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Waynesburg rolls to individual, team titles

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Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter

Mac Church of Waynesburg is looking to repeat as a PIAA champion this weekend in Hershey.

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Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter

Gerrit Nijenhuis of Canon-McMillan waits for Donovan McMillon of Peters Township to return to center for a restart at 182 pounds at the WPIAL Class AAA Championship at Canon-McMillan High School Saturday. Nijenhuis won an 8-2 decision.

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Wyatt Henson of Waynesburg holds onto Sam Hillegas of North Hills at 138 pounds at the WPIAL Class AAA Championship at Canon-McMillan High School Saturday. Henson won a 4-3 decision.

CANONSBURG – The awards stand was awash in red Saturday night.

Waynesburg High School, riding a rising tide, had three WPIAL Class AAA champions and won the team title Saturday night inside the gymnasium at Canon-McMillan High School.

Mac Church won the 106-pound title, Wyatt Henson wrestled arguably his best match of the year in winning the 138-pound title and Luca Augustine outlasted Jack Blumer of Kiski to take the gold medal at 160 pounds.

Canon-McMillan had one champion in Gerrit Nijenhuis, who made tidy work of Donovan McMillon of Peters Township at 182 pounds.

Belle Vernon’s Cole Weightman knocked off the No. 1 seed to win the 220-pound title.

So the total should read 12 wrestlers from the area advancing to the state tournament next week in Hershey. The first round gets underway at the Giant Center Thursday morning.

Joining the champions from the final matches were Rocco Welsh of Waynesburg, who took second place at 126 pounds; and McMillon, who was second at 182.

Those sweating it out in the blood round (state qualifying bout) were Costa Moore (120) and Evan Miller (220) of Canon-McMillan; Eli Brinsky (170) and Quentin Franklin (Hvy) of South Fayette; and Cole Homet (132) of Waynesburg.

Moore had the easiest time, getting a default victory from Nathan Roth of Latrobe. Roth separated his shoulder in a semifinal bout against Jace Ross of Connellsville.

Waynesburg had five qualifiers and 159.5 points. Seneca Valley was second with four and 113 points and Canon-McMillan was third with three and 112 points.

Church, who entered the 106 weight class as the second seed, raised his overall record to 42-5 when he pinned Vince Kilkeary of Latrobe in 4:17. The two wrestlers can discuss the match early next week at the Young Guns wrestling club, where they work out together.

“I know he is a tough, strong kid,” said Church, a freshman. “He’s one of my practice partners and I just love the kid. We told each other that we would both make it to the finals. I felt a little bad because I showed some emotion at the end. I was just happy.”

Church snapped out of a lethargic showing by gathering in the diminutive Kilkeary by hooking the leg and trapping the head, then turning him over and pinning him.

“I thought I could have taken more shots but things happen the way things happen,” he said. “It’s all God’s plan.”

Henson avenged an 8-3 loss to Sam Hillegas of North Hills in last December’s Powerade tournament by taking Hillegas down twice, once in the second period and once in the third for a thrilling 4-3 decision. Hillegas, a two-time state champion, suffered his first loss to a WPIAL wrestler in his varsity career.

“I took some selective shots that I thought I could finish,” the Waynesburg junior said. “This win means a lot but I have to focus on states now.”

Augustine outlasted Blumer 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker. Augustine, a second seed, entered overtime with the bout tied, 2-2. Augustine chose top for the final 30 seconds and Blumer had no answer.

“I was not going to stop for anything,” said the second-seeded Augustine, a senior with a 41-7 record. “He’s a really good wrestler, don’t get me wrong, but I went after him with everything I had. I knew he had phenomenal defense so I had to focus on clean shots and clean finishes.”

Nijenhuis won his second WPIAL title with a workman-like 8-2 decision over McMillon to stretch his record to 43-0. He is now four wins away from becoming the WPIAL wins leader at 181 for his career. Four wins also is required to win a state title.

“Winning never gets old,” said the senior who was top seeded. “It feels great. I’ve been in the finals twice and won both times. That was the second time I wrestled him.”

Weightman entered the 220-pound weight class as the second seeed and knocked off John Meyers of Greensburg Salem, the top seed. His record is 29-1.

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