McMurray, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) hosted its second winter championship of the season Saturday at AHN Arena with the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Wrestling Team Championships.
Franklin Regional is now a four-time WPIAL wrestling team champion, having now won back-to-back titles in 2014-15 and 2025-26. The Panthers are now the 12th different school to win four WPIAL wrestling team titles.
Derry won their first WPIAL Team Wrestling title in school history on Saturday after being a runner-up on four occasions. This is the first team championship for any Derry sport since 1988 when the Trojans won the WPIAL title in Boys’ Volleyball.
The top three teams in Class 3A and top four teams in Class 2A have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Wrestling Team Championships, which begin with preliminary and first round matches on Tuesday, February 3 before the remainder of the tournament is held on February 6-7 at Altoona High School.
CLASS 3A RECAP
With seven bout victories to Norwin’s six, including three falls and a major decision, Franklin Regional captured back-to-back Class 3A team titles with a 31-27 triumph on Saturday.
Franklin Regional scored three falls, four decisions, a major decision, and a forfeit-equivalent margin to accumulate its 31 points. The Panthers struck first at 114 when sophomore Beau Fennick delivered a fall in just 28 seconds, but Norwin answered immediately as junior Landon Sidun recorded a pin in 23 seconds at 121 to even the match.
The Knights grabbed momentum in the middle weights as sophomore Coleton Klipa edged Titus Colangelo 2-1 in the second tiebreaker at 127, followed by a 10-1 major decision from Dominic Butera at 133 and a 2-1 victory by Brooks Blasko at 139. Franklin Regional halted the run at 145 when sophomore Max Firestine grinded out a 1-0 decision, but Norwin responded again with a fall from Noah Curren at 152 to maintain the upper hand.
The match began to swing back toward the Panthers at 160 as junior Mikey Ruane produced a fall in 3:19, though Norwin countered with a 17-1 technical fall by Jack White at 172. Facing a late deficit, Franklin Regional made its move in the upper weights with a 4-0 decision from junior Ethan Cartwright at 189 and an 11-0 major decision by sophomore Kaydon Ferrell at 215.
Heavyweight John Montgomery gave the Panthers a temporary edge with a first period fall in 1:15 at 285, setting the stage for a winner-take-all finale. With the team title on the line in the final bout at 107, junior Salvatore Colangelo secured the championship for Franklin Regional with a hard-fought 5-3 decision over Luca Butera, closing out the 31-27 victory .
Franklin Regional reached the championship match with victories over Peters Township (69-0), Thomas Jefferson (50-16), and Connellsville (29-25), while Norwin defeated Seneca Valley (54-18), Trinity (35-31), and Canon-McMillan (32-31) to try and win their first WPIAL title.
In the third-place consolation match, Connellsville topped Canon-McMillan, 36-26, to claim the final PIAA qualifier slot.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Derry controlled nine out of 13 bout wins to win their first team title, as they defeated Burrell, 37-13, at AHN Arena.
Derry scored two technical falls, three major decisions, four decisions, and a fall to accumulate its 37 points. The Trojans stormed out of the gates at 107 with a 21-6 technical fall from freshman Mason Keesecker, followed by another dominant technical fall by fellow freshman Patrick Bulger, 19-4 at 114. Derry kept its foot on the gas at 121 as sophomore Matthew Fernell delivered a 12-1 major decision to push the early advantage.
Burrell answered in the middle weights, beginning with a tight 13-10 decision by senior Cameron Baker at 127 and a 5-0 victory from classmate Jacob Stewart at 133 to trim the deficit. Derry regained momentum at 139 when freshman Michael McNeal edged Carter Thomas, 5-2, but the Buccaneers struck back at 145 as senior Julian Bertucci grinded out a 1-0 decision. Burrell continued its surge at 152 with a 15-3 major decision by Liam Jones to pull closer.
The turning point came in the upper weights as Derry took control for good. Senior Ewan Olson produced a 10-1 major decision at 160, and junior Mason Horwat followed with a lightning-quick fall in 25 seconds at 172 to swing the match firmly in the Trojans’ favor. Junior Brady Brown added a 17-8 major decision at 189, and Derry closed the door with back-to-back decisions from Ty Blasko (6-2 at 215) and Justin Papuga (6-1 at 285) to seal the championship victory.
Derry won their first WPIAL championship match after claiming victories against Highlands (68-3), Greensburg Salem (64-6), and McGuffey (48-16), while Burrell got to the big match by defeating Southmoreland (51-20), Beth-Center (51-19), and Laurel (39-36).
In the third-place consolation match, McGuffey topped Laurel by a 36-31 score.