HERSHEY – Belle Vernon’s Elijah Brown has hardly broken a sweat in his two matches at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championships.
He had a pin in 34 seconds Thursday and a 44-second technical fall Friday in the quarterfinals at a chilly Giant Center.
Those two victories gave him the school record for all-time wins. He is 171-20 overall, breaking the record of Zach Hartman.
Brown is a reigning PIAA champion and Penn State commit seeking his second state title.
He faces Owen J. Roberts sophomore Decker Bechtold in the semifinals Friday night. He defeated Bechtold, 17-13, at the My House tournament Dec. 27.
Another huge match pits Norwin junior Landon Sidun against Hatboro-Horsham junior Dominick Morrison in a 121-pound semifinal.
Sidun defeated Morrison, 4-1 in sudden victory, at the Beast of the East tournament in late December.
Morrison survived in the quarterfinals, edging Hempfield senior Nico Kapusta, 1-0.
Sidun and Morrison were PIAA champions in 2024.
Sidun had no problem in his quarterfinal match. He defeated Bethlehem Catholic sophomore Nico Emili, 12-3.
Kapusta, who was carried out of the arena on a stretcher Thursday, was cleared to participate Friday.
The others from the WPIAL to reach the Class 3A semifinals were Canon-McMillan freshman Lee Dreshman (107) and West Allegheny sophomore Mike Johnson (107), Connellsville juniors Tommy Gretz (121) and Kai Vielma (145), Franklin Regional junior Michael Ruane (152), Kiski Area sophomore Mario Hutcherson (189), Latrobe junior Hunter Snyder (189) and North Allegheny senior heavyweight Bradyn McConneha.
Ruane upset the No. 1 seed at 152, Perkiomen Valley junior Luke Knox, 13-5. He faces Boiling Springs senior Ian Longenberger in the semifinals.
There are 11 other WPIAL Class 3A wrestlers who are guaranteed a medal from the consolation round.
They are Moon heavyweight Cam Danna, Moon junior Bryce Thomas (107), Thomas Jefferson junior Zach Rehak (114), Penn-Trafford senior Dylan Barrett (114), Franklin Regional sophomore Beau Fennick (114), Butler senior Santino Soboda (127), Canon-McMillan senior Collier Hartman (139), Norwin junior Nathan Klingensmith (152), Mt. Lebanon senior Cole Gibbons (160), Norwin senior Jack White (160) and Canon-McMillan junior Brayden Collins (215).