from the desk of

 Brick Bronson

Editor - District 6 AA Rankings

Volume I  -  Page I 

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June 29, 2008

Here is a quick look at what District 6 AA has in store for us in the 2009 season. With an exceptional group of seniors leaving, I feel the talent stepping in will make for another exciting season. Last year the district 6 AA finals featured 18 seniors and so that means this year it will be wide open. The team race will be extremely competitive as usual. With all the summer wrestling, weight lifting and club wrestling going on it makes it hard to rank the wrestlers or put them into the correct weight classes. I feel wrestling is a sport where if your willing to work extremely hard and dedicate yourself, you can make up an incredible amount of ground on your district and state competition. Over the last few years I have observed our area, local conferences and district becoming more and more competitive at the state and national level. I think the summer dedication and club wrestling has changed wrestling in district 6 for the better. District 6 has more wrestling clubs than any other district in the state and it is showing immensely during the state championships at Hershey.

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Top Freshman and Instant Impact Wrestlers

District 6 AA 2008-09

This class of incoming freshmen and impact wrestlers is exceedingly deep and has a lot of talent. The group is led by, PJW state champions RJ Brydon from Forest Hills and Shane Morris from Central Cambria. Westmont will basically reload their varsity team filling spots with Ian Helsel, Ryan Burnhimer, and Josh Duplin. These three will help Westmont work towards the title again this season. The next strongest class of impact wrestlers will be joining Central Cambria: Benji Rager, Shane Morris, Tony Risaliti & Devon Hornebake. These horses will instantly turn the Red Devils back in the right direction. I feel both Morris and Rager could both make appearances in Hershey next season. Forest Hills will be bringing up two hammers next year: RJ Brydon & Jeffery Meier. With the Rangers losing McVicker to graduation, it will be tough to fill the big gamers shoes, however I feel they will not miss a beat gaining Brydon, (2008 PJW state champion). I look for him to make a run at a district title and some possible hardware at states next season. Meier will also help in the upper weights for the Ranger, which was there only weakness this past season. Claysburg is gaining another good group, which is led by Tyler Ickes. He should help them in the middleweights. Richland is getting a monster in John Rizzo, he will instantly push the district big boys around and should make his first of 4 appearances at Hershey next season. Rizzo looks like Tarzan and will be a man among boys in a few years and should be very fun to watch in the future. United will be gaining another middleweight in John Blankenship, which should help them be very competitive this upcoming season. Next is Huntington, they were the strongest of all the district 6 AA junior high programs and will be reloading with some serious fire power. Nick Marter will lead the charge and many new wrestlers should get lots of time in high school next season. Other wrestlers in the district 6 AA that will make instant impacts on their teams are: Penn Cambria: Joey Stoy Ligonier Valley: Clayton Nanassy Somerset: Nick Baer. I am sure that I missed some, but these are the wrestlers I got to preview last year at PJW states & during the season.

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Young Guns making a tremendous impact in District 6 AA

Young Guns Wrestling

As I started to examine the returning wrestlers for next season, I realized that many of them had something in common. Most of the top wrestlers for next season train at Young Guns, either throughout the season or during the summer together. This makes the old saying, you are as good as your practice partner, very true. District 6 AA has always been competitive at the regional and state level, but over the last few years it is safe to say Young Guns has helped prepare and develop many area wrestlers. Exactly half of the 28 district 6 AA finalists trained at Young Guns, prior to districts last year. That speaks volumes for the club, the quality wrestlers in the club and the coaching staff. The club opened about five or so years ago and it has been an unreal situation for all area wrestlers to train with the best in the region. During the season you can find some of the best grapplers in state both AA and AAA practicing and training on Sundays at Young Guns, which opens back up in October. Wrestlers from as far as Penn Trafford (Pittsburgh) come up for the top training and competition. During the summer months they offer Greco and Freestyle wrestling, many camp opportunities and usually they put together an extremely talented travel team to wrestle all over the West Coast. Here is a list of some of next years top contenders that wrestle and train at Young Guns will include: Dave Fogle, Zac Bennett, Phil Steinberg, Henderson Brothers, AJ Schoop, Shawn Perich, Joe Shook and Tanner Hough. Top newcomers and future PIAA state medal winners include: Shane Morris, RJ Brydon, John Rizzo, Benji Rager, and Jeff Meier. The list of wrestlers goes on and on from PIAA state place winners to PJW state place winners. If you don’t already take advantage of this exceptional situation, I strongly recommend, because the bottom line is your area competition is.

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Top Teams for 2008-09 District 6 AA

District duals will be very close as usual, but I look for four teams to rise above the rest and battle it out during district duals next season. The four teams I look to be around in the district semi finals are: Westmont, Forest Hills, Claysburg, and Huntington. Three out of the four will return again from last year appearance, but I think this time Westmont will not board the bus early and will wrestle Forest Hills for the title. In my opinion the top two teams will be from the Laurel Highlands Conference, Forest Hills and Westmont, followed by Huntington and Claysburg. Westmont returns many wrestlers and has had much success over the past few years at district duals. This season they get their team captain and former state champion back, Zac Bennett. I think last season with him in the lineup, it would have been a tremendous swing (12 point swing) and would have helped them win back-to-back titles. Forest Hills on the other hand went un-noticed all of last year and posted an impressive record (17-1) entering district duals. What made the Rangers run so impressive was they only started one senior in their lineup. They then upset Huntington in the semi-finals, earning their young team a shot at the experienced and senior filled lineup of Mount Union. The Trojans reigned supreme and won the title, but ironically their only loss came to Huntington earlier in the year, which Forest Hills knocked off in the semi finals. The Trojans will not be the same with most of their top wrestlers finally graduating.

#1 Forest Hills / Westmont-Hilltop (tie)

I feel both these teams will be in the hunt and both will make appearances in Hershey next season. Forest Hills, again returns basically the whole team from last year that went 17-1 before districts duals and will be patching the holes with two studs from Jr high (Brydon & Meier). Westmont lost three starters in Brant, Polacek and Dorian, but will be gaining three from Jr high, which will put them back in the hunt. The winner of this match will be which ever teams works harder in the off-season and which coaches make the right moves at the right time. I would definitely give the advantage to the Forest Hills coaching staff. Westmont may have lost a key starter, Chaz Merrimen may be headed to Bishop McCort, which would create a huge hole in the Westy upper weights. Again the top spot is too tough to call and will be based upon to many variables like that one. For now they both get the top ranking.

3. Huntington

I can see the Bearcats being the only team that could spoil the all Laurel Highlands, district 6 AA final. Having the best AA jr high team should help their team tremendously next season, but out of these top three teams they also lost the most to commencement. I look for Huntington to be very scrappy and possibly pull off an upset in the duals. They are top three for sure and will be wrestling at district duals.

4. Claysburg-Kimmel

Claysburg is returning some key wrestlers from last season and will be gaining some Jr high help. I look for them to be extremely competitive and in the hunt. Aungst, Claar, and Knott will led the Bulldogs. They have many starters back in both the upper weights and lower weights. Should be another good year for Marko and the boys.

5. Central Cambria

Tons of potential and with the new editions, the Red Devils will be very competitive. Steinberg and Connah should have fine years and they are gaining 4 instant impact wrestlers from their Jr high. I would say they could be extremely dangerous & a top contender with their old coaching staff, but with the new, seasonal one, they will be around 5th or so in district 6. "Big Country and The Ween will have them primed and ready for the the duals".

6. Mount Union

7. Portage

8. Penn Cambria

9. United

10. (tie) Glendale/Ligonier Valley

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Most Outstanding Wrestler

Lightweight

(103 - 130)

David Fogle (12) Forest Hills

Middleweight

(135 - 160)

Phil Steinberg (11) Central Cambria

Upperweight

(171 - 285)

Zac Bennett (12) Westmont-Hilltop

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Previews

June 29, 2008

District 6 AA Individual

These rankings will be based upon summer wrestling and last year’s weights:

I am sure there are some wrestlers that I may have missed or overlooked. I also may have not included some Jr high wrestlers that will make instant impacts. I realize that there were many good Jr high teams last season, which may directly affect these ranks.

103: Ronnie Garbinsky (PIAA 4th) will be the favorite in this class, if he can hold the weight. I look for most of the other district place winners from last year to move up to 112. Some other contenders will be Josh Polacek and Evan Link.

1. Ronnie Garbinsky (10) TYR
2. Evan Link (10) PC
3. Josh Polacek (10) WH

Ronnie Garbinsky

112: This class will feature returning district champ, AJ Schoop(PIAA 5th). I look for him to be challenged by Tanner Hough (WH)(PIAA 6th), Weinell (BL)(SW 6th) and Kline (CC)

1. A J Schopp (11) TYR
2. Tanner Hough (10) WH
3. Adam Weinell (11) BL

A J Schopp

119: This class could be loaded next year depending on where the wrestlers filter in. I look for sophomore stud, Evan Henderson (PIAA 6th) to reign supreme by knocking off Trevor Kushner (2007 medallist) for the title. Luke Lohr(SW 6th) will be extremely tough and make another strong push towards a state appearance. This will be his year to wrestle in chocolate town. Others that could make an impact in this class are: S. Gallaher (FH), Runk (H), Boyd (JV), D.Smith (MU)