On January 8th, No. 2 Bishop McCort pulled off a huge upset, beating the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, No. 4 Wyoming Seminary, 37-17. The Seminary’s first dual loss after Jan 20th, 2023. But if you think Coach Bill Bassett is out here celebrating the win, think again. The head coach (and Bo Bassett’s dad) is already focused on the future. For him, this win is just one step in their bigger journey.

Bill put it best after the match: “To us, this means a lot. Seminary has been on top for such a long time, but to us, it’s a huge deal. A lot of hard work went into this, and we’ve been thinking about this dual for a long time. To them, it was just another date on their schedule. For us, this was really, really big. We knew that we kind of control our own destiny. If we want to be the No. 1 team in the nation, we had to beat Sem, and we have to meet Faith (Christian Academy) in the state finals, and find a way to get it done.”

McCort dominated the much-awaited wrestling event by winning the first 10 bouts out of 12, they accumulated 5 decisions (two technical falls and three majors). The Crimson Crushers were the 2024 PIAA Class 2A runner-up, topped by Faith Christian Academy. Coach Bassett isn’t the type to dwell on the past, no matter how historic the win was. He’s all about the bigger picture. And that picture? It’s all about becoming the #1 wrestling team in the country. Sure, taking down Wyoming Seminary was a big deal, but they’re already looking ahead to the state finals.

The match started with a bang, thanks to Keegan Bassett, the freshman at 106 pounds, ranked no. 12 won 12-4. Despite battling illness earlier in the week, Keegan set the tone for the match with an epic headlock on Wyatt Stauffer, taking the lead 7-0 early. From there, Bishop McCort just kept rolling, showing that they were ready to compete with the best.

Are you ready for it..?

Now, let’s talk about Bo Bassett, the real showstopper. Bo, who’s basically undefeated and the top wrestling recruit in the country, put on a clinic at 150 pounds. With his signature constant-motion style, he made quick work of his opponent, racking up another technical fall to stay perfect on the year. Bo won a 21-5 technical fall in 2:52 over Wyatt Fry. That’s crazy!

As if that wasn’t enough, Bishop McCort’s team brought the heat across the board, racking up bonus points when it mattered. Jax Forrest and Melvin Miller both came through with major wins, helping their team secure the big victory.

Making it quick for you! The stats are:

106 pounds: Keegan Bassett (Bishop McCort) won 12-4 major decision over Wyatt Stauffer (Wyoming Seminary)113 pounds: Eli Herring (Bishop McCort) won 8-5 decision over Wyatt Spencer (Wyoming Seminary)
120 pounds: Shamus Regan (Wyoming Seminary) won 12-2 major decision over Jack Silfies (Bishop McCort)
126 pounds: Austin Carfley (Bishop McCort) won 5-4 decision over Nikos Filipos (Wyoming Seminary)
132 pounds: Jax Forrest (Bishop McCort) won 19-8 major decision over Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary)
133 pounds: Sam Herring (Bishop McCort) won 1-0 decision over Matthew Botello (Wyoming Seminary)
144 pounds: Jackson Butler (Bishop McCort) won 4-2 decision over Matthew Dimen (Wyoming Seminary)
150 pounds: Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort) won 21-5 technical fall in 2:52 over Wyatt Fry (Wyoming Seminary)
157 pounds: Devon Magro (Bishop McCort) won 14-13 overtime decision over Vince Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary)
165 pounds: Jack Chamberlain (Wyoming Seminary) won 20-10 major decision over Jayden O’Farrill (Bishop McCort)
175 pounds: Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort) won 20-9 major decision over Brian Chamberlain (Wyoming Seminary)
190 pounds: C.J. Pensiero (Bishop McCort) won 17-0 technical fall in 1:56 over Nolan McCarthy (Wyoming Seminary)
215 pounds: Jude Correa (Wyoming Seminary) won pin in 18 seconds over Matteo Noronha (Bishop McCort)
285 pounds: Anderson Palian (Wyoming Seminary) won 3-1 decision over Caleb Rodriguez (Bishop McCort)

But here’s the thing: Bill Bassett isn’t out here celebrating like it’s the endgame. He’s all about the grind and making sure his team keeps pushing. They’re eyeing the state finals in March 2025, where they have a chance to solidify their spot as the top team in the nation. This win was huge, but for Bill, it’s just one chapter in the bigger story. With Bo already being a top recruit, and the team looking stronger than ever, Bishop McCort is only getting started. They’ve got big plans, and this victory was just the beginning. If anything, it just added more fuel to the fire for what’s next.