For the second consecutive season, Norwin junior Landon Sidun carried the WPIAL flag at the 59th annual Powerade Holiday Classic at Canon-McMillan High School.
Sidun was the only WPIAL wrestler to reach the finals. Three others — Canon-McMillan freshman Lee Dreshman, Derry junior Mason Horwat and Kiski Area sophomore Mario Hutcherson — lost in the semifinals.
And for the second consecutive year, Sidun won a Powerade title.
This time it was a dominating 12-0 victory at 121 pounds over JoJo Burke of St. Joseph Regional (N.J.), who walked away without shaking Sidun’s hand.
It has been quite a month for Sidun, who won his second Beast of the East tournament Dec. 21. And he won both tournaments by not facing the same opponent twice.
“I’m pretty happy,” the Penn State recruit said. “I am excited to come out here and wrestle some of the best competition in the country. I was happy to perform in front of the fans.”
Unlike his 2024 final, which was decided by a point, this year’s match was not close.
He got a quick takedown and then was able to turn Burke for a four-point near-fall.
After an escape and penalty point to build the lead to 9-0, Sidun continued to press the attack and took Burke down to finish the scoring in the third period.
“A lot of these guys are great competitors,” Sidun said. “I have a different mindset, and I got a lot better in the summer. I can score points against better competition.
“I am calmer, and I get used to wrestling the high-level guys. I work extremely hard. I feel if someone beats me, they earned it.”
With the Westmoreland County tournament more than a week away, Sidun is not taking a day off. He plans to be in the wrestling room Wednesday morning.
Lake Highlands Prep (Fla.) won the team title.
Bishop McCort senior Jax Forrest became the seventh four-time Powerade champion and earned the Most Outstanding Wrestler award.
Hutcherson finished third at 189 pounds by defeating Tavio Hoose of St. Francis (N.Y.), 7-3. He lost to the No. 1 seed, Dominic Sumpolec of Notre Dame Green Pond, 4-3, in the semifinals.
“I am not pleased with a third-place finish,” Hutcherson said. “I have some work to do. I want to be the best. I am not satisfied with how I wrestled.”
Horwat ended up fourth at 172, and he, too, was not satisfied.
“I am happy that I placed after not placing last year,” Horwat said. “But I have things to clean up. I must do a better job of keeping my opponents off my legs. This tournament exposes your weaknesses. I must continue to get better.”
Kiski Area senior Cooper Roscosky came into the tournament seeded No. 1 at 215 pounds. He finished seventh.
“I know I am a better wrestler than I finished,” Roscosky said. “I actually feel that I am the best in the country. But I have a mental block. I just need to fix some things, and I know I can prove I am the best.”
Roscosky defeated Bellefonte’s Luke Hockenberry, 7-1, for seventh place.
Other WPIAL wrestlers earning medals were Moon’s Bryce Thomas (eighth at 107) and Liam Costa (eighth at 172), Connellsville juniors Kia Vielma (seventh at 145), Tommy Gretz (sixth at 121) and Nolan Rice (eighth at 127), Latrobe junior Hunter Snyder (fifth at 189); Franklin Regional junior Mike Ruane (eighth at 152); West Greene senior Collin Whyte (fourth at 285); Bentworth senior Owen Ivcic (seventh at 160) and Dreshman (sixth at 107).