Top Sophomores At PIAAs
Top Sophomores At PIAAs
You're not going to want to miss these eight underclassmen when they take the mat this weekend.
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Hershey time! The toughest state tournament in the country is going down this weekend and with PIAA limiting the bracket size to eight, there won’t be an easy match inside the Giant Center this weekend.
Watch the 2021 PIAA Individual State Championship
LIVE on FloWrestling | March 12-13
Below are eight sophomores you’re not going to want to miss wrestle this weekend. Despite being underclassmen, these guys can do some serious damage.
Rocco Welsh, AA 152 (Waynesburg)
#5 on the Sophomore Big Board
#7 in the country at 152
2020 state runner-up
Rocco Welsh wrestles a physical style, underclassman or not. However, he is in one of the toughest brackets of the weekend. He’ll have the winner of Harvard commit Evan Gleason and 2020 state 4th Jared Keslar. And if you’re a Waynesburg fan, you’re hoping #8 Paniro Johnson takes out #3 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon to make the finals on the bottom side. Welsh defeated Johnson in the Super Region semifinals but lost to Herrera-Rondon in the finals.
Watch Welsh knock off #8 Paniro Johnson in the Super Region semifinals below.
Vinny Kilkeary, AAA 113 (Greater Latrobe)
#8 on the Sophomore Big Board
#7 in the country at 113
2020 state champion
Vinny Kilkeary is absolutely eclectic. He won his 2020 state title in overtime with a headlock. At the Kilkeary was weighing 100 lbs at his max. Now, he’s a full-sized 113-pounder and doubled down on his freshman state title performance with a Super 32 title in the fall. Vinny did take a loss in the Super Region finals to Manheim Township’s Kamdyn Williams. This is nothing new, however. The Greater Latrobe sophomore took losses at both sections and regions last season before winning his state title.
Watch Vinny Kilkeary beat Jacob Van Dee to win the 2020 state title below.
Tyler Kasak, AAA 126 (Bethlehem Catholic)
#33 on the Sophomore Big Board
#16 in the country at 126
Taking fifth in Kilkeary’s 106 bracket last year was Tyler Kasak. He’s put on some size and experience now. He’s 12-0 this season at 126 lbs with six pins and three tech falls. Kasak picked up the biggest win of his career this fall when he upset NC State commit and #13 pound-for-pound wrestling in the country Stevo Poulin. This was after beating both Jacob Van Dee and Mac Church last regular season.
Watch Tyler Kasak defeat Mac Church at the 2020 PIAA Team Championships below.
Grant Mackay, AA 152 (Laurel)
#36 on the Sophomore Big Board
2020 state qualifier
Just a state qualifier last season, Grant Mackay might not be as established as the first three wrestlers on this list. However, he is still extremely talented. He’s only lost to two wrestlers this season: Erik Gibson and Ty Linsenbigler. Not bad losses at all. He’s in a good position to win his first state title this weekend.
Holden Garcia, AA 160 (Notre Dame GP)
#65 on the Sophomore Big Board
#16 in the country at 160
2020 state qualifier
After qualifying, but falling short last year, Notre Dame’s Holden Garcia at least won’t be coming home empty-handed this year. Now, it’s just about how high he can climb on the podium. The highest nationally ranked kid at the weight, Garcia might be the favorite on paper. He’ll have to go through #17 Avery Bassett and #19 AJ Corrado. Whoever brings home the gold at this weight is the real deal.
Riley Robell, AA 285 (Bishop McDevitt)
#47 on the Sophomore Big Board
2020 state qualifier
Riley Robell went from a 182-pounder last season to a full sized heavyweight this season. The transformation has gone smoothly as Robell is 28-0 and won the Journeymen Classic in November. Similar to Mackay, there’s a good chance his first state medal is a gold one.
Wesley Barnes, AA 189 (Southern Columbia)
#61 on the Sophomore Big Board
2020 state 4th place
Wesley Barnes is another guy who got big after his freshman year. Barnes had success last season at 152 and has repeated that success this year up over 30 lbs at 189. Barnes bracket won’t make it easy on him Friday. He’ll have Greenville’s Cole Karpinski right off the bat. Then, probably nationally ranked Ethan Finch. The winner of that gets Navy commit Cael Crebs, who has already beaten Barnes three times this postseason.
Dylan Evans, AAA 138 (Chartiers Valley)
#95 on the Sophomore Big Board
2020 state 8th place
Just making it to this tournament at AAA 138 is quite an accomplishment. In his first match, Dylan Evans gets to wrestle nationally ranked Penn commit Kyle Hauserman with the winner getting formerly nationally ranked Cole Homet who made the list of best uncommitted wrestlers in Hershey. Evans is a tough wrestler though with a good single leg and carry.