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Hampton wrestlers to be led by Shulman
• West Allegheny’s Lach comes through in quarterfinal win over EF
• Peters Township’s Perich shuts out Latrobe in quarterfinals
• Hempfield headed to semifinals after topping Shaler
• Canon-McMillan wrestling coach stepping down
By Jerry Clark
Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 9:00 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The Hampton wrestling team lately has established itself as a team nobody wants to face and this season should be no different. Coach Joe Bursick returns a handful of his best grapplers from a season ago as well as some rising talent that will help the team compete again this season.
The team begins with Noah Shulman, a 270-pounder who reported a little lighter than expected.
“Noah is a talented and hard-working (guy),” Bursick said. “He has high expectations, so not making a trip to Hershey would be a disappointment.”
Jake Hart (195) also is back, and is looking to finish atop the PIAA bracket after taking second in the state last season.
“He has put in a lot of time during the offseason,” Bursick said.
Another wrestler with high expectations is senior Kevin Synan. Synan, a 145-pounder, was one match away from states as a junior, and Bursick said he is hopeful this will be his year.
A couple of other wrestlers Bursick listed among his big guns are Colin Sisord, who will wrestle between 160 and 170, and Chris Olfzewski at 138.
According to Bursick, Zach Kosak is a sleeper for the state tournament, and he and Jimmy Davis are part of a loaded roster.
“We stress the team concept during the season,” Bursick said. “The playoffs it is different.
“We are entering the season coming off a great offseason, and the guys have a good attitude.”
The Talbots will get a great test Saturday to start the season: Shaler, Fox Chapel and Seneca Valley, among many others, will square off in a tournament at Hampton that runs from 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m.
“We have a good core of guys, and this may be the most talented team I have coached,” Bursick said. “But we have got to produce ... We won't win based off of what we think.”
Jerry Clark is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-779-6979 or jeclark@tribweb.com.
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