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Notebook: Mars’ Liam Hein, Seneca Valley’s Zach Hill learn lessons, advance to WPIAL wrestling championships

O’HARA TWP — The good thing about the early portions of the wrestling postseason is one mistake can be overcome.

One loss won’t end the season, but it can provide insight into how a wrestle can improve and keep their season alive.

Such was the case for Mars’ Liam Hein and Seneca Valley’s Zach Hill, who medaled Saturday at the WPIAL Class 3A Boys Wrestling Individual Northern Sectional Tournament at Fox Chapel High School.

Hein finished third at 145 pounds, beating Indiana’s Tuscan Blystone by 9-4 decision in the medal round.

It was a makeup win of sorts after a disappointing semifinal in which Hein, a senior, lost 10-6 to Armstrong’s Max Formaini (who lost the final to Butler’s Kase Chopp). Hein led a good portion of that semifinal before Formaini capitalized on a mistake to turn the match around.

“Just got lazy, not crisp with my shots,” Hein said after stepping off the podium. “I’m gonna get back in the practice room, getting ready for the next week and really work on finishing my shot. … No one to blame there but myself.”

Related Article: Santino Sloboda, Kase Chopp dominate as Butler sends 7 to WPIAL Class 3A wrestling championships
Mars’ Liam Hein took third place in a 145-pound bout by 9-4 against Indiana’s Tuscan Blystone in the WPIAL Boys Wrestling Class 3A Northern Sectional Tournament held on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at Fox Chapel High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Hein said it was still a good day — he qualified for the WPIAL Class 3A Boys Individual Wrestling Championships at Canon-McMillan High School next week — and he was able to finish on a high note.

Before that, he had an impressive takedown into a fall of Penn Hills’ Bradley Repovich in the fourth round of consolations to set up his bronze-medal match.

Hein said he needs to be sharper on his finishes and continue to work on his front headlock heading into districts.

Hill, meanwhile, reached the final at 139 pounds after relatively smooth sailing through his first three bouts.

But undefeated Pine-Richland senior Dominic Ferraro pinned him in just 32 seconds to end the day suddenly, with silver.

“With a good guy like him, I was kind of just trying to wrestle the best that I could. Obviously, it didn’t turn out that way,” Hill said. “Just keep putting the work in for the next one, I guess.”

The focus for Hill the next few days will be mental, working on wrestling “a little more calm.”

He showed some of that with an 8-1 semifinal win over Hampton’s Dustin Kerr, a victory Hill was “stoked” about and called his best match of the day. He also built a 7-0 first-period lead in the quarterfinals to technical fall North Hills’ Paul Cerminaro.

Related Article: Butler wrestler Santino Sloboda wins 100th match with pin but has sites set on bigger goals
Seneca Valley’s Zach Hill defeated Fox Chapel’s DJ Noel in a 139-pound bout in the WPIAL Boys Wrestling Class 3A Northern Sectional Tournament held on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at Fox Chapel High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Mars freshman Passarelli impresses

Samuel Passarelli (121 pounds) is one of just a handful of freshmen who will get to compete in the WPIAL championships in a week.

The rookie looked impressive in a third-place match win over Butler’s Sully Stutz, taking advantage of a couple mistakes to claim a 4-1 victory in sudden victory.

“(Stutz) kept pushing into me, so I tried to hit a slide-by and it actually ended up working,” he said of the takedown that won it.

Passarelli’s ability to shake off a quarterfinal loss to Shaler freshman Cole Tunstall and secure one of six WPIAL spots even impressed his teammate.

“He put a good show today, placing third as a freshman. Western Pennsylvania, it’s not easy,” Hein said.

“(He) had a rough loss early on (in) a match I believe he could’ve won. So, to rebound from that and keep going looking forward, and it was really great for him, good victory getting on the podium.”

Related Article: How Butler wrestling’s Kase Chopp accomplished goal of 100 career wins
Mars, SV send 3 to WPIALs

Joining Hein and Passarelli next week at Canon-McMillan will be teammate Joseph Zottola, who was pinned in the fifth-place match by Indiana’s Dominic Fanella.

The Raiders are sending 107-pounder Riley Smith, who won fifth by medical forfeit, and 114-pounder Bryce Berekstazi, who pinned Fox Chapel’s Luke Montgomery, to join Hill.

Related Article: Miranda LaJevic’s injury has her helping Knoch wrestling in other ways. It’s just another twist in her back-breaking journey
Mars’ Sam Passarelli took fourth place in a 121-pound bout against Butler’s Sullivan Stutz by a 4-1 final decision in the WPIAL Boys Wrestling Class 3A Northern Sectional Tournament held on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at Fox Chapel High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Knoch leads local qualifiers with 6 in 2A

Six Knoch wrestlers, five North Catholic wrestlers and two from Summit Academy advanced out of the Class 2A northern sectional tournament Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School to the WPIAL championships.

Knight 145-pounder Owen Layhew pinned Freedom Area’s Brayden Reynolds in the third period to claim the lone local gold medal on the day. Jarrett Crowe (127), Wyatt Foster (215) and Lucas Rouleau (285) finished fifth, and Caden Hassler (114) and Brayden McGowan (152) finished sixth, although McGowan’s was by medical forfeit.

North Catholic’s Angelo Amelio (139) and Michael Pierro (107) settled for second after losses by pin and decision, respectively. Teammates Victor Wagner (114) and Scott Huffmyer (145) claimed third, with Wagner winning by fall, and Max Lindner (285) finished fourth.

Summit Academy’s Rocco Zugal finished second at 127, losing by pin in the final. Lance ZYlstra (139) finished fourth.

Seneca Valley’s Zach Hill defeated Fox Chapel’s DJ Noel in a 139-pound bout in the WPIAL Boys Wrestling Class 3A Northern Sectional Tournament held on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at Fox Chapel High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
WPIAL Boys Wrestling Class 3A Sectional Tournament Results

Local Medalists

Championship

127 — Santino Sloboda (Butler) tech. fall Carter Putt (Indiana), 17-1, 4:43

139 — Dominic Ferraro (Pine-Richland) fall Zach Hill (Seneca Valley), 0:32

145 — Kase Chop (Butler) tech. fall Max Formaini (Armstrong), 19-4, 2:11

152 — Griffen Reid (North Allegheny) major dec. Gavin Rush (Butler), 13-1

Third-Place Match

107 — Nicholas Savannah (Butler) dec. Joseph Synan (North Allegheny), 5-4

121 — Samuel Passarelli (Mars) dec. Sullivan Stutz (Butler), 4-1 (SV)

145 — Liam Hein (Mars) dec. Tuscan Blystone (Indiana), 9-4

Fifth-Place Match

107 — Riley Smith (Seneca Valley) wins by forfeit Giovanni Polito (North Hills)

114 — Bryce Berekstazi (Seneca Valley) fall Luke Montgomery (Fox Chapel), 5:36

133 — Jonah Cable (Shaler) tech. fall Mason Swidzinski (Butler), 15-0, 2:27

160 — Sutton Stoner (Butler) fall Alex Weber (Shaler), 1:51

172 — Dominic Fanella (Indiana) fall Joseph Zottola (Mars), 1:52

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