Published Sunday, March 7, 1999 
Coach Brian Hills' Raiders won the Northwest AA Regional team title Saturday night at Sharon High School, outdistancing Brookville, which won the state's initial Dual Meet title on Wednesday. Reynolds amassed 119 1/2 points. to edge Brookville with 104. Cameron County was third with 91.
"Our kids are tuned into this kind of wrestling," said Hills, referring to the tournament atmosphere. "We wrestle in a lot of big tournaments and our kids are used to the crowds and the noise.
"Because these tournaments are ingrown in us, that's what we're striving for. I'm really proud of our kids and our coaching staff (John Tofani, Brian Nestor and Mark Bartolo)"
Three of the Raiders are heading for Hershey - where the opening rounds are scheduled Thursday morning - as regional champs. Seniors Steve Popovitch (119) and Jason Nestor (130) won their second straight crowns, while sophomore Justin Nestor (135) took his first. Justin Hollobaugh (112) and Doug Woods (145) finished second, while Jerry Kendall (103) earned a third place for the Raiders.
Sharon's Jared Moss (140) is the only other Mercer County champion.
Brookville also had three champs: Jason Gilligan (145), Jeremy Reitz (152) and Gerrett Hurd (160). Cameron County had four winners: Doug McGraw (125), Seth Fragale (171), Adam Bickford (189) and Luke Fragale (275).
Other champions were Dave Predko (103) and Bruno Iorofido (112), both of Ridgway.
Ridgway looked impressive in the first two weights during the finals. At 103, Predko lifted his season record to 33-0 with a controlled 5-0 win over Darren Yaple of Seneca, while Elkers' senior Iorofido (33-2) won his second straight regional crown by manhandling Reynolds freshman Hollobaugh for a 12-2 major decision.
"Hollobaugh was just overmatched by a senior," said Hills. "But for a freshman to be going to state, that's important."
The 119 final was a battle of familiar foes and the outcome was a familiar story, Popovich defeating Greenville's Kurtis Holzshu in a close match.
This time it was 2-0, the difference being a Popovitch reversal with a Peterson in the second period for the Raider's second regional crown. Popovitch upped his season mark to 35-1, while Holzshu is 31-5, with four of the losses at the hands of Popovitch.
"They know each other so well," said Greenville Coach Jim Miller, echoing the words of Raider coach Hills after the D-10 finals won by Popovitch, 2-1 last week. "We'll work on some things and I'd love to see them in one more final."
A third repeat champion in a row was crowned at 125 as Doug McGraw of Cameron County dominated Cambridge Springs' Justin DeArment for an 8-0 win and his third straight crown. McGraw, a junior, is 34-0, while DeArment fell to 34-2.
At 130, it became four straight repeat champs as Raider Nestor, the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the state at the weight, came through in style. Nestor decked his finals foe Andy Steger of Ridgway in 1:30 to up his season mark to 34-2 and earn his fourth straight trip to state.
The 135-pound matchup between Nestor and Brookville's Keith Ferraro was everything it was expected to be. Ferraro, a senior, led 4-2 after the first period, but Nestor rode out the entire second stanza. Nestor tied it with a reversal in the third then kicked Ferraro loose. Nestor scored a takedown off a single leg with about 25 seconds to go and rode out the period for the thrilling victory. The defending state champ upped his season record to 35-2. Ferraro is 23-6.
"That was a great win for Justin," said Hills. "Ferraro wrestles him tough; he beat Justin last year."
Everyone expected a close match at 140 between D-10 champ Jared Moss and runner-up Jeremy Artman after a physical Moss victory last week. It couldn't have been any closer. Both had escapes for a 1-1 tie in regulation. After no takedown in the overtime period, Moss won the flip and chose down in the 30-second rideout. Moss escaped in about 8 seconds for the 2-1 victory.
"I'm sure they both worked all week on the same thing," said Sharon coach Dave Ciafre. "We worked on how to beat Jeremy Artman and they worked on how to beat Jared Moss. They shut each other down effectively. But I'm happy with the win."
The victory gave Moss 108 career wins, tying the Sharon school record held by Craig Griffin.
The second Brookville-Reynolds clash came at 145 but this time the Blue Raiders turned the tables on the Raiders. Brookville's Gilligan scored a reversal with 23 seconds left and held on to defeat Doug Woods, 4-3.
"We're very pleased with Doug," said Hills. "He had a great tournament in a very tough weight. He proved he belongs with some of the best kids in the state."
Brookville made it two in a row as powerful Jeremy Reitz, regional and state runner-up to Commodore Perry's Nevada Walker last year, dominated Jimmy Spiegel of Greenville for a 14-5 decision.
"Reitz is just a superb wrestler," said Greenville coach Jim Miller. "Jimmy wrestled very well in this tournament and he shouldn't be disappointed. He's got some things to work on for state and obviously he'll be on the other side of the brackets which is a big plus."
Brookville made it three-in-a-row as Blue Raider Gerrett Hurd won a 6-0 decision over Ft. LeBoeuf's Nick Knight at 160. But the Blue Raider streak ended at 171, where Randy Stout lost a hard-fought 7-6 decision to Fragale.
Cameron County's Bickford won a tight 3-1 triumph at 189 over Aaron Cantafio of Brockway, while his CC teammate Luke Fragle won 4-0 at heavyweight over Paul Shilk of Ridgway.
In all, Mercer County is advancing 13 wrestlers to state. Local third place finishers, along with Raider Kendall, are: Drew Rose (112), Lakeview; Eric McCurdy (125), Mercer; Stan Skakalski (152), Jamestown; and Jason Cecil (160), Kennedy Christian.
"Last year we took six to state and came away with it (the state team title)," said Hills. "And we weren't expecting that much. We're taking six again so hopefully we'll do better."
It would be especially sweet to repeat if the PIAA goes through with plans to make it the final team championship.
