McGill then went out Saturday at IUP’s Ed Fry Arena at the Kovalchick Convention Center & Athletic Complex and proved why he was the top-ranked guy at the weight.

McGill went 4-0 with two technical falls, a pin and captured his second regional title with an 8-2 decision over McGuffey’s second-ranked Christian Clutter in the finals.

McGill needed overtime against Clutter to win at Powerade, but he built a 5-0 lead after two period with two takedowns and an escape. He added a takedown and a stalling point to raise his record to 36-0.

“He did great,” Ridge coach Greg Lazor said. “He really improved on his hand fighting and his motion with Clutter. He just wrestled a lot smarter.”

Two other area wrestlers captured titles, and 24 area wrestlers in all qualified for the PIAA Championships.

Bedford’s Kaden Cassidy claimed the 132-pound title — the second regional title of his career — with an impressive 15-0 technical fall over Philipsburg-Osceola’s Chase Chapman, the Cinderella of the tournament who knocked off Everett’s Garret Cornell in overtime in the semifinals.

Glendale sophomore Brock McMillen earned his first regional title with a 6-4 win over Derry Area’s Tyler Cymmerman in the 126-pound finals.

Three other area wrestlers finished second in Ridge’s Kai Burkett at 106 and Duane Knisely at 220 and Tussey Mountain’s Damon Lemin at 195.

Burkett, who won his semifinal showdown against Glendale’s Suds Dubler, 7-3, dropped a 4-3 decision to South Park’s returning regional runner-up Joey Fischer.

“He had a real tough kid,” Lazor said. “He had a real nice scramble at the end, was real close to some points. He did not get the takedown, but he was right in the match. Overall, he did a good job, and we saw some things we can work on for the next two weeks.”

“I thought Suds did a great job in the semis,” Glendale coach Billy Dubler said. “I think at the start of the match, he was feeling the guy out a little too much instead of getting into his offense. He chose bottom, and he got tilted twice, but he started fighting back. I think the next time they wrestle Suds is going to do a better job. Burkett is a heck of a wrestler.”

Dubler came back to finish third, as did teammate Cory Johnston (220).

Knisely reached the finals with a 4-3 win over Hopewell’s Connor Forest, but he lost a hard-fought 3-2 decision to Derry Area’s top-ranked Dominic DeLuca in the finals.

“He gave the kid all he wanted,” Lazor said. “He took an ill-advised shot in the first period and gave up two points with 10 seconds to go in the first period. I wish we could have those 15 seconds back.”

Ridge advanced four to states, including fifth-placer Nathan Holderbaum (113). The Lions finished in second place in the team standings with 93.5 points. Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy won the team title with 140.5 points.

“We always leave this place elated at one point and broken hearted for others at another point,” Lazor said. “It’s just one of those tournaments where some reach their dreams, and other dreams are dashed. It’s always a crazy tournament.”

Lemin knocked off Bentworth’s John Vargo, 3-1, in the semis before getting pinned by Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy’s Kolby Franklin in 2:14 in the finals.

Penn Cambria advanced three to Hershey in third-placer Derek Brown (170) and sixth-placers Chase Proudfit (126) and J.C. Smychynsky (182).

“The last two years, we’re seven for seven,” Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer said. “We took four guys last year (to regionals) and got them all out. We took three this year and got them all out.”

Also advancing were Everett’s Cornell (fifth) and Shane Clark (fourth, 220), P-O’s Hunter Weitoish (fifth, 152), Moshannon Valley’s Jon Dale (sixth, 152), Tyrone’s Hunter Walk (fourth, 113), Bellwood-Antis’ Trentin Whaley (sixth, 195), Portage’s Cole Sossong (third, 160), Central Cambria’s John Croft (fifth, 220), Cambria Heights’ Seth Link (fourth, 160), Northern Bedford’s Austin Mowry (fifth, 170), Huntingdon’s Myles Baney (sixth, 170).

Cassidy dominated from the top position against Chapman, tilting him numerous times and getting the technical fall in 5:12. Cassidy’s first regional title came two years ago for Bishop McCort.

“I thought he got better as the weekend went on,” Bedford coach Joel Easter said. “In the finals, the Philipsburg guy was on a roll and he mowed through the bracket. But I think that was Kaden’s first complete match. Overall, I think that was the best match he’s wrestled this year.”

Chapman, who pinned Quaker Valley’s sixth-ranked Conner Redinger in the quarterfinals, took Cornell down in OT to win, 8-6, in the semis.

“He wrestled really well,” P-O coach Brad Pataky said. “He wrestled a very, very smart match (against Cornell). He beat Cornell in all of the positions that he needed to. It’s the best he’s wrestled, and he understands what he’s capable of doing.”

McMillen, a returning regional runner-up, was Glendale’s first regional champion since 1986.

“He just wrestled great,” Coach Dubler said. “He was scoring takedowns, scoring reversals and scoring points from the top position. He was wrestling confident. He’s a trailblazer for us.”

TEAM KEY

A–Avella; AVON–Avonworth; BEA–Bald Eagle Area; BE–Beaver; B–Bedford; BA–Bellwood-Antis; BENT–Bentworth; BB–Berlin Brothersvalley; BC–Beth-Center; BM–Bishop McCort; BL–Blairsville; BURG–Burgettstown; BURR–Burrell; CH–Cambria Heights; CAR–Carlynton; C–Central; CC-Central Cambria; CV–Central Valley; CHART–Chartiers Houston; CR–Chestnut Ridge; CK–Claysburg-Kimmel; DA–Derry Area; EF–Elizabeth Forward; E–Everett; EC–Elwood City; FC–Fort Cherry; FH–Forest Hills; FRA–Frazier; FA–Freedom Area; G–Glendale; GC–Greensburg Central; HIGH–Highlands; HOPE–Hopewell; H–Huntingdon; JM–Jefferson Morgan; KO–Keystone Oaks; L–Laurel; LV–Ligonier Valley; MC–Marion Center; MCG–McGuffey; M–Meyersdale; MV–Moshannon Valley; MP–Mount Pleasant; MU–Mount Union; NB–Northern Bedford; NS–North Star; PO–Philipsburg-Osceola; PC–Penn Cambria; PV–Penns Valley; P–Portage; QV–Quaker Valley; R–Richland; SJ–St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy; S–Somerset; SH–Southern Huntingdon; SOUTH–Southmoreland; SP–South Park; SSB–South Side Beaver; TM–Tussey Mountain; T–Tyrone; V–Valley; W–Washington; WB–West Branch; WG–West Greene; WH–Westmont Hilltop; Y–Yough

TOP 20 TEAM STANDINGS

1. Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy 140.5; 2. Chestnut Ridge 93.5; 3. Forest Hills 79; 4. Freedom Area 77.5; 5. Glendale 66; 6. Mount Pleasant 60; 7. Burrell and Derry Area 56; 9. Quaker Valley 52.5; 10. Westmont Hilltop 44; 11. Penns Valley 39.5; 12. Ellwood City and North Star 39; 14. Penn Cambria and Mount Union 36; 16. Hopewell 35; 17. Everett and West Branch 33; 19. Bedford and Burgettstown 32.

SEMIFINALS

106–Fischer, SP, dec. Toth, FH, 9-4; Burkett, CR, dec. Dubler, G, 7-3; 113–Michaels, EF, dec. Gilham, BEA, 3-1; Arrington, FH, tech. fall N. Holderbaum, CR, 16-1, 4:39; 120–Oswalt, BURR, dec. Shunk, PV, 7-2; Ohl, SJ, pinned Gwyer, BC, 4:27; 126–McMillen, G, dec. Denochick, WB, 8-4; Cymmerman, DA, dec. Proudfit, PC, 2-1 TB; 132–Chapman, PO, dec. Cornell, E, 8-6 OT; Cassidy, B, dec. Witmer, SJ, 3-2; 138–Ealy, HOPE, tech. fall DuVall, PV, 15-0, 4:12; Gibson, FH, maj. dec. Corrado, BURR, 15-5; 145–Dowling, SJ, maj. dec. Kemper, BURG, 15-3; Pugh, BBV, dec. Kazalas, QV, 4-3.

152–Schultheis, FA, dec. Rothrock, SJ, 5-0; Holbay, WH, dec. Supanick, NS, 6-2; 160–Lawrence, FRA, won by medical forfeit over Mele, BURR; Stoltzfus, SJ, maj. dec. Sabol, R, 9-1; 170–McGill, CR, pinned Hutcherson, V, 2:42; Clutter, MCG, dec. Brown, PC, 3-1; 182–Walley, EC, dec. Yingling, WB, 10-6; PItzer, MP, pinned Miller, FA, 4:51; 195–Lemin, TM, dec. Vargo, BENT, 3-1; Franklin, SJ, dec. Tremain, NS, 3-0; 220–DeLuca, DA, dec. Croft, CC, 3-0; Knisely, CR, dec. Forrest, HOPE, 4-3; 285–Winfield, SH, dec. Beatty, MC, 4-2; Ryan, MU, dec. Stephens, M, 7-2.

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS

106–Toth, FH, dec. Geibig, MP, 7-2; Dubler, G, maj. dec. Beatty, MU, 13-2; 113–Gilham, BEA, dec. Yagle, MCG, 4-2; Walk, T, dec. N. Holderbaum, CR, 7-4; 120–Teeter, MP, dec. Shunk, PV, 6-5; Gwyer, BC, dec. Giedroc, BEA, 7-0; 126–Denochick, WB, dec. Daubert, FH, 4-3; Ward, FA, dec. Proudfit, PC, 6-4; 132–Chambers, EC, dec. Cornell, E, 3-2; Witmer, SJ, maj. dec. Redinger, QV, 10-0; 138–DuVall, PV, dec. Dushek, FA, 1-0; Kelly, WH, dec. Corrado, BURR, 3-2; 145–Kemper, BURG, dec. Pail, FA, 5-2; Kazalas, QV, maj. dec. Krug, FH, 8-0.

152–Rothrock, SJ, dec. Weitoish, PO, 5-0; Supanick, NS, pinned Dale, MV, :30; 160–Link, CH, won by medical forfeit over Mele, BURR; Sossong, P, maj. dec. Sabol, R, 10-2; 170–Hutcherson, V, dec. Mowry, NB, 7-4; Brown, PC, pinned Baney, H, :59; 182–Henigin, BL, dec. Yingling, WB, 6-3; Miller, FA, maj. dec. Smychynsky, PC, 11-0; 195–Magin, QV, dec. Vargo, BENT, 4-2; Tremain, NS, maj. dec. Whaley, BA, 10-1; 220–Johnston, G, dec. Croft, CC, 5-0; Clark, E, dec. Forrest, HOPE, 1-0; 285–Stephens, M, dec. Kemper, BURG, 6-4; Comedy, W, dec. Beatty, MC, 6-1 TB.

FIFTH PLACE

106–Geibig, MP, dec. Beatty, MU, 4-2; 113–N. Holderbaum, CR, pinned Yagle, MCG, 3:49; 120–Shunk, PV, tech. fall Giedroc, BEA, 16-0, 3:51; 126–Daubert, FH, dec. Proudfit, PC, 4-2; 132–Cornell, E, pinned Redinger, QV, 2:44; 138–Dushek, FA, dec. Corrado, BURR, 3-2 UTB; 145–Pail, FA, dec. Krug, FH, 5-2.

152–Weitoish, PO, dec. Dale, MV, 5-3; 160–Sabol, R, won by medical forfeit over Mele, BURR; 170–Mowry, NB, dec. Baney, H, 8-2; 182–Yingling, WB, dec. Smychynsky, PC, 6-1; 195–Vargo, BENT, pinned Whaley, BA, 4:41; 220–Croft, CC, dec. Forrest, HOPE, 3-0; 285–Kemper, BURG, dec. Beatty, MC, 15-8.

THIRD PLACE

106–Dubler, G, dec. Toth, FH, 5-0; 113–Gilham, BEA, dec. Walk, T, 5-1; 120–Teeter, MP, dec. Gwyer, BC, 3-1; 126–Denochick, WB, dec. Ward, FA, 8-2; 132–Witmer, SJ, maj. dec. Chambers, EC, 8-0; 138–Kelly, WH, dec. DuVall, PV, 6-3; 145–Kazalas, WV, dec. Kemper, BURG, 4-2.

152–Rothrock, SJ, dec. Supanick, NS, 4-3; 160–Sossong, P, dec. Link, CH, 8-3; 170–Brown, PC, dec. Hutcherson, V, 6-1; 182–Miller, FA, pinned Henigin, BL, 3:38; 195–Tremain, NS, dec. Magin, QV, 6-3; 220–Johnston, G, dec. Clark, E, 6-0; 285–Stephens, M, dec. Comedy, W, 4-1.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

106–Fischer, SP, dec. Burkett, CR, 4-3; 113–Michaels, EF, dec. Arrington, FH, 6-1; 120–Oswalt, BURR, maj. dec. Ohl, SJ, 17-3; 126–McMillen, G, dec. Cymmerman, DA, 6-4; 132–Cassidy, B, tech. fall Chapman, PO, 15-0, 5:12; 138–Ealy, HOPE, dec. Gibson, FH, 11-5; 145–Dowling, SJ, maj. dec. Pugh, BBV, 14-6.

152–Schultheis, FA, dec. Holbay, WH, 5-0; 160–Lawrence, FRA, dec. Stoltzfus, SJ, 8-2; 170–McGill, CR, dec. Clutter, MCG, 8-2; 182–Pitzer, MP, dec. Walley, EC, 9-6; 195–Franklin, SJ, pinned Lemin, TM, 2:14; 220–DeLuca, DA, dec. Knisely, CR, 3-2; 285–Ryan, MU, dec. Winfield, SH, 4-2.