This Sunday one of the most anticipated wrestling spectacles is taking place in our backyard. The Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic will be held at the Fitzgerald Field House on the University of Pittsburgh campus on March 12th beginning at 4 in the afternoon with the WPIAL All-Stars taking on the State All-Stars from Oklahoma.
The Dapper Dan really speaks to how tough wrestling is in Pennsylvania since just one region’s all-stars are taking on the best of Oklahoma and will give them a very good match. Most states can’t put together a region as tough as the WPIAL.
There is slightly different format from a typical WPIAL dual meet though. The wrestlers will only compete for two two-minute-and-thirty-second periods. Both periods the referee will begin the contestants in the neutral position.
Our first bout of the night will begin at 113 pounds. Representing the WPIAL at 113 will be Canon McMillan’s Brendan Price. Price sports a record of 112 wins to only 24 losses and has won some very key bouts for the Big Mac’s during their state championship seasons.
Price will be battling against Braden Bennet from Locust Grove, Oklahoma. Bennet has a career record of 72 wins to 39 losses.
120 pounds will feature Brendan Hasson from Belle Vernon, PA against Jacob Finley from Collinsville, OK. Hasson who has compiled 121 victories over his career and was a 2014 PIAA State Place winner, placing 7th. Finley, his counterpart, has a combined record of 89 wins and 31 losses.
A future Pitt Panther will be wrestling at 126 pounds for the WPIAL team in Dom Forys. Forys has placed at the PIAA State Championships a few times over his career and has gathered a staggering 163 wins to only 22 losses. The 163 wins is good enough for most all-time at North Allegheny.
Forys will be wrestling against Cub Yeager from Locust Grove who has a combined record of 128 wins and 14 losses. Yeager is a 3X Oklahoma State Champion. This is a match up that should definitely have some fireworks when these two enter the circle.
Franklin Regional Panther and future Bucknell wrestler Tyler Smith will lace up his shoes for the WPIAL at 132 pounds. Smith was a 2013 PA State Champ and placed 3rd this year at 132 pounds. To go along with his state medals, Smith has a total of 158 wins.
Justin Fletcher of Bixby, OK will square off against Smith at 132 pounds on Sunday night. Fletcher has amassed a record of 122 wins to 14 losses in his career as an Oklahoma wrestler.
Tyler Buckiso of Peters Township will bump up from his normal weight class of 132 pounds to wrestle 138 pounds for the WPIAL. Buckiso has a career record of 133 wins to 27 losses and was a 2014 PIAA State place winner taking 6th this year. Buckiso will look to continue his wrestling career at the Citadel.
His opponent from Collinsville, Oklahoma, who is a very intimidating 4X state champion, is Will Steltzlen. Steltzlen has a career record of 126 wins and 33 losses. That sounds like a lot of losses for a wrestler of his caliber but clearly Steltzlen gets it done in March as he has 4 state titles to show for it.
South Fayette’s All-Time win leader will be representing the WPIAL at 145 pounds. This is Grant Fetchet who has racked up 141 victories in his career and a state medal this year to go along with it. He was also a star running back for the State Championship football team this year.
Fetchet, who will be continuing his wrestling career at Columbia University next year, will clash against 2X Oklahoma State Champ from Berryhill, OK. He is Jonce Blaylock who has a very impressive record of 128 wins and 7 losses.
Burrell Buc Steven Edwards will be taking the mat for the WPIAL at 152 pounds. Edwards, a UPJ recruit, won a AA WPIAL Title and a AA PIAA State title this year. He has a career record of 142 wins to 37 losses.
Dakota Head of Tuttle, Oklahoma will look to stop Edwards and put up a couple points for team Oklahoma. Head is a 2X Oklahoma State Champ and has combined record of 126 wins and 24 losses.
A North Hill’s Indian will take the mat for the WPIAL at the 160 pound weight class. This wrestler is Jonathan Avon who has a career record of 123 victories to only 31 losses. Avon placed 3rd at the 2014 PIAA State Championships.
Avon will be looking to take down Jacobe Smith from Muskogee, Oklahoma. Smith has a solid career record of 109 wins and 10 losses. Jacobe Smith has also accomplished the feat of winning an Oklahoma State Championship.
At 170 pounds, Central Catholic grappler and WPIAL Champion Kyle Coniker will look to be victorious in his final high school career wrestling match. Coniker has a total of 89 wins in his career to 22 losses.
The WPIAL Champ will have his work cut out for him as he is set to take on a 4X Oklahoma State Champion who is Chandler Rogers. Rogers hails from Stillwater, Oklahoma and has an impressive career record of 178 victories to only 6 defeats.
The AA Wpial Champion, Terrel Fields, will be wrestling for the WPIAL team at 182 pounds. Fields is from Valley High School and has a career record of 135 wins to 42 losses.
Edmond North, Oklahoma native Lance Dixon will be wrestling for the opposing All-Star team. Lance Dixon who is the first of the Dixon triplets to compete in the Dapper Dan is a two-time state champion and has a career record of 127 wins to 12 losses.
This was the first time in Dapper Dan history that a set of triplets have competed in the Classic.
Football Star and WPIAL Champion Cole Macek of Montour High School will be wearing the WPIAL All-Star singlet. Macek, who played middle-linebacker for his high school football team, has achieved a career record of 137 wins to only 26 losses.
Macek will be taking his stance against Derek White of Edmond North, Oklahoma. White is a 2X State Champion and has a career record of 127 wins to 10 losses.
Next up for the WPIAL team is Jake Temple from Avella High School. Temple recently completed an undefeated senior season on his way to a PIAA State Championship. Temple is also a 2X AA WPIAL Champ and has a career record of 146 wins to only 17 defeats.
The Oklahoma All-Stars will send out the second of three triplets to wrestle Temple. This time it is Andrew Dixon from Edmond North, Oklahoma. Dixon, like his brother Lance, is a 2X State Champion. Andrew Dixon however has a few more wins with 140 to go along with 15 losses.
Shane Kuhn will close out the dual for the WPIAL at heavyweight. Kuhn is a 2X WPIAL Champion and has a career record of 146 victories to only 20 defeats. Kuhn is also a football star and will continue his football career at Youngstown State University.
Wrestling heavyweight from Locust Grove, Oklahoma will be Tre Loveall. Loveall will look to end the dual on a positive note for the Oklahoma visitors. The Locust Grove Native has a combined career record of 92 wins to 26 losses.
As always, this preliminary Dapper Dan event looks to be very exciting. One of the toughest regions in the country, the WPIAL, will look to flex its muscles against Oklahoma and the best wrestlers they have to offer.
