leading a group of 33 Mercer Countians who kept alive their hopes for a shot at state. Greenville also advanced six, while Mercer and Sharon moved five and Reynolds four. Sharpsville and Grove City each send two, while Lakeview, Jamestown and Hickory each moved one.

Other Mercer County champions were: Steve Popovitch, 112, Reynolds; Tom McMath, 125, Sharpsville; Bob Tumpak, 135, Reynolds; Kevin Brown, 160, Jamestown; and Joe Rendos, 189, Grove City.

``It has been a nice year,'' understated Commodore Perry coach Bob Parker, who was named District 10 Coach of the Year. ``The kids have set a lot of school records. This is my best team ever. We have a balanced team, we didn't have any weak weight classes and of course we had the stars.''

Those ``stars'' were led by Pearce, who pinned his finals foe, Scott Eagley of Girard in a time of 3:22 to up his season record to 30-0. But the real test for Pearce came in the semis when he pulled out a 2-1 victory over Sharon's Brian ``Bubba'' Griffin.

Pearce is only the second three-timer from CP, preceded by T.J. Musser in 1980, 81 and 83.

``Josh is great,'' said Parker. ``He's a smart wrestler and knows what he has to do to win those kind of close matches.''

Of course, most wrestlers can't stay close to Pearce, just as the teams at districts couldn't stay close to the Panthers as they put five in the finals.

The finals did get off to a slow start for Perry at 103 as Panthers' senior Dan Riley was no match for talented Aaron Diehl of Girard. Diehl built a 9-0 lead before pinning Riley in 3:56 to up his season record to 30-1.

The 112 finals was a much anticipated rematch of two archrivals, Mike Germano of Sharpsville and Reynolds' Popovitch. In 1996, Germano beat the Raider in both the Section 3 and D-10 finals. This year, Popovitch turned the tables by adding the district title to his sectional crown. And again the victory came in exciting fashion.

Germano held a 4-2 lead late in the match, but instead of kicking Popovitch out for one point, he tried to hang on near the out-of-bounds. Popovitch scored a reversal at the buzzer to send the match into overtime. Popovitch countered a Germano leg shot in the extra period, stepped across and caught the Blue Devil junior on his back for an 8-4 victory.

The sophomore Popovitch upped his season record to 27-4, while Germano fell to 30-2, both losses to Popovitch.

At 119, Girard's Joe Ciotti nailed down his second straight district crown with a 9-3 victory over Ryan Braymer of Saegertown.

The 125 final was another rematch of a Section 3 title bout, but this time there was a reversal of fortunes. Sharpsville junior McMath scored a 4-2 victory over Jason Nestor of Reynolds, avenging a 6-3 defeat last weekend. With the score tied at 2-2 in the third, McMath nailed a double-leg takedown with 29 seconds remaining then rode out for the win. McMath is 31-2 on the season, while Nestor, a sophomore, is 29-2, both losses to McMath.

Two familiar foes _ Sharon's Craig Griffin and Saegertown's Jeremy Artman _ clashed at 130. The twosome split a pair of matches at districts in 1996, but this time it was 1-0 for Artman with an 8-5 decision. The sophomore (27-6) scored three takedowns to defeat the Tigers junior (30-4).

The Cinderella story of Grove City junior 135-pounder Anthony Errera _ who defeated two-time D-10 champ Bill Morris of Saegertown Friday _ came to an unhappy ending in the finals against junior Bob Tumpak of Reynolds. Tumpak built a 10-0 lead before pinning Errera in 3:43. Tumpak, who beat Errera in the Section 3 finals, 10-7, the previous week, pinned all three opponents in the district tourney, raising his season mark to 28-2. Errera is 26-8.

Sindlinger gave Commodore Perry its first win of the finals at 140 pounds with a controlled 3-1 victory over Joe Charlton of Ft. LeBoeuf. The Panther junior upped his season mark to 26-3, while Charlton fell to 28-4.

The battle of unbeatens at 145 was a much-awaited meeting of CP's Walker and Mike Dye of Lakeview. Walker, a D-10 and state runner-up last season, got out to a quick 4-0 lead and never looked back on his way to a 9-5 triumph. The relentless Panthers junior upped his season record to 29-0, while the senior Dye is 30-1.

The 152 bout was the fastest of the night as Eisenhower's Travis Hummel won by injury default as Jason Dudenhoeffer of Saegertown never took the mat. Hummel, 34-0, won his second straight district title.

At 160, Jamestown junior Kevin Brown kept his perfect season intact with a 5-2 victory over Cochranton sophomore Matt Hogue. Brown (31-0) looked impressive in the semis also in a 5-2 victory over Mercer's Keith Myers. Myers, who finished third in the tournament, has only two losses this year _ both to Brown.

At 171, Perry's Chess was in control from the beginning for a 7-2 win over Eisenhower's Andy Gourley. Chess, a junior who took a year off wrestling last season after qualifying for state in 1995, upped his season record to 21-4.

At 189, sophomore Joe Rendos of Grove City scored a tough 2-1 victory over a determined Eric Bennett of Maplewood. Bennett (22-11) downed tourney favorite Eric Mausser of Sharon, 7-5, in the semis but couldn't pull off another upset against the powerful Rendos who upped his season record to 29-3.

Then came Pearce, who the finished off the night for the Panthers with a fall.

But was that the finish, or just the beginning for the rugged group from Sheakleyville?

``I don't like to think ahead,'' said Parker. ``I want to enjoy this (district championship) first. There will be some good teams from the other district at regions and we're taking along some pretty good ones from this district as well.''
Saturday's Class AA mat results


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Updated Feb. 23, 1997
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