Feb 7, 2024 By Jonathan Guth 4 min read

The Burgettstown and Trinity wrestling teams have packed their bags for what they hope will be a four-night stay in Hershey … but it won’t be for chocolate.

The Blue Devils and Hillers open up action today in the first round of the PIAA Team Tournament at the Giant Center.

Burgettstown (15-1) will be first on the docket when it battles District 9 champion Clearfield (15-1) at 4 p.m. in the Class 2A bracket.

The Blue Devils qualified for the state team tournament last year after winning the WPIAL Class 2A championship over Burrell. Coach Joey Vigliotti’s team advanced to the semifinals before a 31-23 setback to Fort LeBoeuf.

“We hit the semifinals last year and that was good for a small school like us,” Vigliotti said. “We look at the common opponents and try to get the matchups that will work for us. We are going to go out on Wednesday to get ourselves ready for the next day’s action.

“We have some newer guys that never wrestled at the Giant Center before, but we have a great group of leaders and veteran guys that have been out there and will prepare those kids. It’s all the same mat as the one we compete on at home.”

Burgettstown enters the tournament as the second-place team out of the WPIAL after losing to Burrell 41-20 in the Class 2A final Saturday. Despite the teams competing against each other less than a week ago, Vigliotti said he will be pulling for the Buccaneers when they face Honesdale this afternoon.

“Josh Shields (Burrell’s coach) and I go way back,” Vigliotti said. “We want to show the state what the WPIAL can do. I think this year’s WPIAL title match was similar to how it went in our favor last year in that they got the momentum and ran with it.”

Vigliotti said to expect a good crowd this afternoon, even with it being a weekday and the drive from Burgettstown to Hershey being lengthy.

“Burgettstown will be well-represented, even on Thursday,” Vigliotti said.

Trinity is back in the state tournament for the first time since winning the WPIAL Class 3A team title in 2002. The Hillers (11-1) wrestle District 4 champion Selinsgrove (10-3) tonight at 6.

“We have gathered the data for the tournament and I think we match up well with them,” Trinity coach Ron Tarquinio said.

Trinity qualified for the state tournament in a dramatic semifinal victory over Bethel Park. The dual meet was tied at 26 but the Hillers earned the tiebreaker with a 7-6 advantage in individual victories.

“I definitely didn’t want to be in a consolation situation (in the WPIAL team tournament) so getting that win was huge,” Tarquinio said. “Jake Wright locking up a cradle in the third period to win 5-2 after trailing 2-0 early decided the dual meet, but when guys don’t give up a pin can turn a match when it’s that close.

“It was an amazing experience in a hostile environment. It felt like a college dual meet, and the fans were right on top of you. It was emotionally and mentally draining. I definitely slept well that night.”

Tarquinio’s team lost to Connellsville 33-32 in the final to finish as the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up. Though his team was the No. 1 seed, Tarquinio was aware of the Falcons’ capabilities.

“We wrestled in a tournament (Panther Holiday Classic) with them in mid-December and I think they had six guys in the semifinals,” Tarquinio said. “I knew then that they were going to be a tough team, so for our guys to wrestle them so tough was very encouraging. We have improved and have a nice mix of new and veteran guys in our lineup.”

Bethlehem Catholic is the reigning Class 3A champion and has won three of the past five state dual meet titles.

Faith Christian won the championship last year in Class 2A, but Bishop McCort returns to the postseason after a two-year ban was placed on the program for the team and individual postseason tournaments after a violation of recruiting and transfer rules.

The Crusaders have a plethora of nationally ranked wrestlers.