SHINGLEHOUSE — For the fifth consecutive year, Port Allegany is champion of the local wrestling circuit.
The Gators wrapped up a 2022-23 sweep of the Allegheny Mountain League Wednesday with a 70-0 win at Oswayo Valley. With it, Port completed a 5-0 trip through the AML, remaining the standard-bearer in its corner of District 9.
Port won the AML last year, as well, and won it in 2019 and 2020 before winning the IU-9 League in 2021, which took the AML’s place for a year. It is the program’s 15th league championship since 2003.
“I think overall it’s a testament to the program from youth to varsity, starting with the youth program 30 years ago,” Port head coach Brad Greenman said. “The initial group of youth kids started to get into varsity in the early 2000s. The kids that are on the team now have only known the school competing for a league title.
“I don’t think enough can be said about the youth program and how it has been feeding the varsity team. When we get kids to varsity, it’s more about fine-tuning than it is starting from scratch.”
Port used three falls, eight forfeits and a major decision to beat OV, including pins by Christian Rothermel (133 pounds), Mason Gordon (160) and Juuso Young (189). Ian O’Shea worked a 15-6 victory over Andrew Coriaty at 114.
This is the fifth season of Port’s merger with Smethport, a move that has helped the former rivals continue to thrive. Port and Smethport wrestlers have long trained together at the youth level, and now, they can still be teammates once they reach high school.
“When (the youth program) started picking up, kids from all over the area would come and practice with us,” Greenman said. “The motto was always, ‘iron sharpens iron.’ The difference is, back then, we would have to battle the kids on separate teams once we got to high school.”
This year, four of Port’s 12 starters are from Smethport. And, as the programs continue to gel across age groups, it does not appear as though the success will cease any time soon.
“Part of this (Smethport) group and the junior high kids wrestled together with Port kids in youth, so it’s becoming normal for them to do so,” Greenman said. “That’s helped to mold the team and have all the kids work hard together, even in the offseason.”
The Gators will wrap their dual meet season by hosting Wellsboro tonight and Brockway Tuesday.
PORT ALLEGANY 70, OSWAYO VALLEY 0 107 — Double fft. 114 — Ian O’Shea (Port) maj. dec. 15-6 Andrew Coriaty (OV) 121 — Nick Wilfong (Port), forfeit 127 — Clayton Kiser (Port), forfeit 133 — Christian Rothermel (Port) p. 5:15 Riley Ray (OV) 139 — Colton Furgeson (Port), forfeit 145 — Alden Furgeson (Port), forfeit 152 — Rylan Arnold (Port), forfeit 160 — Mason Gordon (Port) p. 3:12 Jacob Alrich (OV) 172 — Aiden Bliss (Port), forfeit 189 — Juuso Young (Port) p. 1:00 Abram Austin (OV) 215 — Miska Young (Port), forfeit 285 — Carson Neely (Port), forfeit
