The Burgettstown Area High School wrestling team received a late Christmas present in Tuesday's Section 1-AA showdown with South Side Beaver.

Sophomore Ryan Watson made a victorious return to the lineup and led the Blue Devils to a 43-30 upset of the Rams.

Watson, who went 37-9, finished third in the WPIAL and qualified for the PIAA championships as a 171-pound freshman, was believed to be out for the season after shoulder surgery ended his football season. But this 189-pounder made a quick recovery.

"We had this planned out for quite awhile," said Burgettstown coach Terry Havelka. "We had this match targeted on the schedule and hoped he would be ready."

The win against South Side Beaver clinched at least a tie for the section title for Burgettstown. The Blue Devils will take a 9-0 record into Wednesday's Section 1-AA finale at Fort Cherry (6-3).

"Ryan got cleared to wrestle on Tuesday," said Havelka. "It was a real boost to the team to have him back in the lineup."

Burgettstown jumped out to a 15-9 lead, but South Side Beaver recorded falls in three of the next four bouts to take a 24-21 advantage going into the 189-pound bout.

The large crowd at Burgettstown roared its approval when Watson stepped onto the mat and promptly pinned his opponent, Justin Herder, in 26 seconds. Teammate Dan Conley followed with a pin at 215, as the Blue Devils finished the match with wins in four of the last five bouts.

"It's great for the sport of wrestling to have matches like these," said Havelka. "South Side Beaver had a nice following. We almost packed the gym."

Havelka also pointed out that South Side Beaver didn't have the services of PIAA champion John Prezzia, who has been out most of the season with an injury.

"The [WPIAL] team title is up for grabs," said Havelka, whose squad entered the week tied for No. 5 with Derry Area in the WPIAL Class AA rankings. "There is no clear-cut favorite going into the final week of the regular season."

No. 4 South Side Beaver dropped to second place with a 7-1 record, but the Rams have clinched a team tournament berth. West Greene, Fort Cherry and Carlynton are tied for third. The top three finishers in each section will qualify for postseason play, but extra teams could qualify if there's a three-way tie and the teams have beaten each other.

Chartiers-Houston must win at Freedom on Wednesday, then win on the road Thursday at South Side Beaver to keep its hopes alive. West Greene will conclude its season Tuesday at South Park. Carlynton will finish at South Park on Wednesday.

Pioneers impressive

West Greene placed third at the Winner's Choice Tournament, which took place Jan. 12-13 at Fairmont, W.Va. The Pioneers accumulated 163.5 points in the 27-team field. Parkersburg (W.Va.) edged East Fairmont (W.Va.), 264.5 to 260.5, to claim the team title.

West Greene had eight wrestlers earn place-winner status by finishing among the top eight in their weight class, including three who finished among the top three. Colton Blumer and Tucker Conklin were runners-up for the Pioneers, while Garett Johnston placed third.