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NTL WRESTLING: NP-LIBERTY'S LEHMAN AND WILLIAMSON'S SOTTOLANO NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-STARS (2021-03-23)

Northern Tier West Sports Report
The NTL wrestling coaches named their season All-Stars recently. In addition to the first and second-team lists, they recognized Athens’ Gavin Bradley as their Wrestler of the Year and Canton’s coaching staff, led by Lyle Wesneski, was named Coaching Staff of the Year.

FIRST TEAM
106 - Clayton Carr, Wyalusing
113 - Bradley
120 - Isaac Landis, Canton
126 - Seth Seymour, Troy
132 - Bailey Ferguson, Canton
138 - Hayden Ward, Canton
145 - Hudson Ward, Canton
152 - Nick Woodruff, Wyalusing
160 - Riley Parker, Canton
172 - Kohen Lehman, NP-Liberty
189 - Zach Shaffer, Wyalusing
215 - Clay Watkins, Towanda
285 - Kade Sottolano, Williamson

Kohen Lehman, NP-Liberty - A State-qualifier, Lehman compiled an 8-2 record in the Mounties’ abbreviated regular season, with both losses being by a combined three points. He would pick up nine more wins in the postseason, finishing the year at 17-8.

The sophomore won the North Sectional title with three convincing wins, and won his first match at Districts by fall. He then wrestled Ethan Gush of Muncy for the first of three times he’d see him in the postseason.

Gush won 4-2, but Lehman then avenged an early-season loss to Colby Springman of Montgomery, picking up a 7-5 win and a spot in the consolation finals. There, Lehman fell to Stephen Roeder of Bloomsburg. 

At Regionals, Lehman again avenged an earlier loss, this time beating Roeder 8-4 to capture third place, and a spot at the East Super-Regionals (States). There, as the lone wrestler in his weight class who hadn’t previously qualified for States, Lehman went 1-3. 

Kade Sottolano, Williamson - The junior 285-pounder tore through the regular season, as well as the North Sectionals, racking up 14 falls on his way to a 25-1 record and a sectional championship going into districts.

Sottolano’s lone defeat prior to districts was a 5-3 ‘sudden victory’ loss to eventual State fifth-place finisher Emmanuel Ulrich from Mifflinburg.

After a 32-second pin to win his first district match, Sottolano fell 8-2 to Caleb Burkhart of Hughesville, the eventual eighth-place finisher at States. Sottolano wrestled back and picked up two decisions to place third and qualify for the Regional championships.

At Regionals, Sottolano again picked up a fall in his opening match, setting up a rematch with Ulrich. Unfortunately, Sottolano injured his shoulder during the match and was forced to default. He would also be forced to forfeit his final match at regionals, ending his season.

Sottolano finished with a 28-4 record, and holds a 67-30 record for his career.

SECOND TEAM
106 - Cohen Landis, Canton
113 - Joseph Schwenk, Troy
120 - Mason Vanderpool, Athens
126 - Jacob Courtney, Athens
132 - Patriot June, NP-Liberty
138 - Kaden Setzer, Athens
145 - Joel Hultz, Williamson
152 - Evan Johnson, Towanda & Michael Davis, Canton
160 - Karter Rude, Athens
172 - Zach Starfusky, Athens
189 - Derek Atherton-Ely, Canton
215 - Mikey Sipps, Williamson
285 - Alex Perez, Towanda

Patriot June, NP-Liberty  - June, a senior, had only eight matches under his belt on the season before entering sectionals. There, he opened with a 16-4 major decision, before falling to NTL first-team all-star Bailey Ferguson from Canton.

June won two matches in wrestle-backs to earn a third-place finish at the North Sectionals and qualify for Districts. He would get tech-falled by eventual regional sixth-place finisher Conner Heckman from Midd-West to end his season.

June finished with an 8-5 record this season, and was 56-48 for his career.

Joel Hultz, Williamson - Hultz, a freshman, wrestled more than half the season at 152 pounds before dropping to 145, where he entered sectionals with a 10-11 record. 

In his first match at sectionals, Hultz fell to eventual second-place finisher Gabe Andrus from Jersey Shore, then won his next two matches, giving him a chance to wrestle for third place. 

NTL first-team all-star Hudson Ward of Canton downed Hultz by technical fall, ending Hultz’s season with a 12-13 record.

Mikey Sipps, Williamson - Sipps, a junior, had an impressive regular season, compiling an 18-4 record highlighted by a pair of close wins over league-rival and NTL first-team all-star Clay Watkins from Towanda. The duo would meet up five times total, with neither wrestler winning by more than two points.

At sectionals, Sipps pinned Canton’s Conner Davis before falling to Watkins in the finals, 3-1.

After dropping his first match at districts, Sipps picked up a 9-2 win against Dyllian Ross of Jersey Shore. He would lose 5-1 in his next match to Damon Backes of Mount Carmel, a third-place finisher at regionals. This would set up Sipps’ fifth match against Watkins, who again picked up a 3-1 win.

Sipps finished with a 20-8 record on the season, and has 54 career wins entering his senior year next season.

IN PHOTOS: NPL's Kohen Lehman and Williamson's Kade Sottolano


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