BVA’s Weightman repeats as 3A champ

By JONATHAN GUTH

MVI Sports

Belle Vernon’s Cole Weightman won his second straight WPIAL Class 3A/Southwest Regional Championship Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School.

Weightman (29-4, 69-11) earned a 7-0 decision over previously unbeaten Logan Harmon (15-1, 75-10) of Armstrong to join Zach Hartman as the second two-time district champion in school history. Weightman, a junior, is eager to come back next season and three-peat. Weightman was sixth in the state last year.

“I am going to try and beat him (Hartman) and get three WPIAL titles next year,” Weightman said.

Weightman and Thomas Jefferson’s Brian Finnerty will compete in the PIAA Class 3A West Super Regional next Saturday at Altoona High School. The top four in each weight class will advance to the state tournament on March 13 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

“The super region will make me more ready and a better wrestler,” Weightman said. “Nothing really changes going into next week. You just take it one match at a time and don’t look ahead.”

Weightman scored a takedown 19 seconds into the final bout in the 215-pound weight class and carried a 2-0 lead into the second period. Weightman scored a reversal for a 4-0 advantage and went ahead by five after Harmon was penalized for stalling. Weightman added a second takedown with 50 seconds left in the third.

“I think I really pushed the pace and caught him off guard with the snaps,” Weightman said. “I just started working on him. It was hard to pin him because my moves a bar, and he puts his arm right under his hip, so I just started wearing him out with the power half and tight gut.”

Weightman came in as the top-seed and won his quarterfinal bout by fall over Franklin Regional’s Christo Marion in 52 seconds. Weightman followed his opening performance with a similar result in the semifinals, as he pinned Trinity’s Ty Banco in 59 seconds.

“My philosophy is you need to get off the mat as fast as you can because you don’t know what that kid is going to do,” Weightman said. “I always look to end it early if I have the opportunity.”

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