Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

MT, Mules top L-L mat seeds
BY DAVE BYRNE, Sports Staff

If pre-tournament seeding is any forecast of the outcome of a tournament, with seven top-ranked wrestlers between them Solanco and Manheim Township will duke it out for supremacy at the L-L League wrestling tournament.

The defending team champion Golden Mules have three No. 1 seeded wrestlers and six overall in the top three at their respective weight classes.

The Blue Streaks have four top seeds and one second seed in the tournament, which gets under way today at 4 p.m. at Conestoga Valley.

Drawing No. 1 seeds for Solanco are two-time defending champion Thomas Haines (220) and defending champion Connor Sheehan (106), along with Bo Spiller at 285.

Seeded second for Solanco are Kyle Hammond (145) and Isaac Warren (152), while Austin Laws pulled down a third seed at 113.

Township's top seeds are two-time champion Cortlandt Schuyler (126), returning champion Matt Grossmann (132), Alex Smith (138), a two-time runner-up, and Adam Smith (145), who won titles in 2010 and '11 but placed fourth last year. John Shorter is seeded second at 182.

Rounding out the top seeds are Warwick's Josh Charles (113), Ephrata's Todd Dumas (120), Northern Lebanon's Evan Daub (152), Columbia's Todd Lingafelt (160), Garden Spot's Ben Swarr (170), Lancaster Catholic's Stephen Loiseau (182) and Lampeter-Strasburg's defending 195-pound champion Jeff Pickel.

Including the No. 1s, Warwick lists four wrestlers seeded among the top three while Garden Spot, Lancaster Catholic, Ephrata and host CV have three each.

The Warriors have their Alpha and Omega -- Devin Schnupp (106) and Tom Devenney (285) -- seeded second with Steve Woolley (152) drawing a third.

The Section Two co-champion Buckskins have second seeds in Nate Musser (138) and J. P. Kramer (160), and Lucas Ortiz (132) seeded third.

Three-time finalist and returning champion Nick Cook drew the second seed at 132 for the Section Two co-champion Spartans with Chance Norris third at 120.

Catholic's Isiah Taltoan (170) and John Lobeck (120) earned No. 2 seeds with Joe Lobeck (106) third.

Riley Eidemiller (126) and Ethan Sipe (145) claimed No. 3 seeds for the Mountaineers.

Completing the second seeds are Annville-Cleona's Matt Darok (113), Northern Lebanon's Caleb Blatt (126), Manheim Central's Rey Lasanta (195) and Hempfield's Jordan Steif (220).

Finishing up the third seeds are Cedar Crest's Adam Gilson (182) and Lukas Gerdes (195), Annville's Jeff Inman (138), Donegal's Connor Maxwell (160), McCaskey's Shayne Huber (170), Columbia's Vanyel Latham-Peterson (220) and Hempfield's Joey Goodhart (285).

dbyrne@lnpnews.com