Seneca Valley boys wrestling clinches first WPIAL tournament berth since 2021 after win vs Mars
ADAMS TWP — Seneca Valley’s boys wrestling team did not enter the season with a lineup dotted with bonafide stars. Head coach Kevin Wildrick was, nonetheless, optimistic.
“It’s true that we had a lot of young wrestlers, but they’re young guys who have put in a ton of work to improve,” he said. “I believed we had a shot to make the WPIAL playoffs.”
The Raiders did just that Wednesday, defeating Mars 47-27 to clinch second place in Section 4-3A and the berth in the district team tournament that comes with it.
SV last made the tournament in 2021.
The WPIAL brackets will be released Thursday. Mars’ hopes of being included rest with the WPIAL committee, which will select two wild cards.
When SV junior Dean Sauers took the mat to face Lucas Metnick at 160 pounds, the Raiders were on the short end of a 27-17 score. His pin in the second period cut the score to 27-23, beginning a string of five straight bouts won by the Raiders, all via fall.
“Dean really set the tone for the rest of the match,” said James Bidoli, who won at 172. “He got a pin, then I got a pin and it just kept rolling from there.”
Bidoli, a senior, earned his eighth fall of the season and is now 13-6 this year.
“He’s stepped into a leadership role for us, both on and off the mat,” Wildrick said of Bidoli.
“One thing I need to work on for the postseason is wrestling on my feet,” Bidoli said. “I’m pretty good on the mat, but struggle sometimes on my feet.”
Cooper Beres (189), Jonah Verdi (215) and Tommy Wuycheck (285) closed the match with pins. Verdi’s win sealed the team victory.
Mars coach Ben Rings said the strength of his team’s lineup are the six weights from 121-152, and that’s where the Planets (6-5, 2-2) gained their edge.
It started with Beckett Szczesniak‘s decision at 121. Ben Goehring, Parker Joseph, Olympic Serrao and Paxton Hartle each pinned their opponent to hand Mars a 10-point lead.
“We knew we had a chance to win,” Rings said. “There were bouts that we needed to have go our way — 160, 189 and 215.
“I thought we could have come out on top in those, but one tiny mistake can put you on your back.”
The Raiders (8-3, 3-1) took an early 12-0 lead thanks to pins from lightweights Riley Smith and Branson May.
Seven of SV’s victories Wednesday came after its wrestlers tallied the initial takedown.
“Your chances of winning improve when you can do that,” Wildrick said. “We want to be aggressive.”
The Raiders and Planets will both compete in a tournament at Brooke High School in West Virginia this weekend.
Seneca Valley 47, Mars 27
107-Riley Smith (SV) pinned Ty Carson, 1:05; 114-Branson May (SV) pinned Rain Moran, 2:27; 121-Beckett Szczesniak (M) dec. Jaxon Cairns, 10-4; 127-Ben Goehring (M) pinned Morgan Temple, 3:12; 133-Parker Joseph (M) pinned Tyler Nguyen, 1:08; 139-Olympic Serrao (M) pinned Parker Brodmerkel, :57; 145-Zach Hill (SV) tech. fall Sam Passarelli, 16-0; 152-Paxton Hartle (M) pinned Mason Purvis, 1:59; 160-Dean Sauers (SV) pinned Lucas Metnick, 3:28; 172-James Bidoli (SV) pinned Max Rings, 1:42; 189-Cooper Beres (SV) pinned Liam Corcoran, 2:57; 215-Jonah Verdi (SV) pinned Adam Genevro, 3:14; 285-Tommy Wuycheck (SV) pinned Brian Biaku, :46
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Seneca Valley celebrates Cooper Beres win over Mars’ Liam Corcoran by pin in a 189-pound bout in a boys wrestling dual meet Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Benjamin Goehring defeats Seneca Valley’s Morgan Temple by fall in a 127-pound bout in a boys wrestling dual meet Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s James Bidoli defeats Mars’ Max Rings by pin in a 172-pound bout in a boys wrestling dual-meet Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
