Left wanting Moore: Canon-McMillan’s Moore, Trinity’s Whitmer win back-to-back section titles
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Costa Moore, top, pushes the head of Montour’s Peter Chacon into the mat during the Class AAA Section 4 final at Chartiers Valley High School Saturday afternoon.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
Trinity’s Cole Whitmer, right, gets Canon-McMillan’s Evan Miller in a precarious position in the 220-pound Class AAA Section 4 individual final Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Tanner Rohaley, right, ties up with Daniel Yetsick of Ambridge in the 152-pound Class AAA Section 4 final Saturday afternoon at Chartiers Valley High School. Rohaley won by decision, 1-0.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg’s Cole Homet, top, glances up at the clock during the Class AAA Section 4 final bout at 132 pounds Saturday afternoon at Chartiers Valley High School. Homet won by decision, 5-4, in the ultimate tiebreaker over West Allegheny’s Jordan Watters.
HEIDELBERG – The smiles coming from Canon-McMillan’s Costa Moore and Trinity’s Cole Whitmer were brief.
With gold medals around their necks, the two wrestlers took their place on the medals stand about an hour apart.
Content?
Yes, the top two seeds at their respective weight classes – Moore at 120 and Whitmer at 220 – were happy with winning back-to-back Class AAA Section 4 individual championships.
“It was expected but I’m still happy about it,” Whitmer said. “I’ve put in the extra time, practicing six or seven days of the week. I am in the (wrestling) room when nobody else is there. I lift every day.”
Finished?
Not in the slightest.
“As a whole, I got what I wanted,” Moore said. “I’m kind of disappointed thought because I thought I could have put more points on the board. It is what it is. It’s a win. I always can do better.”
Moore and Whitmer were two of the 11 local wrestlers to win section titles Saturday afternoon at Chartiers Valley High School, gearing up for what they hope are better results in the near future.
Defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Gerrit Nijenhuis cruised to a clean sweep of section titles in each of his four years, pinning Waynesburg’s Darnell Johnson in the 182-pound final. Tanner Rohaley (152) was the other champion for the Big Macs.
Rocco Welsh (126), Cole Homet (132), Wyatt Henson (138), Luca Augustine (160) and Noah Tustin (195) all were winners. Homet won 5-4 in an ultimate tiebreaker, and Henson won by forfeit.
Eli Brinsky (170) and heavyweight Quentin Franklin each won titles for South Fayette.
The top five wrestlers in each weight class advanced to next weekend’s WPIAL championships at Canon-McMillan High School.
After receiving a bye into the semifinals, Moore quickly pinned fourth-seeded Charles Timber of Moon in 58 seconds to advance to the finals. The junior remained in complete control in the championship, scoring on a first-period takedown on the way to defeating Montour’s Peter Chacon, 8-2.
“His defense has come a heck of a long way,” Canon-McMillan coach Jeff Havelka said. “He is smart on the mat. This year, especially on top, he is able to ride really well and keep guys down.”
Never trailing against Chacon, Moore padded his lead with a reversal less than 30 seconds into the second period. After a Chacon escape, another convincing takedown less than one minute later gave him a comfortable 6-1 lead. He earned two near-fall points with 17 seconds left in the bout.
Moore placed fourth in last year’s WPIAL championships to advance to the state tournament; however, didn’t place in Hershey.
“I didn’t perform how I wanted to at states. I came up short,” Moore said. “All of my mind has been on that disappointment. I’ve just had to keep my head up and keep going.”
Whitmer’s focus is solely on next week when he will try become Trinity’s first WPIAL champion since Kyle McWreath in 2011. Last year, he became the first Hiller to advance to the state tournament since McWreath.
First dispatching of Josh Sobeck of Montour in the semifinals with a fall in 1:37, Whitmer then got the best of second-seeded Evan Miller of Canon-McMillan in the finals. Whitmer took a 2-0 lead by hauling down Miller with 11 seconds remaining in the first period. He doubled that advantage to 4-0 with a pair of nearfall points halfway through the second.
“That’s good momentum going into WPIALs. Maybe I can make the finals. Maybe I can win,” Whitmer said. “It would mean a lot to me and to the school. It’s always been one of my goals.”
Whitmer, who ran his record to 28-6 as a senior, wrestled at 182 last year finished third in the district after falling to since graduated Scott Joll of Belle Vernon in the semifinals.
“He does everything we ask of him,” Trinity coach Mark Powell said. “He grinds every single day. We have to get out of the comfort zone to give him what he needs. He has the tools to win a WPIAL title. It’s his for the taking.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a WPIAL champion,” Powell continued. “You know how our tradition is. It’s one of the better ones in the area. We are due.”