Flood City field may be best yet

BY ERIC KNOPSNYDER
The Tribune-Democrat

Sat, May 17 2008

— The Flood City Showdown might only be in its fifth year, but the all-star wrestling match might have its strongest field to date.
“I would say if not the strongest, definitely one of the strongest,” said Matt Beaujon, organizer of the match, which begins at 7 tonight at Westmont Hilltop High School. “There are a lot of guys with a lot of credentials.”
The event, which attempts to pit the top senior wrestlers from the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference against their counterparts from the WestPAC and Heritage Conference in a dual-meet, includes seven wrestlers with at least 100 career victories.
“There are also a lot of guys that are closing in on 100,” Beaujon said.
Two of the evening’s 12 matches will feature century-club members squaring off against one another.
Forest Hills’ Tom McVicker will face North Star’s John Mort at 125 pounds while Cambria Heights’ Glenn Winslow will wrestle against North Star’s Sam Zimmerman at 130 pounds.
Those matches will count in the dual meet, but three others will not.
Beaujon does what he can to create the best matchups possible, which includes adjusting weight classes whenever necessary as well as pitting a wrestler from one conference against another from the same league in some instances.
“With the size of the conferences, there are going to be some years that the numbers are down,” Beaujon said. “We’re just trying to find kids that have prospered during their wrestling careers and give them one more chance.”
Winslow is one of two PIAA placewinners scheduled to wrestle in the meet. Richland’s Marco Pecora is the other.
Bedford’s Brian Creps and Forest Hills’ Jim Bowser will serve as honorary coaches for the LHAC squad while United’s Tom Whitcomb and Chestnut Ridge’s Jim Clark will lead the Heritage/WestPAC team.