O-R All-District Wrestling Team: Belle Vernon’s Brown made history
Jonathan Guth/For the Observer-Reporter
No one would have blamed Elijah Brown if he did a backflip or pointed to those in the crowd that supported him.
But the humility that Brown showed in victory is what made the Belle Vernon junior’s state championship even more impressive.
Brown won a 4-3 decision over Kiski’s Cooper Roscosky in the finals at 215 pounds to not only win his first PIAA title, but give the Leopards program a much-deserved championship after it fell just short, and at times in heartbreaking fashion, of winning a state title.
Brown’s efforts at the Giant Center in Hershey, coupled with a season record of 48-1, gives him the nod as Wrestler of the Year on the Observer-Reporter’s All-District Team.
“I have never really been someone to showboat,” said Brown after his victory over Roscosky in reference to why he didn’t have an elaborate celebration. “Even after Fargo (where he won a national title), I think I clapped like four times after the match. I want to stay humble.
“However, after we left the arena and went to dinner, I was able to celebrate with my coaches, and family and friends. It feels awesome to win my first state championship and get one for Belle Vernon. We were joking about me breaking the ‘Belle Vernon curse.'”
The University of Pittsburgh commit’s lone setback this season came to Ringgold’s Jake Conroy, on Jan. 22 in a dual meet at Belle Vernon. Brown jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first period, and increased his advantage to 8-0 in the second, but Conroy rallied for a 14-10 decision in double overtime.
Brown avenged that loss in the section finals with a technical fall, and also won two more times in the series, including a 6-3 decision in the state semifinals. He feels like he learned a valuable lesson in the loss to Conroy.
“I was pumped up on adrenaline in that match, so once that adrenaline wore off, I kind of just crushed,” Brown said. “I’m normally really calm and collected before a match. It was really hard to bounce back.
“I was beating him pretty bad in the first period, and once that was over, that little break that came between the first and second periods happened, and I just crashed. I think that was a big part of it. I really improved my conditioning after that match.”
Brown hasn’t rested on his laurels, as he is already back in the wrestling room training for his freestyle competitions. Brown trains at Young Guns Wrestling Club.
Brown and Conroy are two of the 26 wrestlers that make up the all-district first and second teams.
The first team features Brown (215); Conroy (215); Bentworth’s Drake McClure (133), Owen Ivcic (160); Beth-Center’s Mason Wright (133); Canon-McMillan’s Collier Hartman (133); Fort Cherry’s Braedon Welsh (215); McGuffey’s Lucas Barr (139); Peters Township’s Nicholas McGarrity (107), Darius McMillon (152); Trinity’s Dom Canali (127), T.J. Allison (139); West Greene’s Colin Whyte (285).
The second team consists of Belle Vernon’s Deydon Soto (139); Bentworth’s Alex Rusilko (285); Burgettstown’s Darius Simmons (107), Logan Noyes (152); Canon-McMillan’s Brayden Collins (215); McGuffey’s Clayton Ealy (114), Tucker Main (121), Emmett Wolfe (133), Garrett Newman (152); South Fayette’s Talan Mizenko (139), Luke Dunlap (152); Washington’s Caleb Patton (145); Waynesburg’s Jake Stephenson (189).
The Class 3A Coach of the Year is Ron Tarquinio of Trinity and the Class 2A Coach of the Year is Jared Roberts of McGuffey.
As usual, inclusion of the all-district team was determined by the accomplishments of each wrestler within his respective weight class.