Reynolds PIAA Team Points State Championships. Team Standings

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Reynolds PIAA Team Points State Championships. Team Standings"

Susanna Crawford
5 years ago
Views:

Aaron Nestor Senior 145 pounds 3rd place Lawrence Beckman Senior 171 pounds 3rd place Cody Kelly Sophomore 112 pounds 3rd place Robbie Miller Senior 125 pounds 5th place Steve Nestor Senior 135

team points championships, as Coach Brian Hills squad edged Line Mountain and Shadyside Academy at the 2007 PIAA Wrestling Championships March 8-10 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Overall, it is the fifth consecutive state championship for the Raiders, counting two straight duals titles.

Sam Fuchs (119) and Steve Nestor (135) were also state qualifiers. This is the first time since 2002 that we did not have at least one wrestler reach the state finals, Coach Hills noted.

2 Aaron Nestor Senior 145 pounds 3rd place Lawrence Beckman Senior 171 pounds 3rd place Cody Kelly Sophomore 112 pounds 3rd place Robbie Miller Senior 125 pounds 5th place Steve Nestor Senior 135 pounds State Qualifier Sam Fuchs Sophomore 119 pounds State Qualifier 07 TEAM T he Reynolds Raiders became the first Class AA team in Pennsylvania wrestling history to win three consecutive state team points championships, as Coach Brian Hills squad edged Line Mountain and Shadyside Academy at the 2007 PIAA Wrestling Championships March 8-10 at the Giant Center in Hershey. Four of six team members entered in the tournament earned medals, as the Raiders tallied 71 points to edge co-runners-up Shadyside Academy and Line Mountain (68). Overall, it is the fifth consecutive state championship for the Raiders, counting two straight duals titles. Pacing the Raiders were third place finishers Cody Kelly (112), Aaron Nestor (145) and Lawrence Beckman (171), while Robbie Miller (125) placed fifth. Sam Fuchs (119) and Steve Nestor (135) were also state qualifiers. This is the first time since 2002 that we did not have at least one wrestler reach the state finals, Coach Hills noted. This was a state tournament where a lot of unexpected things happened. We had some unfortunate things happen that did not go our way, especially in Friday night s semifinal round, but our kids stayed right in there and battled. I m very proud of the way they came back. Counting this season, Reynolds has now won six PIAA team points championships. That is three more than any other Pa. Class AA school. The team also won an unofficial title in TEAM 06 DUALS 07 DUALS 05 TEAM Team Standings 1. Reynolds (tie) Line Mountain 68 Shady Side Academy Northern Lehigh Keystone Oaks 44 Northwestern Lehigh Westmont-Hilltop 42 Reynolds PIAA Team Points State Championships

Class AA Northwest Regional Team Standings Reynolds 120

5 Fort LeBoeuf 43 S enior Aaron Nestor (145) and sophomore Cody

championship, and senior Robbie Miller (125) added his first as

for the Raiders and head coach Brian Hills.

Nestor (135) and Lawrence Beckman (171).

3 Class AA Northwest Regional Team Standings Reynolds 120 Ridgeway 86.5 Greenville 66.5 Harbor Creek 49.5 Fort LeBoeuf 43 S enior Aaron Nestor (145) and sophomore Cody Kelly (112) both won their second straight Northwest Regional championship, and senior Robbie Miller (125) added his first as the Raiders outpaced District 9 champion Ridgway to claim the team points championship. It was the sixth consecutive Regional team points championship for the Raiders and head coach Brian Hills. Finishing second for Reynolds were Sam Fuchs (119), Steve Nestor (135) and Lawrence Beckman (171). All six wrestlers earned the right to advance to the 2007 PIAA Championships. Placing fourth and just missing a trip to Hershey were junior Corey Brown (130) and sophomore Will Ringer (215). Juniors Ryan Dawes (152) and Mike Miller (189) were also Regional qualifiers but did not place in the top five.

S ix Reynolds wrestlers won individual titles and 10 earned the right to compete at the Class AA Northwest Regional, as the Raiders rolled to their seventh straight District 10 team points

There have been only six in the history of the tournament. I m really happy with our performance, said Coach Brian Hills. Our kids in the finals came to wrestle.

In addition to Beckman (171), individual titles also went to Sam Fuchs (119), Robbie Miller (125), Corey Brown (130), Steve Nestor (135) and three-time champ Aaron Nestor (145).

4 S ix Reynolds wrestlers won individual titles and 10 earned the right to compete at the Class AA Northwest Regional, as the Raiders rolled to their seventh straight District 10 team points championship. Senior Lawrence Beckman joined former teammate Matt Dunn in becoming just the second Raider to win four straight D-10 championships. There have been only six in the history of the tournament. I m really happy with our performance, said Coach Brian Hills. Our kids in the finals came to wrestle. Lawrence probably felt a little bit of pressure, but great wrestlers like him overcome it. In addition to Beckman (171), individual titles also went to Sam Fuchs (119), Robbie Miller (125), Corey Brown (130), Steve Nestor (135) and three-time champ Aaron Nestor (145). The same six Raider were also Section 2-AA champions. Cody Kelly (112) and Mike Miller (189) finished in second place and Will Ringer (215) and Ryan Dawes (152) were fifth. This marks the 15th time, overall, that Reynolds has won the D-10 team points title. 1. Reynolds Greenville Fort LeBoeuf Harbor Creek North East Eisenhower Grove City Sharon Youngsville 52 Senior Robbie Miller breaks a decades old school record with his 27th fall of the season in the finals of the District 10 Class AA Championships. Shown here just seconds before the fall, Miller improves to 44-5 while breaking a school standard that was first set by Kevin Brandt back in In the years since, the record was equaled once, by Jason Walter in In recent years, Nick Sommerfeld came closest to the pin record his senior season, finishing with 25. Four-Time District 10 Champions Matt Dunn, Lawrence Beckman Three-time District 10 Champions Jerry Diehl, John Tofani, Jason Walter, Mark Bodo, Jonathan Hazi, Steve Popovitch, Jerry Kendall, Justin Nestor, Justin Hollobaugh, Aaron Nestor

S eniors Aaron Nestor (145) and Lawrence Beckman (171) became rare four-time Section champions and Steve Nestor (135) won his third, as the Raiders rolled to their 12th straight Section tournament

5 S eniors Aaron Nestor (145) and Lawrence Beckman (171) became rare four-time Section champions and Steve Nestor (135) won his third, as the Raiders rolled to their 12th straight Section tournament team points championship. We have had an elite group of wrestlers and Beckman and Steve and Aaron Nestor are a big part of it, said Coach Brian Hills. Four-time Section champions and even three-time champs don t come along everyday. It s a tribute to those three that they ve stayed focused and performed at the high level they do. Sophomore Sam Fuchs (119) won his second championship and Robbie Miller (125) and Corey Brown (130) also placed first, as the Raiders crowned six champions, in all. The Raiders dominated the team points race, totaling 269 to finish 70 points ahead of runner-up Greenville. Overall, I m pleased with our showing. I think sometimes you get a little greedy and would like to win a few more than you do, Hills said, eluding to the fact that Cody Kelly (112) and Mike Miller (189) both placed second. In winning his title, senior Robbie Miller tied the school record for pins in a single-season with 26. Miller pinned all four of his Section tournament opponents. Aaron Nestor Jonathan Hazi Casey Taylor Jason Nestor Justin Nestor Lawrence Beckman Matt Dunn Mike Edwards Aaron Nestor Lawrence Beckman Kevin Brandt (1981) and Jason Walter (1991) shared the old pin record. In all, 13 of 14 Raiders entered advanced to the District 10 Class AA Championships. Six Raiders Win Section 2-AA Championships Bruce Unangst, Frank Lane, Dave Kress, Jerry Diehl, Tom Collins, Ron Beckman, Three-time section champions Chris Link, John Tofani, Paul Link, Jason Walter, Mark Bodo, Steve Popovitch, Jerry Kendall, Justin Hollobaugh, Nick Sommerfeld, Steve Nestor,

I n an earlier conversation, Brian Hills used the word elite to describe several of the wrestlers who have recently passed through his program. I d say that s a pretty good adjective.

These five wrestlers have combined for 651 career wins and nine state medals. Yes, I d call that elite.

6 I n an earlier conversation, Brian Hills used the word elite to describe several of the wrestlers who have recently passed through his program. I d say that s a pretty good adjective. This year s senior class, comprised of Lawrence Beckman, Aaron Nestor, Steve Nestor, Jon Uhrin and Robbie Miller, have certainly left an indelible mark on the RHS program. These five wrestlers have combined for 651 career wins and nine state medals. Yes, I d call that elite. Beckman leads the way with 176 wins and four medals, but A View from Matside By Don Shaffer was followed closely by Aaron with 156 wins and three medals. Robbie (139) and Steve (129) both earned state medals in their careers and Jon found time to win 51 matches despite missing nearly two full seasons. Congratulations to one of the best senior classes in school history and thanks for the memories. Wrestlers returning next season will be challenged with the task of defending the Raiders five state championships as well as extending the team s consecutive dual match win streaks (59 regular season, 37 overall). Next season s top returning wrestlers and their current win totals include: Cody Kelly (83), Mike Miller (74), Corey Brown (67), Sam Fuchs (59), Will Ringer (49), Ryan Dawes (41), Brandon Maun (27), Cory Shields (24), Curtis Reynolds (22) and Tony D Urso (21). Kelly s 83 wins puts him in position to do some very special things, considering he has two full seasons remaining. For reference, Beckman had 84 wins through his first two seasons. Matt Dunn had 83. A total of 15 Reynolds wrestlers earned the right to compete at the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling All- Area Championships in Johnstown. Of those, four wresters placed in their weight classes and returned home with medals. Leading the way were Dylan D Urso (13-14 age division, 82 pounds, 3rd place), Mason Beckman (13-14, 107, 3rd), Austin Matthews (11-12, 95, 6th) and Blake Heim (11-12, 145, 7th). To illustrate how tough it has become to win a Junior Wrestling state championship, here s an example to help put it in perspective: Derek Brothers of Curwensville was a 2007 Class AA Northwest Regional champion. At the All-Area Finals, he went 1-2 and didn t come close to placing. Former Raider Matt Dunn, a true freshman at Columbia University, qualified for the NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships by placing fourth at his regional qualifying tournament. Wrestling at 149 pounds, Dunn finished fourth at the EIWA Championships held at East Stroudsburg University of Pa. Dunn was a two-time PIAA Class AA state champion while at Reynolds and owns a number of school records, including most career wins (176) and most wins in a season (52).

7 T here s no arguing the dual match success of the Reynolds Raiders throughout their 45 year history. The team s well-documented 600th win came in the District 10 Duals finals against arch-rival Greenville. In terms of dual matches, the Raiders have been on a roll. They have won 59 consecutive regular season matches and 37 straight, overall. But, in my opinion, what really defines the Raiders and Coach Brian Hills is what the team has been able to accomplish in the post season. Going back to the start of the new millennium and incorporating the last seven seasons the Raiders have been almost unstoppable. During that span, Reynolds boasts 47 state qualifiers - an average of almost seven per season. Even more amazing, all but 14 of those wrestlers have brought home medals. During that time, the Raiders have crowned five individual state champions and have won a trio of A View from Matside By Don Shaffer team points titles, finishing second on two other occasions. There were several school records set or equaled during Most notable are the accomplishments of seniors Lawrence Beckman and Robbie Miller. Beckman tied Matt Dunn s school record for most wins in a career with 176. The Hofstra University recruit also became the first Raider to wrestle in more than 200 matches. He finished with 203 to break Mason Stewart s school standard of 192. Miller, meanwhile, broke a team record that had stood more than 25 years. With 29 falls this season, Miller snapped the record of 26 that was set by Kevin Brandt back in That number was equaled by Jason Walter in Miller (50) also chased Dunn s school record for most wins in a season, before coming up just two short. Reynolds wrestlers went a perfect 3-0 in an all-star wrestling match pitting District 10 s best senior Class AA and AAA matmen. The match, titled the Hamot Sports Medicine Senior Showdown, was hosted by Harbor Creek High School. Invited to participate were state place-winners Robbie Miller (125), Aaron Nestor (145) and Lawrence Beckman (171). Beckman scored a major decision and Miller and Nestor added decisions. The three wins helped the Class AA Stars to a victory. Brian Hills was selected to coach the Pennsylvania team in the Border War, pitting some of the top wrestlers from Western Pa. against the best from Eastern Ohio. Again, the trio of Miller, Nestor and Beckman were invited to participate. The match was held at Austintown Fitch High School on April 22, It was an excellent finishing touch on three outstanding careers. Reynolds first-ever, three-time state champion is now its first-ever wrestler to join the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Casey Taylor was officially inducted as part of the Class of 2007, just prior to this year s Class AA state championship matches. Taylor proudly joins former head coach Neal Lineman as the only Reynolds members of the Pa. Wrestling Hall of Fame. Currently, Taylor is an assistant coach for the Raiders and is the head coach of the junior high program. At RHS, Taylor won state titles in 1992, 1993 and He finished his high school career with an overall record of He wrestled collegiately at both Lock Haven University and Thiel College.

8 Name Wins Loses Points Pins TF MD Dillon Babcock Greg Baptiste Lawrence Beckman Corey Brown Rex Cooper Ryan Dawes Mike DiGregorio Tony D Urso Sam Fuchs Rodney Harnett Cody Kelly Kaine Kulka Brandon Maun Mike Miller The Lineman Collection Calendar Series 2007 Team Calendar is Now Available! This calendar features team photos of the 16 teams coached by Neal Lineman during the 1960 s and 70 s. The first 10 orders will receive an autographed copy of the calendar. Robbie Miller Aaron Nestor Steve Nestor Will Ringer Corey Shields Luke Taylor Jon Uhrin Totals

The Raiders are well equipped as they march into the season

The Raiders are well equipped as they march into the season L ike the Civil War general his school is named after, Reynolds head wrestling coach Brian Hills has prepared his troops for battle. Beginning his 23rd season at the helm, Hills is a proven teacher and