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Newest Barr comes through at sections

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Photos: Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter

Lucas Barr of McGuffey runs the half in order to get backpoints against Sean Cain during their 121-pound bout in the WPIAL Class 2A Southern Sectional Saturday. Barr won by decision.

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Parker Sentipal of Burgettstown (top) works on Jorden Williams of Chartiers-Houston during their 114-pound bout in the WPIAL Class 2A Southern Sectional Saturday. Sentipal won by decision.

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Sean Cain of Mount Pleasant (right) has a leg-up on Seth Burns of West Greene during the semifinals of the 121-pound bout in the WPIAL Class 2A Southern Sectional Saturday. Cain won by decision.

BURGETTSTOWN – When your last name is Barr and you attend McGuffey High School, great things are expected.

Lucas Barr, the latest in the Jason Barr clan, has lived up to those expectations so far.

Only a freshman and with the possibility of winning four section wrestling titles, Barr plowed by Sean Cain of Mt. Pleasant in the 121-pound finals of the WPIAL Class 2A Southern Sectional held at Burgettstown High School Saturday.

The win left the unseeded Barr with a 33-7 record. His father, Jason, was a multi-sport athlete, a two-time medalist in wrestling, 5,700-plus yard rusher in football and outstanding sprinter on the track team.

“I don’t know if my dad ever won a section championship,” said Lucas Barr. “I never asked him.”

You can bet the subject will find its way to the dinner table this week at the Barr household.

Lucas Barr, one of the talented young wrestlers on the Highlanders roster, opened the tournament with a pin in 1:14 of Danny Smith of Burgettstown and followed it with a 16-6 major decision over second-seeded Max Ivcic of Bentworth in the semifinals.

“I’ve thought about winning four of them,” said Lucas Barr. “It’s a goal of mine.”

This is the second time this season that Barr has wrestled Cain. The last time came in late December at the Southmoreland Tournament, where he pinned Cain in 4:34.

“He can score from any position, he’s tough, he’s a Barr,” said McGuffey head coach Jared Roberts. “He has God-given talents. He’s been wrestling for a long time. He’s dangerous from every position. You never know when you can find yourself on your back with him.”

Roberts has used Barr at 127 for most of the year but the Highlander freshman has had no trouble reaching 121.

“A freshman can’t be intimidated,” said Roberts. “You have to go out there and wrestle like it’s just any other wrestler. You have to take it one match at a time and that’s what he does. (In this tournament), he beat a couple seniors.”

Three wrestlers won their 100th match during this tournament: Rune Lawrence, a junior from Frazier on the way to the 189-pound title; Jamison Plokembo, a 133-pound junior from Mount Pleasant; and Parker Sentipal, a 114-pound junior from Burgettstown.

Sentipal, who has 102 wins now, has a chance at the school record of 153, set by Austin McDermitt in 2015. McDermitt had two seasons of 35 victories, one of 43 and one of 40.

Sentipal notched the 100th win in the quarterfinals with a pin in 19 seconds of Cam Shaffer of Washington.

“I was counting it down,” said Sentipal, who defeated Jorden Williams of Chartiers-Houston to win the 114-pound title. “I knew at (the state team tournament) that I had one more to go. I’m really happy it was here.”

Sentipal won a section championship, and his 100th career match all in front of his home crowd.

“I think it’s pretty cool because not a lot of people can say they got their 100th in their home gym,” Sentipal said. “I think 153 is doable.”

Vitali Daniels of Bentworth notched a big win in the 215-pound finals. The junior built a 7-1 lead in the first period and cruised to an 8-4 decision over Dylan Pitzer, a freshman from Mount Pleasant. It was Pitzer’s brother, Dayton, who handed Daniels two losses in the postseason last year.

“This win means a lot to me,” said Daniels. “It was a great win for me. His brother was awesome. (Dayton) is a great wrestler and I’m just happy I could compete against him.”

Ask anyone who the toughest 72-pounder is named Welsh and most would say Rocco Welsh, the returning PIAA champion from Waynesburg. And you would be right.

But Braedon Welsh, the 172-pound sophomore from Fort Cherry, isn’t too bad. Welsh, the top seed at 172, took an 8-2 decision from Jessie Orbin of Chartiers-Houston in the 172 finals.

“I’ve been putting up with that all my life, since I’ve been wrestling,” said Welsh of the comparison to his cousin. “We work out a lot together, either at his house or my house. We’ve made each other better wrestlers.”

Chris Vargo of Bentworth won by forfeit at 127 pounds and Burgettstown heavyweight Joe Baronick forfeited out of the third-place consolation bout because of a knee bruise suffered in the semifinals.

The top six wrestlers in each weight class advanced to the WPIAL Championships next weekend.

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