The high school wrestling season features Carlynton, Montour and Moon Area competing with returning wrestlers and new hopefuls. Coverage from the West Hills Gazette will highlight each team’s progress, focusing on postseason ambitions.
Moon Area lost 61-53 to Lincoln Park after leading at halftime. Turnovers and missed shots plagued Moon in the final quarter. Jackson Bauman led Moon with 26 points, while Lincoln Park’s Josh Pratt scored 25 to secure the victory. Sto-Rox fell to Clairton in another boys game.
Moon Area claimed a 55-27 victory over Hopewell in the Moon Tip-Off girls basketball tournament, led by Maria Depner's 28 points. In boys play, Moon downed host Central Catholic. In wrestling, five Moon competitors came home with titles in their respective weight classes at the Chartiers-Houston Invitational.
Maria Depner led Moon Area with 18 points in a 40-24 victory over Union, finishing strong in the final quarter. In another girls game, Burgettstown defeated Bishop Canevin 43-27. In boys action, Freedom beat Cornell 66-47. Moon Area's wrestling team triumphed over Quaker Valley 59-27.
Rook Smith of Montour was the sole medalist among West Hills wrestlers at the PIAA Boys Championships, finishing eighth at 160 pounds in Class 3A. Liam Costa and Cael Yanek of Moon Area also competed but did not medal. Carlynton's Braiden Sudor and Henry Barbisch also competed in the Class 2A event.
West Hills wrestlers Kristen Walzer and Haley Smarsh placed sixth in their weight classes at the PIAA Girls Championships. Walzer, from Montour, competed at 100 pounds, while Smarsh -- from Moon Area -- was at 130 pounds. Both reached semifinals but lost three consecutive matches.
Six boys and two girls from West Hills area schools qualified for the PIAA Wrestling Championships March 6-8 by virtue of their performances at various regional tournaments that concluded Saturday. Two girls -- Kristen Walzer of Montour and Haley Smarsh of Moon -- both came home with gold medals.