HERSHEY — Clearfield Bison sophomore wrestler Brady Collins capped off his year with a fourth place finish at the 2023 PIAA AA State Championships.
Collins was defeated 2-0 by Faith Christian Academy (FCA) sophomore Chase Hontz (39-10) in Saturday afternoon’s third place medal match. After a scoreless opening period it looked as though Collins would ride Hontz out in the second, but a scramble with 16 seconds left ended up with Hontz in control with a 2-0 lead after a reversal. Collins was not able to get out from under Hontz in the final period and the match ended 2-0 in Hontz’s favor.
Collins finished the season with a 38-5 record and will take a 73-11 mark into his junior year. He is on pace to break the career win mark for Clearfield, currently held by 2006 graduate Matt Kyler who ended his career 136-13.
Faith Christian Academy ran away with the team title with 151 points and nine place winners, including two champions. All are freshmen and sophomores. Notre Dame-Greenpond was a distant second with 101 points.
Freshman Adam Waters of FCA was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler after his pin the 172 pound finals.
District 9 ended the tourney with nine placewinners, the highest being a runner-up finish by Brookville’s Jackson Zimmerman at 189 pounds.
West Branch’s Landon Bainey was the runner-up at 114 pounds and Glendale’s Zeke Dubler was eighth at 160.
Complete Medal Match Results courtesy PA-Wrestling.com:
| Championship Finals | |
| 107 | Aaron Seidel, Northern Lebanon, dec. Dominic Deputy, Chestnut Ridge, 6-1 |
| 114 | Ayden Smith, Notre Dame-Green Pond, dec. Landon Bainey, West Branch, 5-4 |
| 121 | Gauge Botero, Faith Christian Academy, dec. Brandt Harer, Montgomery, 5-1 |
| 127 | Cooper Hornack, Burrell, dec. Chris Vargo, Bentworth, 2-1 |
| 133 | Jaden Pepe, Wyoming Area, dec. Conner Heckman, Midd-West, 5-3 |
| 139 | Anthony Evanitsky, Wyoming Area, dec. Reagan Milheim, Warrior Run, 7-4 |
| 145 | Vince Bouzakis, Notre Dame-Green Pond, dec. Cade Wirnsberger, Meadowbrook Christian, 3-2 |
| 152 | Conner Harer, Montgomery, dec. Cameron Milheim, Warrior Run, 3-2 |
| 160 | Grant MacKay, Laurel, dec. Hunter Hohman, Grove City, 5-0 |
| 172 | Adam Waters, Faith Christian Academy, pinned Holden Garcia, Notre Dame-Green Pond, 1:43 |
| 189 | Rune Lawrence, Frazier, pinned Jackson Zimmerman, Brookville, 2:42 |
| 215 | Austin Johnson, Muncy, dec. Brenan Morgan, Central Valley, 10-7 |
| 285 | Riley Robell, Bishop McDevitt, maj. dec. Aiden Compton, Notre Dame-Green Pond, 15-2 |
| Third Place | |
| 107 | William Detar, Trinity, won by tech. fall over Cameron Baker, Burrell, 17-0 4:44 |
| 114 | Weston Pisarchick, Brockway, dec. Nico Fanella, Indiana, 3-1 |
| 121 | Branden Wentzel, Montoursville, dec. Hudson Hohman, Grove City, 9-5 |
| 127 | Hayden Yacoviello-Andrus, Bermudian Springs, won by inj. default over Coen Bainey, Bald Eagle Area, 3-0 2:28 |
| 133 | Scott Johnson, Muncy, dec. Charlie Robson, Conwell-Egan, 5-2 |
| 139 | Chase Hontz, Faith Christian Academy, dec. Brady Collins, Clearfield, 2-0 |
| 145 | Kaden Milheim, Warrior Run, dec. Ryan Lawler, Bishop McDevitt, 5-3 |
| 152 | Cael Weidemoyer, Faith Christian Academy, dec. Max Bluhm, Lackawanna Trail, 5-1 |
| 160 | Deegan Ross, Lackawanna Trail, maj. dec. Collin Hearn, Conneaut Area, 8-0 |
| 172 | Waylon Wehler, St. Mary’s, dec. Braedon Welsh, Fort Cherry, 5-2 |
| 189 | Jake Gilfoil, Bishop McDevitt, pinned Rowan Holmes, Somerset, 2:46 |
| 215 | Danny Church, Fort LeBoeuf, dec. Vitali Daniels, Bentworth, 3-0 |
| 285 | Emmanuel Ulrich, Mifflinburg, dec. Carson Neely, Port Allegany, 7-2 |
| Fifth Place | |
| 107 | Kole Davidheiser, Faith Christian Academy, dec. Antonio Boni, Central Valley, 3-0 |
| 114 | Cole Hubert, Saucon Valley, dec. Mason McLendon, Susquenita, 6-2 |
| 121 | Lucas Fye, Bald Eagle Area, dec. Aiden Grogg, Saucon Valley, 3-1 |
| 127 | Hunter Gould, Conneaut Area, dec. Cyrus Hurd, North East, 4-0 |
| 133 | Mason Wagner, Faith Christian Academy, dec. Dylan Granahan, Benton, 2-1 TB2 |
| 139 | Mason Barvitskie, Southern Columbia, dec. Tyler Morrison, West Perry, 4-0 |
| 145 | Gage Wentzel, Montoursville, dec. Calan Bollman, Chestnut Ridge, 7-3 |
| 152 | Liam Scrivanich, Saucon Valley, dec. Ty Watson, Penns Valley, 5-1 SV |
| 160 | Luke Sugalski, Faith Christian Academy, dec. Jagger Gray, Trinity, 3-2 |
| 172 | Caden Finck, Montgomery, won by forfeit over Jalen Wagner, Reynolds |
| 189 | Jacob Jones, Saucon Valley, pinned Magnus Lloyd, General McLane, 0:54 |
| 215 | Brody Kline, Berks Catholic, dec. Abraham Keep, Girard, 3-1 SV |
| 285 | Gavin Thompson, Brockway, dec. Joey Baronick, Burgettstown, 2-1 |
| Seventh Place | |
| 107 | Dalton Wenner, Cranberry, dec. Gage Swank, Muncy, 4-1 |
| 114 | Colton Wade, Sullivan County, dec. Josef Garshnick, United, 2-0 SV |
| 121 | Max Wirnsberger, Meadowbrook Christian, dec. Elijah Brosius, Cranberry, 3-2 UTB |
| 127 | Arment Waltenbaugh, Faith Christian Academy, dec. Marvin Armistead, Berks Catholic, 7-2 |
| 133 | Noah Doi, Camp Hill, dec. Chase Bell, Reynolds, 3-2 |
| 139 | Wyatt Lazzar, Commodore Perry, dec. Liam Cornetto, Marion Center, 3-1 SV |
| 145 | Chase Burke, Benton, dec. Cody Hamilton, Grove City, 3-1 |
| 152 | Steffan Lynch, North East, dec. Caullin Summers, Sharpsville, 4-2 |
| 160 | Justice Hockenberry-Folk, West Perry, dec. Zeke Dubler, Glendale, 3-2 |
| 172 | Caleb Close, Bald Eagle Area, dec. Lucas Lawler, Bishop McDevitt, 1-0 |
| 189 | Jason Singer, Faith Christian Academy, pinned Jacob Scheib, Tri Valley, 4:59 |
| 215 | Brayden McFetridge, Cranberry, won by forfeit over Dante Burns, Conwell-Egan |
| 285 | Wilson Spires, General McLane, pinned Owen Reber, Berks Catholic, 5:27 |
