History In The Making, Clarion Area Student/Athlete Chesney Boggess Qualifies For My House Pennsylvania Girls State Championship Along With Redbank Valley Teammate Keyauna Schimp

Photos Courtesy of Redbank Valley Wrestling – Above: Wrestlers Chesney Boggess and Keyauna Schimp on their respective positions on the podium along with coach Ruben Carrillo (on right) and Chesney’s boyfriend and Redbank Valley’s starting heavyweight Gabe Carroll.

Clarion Area student/athlete Chesney Boggess, who wrestles with the Redbank Valley Girls wrestling team and teammate Keyauna Schimp are in the midst of some absolutely historic happenings for the Redbank Valley program, and girls wrestling in Pennsylvania as a whole. And Redbank Girls wrestling coach Ruben Carrillo is ecstatic about the groundbreaking history, that took place over the last several weekends and that took place the last weekend.

This past Sunday, March 4th, the two girls took part in the first ever Regional qualifiers for the My House Girls Varsity State Championship, which will be held this coming Sunday, March 12th, at Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg.

Keyauna and Chesney competed in the West Regional Tournament at Kiski Area High School in Leechburg. Over 120 girls from programs from Districts 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 competed in the Western Regional.

Coach Carrillo said, “This is all the girls, one division. There is no double A and triple A, just one division. This is the first year they required qualifying tournaments, to enter the state tournament. Before this year all the girls could just show up. Before this year the state tournament was opened to whoever showed up. This year they had four qualifying tournaments. The girls had to place in the Top 5 in each weight class, out of each regional tournament, in order to move on to the state tournament”

“This is all the girls, one division. There is no double A and triple A, just one division.”

Chesney finished fourth in the 235 pound class, while Keyauna placed second in the 190 pound class, in the Western Regional

Coach Carrillo share some facts on the pair’s exploits last weekend. “Keyauna only had four in her bracket. She pinned the first girl and then she got pinned by Natalie Rush (from Canon McMillan). Rush was in the state tournament last year and finished third in the state. Keyauna also wrestled her in the Powerade Wrestling Tournament, for the girls and only lost to her by a couple of points (4-2).”

“Chesney had seven girls in her weight class. She finished fourth. The girl she lost to, Kaylee Dean from North Allegheny, she actually beat in the Championship round. I think she beat her 4-2… then lost to her in the consolation round.

“Both girls are aggressive wrestlers. They’re very excited about wrestling in this tournament they are going to. They both understand the impact that they are going to have on girls’ wrestling at Redbank Valley.”

Clarion Area head coach Lee Weber shared something about Chesney’s time with the Bobcats. “Glad to see Chesney decided to wrestled again! She started with the Bobcat Varsity program back in 20-21 and did very well against the boys at practices.  She went through everything the boys did and didn’t complain!  

“She only wrestled about 12 matches against girls the two years she was here but she dominated most of them!”

And he passed along these well-wishes, “We want to wish Chesney, Keyauna and Ruben well at States!”

Current Clarion Area assistant coach Ashby Diaz also sends this, “I wish Chesney, Keyauna and Ruben the best at states!”

In addition to the Chesney and Keyauna, Redbank had some other huge happenings. The Bulldogs had three wrestlers in the Girls’ Division of the PA Junior Wrestling Junior High State Championship at the First Summit Arena at The Cambria County War Memorial, in Johnstown, including Iris Reitz who won the 110 pound championship. Also competing for the Redbank were, Breanna Crawford in the 103 pound class and Riley Kerchinski in the 115 pound class.

Coach Carrillo had some fine things to say about his Junior High trio. “Breanna is an upcoming star. She placed the top 3 at every girls’ tournament we took her to other than states, Riley is a new wrestler that will turn heads next year, a natural wrestler.

“The girls have a bond tighter than most guy wrestlers. It’s great to see.

“Breanna lost in blood rounds, and Iris is our first junior high state champ in both boys and girls.”

And about the coaching staff. “Doug Songer is an assistant Junior coach, and Jeremy Reitz is one of our Junior Olympics coaches. Like said, it’s one big coaching staff. Brian Cressman is another JO coach, and John Brothers is also JO coach. We all coach girls… it’s one big coaching staff.”

Girls wrestling and forming a full team is an absolute priority at Redbank. Coach Carrillo shared, “I think the big thing is, Coach Mike Kundick (Redbank Valley Boys Varsity coach) has been working on, trying to develop a girls’ program here at the school with our Junior Olympics coaches and our Junior High coaches.

“It just seems like this is the year. I’m thinking this is going to be a breakout year for girls’ wrestling at Redbank Valley.

“We were talking about that today. We really feel that the girls we had, with Iris Reitz winning the 110 pound Junior High State Girls’ Championship and the two girls here that made it to the state tournament, by qualifying through the regional tournament, we really feel this is going to be the start of a girls’ wrestling team at Redbank Valley.”

Girls Wrestling is moving toward becoming a fully sanctioned sport by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Coach Carrillo addressed this. “I think there are 101 teams in the state. needed (for the PIAA). I think we’ll be right in there at that 101, 102, 103, when the state votes for All Girls’ Wrestling in June.”

And the mindset of the girls as to their place as a part of girls wrestling future, “Our girls really take this personal, as a challenge. And they really understand that they are the ones that are going to lead us into this new era of girls’ wrestling in Pennsylvania.”

Is this team breaking new ground? “I think we are. I know the girls know right now, they’re the ones that are going to make it happen, with every win they get and every time they advance in the tournament, it makes a difference here at Redbank. It’s at every level, it started with our JO coaches and continued with our Junior High coaches and right up through coach Kundick.

“I think with Iris wrestling in (and winning) the JO Junior High state tournament, first time in Pennsylvania, I think there is just so much breaking ground. And now we have a Varsity state tournament for girls, where you had to qualify for it, we’re right around being a very historic for girls in Pennsylvania… It’s good for our school and the state of Pennsylvania.”

Oh, but wait, with the love the Redbank coaching staff has for the kids, and Girls Wrestling, they don’t want to limit it to the Bulldogs.

What is their vision for the future? “Yes coach Mike Kundick talked about this to me today. Like a Clarion County Team, we already co-op… with Union. We have one Junior Union wrestler and one Varsity wrestler. Our Jo’s have a few union wrestlers. At the regional tournament, the schools that had teams had co-op wrestlers on their teams.”

Absolutely great things going on with Girls Wrestling at Redbank Valley. And what a wonderful forward thinking vision for the girls around Clarion County!!!!

(Congratulations to Keyauna, Chesney, Iris, Breanna, Riley and the whole Redbank Valley team and Coaches!!!! All the best to Chesney, Keyauna and Coach Carrillo at the the My House Girls Varsity State Championship!!!! Thanks to Coach Carrillo for all his help on this article and to Redbank Valley for their photos!!)