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Jan 6, 2025 By Jonathan Guth 4 min read

ROGERSVILLE — Jackson Angelo didn’t spend too much time on the mat this weekend.

The Frazier junior won all four of his bouts by fall to earn his first TriCADA tournament championship Saturday afternoon at West Greene Junior/Senior High School.

Angelo won his first three matches in two minutes and 42 seconds before pinning Peters Township’s Parker Nave in 2:11 for the title at 172 pounds.

“This is the first year I’ve ever won a high school tournament,” Angelo said. “I placed at states before I even won a high school tournament. I feel pretty good with my technique and everything. I am working really hard, and it is starting to show that it’s paying off.”

Angelo may not have won a high school tournament until this season, but he has been victorious the last three weeks in earning titles at the NursePro Plus, Southmoreland Holiday Classic and TriCADA.

The Commodores didn’t compete at TriCADA the last two years, but Angelo was glad to make the most of his first trip to the tournament. He improved his season record to 21-0. He has a career mark of 93-18, and was fifth in the state last year at 189 in Class 2A.

“I am looking forward to getting back to the state tournament and hopefully placing higher,” Angelo said. “We also have a young team, so the future of the program looks good.”

Angelo’s teammate, Jonah Erdely, fell one-point short from an individual championship at 152.

Erdely trailed Peters Township’s Darius McMillon, 3-0, after the first period in the finals but escaped in the second to cut the deficit to 3-1. McMillon escaped in the third before Erdely tied the bout with a takedown. McMillon escaped with 30 seconds remaining for the one-point decision.

Erdely, who fell to 21-1 this season and 68-17 in his career, qualified for the state tournament as a freshman. The junior was injured last year and didn’t compete in the postseason.

McGuffey earned 220.5 points to edge Trinity, who had 219 points, for the team title. Peters Township was third with 191.5 points.

Ringgold’s Jake Conroy won the Justin Stephenson Most Outstanding Wrestler award after pinning his way to the finals and earning a technical fall for the championship at 215. Conroy won TriCADA gold as a freshman at 189 in 2022.

Stephenson passed away Aug. 27 after battling cancer for 4½ years. He was the junior high principal and former athletic director for the Central Greene School District, and coached football and wrestling for the school district and community along with being a great athlete.

“It was really nice to come in here to come in here, and not only walk away with a second TriCADA championship, but the outstanding wrestler award,” Conroy said. “The cards didn’t fall my way in some of the matches the last two years, but I was able to improve on some things and come back strong this weekend.”

Conroy deflected praise for his efforts to his teammates, as Leif Syrko (107) and Evan Tolliver (121) won individual titles.

“It was great to see two of my teammates win titles, and we had six placewinners,” Conroy said. “Any time I get interviewed, I always say at least once, ‘Keep an eye on Ringgold.'”

West Greene’s Colin Whyte, the top seed at 285, lost in the first round to Trinity’s Edrick Williams, but won his next seven bouts by fall to place third. The Pioneers’ Hayden Hamilton was sixth at 189.

Waynesburg Central’s Brock Evans was the runner-up at 160. The Raiders’ Floyd Huff (121) and Luke Rush (145) each placed sixth.

Beth-Center’s Noah Layhue was third at 172. The Bulldogs’ Alex Medlen (114), Mason Wright (133) and Malachi Peak (189) finished fourth. Geoffrey Douglas (107) and Homer Headlee (215) were sixth.

Jefferson-Morgan’s Caleb Dulaney decisioned teammate Brayden Hanning, 13-6, in the third-place bout at 107. Although only one wrestler could score in the team standings, two could be entered in the same weight class if applicable.

The Rockets’ James Dulaney (4th at 127) and Landon Heath (5th at 285) also placed.

Albert Gallatin’s Colin Rockwell was fourth at 215 and teammate Nick Hillyward placed sixth at 172.

Laurel Highlands didn’t have a placewinner, but the Mustangs’ Quenten Gouker (145) and Tristen Baker (189) lost in the blood round.

Brownsville’s Logan Ross (127), Ricky Pontious (145) and Devin Drake (189) advanced to the third round of consolations.