Despite his lofty reputation as a two-time state champion and four-time PIAA medalist at Thomas Jefferson, there were some observers who believed Jaguars senior Maddox Shaw didn’t stand a chance Saturday at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic at Peters Township’s AHN Arena.
Let this be a lesson to the doubters and the naysayers — sleep on Shaw at your own risk.
Squaring off against three-time California state champion Daniel Zepeda of Gilroy, Calif., in the 152-pound bout, few fans forecasted a Shaw victory. After all, Zepeda is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 150 pounds and No. 13 pound-for-pound by FloWrestling. He holds a notable win against heralded Bishop McCort sensation Bo Bassett, ranked No. 4 pound-for-pound.
On the other hand, Shaw is ranked No. 10 nationally at 157 pounds and nowhere to be found on the pound-for-pound list — but he rendered all of those rankings meaningless Saturday night.
Shaw wasted no time setting the tone, attacking Zepeda from the opening whistle and scoring a slick takedown less than 30 seconds into the match. Zepeda began clawing back in the second period while pushing a relentless pace, and he seemed to be building momentum as the bout went on. But with the score tied in the final 30 seconds, Shaw secured a go-ahead takedown to send the crowd into a frenzy, then held on the rest of the way for a dramatic 8-5 victory in the final high school match of his storied career.
“It’s in my hometown. Everybody I love is here,” Shaw said. “Everybody seemed like they were rooting for me, so that brought the energy. I felt that. … I loved being here, and I knew it was my last one, so that makes it feel even better.”
Maddox Shaw for the WIN!!!!
— Steve Rotstein (@SteveRotstein) March 30, 2025
Taking on three-time California state champion Daniel Zepeda — ranked No. 1 in the country in his weight class — Shaw scores a go-ahead takedown late in the third period to pull off an 8-6 win for the PA All-Stars at 152 lbs.
Take a bow, Maddox!pic.twitter.com/qI5BzgdM42
Widely regarded as the premier postseason all-star dual meet in the country, the 51st rendition of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic did not disappoint. In the main event of the card, the Pennsylvania All-Stars put up a valiant effort by winning 5 of 12 matches against the Team USA All-Stars. But in the end, Team USA emerged with a 26-16 victory for its 13th consecutive win in the series dating to 2011.
Along with Shaw, fellow Thomas Jefferson senior and Pitt recruit Bode Marlow represented the Pennsylvania All-Stars against Oklahoma State recruit LaDarion Lockett of Stillwater, Okla., at 172 pounds. A four-time Oklahoma state champion and U17 World champion, Lockett is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the weight class and No. 5 overall pound-for-pound, and he put his dominance on full display en route to a 19-4 win by technical fall.
As for Shaw, an Ohio State recruit with a career record of 166-14, he received the Outstanding Wrestler award for the Pennsylvania All-Stars — a fitting end to his remarkable high school career. But while he still has a bright future ahead of him at the next level, Shaw gave Jaguars coach Michael Ladick and his father, Bob, the perfect send-off. The father-son duo are retiring together after guiding Thomas Jefferson to the most successful season in school history.
“I’ve got all my guys with me,” Ladick said. “Here we are, at the end, at the peak, and [Shaw] comes out on top. … It was phenomenal.”
Boys preliminary match
For the second year in a row, the WPIAL All-Stars took care of business in the boys preliminary match, this time taking down the New Jersey All-Stars by a score of 29-17.
Latrobe’s Leo Joseph started things off with a pin at 121 pounds, then Indiana’s Nico Fanella scored a 15-3 major decision at 127 to give the WPIAL an early 10-0 lead. Latrobe’s Luke Willochell then followed with an action-packed 12-9 overtime win against Pitt recruit Carson Walsh to earn the Outstanding Wrestler award for the WPIAL All-Stars.
“I said I wanted to have an entertaining match, and I wanted the fans on their feet,” Willochell said. “Since I was little, I’ve been dreaming of this moment. … I wanted something like that for my last high school match, and it happened.”
The New Jersey All-Stars battled back to make things interesting, but the WPIAL All-Stars finished the dual with back-to-back victories at 215 and 285 pounds. First, Cornell recruit Jake Conroy of Ringgold dominated his way to a 19-8 major decision at 215, then Thomas Jefferson heavyweight Shep Turk closed the show with a 9-3 win in the final match of his career.
A Pitt football recruit, Turk left his shoes on the mat to symbolize his retirement from the sport while receiving a standing ovation after his victory.
“It’s an awesome event every year,” Turk said. “It was cool to do it here.”
Girls preliminary match
Following last year’s loss to the Ohio Women’s All-Stars at the inaugural girls dual at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, the Pennsylvania Women’s All-Stars made sure to get into the win column.
Fueled by two victories from local standouts Tamara Humphries of Brashear and Janayah Nobles of Connellsville, the Pennsylvania Women’s All-Stars steamrolled the New Jersey Women’s All-Stars by a score of 49-16 in the opening dual of the event.
Only the second City League wrestler ever to compete at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, Humphries followed in the footsteps of fellow Brashear grad Godwin Nyama, who earned Outstanding Wrestler honors for the WPIAL All-Stars at the 2012 event. She promised to carry the torch for the City League Saturday, and Humphries is a woman of her word.
One last highlight courtesy of Tamara “The Highlight” Humphries!
— Steve Rotstein (@SteveRotstein) March 29, 2025
The Brashear senior represents the @PGHCityLeague in style, flattening Grace Riley of Paramus Catholic for a third-period pin with 10 seconds left at 112 lbs. Humphries was up 12-5 at the time of the fall: pic.twitter.com/5I8GfjVG9y
Known for her colorful interviews and her exciting, let-it-fly style, Humphries put on a show against Grace Riley of Paramus Catholic at 112 pounds. The PIAA third-place finisher built a 12-5 lead before sticking Riley to the mat for a third-period pin with only 13 seconds remaining.
Talk about going out with a bang.
“Honestly, that was a great match. She was a super strong opponent,” Humphries said. “I had a great time, just being able to work my stuff and do my moves. … I had to finish it strong.”
At 130 pounds, Nobles capped her career with a 7-2 decision against Melani Contreras of North Brunswick, giving the local contingent a clean sweep in the girls dual meet. Nobles competed at 136 pounds during the season, finishing with a record of 30-9 while placing second in the WPIAL and fourth in the state.
“I’m the first girl from Connellsville who ever wrestled here,” Nobles said. “It’s a huge thing, setting a path for all the upcoming girls. … I felt amazing going into my match, and I just wanted to win to keep it going.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
