The Pennsylvania All-Stars took it on the chin for the first time in three years at the 27th annual Dapper Dan Classic last night at Pitt's Fitzgerald Field House.
But four members on the Pennsylvania team from the WPIAL gave a good account of themselves, winning two matches, losing one in overtime and another by close decision at heavyweight, in which Shady Side Academy's Ric San Doval was a big underdog.
The United States team, the winningest collection of wrestlers in Dapper Dan Classic history (a cumulative 2,090-100 career record), defeated Pennsylvania, 31-19. Pennsylvania still leads the all-time series, 15-11-1. Pennsylvania had won this match the previous two years.
The U.S. team clinched the match when Shane Webster of Crater, Ore., scored a 14-6 major decision over Travis Frick of Nazareth at 171 pounds.
The U.S. team jumped to a 18-0 lead after the first four matches before Connellsville 135-pounder DeWitt Driscoll pinned Mark Manchio, a three-time New Jersey champion, with one second left in the second period. Driscoll won the Outstanding Wrestler award.
Right after Driscoll's win, Pennsylvania lost back-to-back overtime matches. Alex Tirapelle of Clovis, Calif., decisioned Ron Doppelheuer of Connellsville, 8-6, at 140 with a takedown 1:36 into overtime. Doppelheuer gave up a takedown with 13 seconds left in regulation.
"Ron had the No. 1 guy in the country down, 5-1, in the third period, but he ran out of gas," said Connellsville Coach Tom Dolde, one of Pennsylvania's coaches. "Maybe [Tirapelle] had something to do with Ron getting tired, but it was still a good match. And DeWitt's match speaks for itself.
"I've been going to [the Classic] a long time. This is definitely one of the better U.S. teams."
At 145, three-time PIAA Class AA champion Justin Nestor of Reynolds rallied from a three-point deficit in the third period, but lost in overtime, 5-3, to Marucs LeVesseur of Bloomington Kennedy, Minn.
The U.S. team's dominance was most evident at 119 pounds where Nick Simmons of Williamston, Mich., pinned Adam Smith of Newport 31 seconds into the third period. Simmons was 211-0 in his scholastic career and a three-time junior national champion. Simmons' victory came as no surprise. He won by pin or technical fall during the previous 156 matches of his career at Williamston.
Troy Letters of Shaler, a two-time PIAA champion, was dominant in his 160-pound match, scoring a 12-3 major decision over Derrick Brown of Bristow, Okla. Letters scored four takedowns in the final period.
"I knew the kid got tired, so I just tried to pile up the points," Letters said. "The USA team has some really, really tough kids who I know from freestyle [nationals]. The state team is pretty good, too. We're just trying to do the best we can."
San Doval, 42-0 this season at Shady Side, lost a 6-3 decision to Blair Academy's much-ballyhooed Steve Mocco, a four-time New Jersey champion. San Doval gave up two takedowns, his first in two years. Giving up 40 pounds to Mocco, San Doval's quickness was negated by the agile 260-pound Mocco. Mocco is being recruited by Iowa and Oklahoma State.
In the preliminary match, the WPIAL All-Stars edged the Minnesota All-Stars, 22-21. It is the ninth consecutive year the WPIAL has won the preliminary match against an all-star team from another state or PIAA district.
The WPIAL built a 16-6 lead and held on to win despite losing four of the final six matches.
The top weight classes for Minnesota featured six wrestlers who were unbeaten state champions this season. But Jeannette's Matt Lebe, a PIAA Class AA champion at 160 and Shaler's Brandon Lehmeier, a Class AAA Southwest Regional champion at 189, won their respective matches to prevent Minnesota from overtaking the WPIAL.
In an exhibition match between female wrestlers, Grove City senior Erin Tomeo decisioned Lisa Bisers of Hampton, 9-3. Both were starters on their respective boys' varsity teams. Tomeo had 54 career victories against male competition, competing at 119 and 125 pounds. Bisers had 49 victories in four years, primarily competing at 119.
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