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Warriors junior first WA grappler since 1996 to reach Hershey
Wyoming Area’s Andy Schutz, right, is shown on the medal stand with Line Mountain’s Seth Lansberry, left, and Benton’s Colt Cotten at the PIAA Northeast Regional last weekend.
submitted photo
Wyoming Area’s Andy Schutz became the first Warriors’ wrestler in more than 10 years to qualify for the PIAA Championships last week when the junior won the PIAA Class 2A Northeast Regional 132-pound Bronze Medal at Williamsport High School.
Wrestling for the third time at the regional tournament at the Magic Dome, Schutz defeated freshman phenom Demetri Probst (25-5) of Bucktail in a 4-3 decision last Saturday night to win regional bronze and advance to this past week’s state championships at Hershey.
The victory also allowed the three-time District 2 champ to become the first Wyoming Area wrestler since Don Morgan to advance to the state championships. Morgan, who won PIAA Bronze in 1996, won district gold in 1995 and 1996.
“That was the happiest I ever was to take third-place,” Schutz told the Times Leader. “It’s never easy down there, but Hershey was the overall goal.”
Schutz missed out on qualifying for the state championships last year after finishing one win shy of reaching a medal bout, and placed fourth as a freshman at the Northeast Regional. He is just four wins shy of 100 for his career after posting 30 wins this season. Schutz is 96-14 overall during his three-year varsity career, and set a school record with his third D2 title. Only five Wyoming Area wrestlers have won two district title, and only five have earned state medals.
“It’s a tough bracket,” said Schutz of the 132-pound weight class at the state championships. “It’s brutal. They all are at states, but we’re just going to work hard and see what we can do.”
Schutz credits first-year head coach Steve Mytych and first-year assistant Joe Rovelli with his development and success this season. Mytych was a four-time state qualifier and two-time state medalist, and also earned four NCAA Championship bids while wrestling for Drexel. Rovelli won a state title for Meyers, along with two other medals before wrestling at Hofstra where he was a four-time national qualifier.
“They just help on everything, with my whole technique and everything,” Schutz added. “My whole wrestling game has just improved so much. These guys are Division I wrestlers so they know it all to say the least.”
Schutz opened the state tournament against Brennan Shields (35-8), a junior from District 6 South Huntingdon.
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Times Leader sports writer Dave Rosengrant contributed to this report.