The 2023 PIAA State Championships kick off on Thursday in the Giant Center. First off, for brackets, visit my bracket hub. Now, let’s look at the upper weights for AAA and who we should look out for.

152 LBS

Favorite

(SW-1) Ty Watters (West Allegheny)

Top Contenders

(NE-1) Dagen Condomitti (Northampton)

(NW-1) Luke Sipes (Altoona)

(SW-2) Lucas Kapusta (Hempfield Area)

(SC-1) Ryan Garvick (Central Dauphin)

“Land Mines”

(SC-2) Michael Duggan (Boiling Springs)

(SW-4) Nate Jones (Waynesburg)

(NE-2) Jake Dailey (Bethlehem Catholic)

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – Ryan Garvick (Central Dauphin) vs Bode Marlow (Thomas Jefferson)

Quarterfinals – Ty Watters (West Allegheny) vs Michael Duggan (Boiling Springs)

Quarterfinals – Luke Sipes (Altoona) vs Lucas Kapusta (Hempfield Area)

Quarterfinals – Jake Dailey (Bethlehem Catholic) vs Ryan Garvick (Central Dauphin)

Semi-Finals – Ty Watters (West Allegheny) vs Dagen Condomitti (Northampton)

Finals – Ty Watters (West Allegheny) vs Ryan Garvick (Central Dauphin)

Ty Watters

Returning state champion Ty Watters is a favorite to win a championship at 152 LBS this year. Watters comes in with a 35-0 record, including 29 bonus point wins. However, Watters has been an absolute terror this year, blowing out almost anybody that steps on the mat with him. He has some very high-quality wins, including wins over Logan Richey, Bode Marlow, Lucas Kapusta, three wins over Nate Jones, and one of the biggest wins in the state over returning AA state champion Conner Harer at the Mid-Winter Mayhem finals.

The Field

Watters will have a challenging path to back-to-back championships. First, he will have to face back-to-back AA state 3rd place Michael Duggan in the Quarterfinals. Then he gets the opportunity to face a very talented Dagen Condomitti in a marquee Semi-Final matchup. After that, we could see a bit of chaos in the bottom half of the bracket. Luke Sipes, who has had a great Sophomore campaign and returning state 5th place, gets a tough draw with Lucas Kapusta, who is also a returning state 5th. Then either of those guys faces Ryan Garvick, a returning state runner-up at this weight. Garvick looks like the favorite to come out of this bottom half of the bracket, but Sipes and Kapusta may have something to say about that.

160 LBS

Favorite

(SW-1) Shawn Taylor (West Allegheny)

Top Contenders

(SE-1) Bekhruz Sadriddinov (Council Rock South)

(NE-1) Andrew Harmon (Bethlehem Catholic)

(SW-2) Dylan Evans (Chartiers Valley)

(SC-1) Dominic Frontino (Shippensburg)

“Land Mines”

(SC-2) Brett Barbush (Manheim Central)

(NW-3) Connor Wetzel (Shikellamy)

Top Potential Matchups

Quarterfinals – Shawn Taylor (West Allegheny) vs Brett Barbush (Manheim Central)

Quarterfinals – Andrew Harmon (Bethlehem Catholic) vs Dylan Evans (Chartiers Valley)

Semi-Finals – Shawn Taylor (West Allegheny) vs Bekhruz Sadriddinov (Council Rock South)

Semi-Finals – Andrew Harmon (Bethlehem Catholic) vs Dominic Frontino (Shippensburg)

Shawn Taylor

Returning state 4th place, Shawn Taylor looks like the favorite at 160 LBS. Taylor comes in with a 34-2 record on the year and has some notable wins this season. He has wins over some of the top contenders in this weight, including a tight 3-1 SV win over Dominic Frontino in the Mid-Winter Mayhem Semi-Finals and going 3-1 against WPIAL rival Dylan Evans including a 3rd place match win at Powerade. Taylor also has a win over a former state champion when he defeated AA standout Grant MacKay 2-1 in the finals of the Mid-Winter Mayhem. Taylor has been very impressive this season, and it does not look like he is slowing down.

The Field

Bekhruz Sadriddinov is the primary challenger to Taylor in the top side of the bracket. Sadriddinov has had an excellent season but has losses to top-tier guys, which is not beneficial when he will face someone who has beaten top-level guys. Brett Barbush could give Taylor a run for his money in the Quarterfinals. The bottom half of the bracket is almost borderline torturous. Andrew Harmon could have a tough match right off the bat with a solid Connor Wetzel in the first round. Then Harmon gets returning state champ at this weight Dylan Evans in the Quarterfinals. Then the winner of that massive Quarterfinal gets Dominic Frontino, who’s only lost to Shawn Taylor.

172 LBS

Favorite

(SW-1) Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg)

Top Contenders

(NE-1) Dominic Wheatley (Nazareth)

(SW-2) Matt Furman (Canon-McMillan)

(SC-1) Kevin Olavarria (JP McCaskey)

“Land Mines”

(SC-2) Macon Myers (Central York)

(SE-2) Talan Hogan (Pennridge)

(SW-3) Mark Gray (Kiski Area)

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – Kevin Olavarria (JP McCaskey) vs Mark Gray (Kiski Area)

Quarterfinals – Dominic Wheatley (Nazareth) vs Matt Furman (Canon-McMillan)

Quarterfinals – Talan Hogan (Pennridge) vs Kevin Olavarria (JP McCaskey)

Semi-Finals – Dominic Wheatley (Nazareth) vs Kevin Olavarria (JP McCaskey)

Rocco Welsh

Three-time state placer and returning state champion Rocco Welsh is the clear favorite at 172 LBS. Welsh enters the tournament with a 39-0 record with 30 bonus point wins. Welsh also has 1st place finishes at Walsh Jesuit Ironman and Powerade this year to go along with monster wins against Dom Federici (Wyoming Seminary), Gabriel Stafford, Bodie Morgan, and multiple wins over Matt Furman. This top-level guy will most likely repeat as state champion this year.

The Field

We have to go to the bottom half of the bracket to see who the genuine contenders are, and it starts with Dominic Wheatley, a former state medalist. Wheatley does have a tough draw going up against returning state 4th-place finisher Matt Furman. However, Wheatley did defeat Furman at team states a month ago in a 4-2 SV match. So look for that Quarterfinal to be intense Friday afternoon. Then we look at undefeated Kevin Olavarria, who is 34-0 on the year and only a Junior. Olavarria does get a tough match right out of the gates, with the possibility of facing Mark Gray in the first round. However, if he gets through that match, it looks favorable for him to face either Wheatley or Furman to get to the Semi-Finals.

189 LBS

Favorite

(SC-1) Tucker Hogan (Daniel Boone)

Top Contenders

(SW-1) Vaugh Spencer (Pine-Richland)

(NE-1) Adrian Gacek (Parkland)

(NW-1) Hadyn Packer (Jersey Shore)

“Land Mines”

(NW-2) Tucker Teats (Selinsgrove)

(NW-3) Rocco Serafini (Central Mountain)

(SW-3) Juliano Marion (Franklin Regional)

(SC-2) Cole Bartram (Northern York)

(SE-2) Jake Allred (Conestoga)

Top Potential Matchups

Quarterfinals – Tucker Hogan (Daniel Boone) vs Tucker Teats (Selinsgrove)

Quarterfinals – Rocco Serafini (Central Mountain) vs Vaughn Spencer (Pine-Richland)

Quarterfinals – Adrian Gacek (Parkland) vs Cole Bartram (Northern York)

Quarterfinals – Jake Allred (Conestoga) vs Hadyn Packer (Jersey Shore)

Semi-Finals – Tucker Hogan (Daniel Boone) vs Vaughn Spencer (Pine-Richland)

Semi-Finals – Adrian Gacek (Parkland) vs Hadyn Packer (Jersey Shore)

Tucker Hogan

Returning state 3rd place finisher, Tucker Hogan is a favorite at 189 LBS. Hogan comes in at 40-0 on the year, and his wins are what sets him as the favorite on paper. Hogan has wins over Rocco Serafini, AA standout Jacob Jones, Tucker Teats, another AA standout Jake Gilfoil, Aiden Hight, and Cole Bartram. Hogan is by no means the clear favorite at this weight because Vaughn Spencer and Hadyn Packer are right there with him. But the quality wins up to this point set him apart.

The Field

Speaking of Vaughn Spencer, he is the biggest threat to a state final appearance for Hogan. Despite not wrestling a match in December, Spencer is also undefeated with a 27-0 record. Spencer, who is only a Sophomore, has been lights out this year, with 20/27 of his wins coming by fall. Hogan vs Spencer should be an excellent Semi. Haydn Packer, returning state 3rd place in AA, has an easier path to a state final appearance, but that is not saying much. Packer could face Jake Allred in the Quarterfinals, which could be a difficult match. Then he most likely sees Adrian Gacek in the Semi-Finals, which could also be a difficult match. This bracket is loaded with talent, so your guess is as good as mine in picking who wins.

215 LBS

Favorite

Sonny Sasso (Nazareth)

Top Contenders

(SW-1) Eli Makel (Waynesburg)

(SC-1) Jose Garcia (JP McCaskey)

(SE-1) Dillon Bechtold (Owen J Roberts)

“Land Mines”

(SE-2) Calvin Lachman (Quakertown)

(SW-3) Owen Ott (Penn Trafford)

(NE-2) Magnus Bibla (Crestwood)

(SW-2) Connor Jacobs (Armstrong)

(NW-2) Troy Petterson (Erie McDowell)

Top Potential Matchups

Quarterfinals – Sonney Sasso (Nazareth) vs Calvin Lachman (Quakertown)

Quarterfinals – Connor Jacobs (Armstrong) vs Dillon Bechtold (Owen J Roberts)

Semi-Finals – Sonny Sasso (Nazareth) vs Eli Makel (Waynesburg)

Semi-Finals – Jose Garcia (JP McCaskey) vs Dillon Bechtold (Owen J Roberts)

Sonny Sasso

Returning state champion and two-time state placer Sonny Sasso is the favorite to win his second state title at 215 LBS. Sasso has had an incredible year going 23-0, with 20 of those wins ending by fall. He is another one of those guys who did not compete in the month of December but was still able to make his presence known. Sasso has impressive wins, including a 19-7 win over Landon Muth and a 12-6 win over Gabriel Stafford.

The Field

Eli Makel is going to be the primary challenger for Sasso in the top half of the bracket. Makel has been a solid wrestler, but his runner-up finish at Powerade brought eyes onto him. Makel lost to one of the state’s best young upper-weight guys in Austin Johnson, a AA standout in the Powerade finals. This is Makel’s first appearance as an individual in Hershey, so he will look to make an impact. The bottom half of the bracket seems really competitive, with an undefeated Jose Garcia to start us off. He will most likely see Magnus Bibla in the Quarterfinals, which could be an explosive match since Bibla is a pinner. Dillon Bechtold is the favorite to come out of the bottom half of the bracket. Bechtold is a returning state 5th place and has had an excellent season going 43-2.

285 LBS

Favorite

(NE-1) Sean Kinney (Nazareth)

Top Contenders

(SW-1) Ty Banco (Trinity)

(SE-1) Joe Collins (Central Bucks East)

(SC-1) Layton Schmick (Carlisle)

(NW-1) Nick Pavlechko (State College)

“Land Mines”

(NW-2) Peyton Kearns (Mifflin County)

(SE-2) Ben Farabaugh (Strath Haven)

SW-2) Joe Enick (Penn Trafford)

Top Potential Matchups

Quarterfinals – Sean Kinney (Nazareth) vs Peyton Kearns (Mifflin County)

Quarterfinals – Ty Banco (Trinity) vs Joe Collins (Central Bucks East)

Quarterfinals – Ben Farabaugh (Strath Haven) vs Nick Pavlechko (State College)

Semi-Finals – Sean Kinney (Nazareth) vs Joe Collins (Central Bucks East)

Semi-Finals – Layton Schmick (Carlisle) vs Nick Pavlechko (State College)

Sean Kinney

Two-time finalist and returning state champion Sean Kinney looks like the clear favorite at 285 LBS. Kinney comes in with an undefeated 31-0 record, with 26 of those wins ending in a fall. Kinney has won a top tournament this season and has looked dominant in doing so. He won a title at the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic and helped his team dominate at Virginia Duals. Kinney is about as clear of a favorite as you will see this weekend.

The Field

Many of the bracket’s top sides at 285 LBS will be about the bracket busters like Peyton Kerns and Ty Banco. Kearns will most likely fall to Kinney in the Quarters but could do some damage in the consolations, along with Ty Banco, to the bottom half of the bracket, where we could see some better, more competitive matchups. Nick Pavlechko will have a tough Quarterfinal matchup if Ben Farabaugh gets through Enick. Then the Schmick vs Pavlechko Semi-Final should be a good one.

Records and stats were collected at pa-wrestling.com