Published: June 30, 2009 12:12 am      

10 placewinners to wrestle for UPJ

JOHNSTOWN — Pat Pecora knows that it takes four years, at least, to evaluate a recruiting class.

But the longtime Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach also realizes that any time he can land a PIAA champion, two runners-up and 10 placewinners in the same class that he’s off to a good start. That’s what the Mountain Cats have in the class announced by the Division II school on Monday.

“I’m excited about it. I think it was a good year,” Pecora said. “Every year you look to bring in people for the future. If you can land immediate help (it’s a bonus). Ithink we did that, too.”

As usual, UPJ’s success will depend heavily on wrestlers from districts 5, 6 and 7, including local standouts David Fogle (Forest Hills), Chad Miller (Richland), Kyle Pucci (Somerset), Josh Krupa (Bedford) and Cody Shippey (Bedford).

“The local kids have always been our bread and butter of the program,” Pecora said.

Fogle is the top local finisher to join the Mountain Cats this season. He was a four-time state placewinner, finishing third at 119 pounds as a senior.

“I think he’s a real good kid,” Pecora said. “He can be an All-American.”

The Mountain Cats also got Hempfield Area’s Jack Bachman, who lost to Central Mountain’s Andrew Alton in the 140-pound Class AAA final. Bachman won a WPIAL title, and Pecora expects him to do well at the collegiate level.

“Bachman from Hempfield was a big one for us,” Pecora said. “He’s a good kid, good student. And he’s one of these kids that he’s just starting to grow. I think he’ll end up being a little bit bigger than that. He could have been a state champ in another weight class.”

Joe Harper of Susquenita was a runner-up at 152 pounds, as he lost to Dirk Cowburn of Coudersport in the Class AA championship.

“He kind of got lost in the shuffle,” Pecora said. “He’s a good one. He was Southeast Regional champion. He lost to Cowburn, who is one of the better AA kids in the state.”

Northern Bedford’s Tyler Chesney, who placed third at 125 pounds, has also committed to UPJ, as have fourth-place finishers Mitch Spencer of Avella and Logan Shirey of Redbank Valley.

Donnie Ament is the only recruit in the class to have won a PIAA title, but he did it in the 2005. The Mount Pleasant graduate, who finished third in the state as a sophomore and a senior, went to Lock Haven after high school. He was a starter as a freshman but suffered a season-ending injury during his sophomore year. He sat out this past season before contacting Pecora about joining the Mountain Cats.

“I really wasn’t looking for it,” Pecora said. “It happened almost by accident. There was another kid from Lock Haven writing to me about transferring. I emailed him and told him we couldn’t talk until he got released. That’s when Donnie Ament heard about it and contacted me.”

It didn’t take long for the two to come to an agreement.

“The first time I talked to him, I knew,” Pecora said. “His sister went here and graduated from here.”

David Cawley (North Allegheny) placed sixth at 140 pounds while a pair of 189-pounders – Tim DeFrances of Commodore Perry and Petros Georgilas of Montour – each finished eighth. DeFrances was in Class AAA& while Georgilas was in AA.

Krupa placed sixth in Class AA, but Pecora said the Bedford heavyweight could have done much better.

“I think he’s going to do a great job for us,” Pecora said. “He was ranked No. 1 most of the season. He could have won states. He’s not a sixth-placer to me.”