Faith Christian Academy defeats Bishop McCort to win third straight PIAA AA State Dual Championship

Faith Christian secures national No. 1 ranking with victory over Bishop McCort in Pennsylvania state finals

Faith Christian Academy won its third consecutive PIAA AA state dual championship and solidified its hold on the No. 1 ranking in the country. / FCA Wrestling

Saturday morning at Altoona High School in Pennsylvania set the stage for an afternoon showdown to determine the No. 1 team in the nation between No. 1 Faith Christian Academy and No. 2 Bishop McCort in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) AA State Dual Championships.

As the day drew to a close, FCA reigned over the event for a third straight year, defeating Bishop McCort, 35-25, in the championship final and lock down its hold on the No. 1 ranking in the 2024-25 High School on SI Top 35 National High School Wrestling Team Rankings.

Faith Christian won Friday’s quarter final match with Burrell, 65-4, to set up an encounter with the No. 10 team in the country in the semis, Bishop McDevitt, who the Lions defeated, 35-23, in a match that was tied halfway through.

On the other side of the bracket, Bishop McCort cruised to the championship finals with Friday night’s 58-8 quarter final trouncing of Montoursville and a morning semi shellacking of Berks Catholic, 61-6.

The battle for the country’s top-ranking started at 114-pounds Pennsylvania uses weights different from the typical ones the NFHS guidelines set forth, and in fact, there are only 13 weights instead of the customary 14.

This turn of events favored Faith Christian as it allowed them to start the dual off by sending out two top ten wrestlers in back-to-back weights. At 114, No. 1 Freddy Bachmann was on the way to a major decision of No. 25 Eli Herring when a takedown resulted in an odd landing for Herring that allowed Bachmann to stack him up for the fall with eight seconds left on the clock, 5:52.

The dramatic outcome energized No. 10 Gauge Botero, who came out for the Lions at 121-pounds to face the unranked Jack Silfies. Botero was in the driver’s seat and was well on his way to securing an easy victory when he balled Silfies up with a cradle and planted him in the middle frame, 2:44, for a 12-0 lead on the team count.

The early hole and the way the momentum was flowing set the stage for Bishop McCort to send Jax Forrest (No. 1 at 132) out at 127-pounds in hopes of facing No. 12 Joe Bachmann. The pre-match coin toss was won by the Lions, and they used that advantage to set it up so the Crushers had to present their wrestlers first in the odd matches.

Forrest weighed in for 127 so they could get him on Bachmann, but the coin flip result allowed Faith Christian to navigate around the Oklahoma State commit and send unheralded Henry Racich out instead. Forrest stuck Racich quickly 25 seconds into the match with a cradle to put points up for the Crushers.

Bachmann then came out at 133-pounds where he would have an easier foe in unranked Austin Carfley. Carfley hung tough with Bachmann, keeping bonus points to a minimum with a 10-2 major decision being accrued by the sophomore.

Mason Wagner, down from 145-pounds, faced off with another wrestler coming down from 145/152 in Jackson Butler at 139-pounds. This was a match McCort badly needed if they were going to pull off this win. When Wagner got his hand raised following a 6-3 decision it extended the Lions lead to thirteen, 19-6.

No matter what guys were used at what weights, the Crushers were favored over the next four, so this was their opportunity to climb back in this thing despite the disappointing Butler outcome.

In the Lions four wins to start the dual, bonus points were secured in three of them. The upcoming four matches would go a long way in determining the reality of a possible upset. The Crushers got the wins they needed but they got extra points in only one of them and that was just a major decision. A sign that this was not going to be their day.

At 145, Sam Herring (No. 10 at 138) bumped up to face the recently returned Shane Wagner. If Wagner was rusty, it didn’t show as he made Herring work hard for his 7-2 win. Bo Bassett (No. 1 at 144), who just committed to wrestle at Iowa, is a bonus point machine that usually post technical falls in his sleep. Bassett seemed to be on his way to another tech at 152 when a gamely Max Stein (No. 13 at150) surprised the junior with a takedown of his own to stave off the tech and keep Bassett to just a 17-9 major decision.

Bo Bassett of Bishop McCort posts a takedown of Max Stein of Faith Christian Academy at 152 pounds. Bassett posted a 17-9 decision. Faith leads 19-12 after 7. @myfcasports @crushersports pic.twitter.com/B7z5oelI0o

— Tom De Martini (@TomDeMartini1) February 8, 2025

Two guys ranked at 157-pounds in the nation would see each other at 160 with No. 4 Devon Magro being a heavy favorite over No. 29 Chase Hontz. As it went for most of the Lions, Hontz didn’t seem fazed by the task at hand and was another wrestler that stepped up for his squad limiting Magro to a regular decision, 10-4.

The 172-pound bout would feature Melvin Miller (No. 2 at 165) and Nick Singer (No. 14 at 175). Miller appeared to be on his way to at least a major decision after putting four takedowns in the book, but Singer did not wilt and picked up a takedown of his own in the third to keep the bonus points at bay in a 12-7 loss.

Miller’s win drew McCort even with Faith Christian at 19 apiece, but the lost opportunities for more points would haunt the Crushers in the end. Knowing after that four-match stretch, the Lions would enjoy the same comfort they just did as the favorites in the next few matches on the docket, would leave the Crushers praying for a miracle.

No. 2 Adam Waters made quick work of CJ Pensiero with a headlock and the fall 49 seconds into their 189-pound match to regain the lead, 25-19. While No. 24 Jason Singer’s technical fall at 215 versus Matteo Noronha didn’t mathematically close the door, everyone in the building knew, for all intents and purposes, this one was over.

With a 30-19 advantage, No. 8 Mark Effendian made it official when he defeated Caleb Rodriguez with a 14-2 major decision to go up, 34-19 with one match left. A miracle pin or unlikely tech was needed from Rodriguez to keep McCort alive as No. 9 Keegan Bassett could possibly stick the Lions’ Shane Young at 107.

With that a moot point and the dual meet victory in hand, Faith Christian forfeited to Bassett to make the final tally 34-25 and secure their third consecutive AA Dual meet championship and second straight over Bishop McCort.

Faith Christian’s semi with Bishop McDevitt was exciting early on as the two Goliaths basically traded wins over the first eight matches to end the first half of matches tied at 17.

That dual started with the heavyweights and a pin by Effendian for the Lions over David Smith in the second period, 2:23. The Crusaders’ No. 15 Braiden Lotier teched Young at 107 to keep it close at 6-5.

Freddy Bachmann was held to just a major, 19-6, in his 114-pound bout with Aiken Smith. Botero was also kept in check a bit with a 5-0 decision of Liam Lawler at 121.

No. 17 Greyson Music kept it from going off the rails for the Crusaders by sticking Racich in the middle period, 3:42. A 13-11 lead greeted Joe Bachmann at 133 where he rang up a 14-3 major against Zane Crouse.

Down 17-11 Bishop McDevitt would take the next two to even it up with wins by No. 26 Camden Baum at 139 over Mason Wagner, 4-2, and an upset by Easton Comp in overtime, 4-1, versus Shane Wagner. It appeared Comp scored a takedown in the last seconds of regulation, but after conferring with the second referee, it was called off and overtime ensued.

The Lions would sweep the next four bouts to slam the door shut on the Crusaders’ upset hopes.

A one-point win by Stein, 6-5, at 152 over No. 19 Ryan Lawler got that run underway. Hontz followed with a 5-0 shutout of Nicky Negron at 160. Nick Singer planted Ryan Lengal 1:17 into their 172-pound match. Waters was given a forfeit at 189 and the Lions reciprocated at 215 with a free win awarded to No. 14 Lucas Lawler to make the finals score, 35-23.

The Crusaders would bounce back to place third by beating Cathedral Prep in the consolation finals, 44-14. They also beat Cathedral Prep in Friday night's quarters, 39-23.

Faith Christian Academy 35, Bishop McCort 25

(match started at 114)

114-Freddy Bachmann (FCA) pinned Eli Herring, 5:52

121-Gauge Botero (FCA) pinned Jack Silfies, 2:44

127-Jax Forrest (BM) pinned Henry Racich, :25

133-Joe Bachmann (FCA) maj dec Austin Carfley, 10-2

139-Mason Wagner (FCA) dec Jackson Butler, 6-3

145-Sam Herring (BM) dec Shane Wagner, 7-2

152-Bo Bassett (BM) maj dec Max Stein, 17-9

160-Devon Magro (BM) dec Chase Hontz, 10-4

172-Melvin Miller (BM) dec Nick Singer, 12-7

189-Adam Waters (FCA) pinned CJ Pensiero, :49

215-Jason Singer (FCA) tech fall Matteo Noronha, 19-3

285-Mark Effendian (FCA) maj dec Caleb Rodriguez, 14-2

107-Keegan Bassett (BM won by forfeit

Faith Christian Academy 35, Bishop McDevitt 23

(match started at 285)

285-Mark Effendian (FCA) pinned David Smith, 2:23

107-Braiden Lotier (BM) tech fall Shane Young, 18-3

114-Freddy Bachmann (FCA) maj dec Aiken Smith, 19-6

121-Gauge Botero (FCA) dec Liam Lawler, 5-0

127-Greyson Music (BM) pinned Henry Racich, 3:42

133-Joe Bachmann (FCA) maj dec Zane Crouse, 14-3

139-Camden Baum (BM) dec Mason Wagner, 4-2

145-Easton Comp (BM) dec Shane Wagner, 4-1 SV OT

152-Max Stein (FCA) dec Ryan Lawler, 6-5

160-Chase Hontz (FCA) dec Nicky Negron, 5-0

172-Nick Singer (FCA) pinned Ryan Lengal, 1:17

189-Adam Waters (FCA) won by forfeit

215-Lucas Lawler (BM) won by forfeit

Link to all AA Box Scores