Derry sent five of its six WPIAL champions through to the semifinals on the first day of the PIAA Class 2A Southwest Regional tournament Friday in Altoona.
Mason Keesecker (107) and Patrick Bulger (114) advanced in the lower weights and Ewan Olson (160), Mason Horwat (172) and Brady Brown (189) in the upper weights for the Trojans, who had the second-most semifinalists behind Bishop McCort’s 10.
Laurel and Beth-Center had two semifinalists each: Kolton Carlson (215) and Casey Wilson (285) for the Spartans and Malachi Peak (189) and Noah Layhue (215) for the Bulldogs.
Three WPIAL champs did not make it to the semifinals: Elizabeth Forward’s Preston Bubash (121), Derry’s Michael McNeal (139) and Burrell’s Julian Bertucci (145). The top seven finishers at each weight advance to the state tournament.
Eleven other WPIAL wrestlers are still alive in the semifinals, including Burrell’s Cam Baker (127) and Highlands’ Javeon Chambers (114).
The others are WPIAL champs Lucas Barr (133) of McGuffey, Jonah Erdely (152) of Frazier and Colin Whyte (285) of West Greene along with Central Valley’s Angelo Boni (107), Avonworth’s Auston Kosanovic (127), Bentworth’s Drake McClure (139), Burgetttown’s Carter Katus (139). Elizabeth Forward’s Lucas Boyer (152) and Jefferson-Morgan’s Alek Palko (160).