With that pin, he has 184 career falls to go along with 273 career wins (State Record).

McCauley, committed to the University of Wisconsin, will be going for his 5th Individual State Title this year and will head off to the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs this fall.

HSWrestling will be releasing an updated 2011 Top 60 Senior Recruits by months end and McCauley is a candidate for HSWrestling’s #1 senior recruit.

Top Senior Recruit Candidates:

• Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel (CA)
• Destin McCauley, Apple Valley (MN)
• Nico Megaludis, Franklin Regional (PA)
• Andrew Campolattano, Bound Brook (NJ)
• Hunter Stieber, Monroeville (OH)

Arizona Wrestling State Tournament

• When: Thursday-Saturday, February 10th – 12th

• Where: Tim’s Toyota Center, Prescott Valley

• Admission: $10 adults, $6 students with I.D., $15 for an all day pass, children 5 and under free

• 10:30 a.m. – Division I and II (Championship Round One and Two, and Consolation Round One)
• 6:30 p.m. – Division I and II (Championship Semifinals and Consolation Round Two)

Friday

• 10 a.m. – Division III and IV (Championship Round One)
• 12:30 p.m. – Division I and II (Consolation Rounds Three and Four)
• 2:30 p.m. – Division III and IV (Championship Round Two and Consolation Round One)
• 7 p.m. – Division I and II (Championship and Medal matches)

Saturday

• 9:30 a.m. — Division III and IV (Consolation Round Two)
• 11 a.m. — Division III and IV (Consolation Round Three and Championship Semifinals)
• 1 p.m. — Division III and IV (Consolation Semifinals)
• 4 p.m. — Division III and IV (Championship and Medal matches)

Preview by: Steve Burks, EastValleyTribune.com

Division I

Favorite: Tucson Sunnyside has won 13 straight state championships, so the Blue Devils have to be the favorites based on that history. However, Dobson showed that Sunnyside can be beat when the Mustangs won the Division I, Section III championship last week. The Blue Devils will have 11 wrestlers in the state tournament, tied for the most with Dobson and Mesa, so they have the numbers to repeat, but will need to get some unexpected wins to make it 14 straight state title.

Darkhorse: Desert Vista has 10 wrestlers in the state tournament, including two who are favored to reach the finals in Robbie Mathers (125) and Alex Bambic (215). If those two can take care of business and the rest of the lineup can post some victories, the Thunder will be right in the thick of things with Sunnyside, Dobson, Mesa, Chandler and Brophy.

Other wrestlers to watch: Chandler’s Dalton Brady (112 pounds) is undefeated at 37-0 and looking for his second straight state title; Highland’s Curt Done will try to join his older brother Chad as a state champion. Curt (30-2) is the top seed at 130 pounds; Just a sophomore, Mountain View’s Seth Monty (140) has already made a name for himself, earning the second seed for the tournament with his 38-3 season record; The 160-pound title match could be an all-Mesa affair as Red Mountain’s Bobby Davis (36-5) is the top seed and Mesa’s Dorian Coleman (35-3) is the No. 2 seed; Corona del Sol’s undefeated 215-pounder Simon Allen (42-0) will go for his second state title, with his likely foe in the finals Desert Vista’s Alex Bambic (33-3); Mesquite has one wrestler in the tournament, heavyweight Corbin Cooke (39-3) who is the top seed at his division.

Division II

Favorite: Tucson Ironwood Ridge fell just shy of Sunnyside last season and with the Blue Devils in Division I, the Nighthawks take the mantle of favorite. Ironwood Ridge qualified 11 wrestlers for the tournament, including eight seeded in the top five in their respective weight classes.

Darkhorse: Marcos de Niza also has 11 wrestlers in the tournament and could make some noise. The Padres have the top-seeded Jesus Morales at 130 pounds and Dominic Sotelo, who placed third last year at 145 pounds, is a very dangerous 15 seed at 152 pounds this year. Adam Pavlenko (215) is also a returning state placer and could provide some much-needed points for the Padres.

Other wrestlers to watch: Queen Creek has a pair of top-seeded wrestlers, with Brigg Solomon (33-4), the top dog at 125-pounds and Kolton Lock the top seed at 145 pounds; Chaparral brothers Gino and Eric Stoppa both earned No. 2 seeds in their respective weight classes. Gino (33-3) will compete in the 130-pound class and Eric (31-2) will compete at 145 pounds.

Division III

Favorite: Thunderbird has an overwhelming 13 wrestlers in the state tournament, making the Chiefs the team to beat. Leading the charge is undefeated Jacob Graham at 160 pounds and No. 2 seed Jason Birchfield at 215 pounds. In all, Thunderbird has eight wrestlers with top-five seeds.

Darkhorse: Powered by a trio of No. 1 seeds, Safford could jump into the title mix if Thunderbird and Mingus both stumble at a few weight classes. Trey Andrews (46-1 at 112), Greg Ornelas (34-0 at 119) and Sage Ornelas (43-4 at 125) is a trio that could win titles in any division.

Other wrestlers to watch: Coronado’s Andrew Patino is 30-2 and the No. 2 seed at 112 pounds, putting him in line to face Safford’s Andrews in what could be an epic final; Higley’s best seed is junior Hunter Rojas, who is 41-6 and seeded second at 130 pounds.

D-I

D-II

D-III

D-IV

Arizona Interscholastic Association (State Page)

Live Blog, Results & Discussion at the Arizona Wrestling Forum

Tyler Buckman vs. Steve Spearman was the event's top match

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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)

1.  WILDCATS REVENGE: After falling short in the team championships, it only seems fitting that Central Mountain win the team title in the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. The Wildcats were led by Andrew and Dylan Alton, who won titles at 145 and 152, but also had two other placers to break Central Dauphin’s streak of six straight team titles.

2.  CRAIG IS KING HOSS: When you look at Abington Heights’ Evan Craig, you see a big guy who looks like he doesn’t have much athletic ability. Ah, that is the first mistake. Craig has that and more, proving it by pinning every one of his opponents on the way to a second straight state title at 285.

3.  BEST IN SHOW: If the Class AAA and Class AA finals were the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the match between Central Dauphin’s Tyler Buckman and McDowell’s Steve Spearman was the top entry — by far. It had twists, turns, suspense and drama all wrapped into one, and the crowd showed appreciation with a postmatch ovation.

4.  NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST: Boiling Springs’ Joe Spisak is a friendly and respectful kid that keeps his nose clean and works hard. He is the poster child for what this sport is really about, and it was good to see him get rewarded for his four years of tireless work with a state title.

5.  LEGACY CEMENTED: It isn’t often that you catch a glimpse of someone so developed and so accomplished at their craft that they are in a class of their own. But Central Dauphin’s Marshall Peppelman getting his arm raised after a pin in the finals for a third straight state title seemed like an appropriate ending.

Central Dauphin's Marshall Peppelman won his third straight PIAA title with a pin against West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard.

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(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)

Results and quick recaps from each match of the PIAA Class AAA championship finals.

103 POUNDS
In an ultimate tie breaker fourth overtime, Canon McMillan's Conner Schram burst out of the grasp of Hempfield's Austin Miller to win a, let's say, 'tentative' 103-pound final. The wrestlers exchanged escapes in the first and second periods and did little from their feet on their way to a four-overtime marathon.

112 POUNDS
Derry Area's Jimmy Gulibon won his second PIAA title in as many years, putting on a clinic from his feet in a 12-5 decision over Blue Mountain's Corey Keener. Gulibon struck twice in the first period and never trailed to finish his season with a 36-1 record and state gold.

119 POUNDS
Franklin Regional's Nico Megaludis out-lasted Liberty's Anthony Marino, using constant pressure in the final period to win an 8-4 decision. Megaludis, the state champ at 112 pounds last season, scored a late takedown to put the finishing touches on the victory.

125 POUNDS
Bellefonte's Mitchell Port and Nazareth's Zachary Horan went back and forth in a match jam-packed with action. Port got the better end of some wild flurries and came away with a 6-3 win.

130 POUNDS
A wild ride from start to finish, McDowell's Steve Spearman scored an emphatic late takedown to topple Central Dauphin's Tyler Buckman 7-6 in rideout time. Buckman escaped to take a 6-5 lead, but surrendered the winning takedown and just missed turning Spearman for back points in the final seconds.

135 POUNDS
Council Rock South's Josh Dziewa finished his dominant run through the 135 bracket, making short work of Cumberland Valley's Shawn Greevy with a first-period pin. Dziewa won two matches by fall and out-scored his other two opponents 7-0 in capturing the gold.

140 POUNDS
Blue Mountain's Josh Kindig led from start to finish, disposing of Pittsburgh Central Catholic's Lorenzo Thomas in an 8-3 victory in the finals. Kindig was the gold medal winner at 135 last season and repeated at 140 with two pins and two decisions.

145 POUNDS
Central Mountain's Andrew Alton won his second straight PIAA title with a 23-8 technicall fall over West Allegheny's Aaron McKinney. Alton tore through the 145 bracket with two pins and two technicall falls, in which he totaled 50 combined points.

152 POUNDS
Dylan Alton used a quick flurry to grab an early lead and cruise to an 11-4 victory over Lasalle's Shane Springer. Dylan Alton one-upped twin brother Andrew with his third straight PIAA gold medal.

160 POUNDS
Central Dauphin's Marshall Peppelman used his signature tilt to put West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard on his back, then sunk in a deep half nelson to flatten him out in a second-period pin. The win sent Peppelman to his third straight state title.

171 POUNDS
Familiar rivals squared off in the state finals as Central Dauphin's Kenny Courts won a third straight matchup against Cumberland Valley's Tristan Warner, this time for state gold. Courts took an early 4-0 lead when he dumped Warner to his back and held on for a 6-4 win.

189 POUNDS
A second caution stall against Council Rock North's Jamie Callender gave Springfield's Andre Petroski the tying point, and after taking a 5-4 lead on an escape, Petroski re-paid the favor with a couple of stalling calls in the final minute. Callender cashed in 33 seconds into overtime, wrapping up a clean double leg and securing a 7-5 win.

215 POUNDS
Selinsgrove's Spencer Myers controlled East Pennsboro's Zach Nye from the neutral position and handed Nye his first loss of the season, 5-3. Nye was aiming to become East Penn's first gold medalist since 1978.

285 POUNDS
Abington Heights' Evan Craig battered and bruised Central Mountain's Zack Corl on his way to defending his state title with a second-period pin. Craig led 4-0 when he cranked Corl to his back with an arm bar and finished the pin at the 2:45 mark.

Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson, center, watches the PIAA AAA preliminary matches from a suite at the Giant Center.

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(JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News)

With a week between the Big Ten championships and NCAA championships, Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson took a break from preparations to observe some of his prized recruits in action at the PIAA wrestling tournament.

Three defending state champs, Central Mountain's Andrew and Dylan Alton and Coudersport's Dirk Cowburn, are Penn State recruits for next season, and Franklin Regional junior 119-pounder Nico Megaludis has verbaled to PSU.

Andrew Alton squared off with Mechanicsburg senior Rustin Barrick, who, to his credit, spent little time on his back in a 27-9 defeat. But, Barrick was no match for Alton on his feet during a match-long exchange of takedowns and escapes. Late in the second period, Alton put an end to the back-and-forth, sealing the tech fall with a takedown and adding three nearfall points for good measure.

The 27 points by Alton were part of a dominant effort by the big dogs in the top half of the 145-pound bracket. The four winners combined for 76 points, topped by Alton's tournament-best (AA and AAA) 27.

Dylan Alton eliminated the suspense early, countering a double-leg attempt by Neshaminy's Nick Russell with an impressive display of power and leverage. With one burst, Alton sprawled, cranked Russell to his back and got the whistle for a pin just 14 seconds into their preliminary bout.

The midstate is about to get a little more familiar with both of these defending state champs and prized Penn State recruits. Dylan Alton faces Carlisle's Jayshon Wilson, a 5-2 winner over Blue Mountain's Travis Moyer, in tomorrow's quarterfinals. And, if both take care of business tomorrow, Andrew Alton would face Middletown's Bo Candelaria in the semifinals of the 145-pound bracket.

Candelaria has some work ahead of him before meeting Andrew Alton. The senior has a quarterfinal date with Nazareth's Ryan Krecker, who beat Candelaria 7-2 at the Beast of the East tournament earlier this year.

The Red Rovers succeeded with the first two parts, winning the first five weight classes and six of the first seven. In the end, though, they learned some leads just aren’t sizeable enough — especially against a team that’s loaded from 135 pounds to 285.

Central Mountain won the last seven matches — including five by fall — to beat Easton 40-24 on Friday afternoon in the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships quarterfinals.

Easton bounced back with a 32-28 victory over Connellsville in the consolation bracket and still has a chance to place as high as third. The District 11 champion Red Rovers (15-7) will wrestle Kiski Area at 9 a.m. today in the second round of consolations at the Giant Center.

“They were extremely tough at the top,” Easton coach Steve Powell said of Central Mountain. “We needed at least two more wins and maybe three out of that lineup. That’s a good, experienced team.”

The District 6 champion improved to 16-0 and will take on another undefeated team, Central Dauphin, in the 11 a.m. semifinals. District 11 runner-up Parkland will face District 7 champ Canon-McMillan in the other semifinal.

Central Dauphin is attempting to win its third consecutive state dual-meet title. The final and consolation final are scheduled for 3 p.m.

Easton’s Evan Disora and Michael Fleck gave their team a promising start with back-to-back falls at 103 and 112. Robbie Rizzolino, Calvin Daly and Mitch Minotti pushed the Rovers’ advantage to 21-0 with decisions. And, after Mark Hartenstine posted a 7-0 victory over Brian Brill at 140, Easton owned a 24-4 lead over Central Mountain.

That’s when the Wildcats’ heft started to show.

Andrew and Dylan Alton — the Penn State-bound brothers who are ranked No. 1 nationally at their weights — responded with first-period pins at 145 and 152, respectively. Dylan Caprio (171) and Zach Corl (285) needed just 32 seconds combined to pin their opponents. Central Mountain’s Cody Dolan added a second-period fall at 215.

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