Times News mat rankings

(Through Jan. 16)

106 - 1. Kenny Yanovich, Pleasant Valley, So. (15-2); 2. Jacob Hoats, Lehighton, Sr. (13-4); 3. Lenny Ogozalek, Panther Valley (20-5).

Notes - Yanovich, who has seven pins this season, didn't this wrestle this past week but stays first at 103. He is currently ranked ninth in the state in AAA by the Pennsylvania Wrestling Rankings. Hoats went 2-1 at the Indian Duals and suffered a shoulder injury but stays ahead of Ogozalek due to head-to-head match. Ogozalek rebounded from loss to Hoats with two wins this week and is the first Panther to reach 20 wins this season.

113 - Colin Mashack, Tamaqua, So. (21-1); 2. Sean Bianco, Pleasant Valley, Jr. (16-1); 3. Josh Evans, Palmerton, So. (19-1).

Notes - Mashack and Bianco both didn't wrestle this past week. Mashack, who has only gone the distance three times in his matches, will compete in the Schuylkill League championships this weekend. Bianco, ranked 14th in the state in AAA, wrestles at the Clearfield Duals. Evans earned two wins, one by fall, and remains 14th in the state rankings in AA.

120 - Sam Oberlander, Palmerton, Sr. (21-1); 2. James Felipa, Pleasant Valley, Jr. (15-2); 3. Nick Schaeffer, Lehighton, So. (9-8).

Notes - Oberlander, who received two forfeit wins this past week, moves up two places in the AA state rankings to 21st. Of his 21 wins, 13 are by fall and five are forfeits. Felipa is 6-1 in matches decided by five points or less and his losses were to Reno champion and fourth-place finisher. Schaeffer wrestled at 126 at the Indian Duals and went 2-3, maintaining a winning record.

126 - 1. Michael Dahlstrom, Pleasant Valley, Sr. (19-0), 2. Dillon Masington, Palmerton, Jr. (15-6), 3. Brian Ohl, Jim Thorpe, Jr. (13-10).

Honorable Mention - Zachary Glassic, Panther Valley, Fr. (10-9).

Notes - Dahlstrom, still ranked third in the state in AAA, has his share of falls (seven) but has earned eight decision wins - many against top competition. Masington's two wins this week are both by fall in a combined 41 seconds. He now has five pins in under a minute this season. Ohl has struggled recently (2-5 in his last seven matches), but will look to rebound at the Schuylkill League championships. Nearly half (six) of his wins have come by fall.

132 - 1. Ernie Klingel, Pleasant Valley, Sr. (15-3); 2. Zack Christman, Palmerton, Fr. (11-5); 3. Dylan Rynkiewicz, Tamaqua, Fr. (13-9).

Honorable Mention - Kyle Baumann, Northern Lehigh, Sr. (7-6).

Notes - Of Klingel's 15 wins, 13 have either been majors, tech falls, or falls. He is also 7-0 against his District 11 competitors. Christman posted a pair of wins since the last rankings, with both victories coming against wrestlers with winning records. Rynkiewicz is only one of two TIMES NEWS area wrestlers who have gained at least two wins at three different weight classes.

138 - 1. Alex Yanovich, Pleasant Valley, Sr. (15-4); 2. Ethan Keichel, Northwestern, Sr. (17-6); 3. Joseph Bubble, Palmerton, Jr. (8-5).

Notes - Yanovich is 6-1 in matches decided by four points or less and has two wins by one point, although four of his last seven victories have come by fall. Keichel's lone win last week was an easy tech fall against Bangor's Louszko (10-3) and has moved up from 23rd to 18th in the latest AA state rankings. Bubble holds onto third and may be facing a matchup against Keichel when two schools meet on Wednesday.

145 - 1. Ty Herzog, Northern Lehigh, Jr. (15-5); 2. David Gehr, Pleasant Valley, Sr. (12-6); 3. Zach Graver, Palmerton, Fr. (14-9).

Honorable Mention - Nick Toth, Tamaqua, Sr. (10-6).

Notes - Herzog registered two wins, both by fall, and is still ranked seventh in the state in AA. Herzog has nine pins this season, including four in his last five matches. Gehr has been involved in five matches where a total of three or less points have been scored. Graver hangs on to third spot. He is the other area wrestler with at least two wins at three different weight classes and is 9-4 at 145.

152 - 1. Cody Grohotolski, Palmerton, Sr. (17-3); 2. Anthony Farole, Lehighton, Sr. (18-6); Evan Mashack, Tamaqua, Sr. (17-5).

Honorable Mention - Dylan Hofmann, Northern Lehigh, Sr. (13-5); Joell Toledo, Pleasant Valley, Jr. (10-8).

Notes - Grohotolski and Farole have both suffered decision losses to Tri-Valley's Blake Bowman (17-4 and sixth in state at 145). Grohotolski dropped a 5-1 match while Farole suffered a 7-3 defeat. Grohotolski, with nine pins, has also suffered a loss to Becahi's Todara, ranked third in the state. Farole, ranked 12th in the state at AA, moves up on strength of 6-0 week with all six wins via the pin. Mashack was idle this week but also has registered nine pins this season.

160 - 1. Michael Ortiz, Northwestern, Jr. (16-4); 2. Brandon Silkowski, Tamaqua, Sr. (17-6); 3. Zach Coleman, Lehighton, Sr. (12-4).

Honorable Mention - Marcus Hardiman, Northern Lehigh, Jr. (9-5).

Notes - Ortiz, who is 4-0 at 170, is ranked 20th in the state in AA. Of his 20 bouts, 16 have gone the distance (he is 12-4 in those decisions). An idle Silkowski barely holds off a charging Coleman, who was 5-0 at the Indian Duals over the weekend and is 10-1 since starting the season 2-3. Silkowski still owns impressive 10 first-period falls, including six in under a minute.

170 - 1. Mike Balliet, Lehighton, Sr. (18-3); 2. Kyle Greenawald, Northern Lehigh, Sr. (11-3); 3. Mitch Evans, Northwestern, Jr. (13-8).

Notes - Balliet posted a 6-0 week, with all six wins coming by fall. He remains ranked 11th in the state in AA, and has 13 pins this season - seven of them coming in the opening minute. Greenawald, who is 3-0 at 182, had a pair of wins (both by fall) this week. He suffered a pin at the hands of Balliet earlier this season. Evans is only 9-8 at 170, but is 4-0 at 160 including a win in his lone match this past week at Bangor.

182 - 1. Levi Veppert, Northwestern, Sr. (22-2); 2. Richard Nase, Panther Valley, So. (15-8); 3. Joseph Smith, Lehighton, Jr. (11-8).

Honorable Mention - Jake Christman, Palmerton, Jr. (11-8); Theo Young, Northern Lehigh, So. (6-2).

Notes - Veppert won his only match of the past week and moved up a spot in the state rankings, now seventh in AA. Of his last five matches, he has four pins and a forfeit win. Nase, who has wrestled at 195 in his last six matches, dropped in the state rankings to 22nd in AA. Five of Nase's losses are by a total of nine points. Smith moves into the top three after potsing a 4-1 weekend at the Indian Duals. One of the wins was a 6-5 decision over William Tennent's Rich Strain (16-4). Christman will probably face NW's Veppert, Ortiz or Evans in match on Wednesday.

195 - 1. David Tirpak, Northwestern, Sr. (10-2); 2. Hunter Deihl, Pleasant Valley, Jr. (11-7); 3. John Horvath, Panther Valley, Sr. (12-10).

Notes - Both Tirpak and Deihl haven't wrestled in a while Horvath went 1-1 in his two matches. Deihl is 2-0 at 182 while Horvath actually has a better record (6-3) at 220. Tirpak last wrestled Dec. 21 against Saucon Valley.

220 - 1. Kane Kralik, Palmerton, Sr. (19-1); 2. Rian Shubeck, Panther Valley, Fr. (13-8); 3. Kyle Schomp, Northern Lehigh, Sr. (9-8).

Notes - Kralik gained a major decision and pin in his two matches of the week and has now won 14 in a row. The 12th ranked wrestler in AA is undefeated at 220 (14-0) with his only loss coming at 285. Shubeck also won his two matches this past week with a pin and decision. He has split his time between 220 (6-4) an 285 (7-4). Schomp has been pinned five times but is 5-2 when his bout goes the distance.

285 - 1. Mike Benner, Pleasant Valley, Jr. (8-6); 2. Ryan Ruberto, Jim Thorpe, Jr. (11-6); 3. Skyler Rosenberry, Palmerton, Jr. (11-7).

Honorable Mention - Luke Matsago, Tamaqua, Jr. (9-6).

Notes - No changes here as Inactivity at the weight class prevents change. Of the four wrestlers above, only Rosenberry saw action. While he only went 1-1, his loss was to Catasauqua's undefeated Luke Garner (20-0). Rosenberry is actually better at 285 (8-4) than 220 (3-3). Benner remains on top due to tough competition. Ruberto has six pins in his 11 wins.

(Compiled by Rod Heckman)