When the final buzzer echoed on Friday evening, No. 3 Bishop McCort (PA) and No. 4 Lake Highland Prep (FL) found themselves tied for the lead of the PowerAde Tournament at Canon-McMillan High School in Pennsylvania. Their ranking parity set the stage for an exhilarating Saturday, resulting in some shifts in the team standings following the semifinals.
At the close of Friday, No. 6 Delbarton (NJ) occupied the third spot, trailing the co-leaders by 2.5 points with scores of 130.5 to 128. However, after the semifinals, the Highlanders climbed to the top, with Delbarton following closely behind and the Crushers in third place. Lake Highland led by 3.5 over the Green Wave and was 10 points ahead of McCort.
As the final matches unfolded before the placement rounds, McCort managed to regain its position at the top, edging out Lake Highland by a single point, 195-194. Delbarton (185.5) remained in third place as expected.
The tournament directors made a strategic decision to kick off the final round at the 172 lbs mark. This decision proved to be beneficial for Lake Highland Prep, enhancing their team momentum since their strength lies in the upper weight classes, while Bishop McCort lacks the same level of national-caliber talent in those divisions.
As Delbarton started the final round within reach of the lead, the results highlighted a two-team matchup as the Crushers and Highlanders distanced themselves from the Garden State powerhouse. Unfortunately for both teams, there were no representatives competing in the 172 lb placement matches.
The Green Wave was in need of a remarkable upset in the 189 lb final to gain crucial team points, as unranked Carl “CJ” Betz faced Lake Highland Prep’s No. 8 Robert Kucharczk in the championship duel. Kucharczk secured a 4-0 victory but unfortunately did not add any bonus points.
Kucharczk’s victory allowed the Highlanders to take a three-point lead, 198-195. With competitors set to represent Lake Highland at both 215 and 285, they had a prime opportunity to extend that lead.
The Highlanders capped off a three-match winning streak, yet failed to secure any bonus points, as heavyweight No. 10 Jacob Levy claimed his second title with a 5-2 decision over No. 25 Lukas Zalota (Malvern Prep, PA). Compatriot No. 22 Alex Smith emerged victorious in his fifth-place match at 215 lbs, edging out unranked Cooper Roscosky (Kiski Area, PA) with a narrow 1-0 decision.
Despite the success against various ranked opponents, the Highlanders felt a tinge of disappointment as they desperately needed bonus points. They increased their lead to nine points, standing at 204-195.
The focus shifted to the lighter weights, yet McCort faced challenges as No. 11 Keegan Bassett went up against No. 5 Justin Farnsworth (Malvern Prep) in the 107 lb consolation final. The rankings prevailed as Farnsworth delivered a commanding 12-0 major decision, denying McCort any boost.
The Crushers did manage to add one point at 114 lbs when No. 30 Eli Herring secured a slight upset over No. 20 Charlie Esposito (St. Joseph Regional, NJ) with a score of 7-1 in the seventh-place bout. With no competitors in the next two weight classes, scoreboard watchers enjoyed a brief respite from their calculating duties.
With bonus point dynamo No. 1 Jax Forrest ready to hit the mat at 133 lbs, the Crushers hoped this would mark the turning point in reclaiming the lead. Having tech’d all four of his previous opponents, Forrest stepped into the finals facing No. 6 Matthew Botello (Wyoming Seminary, PA) with an eight-point gap to close. He managed an 11-3 major decision, not quite his prior dominance but enough to earn his third PowerAde crown and cut the deficit to three points, 204-201.
Both teams showcased talent at 139 lbs, expecting wins from their competitors. No. 9 Jayce Paridon secured a third championship for the Highlanders with an 8-0 major decision over No. 25 Drake Hooiman (SLAM! Academy, NV), while No. 6 Sam Herring responded with a similar 8-0 achievement over Honorable Mention Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary).
The distinction came down to the score additions: Paridon increased Lake Highland’s count by five points while Herring added just three to McCort’s total, broadening the Highlanders’ advantage to five points, 209-204. The rivalry between Paridon and Herring has become intriguing this season as they’ve exchanged victories, with Herring carrying a recent upper hand at Ironman and Paridon edging him out 3-1 in overtime during their semifinal encounter.
Next, it was Bishop McCort’s turn with No. 1 Bo Bassett at 145 lbs. Typically recognized for his technical fall victories, the junior transformed into a pinning specialist in this event, finishing off all five contenders he faced, including a swift 2:31 pin of unranked Declan O’Byrne (Malvern Prep) for his third PowerAde title.
O’Byrne put a dent in Lake Highland’s score by unexpectedly defeating No. 25 Charlie DeSena, 5-3, in the round of 16. Achieving advancement in the championship bracket secures more team points compared to consolation rounds, so even though DeSena later placed, the majority of his matches yielded fewer points than anticipated. Additionally, DeSena ended up in seventh despite entering as the third seed in the bracket.
DeSena’s commanding 12-3 victory in the seventh-place match allowed the Highlanders to retain first place, leading 211-210. With just two rounds remaining, it was clear that the competition would come down to the wire.
No. 6 Zeno Moore faced a daunting task in his 152 lb bout against No. 2 Jayden James (Delbarton). As expected, James dominated the match and secured a convincing 16-4 major decision. Moore’s earlier success knocked McCort’s Devon Magro (No. 7 at 157) into the consolation rounds with a close 7-6 semifinal victory. In a cruel twist of fate, the bonus points that Magro earned with a victory over No. 19 Gabriel Delgado (SLAM! Academy) in the third-place match inadvertently benefited the Highlanders.
With the final matches now complete, Bishop McCort stands proudly at the top of the standings with a score of 213-211.
PowerAde adheres to PIAA weight classifications, which results in a total of 13 weight classes instead of the usual 14. Notably, there is a 160-pound class instead of the expected 157, and 165 is followed by a 172 weight division. This led both McCort’s No. 4 Melvin Miller and Delbarton’s No. 5 Alessio Perentin to move down to the 160-pound category from their regular 165-pound weight.
Lake Highland had hoped for Perentin to secure a win, coupled with their own No. 11 Lucas Boe triumphing in the consolation finals against No. 18 Joey Canova from Bergen Catholic. Unfortunately for them, Miller managed to clinch a 4-2 win, while Boe unfortunately lost his match with the same scoreline. As a result, McCort claimed the title with a final tally of 217-211. It is worth noting that Boe’s defeat occurred before Miller’s bout concluded, thereby solidifying the championship for McCort required before Miller stepped onto the mat.
In addition to James, Delbarton celebrated another champion, No. 4 Cameron Sontz, who took first place at 114 lbs with a decisive 9-2 victory over unranked Matteo Gallegos from DuBois, PA. Other notable finishes for the Green Wave included Chase Quenault, who secured 6th place at 139 lbs, with seventh-place finishes recorded by No. 18 PJ Terranova at 107, Tommy Marchetti at 121, and Nick Schwartz at 145 lbs. Schwartz’s journey to the podium was highlighted by a match where he pinned No. 12 Eren Sement from Council Rock North, PA in the round of 16.
A third title was claimed by No. 1 Jude Correa from Wyoming Seminary, another Pennsylvania competitor. The senior established his dominance with a flawless 4-0 shutout against No. 7 Austin Johnson from Muncy, PA, thereby securing gold.
Following in the footsteps of Bassett and Forrest, Norwin’s sophomore Landon Sidun clinched his second consecutive championship. Ranked No. 4 at 120 lbs, Sidun triumphed in the 121-pound final after an overtime tiebreaker, winning 7-6 against Paul Kenny from Christian Brothers Academy in NJ. This marked Kenny’s first experience dropping down to 120/121 lbs this season, as he is ranked 21st at 126 lbs.
Another impressive accomplishment came from Pennsylvania’s freshmen ranks, where No. 8 Chase Karenbauer took top honors at 107 lbs, prevailing in a 5-3 ultimate tiebreaker against No. 26 JoJo Burke from St. Joseph Regional. Karenbauer’s path to the finals included an upset against Farnsworth. Burke, on his side, secured his finals spot after two surprising victories over No. 4 Sean Kenny from Christian Brothers and No. 13 Wyatt Stauffer from Wyoming Seminary.
Completing the list of champs were two wrestlers who finished as runners-up last year: No. 12 Karson Brown from St. Edward, OH, who achieved a notable win against No. 6 Matt O’Neill from Malvern Prep with a 6-4 score in the 127 lb. final, and No. 2 Ryan Burton from St. Joseph Regional, who notably defeated No. 4 Asher Cunningham from State College at 172 lbs.
PowerAde Wrestling Tournament Team Scores: Top 15
- Bishop McCort (PA) 217
- Lake Highland Prep (FL) 211
- Delbarton (NJ) 195.5
- Malvern Prep (PA) 174
- St. Edward (OH) 154.5
- Wyoming Seminary (PA) 151
- Bergen Catholic (NJ) 110-5
- Bishop McDevitt (PA) 104.5
- Thomas Jefferson (PA) 104
- SLAM! Academy (NV) 98.5
- Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) 96
- St. Joseph Regional (NJ) 88
- Cleveland (TN) 86.5
- Notre Dame-Green Pond (PA) 78.5
- Connellsville (PA) 77
Finals
- 107-Chase Karenbauer (Grove City) DEC Jojo Burke (St. Joseph Regional-NJ), 5-3 UTB
- 114-Cameron Sontz (Delbarton-NJ) DEC Mateo Gallegos (DuBois), 9-2
- 121-Landon Sidun (Norwin) DEC Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers Acad.-NJ), 7-6 TB1
- 127-Karson Brown (St. Edward-OH) DEC Matt O’neill (Malvern Prep), 6-4
- 133-Jax Forrest (Bishop McCort) MD Mathew Botello (Wyoming Seminary), 11-3
- 139-Jayce Paridon (Lake Highland Prep-FL) MD Drake Hooiman (Slam Academy-NV), 8-0
- 145-Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort) F Declan O’byrne (Malvern Prep), 2:31
- 152-Jayden James (Delbarton-NJ) MD Zeno Moore (Lake Highland Prep-FL), 16-4
- 160-Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort) DEC Alessio Perentin (Delbarton-NJ), 4-2
- 172-Ryan Burton (St. Joseph Regional-NJ) F Asher Cunningham (State College), 5:15
- 189-Robert Kucharczk (Lake Highland Prep-FL) DEC Carl Betz (Delbarton-NJ), 4-0
- 215-Jude Correa (Wyoming Seminary) DEC Austin Johnson (Muncy), 4-0
- 285-Jacob Levy (Lake Highland Prep-FL) DEC Lukas Zalota (Malvern Prep), 5-2
- 107-Justin Farnsworth (Malvern Prep) MD Keegan Bassett (Bishop McCort), 12-0
- 114-Easton Mull (Chestnut Ridge) DEC Wyatt Spencer (Wyoming Seminary), 8-5
- 121-Ethan Timar (St. Edward-OH) F Lukas Littleton mascaro (Malvern Prep), 4:58
- 127-Dominic Deputy (Chestnut Ridge) DEC Nico Fanella (Indiana), 7-6
- 133-Manuel Saldate (Slam Academy-NV) DEC Tyler Dekraker (Chantilly-VA), 4-0
- 139-Sam Herring (Bishop McCort) MD Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary), 8-0
- 145-Eren Sement (Council Rock North) DEC Adam Butler (St. Edward-OH), 8-2
- 152-Devon Magro (Bishop McCort) MD Gabriel Delgado (Slam Academy-NV), 10-1
- 160-Joseph Canova (Bergen Catholic-NJ) DEC Lucas Boe (Lake Highland Prep-FL), 4-2
- 172-Bode Marlow (Thomas Jefferson) MD Maximus Norman (Baylor-TN), 10-2
- 189-Aiden Peterson (St. Edward-OH) MD Hunter Snyder (Greater Latrobe), 12-4
- 215-Lucas Lawler (Bishop McDevitt) MD Landon Jobber-spence (Staunton River-VA), 16-5
- 285-Benjamin Shue (Bergen Catholic-NJ) DEC Tyson Russell (Cleveland-TN), 1-0
- 107-Sean Kenny (Christian Brothers Acad.-NJ) DEC Wyatt Stauffer (Wyoming Seminary), 3-1
- 114-Connor Whitley (St. Edward-OH) DEC Kael Davis (State College), 2-1 UTB
- 121-Shamus Regan (Wyoming Seminary) DEC Braiden Weaver (Altoona), 1-0
- 127-Sebastian Degennaro (Jensen Beach-FL) DEC Brenden Agcaoili (Slam Academy-NV), 13-7
- 133-Luke Satriano (Valley Central-NY) MD Robert Duffy (Christian Brothers Acad.-NJ), 10-1
- 139-Camden Baum (Bishop McDevitt) DEC Chase Quenault (Delbarton-NJ), 4-2
- 145-Hudson Hohman (Grove City) DEC Patrick Kelly (Central Bucks West), 4-2
- 152-Evan Petrovich (Connellsville) DEC Griffin Laplante (St. Francis-NY), 7-6
- 160-Luke Sipes (Altoona) TF Titus Norman (Baylor-TN), 16-1 3:54
- 172-Dominic Sumpolec (Notre Dame GP) MD Gage Wentzel (Montoursville), 12-2
- 189-Tavio Hoose (St. Francis-NY) DEC Tasso Whipple (Penn Trafford), 8-3
- 215-Alex Smith (Lake Highland Prep-FL) DEC Cooper Roscosky (Kiski Area), 4-1
- 285-Shepherd Turk (Thomas Jefferson) F William Wortkoetter (St. Francis-NY), 2:43
- 107-Pj Terranova (Delbarton-NJ) DEC Cade Collins (Southern Regional-NJ), 5-2 TB2
- 114-Eli Herring (Bishop McCort) DEC Charles Esposito (St. Joseph Regional-NJ), 7-1
- 121-Tommy Marchetti (Delbarton-NJ) FOR Leo Joseph (Greater Latrobe)
- 127-Anthony Mucci (Derry) DEC Shai Sabag (Germantown Academy), 11-4
- 133-Ty Conroy (Malvern Prep) DEC Brody Gobbell (Father Ryan-TN), 7-0
- 139-Tyler Roark (Woodrow Wilson-WV) DEC Ryan Kennedy (Spire Academy), 8-7
- 145-Charlie Desena (Lake Highland Prep-FL) MD Nick Schwartz (Delbarton-NJ), 12-3
- 152-Beau Lewis (Great Bridge-VA) DEC Billy Tyler (Brentsville-VA), 6-3
- 160-Keegan Ramsay (Notre Dame GP) MD Lonzy Vielma (Connellsville), 8-0
- 172-Cy Fowler (Cleveland-TN) DEC Chancery Deane (Father Ryan-TN), 2-1 TB2
- 189-Mark Gray (Kiski Area) TF Connor Smalley (Notre Dame GP), 19-4 2:36
- 215-Myron Mendez (Southwest Miami-FL) DEC Kendahl Hoare (DuBois), 8-6
- 285-Colin Whyte (West Greene) DEC Ben Lloyd (Mt. Lebanon), 2-1 TB2
