Wildcats’ Houtz Eliminated at PIAA Tourney
HERSHEY – Senior Mahlik Houtz was the last of five Wildcat wrestlers standing at the PIAA tournament at the Giant Center Friday evening but the senior Houtz saw his season end in a 16-5 third round consolation loss to Northeast Region champ Greg Bensley (25-4) from Pocono Mountain West. Houtz fell behind 15-1 and battled back in period three to put the final at 16-5 and put Houtz’s final season log at 25-12, including a 2-and-2 showing in his first appearance at the state tourney.
Houtz earlier Friday had pinned Owen Verespy (37-8) from North Penn High School in 0:59 in consolation round two action. Teammate Seth Andrus (32-6) saw his season end in his second consolation bout, falling 14-4 to Northeast region champ Pat Gould (29-4) of East Stroudsburg South. Andrus finished his outstanding high school career in eleventh place among all Wildcat wrestlers with his 107 victories.
Central Mountain’s five-man delegation ended two days of wrestling with a 4-11 mark. The Friday action ended an otherwise solid season which included a 13-2 dual meet mark and the District Six tournament crown.
Bald Eagle Area leads all District 6 teams with two wrestlers advancing to the semifinals: Senior Seth Koleno at 138 pounds downed Zach Ortman of Parkland by a 5-3 score. Sophomore Gage McClenahan at 152 pounds mowed his way into the Saturday morning semifinals with an 18-3 technical fall (3:48) over Dillon Sheehy of Council Rock North.
Other District 6 semifinalists are Mifflin County’s Trent Hidlay at 170 pounds, a 21-6 technical fall in 5:19 over Neamiah Diggs of Harrisburg; Cole Urbas of State College at 195 pounds, a fall in 1:32 over Mitchell Talbot of Central Dauphin; and Parker McClellan of Altoona at 220 pounds, a 6-4 win over Pocono Mountain West’s Bensley.
Three other district wrestlers are still alive in the consolations. Participating in Saturday morning’s round four will be Altoona’s Matt Sarbo at 106 pounds, Mifflin County’s Christian Fisher at 112 and Hollidaysburg’s Mason McCready at 182.
Nazareth leads the team race with 49 points, Erie Prep second with 45 and Kiski Area third with 37. BEA is in eleventh place with 22.5 points, Mifflin County twelfth with 20 points..
