After PIAA Day One: Central Mountain with Two in Consolations

HERSHEY — Heavyweight Richie Thompson picked up a consolation round fall for the Central Mountain Wildcats, ending on a high note a difficult Thursday for the Central Mountain wrestling team at the Giant Center.

Thompson (34-12) bounced back from a first round 16-0 loss to South Central runner-up Cameron Tinner of Shippensburg. In the final bout of consolation round one, Thompson used a second period escape and takedown in opening up a 3-0 lead and then pinning Kyle Osterhoudt of Neshaminy (30-10) at the 2:58 mark. The victory moves the Wildcat heavy into consolation round two action Friday afternoon; his opponent will be Gerald Brown (30-7), WPIAL fourth-place finisher from West Mifflin.

Thompson will be joined in consolation round two by Caleb Turner at 182 pounds. Turner went 1-1 on Thursday. Turner won a pigtail match by a 5-1 score over Tyler Neglia (30-9) of Wallenpaupack, but was pinned by Drew Peck (32-4) from Chambersburg in round one. His second round consolation match Friday afternoon will be against Collin Stevens (37-3), a senior from Central Bucks East, a fifth-place finisher in the Southeast regional.

The biggest stunner of all was two-and-out for two time state place-winner Geo Barzona. The Wildcat standout never could get his offense untracked. He lost his opener to Cameron Enriquez (32-2) from Stroudsburg, the score 3-1. Barzona’s outstanding four year career ended in his first consolation match, falling 4-2 to Killian Delaney (39-10), a freshman from West Chester Henderson. Barzona finished his senior season with a 37-5 record and recognition as one of Central Mountain’s all-time winningest wrestlers.

After the first full round of championship and consolation wrestling Bethlehem Catholic and Nazareth were continuing their season-long rivalry for supremacy with 31 and 27 points respectively. Mifflin County led all District 6 teams with 10.5 points. Thompson’s fall for the Wildcats put Central Mountain at 2-and-4 on day one, good for five team points and 52nd place.