Feb 9, 2021 2 min read

Joe Throckmorton should send Chris Heater a thank you card.

Throckmorton, the head wrestling coach at Waynesburg, will have an unexpected bye in Wednesday’s quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class AAA Team Tournament thanks to the team Heater coaches, Kiski.

The Cavaliers pulled out of the tournament Wednesday because he preferred to rest his wrestlers rather than compete. The pullout came too late for any other team to take the place of Kiski.

That meant only seven teams will compete in the Class AAA team tournament, one fewer than expected. So a bye was created in the eight-team bracket and Waynesburg got it because the Raiders are the top seed. The Raiders needed just a combined 60 minutes to win two dual meets.

In Class AA, six teams fill the brackets. Byes went to the No. 1 seed, Burrell, and No. 2 seed, Burgettstown. That was expected. Waynesburg’s wasn’t.

Waynesburg, which won its second straight Section 4 title Monday night in the Raiders’ gymnasium, will take on the winner of the dual meet between No. 5 seed Thomas Jefferson and No. 4 North Allegheny at Canon-McMillan’s gymnasium. The semifinals will be held at 7:15 p.m. Quarterfinal dual meets begin at 6 p.m.

Seneca Valley, the No. 2 seed in Class 3A, wrestles Peters Township in the quarterfinals. Connellsville wrestles No. 6 Penn-Traford in the other quarterfinal match.

In Class AA, Burrell, which has won the last 14 WPIAL titles, has a bye. The Bucs wrestle the quarterfinal winner of the dual meet between No. 5 Quaker Valley and No 4 Mt. Pleasant.

Burgettstown, fresh from a victory in the Section 1 tournament, got the other bye because of its the No. 2 seed. The Blue Devils moved to 11-0 with two wins Monday.

One of those wins came against Beth-Center, which received the third seed. The Bulldogs take on Montour in the 6 p.m. quarterfinals at Burgettstown High School.