Wrestler of the year
Mario Hutcherson
Kiski Area, so., 189 pounds
2025-26 record: 48-1. Career record: 91-8.
It didn’t take too long for sophomore Mario Hutcherson to be named the Valley News Dispatch’s wrestler of the year. Given his track record, his rise to stardom at the high school level comes as no surprise.
The 6-foot, 189-pound standout has built a stacked resume. Hutcherson claimed gold at the Pan-Am Trials with Team USA, captured a national title at Fargo Junior Nationals, is a four-time youth state champion and a two-time U.S. Open champion. This season, he added WPIAL and PIAA championships to the list.
Hutcherson defeated Latrobe’s Hunter Snyder to take home the WPIAL title.
“It was just go out there and do what I do, make sure everything’s right, and don’t overlook anyone,” Hutcherson said. “Just be prepared mentally, and the rest played out how I wanted it to.”
After falling short in both the WPIAL and state finals as a freshman, Hutcherson entered this season with something to prove. Moving up from 172 to 189 pounds, he made it clear this would be his year.
However, there was one obstacle in his way: Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Dominic Sumpelec, the same opponent who handed Hutcherson his only loss of the season earlier at Powerade.
“He was on the opposite side of the bracket, so I had to beat him to win states,” Hutcherson said. “A lot of guys don’t like when I’m putting pressure on them and trying to score points, so it was just get out there, wrestle my style and not beat myself. If I wrestle my style, the match usually plays out my way.”
Hutcherson used speed, offensive pressure and a high-tempo attack, forcing mistakes to score points. That strategy helped him secure the fourth state title in Kiski Area history with a 4-1 victory in the PIAA championship bout.
“I went over and hugged my coaches, then I saw my family in the crowd,” Hutcherson said. “It was awesome. There were just a couple seconds left, and when the kid shot, I realized the match was over. That’s when it really hit me that I won a state title in Pennsylvania, which is a huge deal.”
Winning a state title as a sophomore is a rare feat, especially in one of the toughest states in the country. Those who do are regarded as national-level talent, including Spencer Lee and Mac Church.
Despite facing older competition, Hutcherson continues to win. He was honored to bring state and WPIAL titles home to Kiski.
“Last year I came up short in WPIAL and states, but the history of the WPIAL, there’s guys that are national champions and Olympic medalists,” he said. “It’s crazy to win a WPIAL title. It’s part of that journey to be one of those top guys in the nation. The state title was bigger than what I expected. When I got home and realized how big it was for my school and my family, that was really cool.”
He said Matt McCutcheon, a former WPIAL and state champion at Kiski, and Lee, who won multiple WPIAL titles and silver at the Olympics, are two wrestlers he always admired.
Despite stepping up in weight class, Hutcherson found an advantage using his speed and strength to overwhelm opponents.
“I’d say it’s fun and different,” he said. “A lot of upperweight guys are slower, but I feel like speed and agility are my strong suits. I just like to let it fly and have fun out there.
“It’s a big difference in strength. My dad kept telling me all offseason to get stronger but stay quick. So I worked on my speed and agility all summer, and it showed.”
His coaches and his father, Greg, have played a huge role in his wrestling career.
“That comes from training and the way I’ve wrestled my whole life,” he said. “My coaches and my dad always preach to score points. My dad says you can score 99 points and lose by one, but as long as you’re out there scoring and giving effort, that’s what matters. Nine times out of 10 it plays in your favor.”
Hutcherson is glad to have the support system, including his younger brother, Marco, who is a four-time youth state champion, in his corner.
“My family has been a part of it my entire life,” he said. “They play a big part in my mental strength and everything. My coaches have been through it with other guys who went to my school, so I trust them a lot. The results show it. There are state champions and WPIAL champions they’ve coached before.”
If Hutcherson’s trajectory continues, this state title may not be the only one he claims.
“I have the World Team Trials in Las Vegas in mid-April,” he said. “I’m going to get ready for freestyle and change up my style for that. Then recruiting starts in June, so that’ll be awesome when college coaches can finally contact me.”
First team all-stars
Cam Baker
Burrell, sr., 127 pounds
2025-26 record: 44-7. Career record: 154-31.
The senior earned his third PIAA Class 2A medal by finishing sixth for the second time. An injury during his junior season prevented him a fourth. He was a two-time WPIAL champion. He helped Burrell to a second-place finish in the team tournament.
Julian Bertucci
Burrell, sr., 145 pounds
2025-26 record: 44-8. Career record: 154-54.
The senior won his first WPIAL Class 2A title and was a three-time section champion. He was a two-time PIAA qualifier and finished fourth in back-to-back seasons at the PIAA Southwest Regional.
Owen Campbell
Plum, sr., 152 pounds
2025-26 record: 38-11. Career record: 132-43.
The senior was a PIAA Class 3A qualifier after a fourth-place finish at the PIAA West Regional. He finished second in the WPIAL at 152 pounds and had 132 career victories.
Ben Catullo
Burrell, jr., 172 pounds
2025-26 record: 37-16. Career record: 95-58.
The junior earned his second trip to the PIAA Class 2A tournament by placing third in the WPIAL and seventh in the PIAA Southwest Regional. He helped Burrell to a second-place finish in the team tournament.
Javeon Chambers
Highlands, sr., 114 pounds
2025-26 record: 40-10. Career record: 151-34.
The senior is a two-time PIAA Class 2A qualifier. He placed seventh as a junior. He placed second in the WPIAL and third in the PIAA Southwest Regional this season.
Frank Grazulis
Plum, sr., 285 pounds
2025-26 record: 34-10. Career record: 84-39.
The senior heavyweight placed second in the section and sixth in the WPIAL tournament. He did not place at the PIAA West Regional and fell short of a state tournament bid.
Adam Haines
Fox Chapel, sr., 152 pounds
2025-26 record: 25-10. Career record: 81-50.
The senior placed second in the section and eighth in the WPIAL tournament. He had 51 career pins, including 14 this season. He was a three-time section medalist.
Liam Jones
Burrell, so., 152 pounds
2025-26 record: 31-13. Career record: 31-13.
In his first season in the WPIAL, Jones qualified for the PIAA Class 2A tournament by placing fifth in the WPIAL and at the PIAA Southwest Regional.
Cooper Roscosky
Kiski Area, sr., 215 pounds
2025-26 record: 40-8. Career record: 153-31.
The Buffalo commit was a PIAA Class 3A qualifier after finishing second in the WPIAL at 215 pounds and third in the PIAA West Regional. Injuries prevented him from earning a third PIAA medal.
Travis Shearer
Kiski Area, jr., 172 pounds
2025-26 record: 23-13. Career record: 73-39.
The junior finished second in the section and eighth in WPIAL tournament. He finished with 13 pins, giving him 44 in his career.
Carl Thomas
Burrell, fr., 107 pounds
2025-26 record: 31-21. Career record: 31-21.
The freshman finished a solid season by qualifying for the PIAA Class 2A tournament. He placed sixth in the PIAA Southwest Regional.
Raydn Thomas
Valley, sr., 121 pounds
2025-26 record: 30-12. Career record: 86-43.
He placed second in the section and fourth in the WPIAL. He had 35 career pins, including nine this season.
Alex Wylly
Riverview, jr. 160 pounds
2025-26 record: 16-2. Career record: 66-27.
Wylly’s season was shortened by an injury at the Allegheny County tournament. He had 11 technical fall wins.
Second team
Alex Akerley, Kiski Area, sr., 285 pounds. 2025-26 record: 22-12. He doubled his career win total this season.
Juzef Betts, Valley, so., 133 pounds. 2025-26 record: 24-9. He placed seventh in the WPIAL tournament.
Cadyn Crawford, Burrell, jr., 152 pounds. 2025-26 record: 21-9. A knee injury ended his season.
Joey Geller, Fox Chapel, sr., 215 pounds. 2025-26 record: 33-14. He finished third in the section, and he had 102 career wins.
Calyx Kimbrough, Fox Chapel, sr., 160 pounds. 2025-26 record: 25-11. He placed fourth in the section.
Ayden Kun, Burrell, jr., 215 pounds. 2025-26 record: 33-16. He finished third in the WPIAL.
Josue Martinez, Valley, sr., 145 pounds. 2025-26 record: 19-10. He placed fourth in the section.
Brayden McGowan, Knoch, Sr., 152 pounds. 2025-26 record: 24-13. He placed third in the section and had 16 pins.
Ben Murphy, Kiski Area, fr., 145 pounds. 2025-26 record: 25-18. He had 12 pins and finished third in the section.
Gavin Murphy, Kiski Area, so., 133 pounds. 2025-26 record: 30-15. He has 59 career wins and finished eighth in the WPIAL.
Brennan Overcash, Plum, sr., 133 pounds. 2025-26 record: 22-13. He placed sixth in the section.
Jacob Stewart, Burrell, sr., 139 pounds. 2025-26 record: 38-8. He was third in the WPIAL.
DeJamire Suber, Highlands, sr., 121 pounds. 2025-26 record: 25-15. He placed fifth in the section.