Wildcats down Mifflin County 34-21

PublisherDecember 7, 2023Last Updated: December 7, 2023

3 minutes read

Photo By Tim Weight

By Joe Walker

MILL HALL, PA- The seventh ranked Central Mountain Wildcats knew that the 18th ranked Huskies of Mifflin County would come to wrestle hard and that is exactly what they did. The Wildcats were able to win 8 of the 13 bouts to come away with a hard fought 34-21 win over the Huskies.

Things got started with a bang at 152 pounds, as the Wildcats’ Griffin Walizer used a third period escape and a takedown to pull out a 6-4 win over the Huskies Parker Kearns. Walizer was fifth in state last season, while Kearns was a state qualifier.

The Huskies evened the score at 3-all at 160 pounds, as veteran Deakon Schaeffer recorded three takedowns enroute to a 7-1 win over Wildcat sophomore Hunter Donley. The Huskies then took a 6-3 lead at 172 pounds, Avery Aurand got a third period takedown and then held off the Wildcats’ Jacob Weaver later escaped, but could not get a takedown and Aurand came away with a 6-5 victory.

The Wildcats then went on a four bout run, as Bryce Brungard won a tough 3-2 decision at 189 and Rocco Serafini followed with a solid 13-3 major decision win at 215 pounds to give the Wildcats a 10-6 lead. Giovanni Tarantella used a five point second period to win a 5-0 decision and then freshmen Gavin Heverly used a six point third period to earn a 10-6 decision and the Wildcats were up 16-6.

The Huskies then got a pin from freshmen Paxton Shawver over the Wildcats Collin Bauman at 114, Bauman was leading 8-4 when he got caught on his back. Then Huskie freshmen Jake Knable built up a 8-0 lead before recording a fall over Jaggar Pardoe in the final period and all of sudden the Huskies were back in the lead at 18-16.

Freshman Aiden Kunes then came out and recorded a fall in 50 seconds of the first period to put the Wildcats back up 22-18. The Huskies didn’t go away, as Kamden Everly then recorded a tough 4-0 decision of Wildcat frosh Patrick Tarantella at 133 and made it a 22-21 Wildcat lead.

The Wildcats had two aces in the whole, as the Huskies were forced to forfeit to Carnell Noone at 139 pounds, standout Dalton Perry still out of Wildcat lineup with a hand injury. Defending state champion Luke Simcox then came out at 145 pounds and recorded a fall 11 seconds into the second period, he was leading 13-2 at the time of the fall. The two six pointers allowed the Wildcats to come away with the tough 34-21 win.

“We knew we were in for a tough match tonight and that is what we got. I thought the kids wrestled well over all, but we did find some things we exposed ourselves to and we will have to work on those things. It is nice to get a tough win and especially this early in the season, as the kids now know they have things they have to improve on.” commented Wildcat Head Coach Biff Walizer after the tough win.

“We got the lead in the upper weights, but we knew they were young and tough in the lower weights, as a couple of those young guys wrestled in junior high states last year.” added Walizer after the win.

The Wildcats are now 2-0 on the season and they will be off until next Friday and Saturday, December 15-16, for the King of the Mountain tournament, which will bring in a lot of the state’s top wrestling talent.

The Central Mountain junior high squad fell to 1-1 on the young season, as the Little Huskies of Mifflin County got pins in the last weights to pull out a 42-39 victory. Winning by fall for the Little Wildcats were Angelo Tarantella (94), Hayden Hanley (101), Dalton Haagen (145), Kyle Everett (170) and Tanner McCall (190). Recording decision wins were Ashton Falls (122), Luke Nonermaker (138) and Dakoda Packer-Edwards (155).

152 – Griffin Walizer (CM) dec. Parker Kearns, 6-4 (3-0)

160 – Deakon Schaeffer (MC) dec. Hunter Donley, 7-1 (3-3)

172 – Avery Aurand (MC) dec. Jacob Weaver, 6-5 (3-6)

189 – Bryce Brungard (CM) dec. Reese Christine, 3-2 (6-6)

215 – Rocco Serafini (CM) maj dec Gavin Mickey, 13-3 (10-6)

285 – Giovanni Tarantella (CM) dec. Truitt Davis, 5-1 (13-6)

107 – Gavin Heverly (CM) dec. Andrew Alexander, 10-6 (16-6)

114 – Paxton Shawver (MC) pinned Collin Bauman, 3:50 (16-12)

121 – Jake Knable (MC) pinned Jaggar Pardoe, 4:33 (16-18)

127 – Aiden Kunes (CM) pinned Chase Moyer, :50 (22-18)

133 – Kamden Everly (MC) dec. Patrick Tarantella, 4-0 (22-21)

139 – Carnell Noone (CM) won by forfeit (28-21)