Wildcats handle Milton to Stay Unbeaten

PublisherJanuary 22, 2024Last Updated: January 22, 2024

3 minutes read

By Joe Walker

MILTON- The Central Mountain Wildcat varsity wrestling squad stayed unbeaten on the season, as it manhandled an underdogged and undermanned Milton Black Panther squad by a 59-12 score Monday evening. The win upped the Wildcats to a 6-0 record with one dual meet remaining with a very talented Bald Eagle Area on Thursday night.

The Wildcats received five forfeits in the win over Milton, as the Black Panthers were hit with the flu and injury bug, thus depleting their squad. Winning by forfeit for the Wildcats were Gavin Heverly (107), Caden Stoner (114), Aiden Kunes (127), Patrick Tarantella (133) and Slade Severino (189).

The Black Panthers won the opening bout of the evening, as Cale Bastian (23-3) used a first period takedown and a second period escape to defeat the Wildcats’ Bryce Brungard by a narrow 3-1 score, as Brungard recorded a third period escape.

After Severino received his forfeit win at 189, Rocco Serafini bumped up to 285 and recorded a 9-0 major decision over the Black Panthers Nate Lopez. For Serafini it was his 20th win of the season and increased the Wildcat lead to 10-3.

Heverly and Stoner then walked out and received their forfeit wins to make it a 22-3 Wildcat lead heading into 121. The Panthers Ty Locke recorded a five point move and then pinned the Wildcats’ Jaggar Pardoe with one second left in the first period to make it a 22-9 score.

Kunes and Tarantella then proceeded to receive their two forfeit wins to up the lead to 34-9, while Carnell Noone came out and dominated his way to an 18-2 tech fall win 15 seconds into the second period to make it 39-9 after 139.

Dalton Perry built up a 14-2 lead before pinning the Panthers’ Quinn Keister in 46 seconds of the second period. It was win number 99 for Perrys’ career and it put the Wildcats up 45-9. Senior Griffin Walizer recorded 11 takedowns before pinning Chase Lytle in 1:16 of the second period of their 152 pound bout and the Wildcats lead was now at 51-9.

Hunter Donley came out at 160 pounds and quickly built up a 13-2 lead before pinning Jackson Wertz in 1:39 of the first period, putting the Wildcats up 57-9 heading into the final bout of the evening at 172 pounds.

The final bout took overtime to settle things, as the Panthers’ Alexander Hoffman recorded a takedown in the first overtime period to edge out the Wildcats’ Jacob Weaver by a 3-1 score. Hoffman recorded a second period escape and Weaver registered a third period escape to send it into overtime tied up at 1-1. Both wrestlers came close to recording a takedown in the third period, but both were unable to get it and thus the overtime was required. Hoffman is now 22-3 on the year and was a Class AA state qualifier last season, as he was a northeast regional runner-up.

“We had some guys be able to go out and work on some things tonight, but we also lost some close bouts, thus we still have some things to work on. We did get a little sloppy in some of the matches we won and we will have to work on that as well, as we are getting into the time of the season where we are going to see a steady stream of tough teams and post season is coming up fast.” Head Coach Biff Walizer stated after the win.

Wildcat Junior High squad stayed unbeaten at 7-0, as they defeated the Milton Junior high by a 49-35 score.Winning by falls for the Little Wildcats were Angelo Tarantella (94), Ashton Falls (122), Dakota

Packer (155), Kyle Everett (170) and Tanner McCall (190). Luke Nonemaker (138) and Dalton Haagen (145) both recorded major decision wins, while Todd Caris (210) and

Brody Hockenberry (250) received forfeit wins.

The Little Wildcats of head coach Owen Wilkinson finished in 12th place out of 19 teams this past weekend at the Bellefonte Junior High Tournament. Dakota Packer led the Wildcat place finishers with a 3rd place at 155, while Dalton Haagen (145), Kyle Everett (170) and Tanner McCall (190) all took fifth place finishes. Todd Caris rounded out the place winners, as he placed 6th at 210 pounds.

Central Mountain 57, Milton 12

189 – Cale Bastian (M) dec Bryce Brungard, 3-1, (0-3)

215 – Slade Severino (CM) won by forfeit, (6-3)

285 – Rocco Serafini (CM) maj dec. Nate Lopez, 9-0, (10-3)

107 – Gavin Heverly (CM) won by forfeit, (16-3)

114 – Cade Stoner (CM) won by forfeit, (22-3)

121 – Ty Locke (M) WBF Jaggar Pardoe, 1:59, (22-9)

127 – Aiden Kunes (CM) won by forfeit, (28-9)

133 – Patrick Tarantella (CM) won by forfeit, (34-9)

139 – Carnell Noone (CM) WTF Lucas Hollenbach, 18-2, 2:15 (39-9)

145 – Dalton Perry (CM) WBF Quinn Keister, 2:46 (45-9)

152 – Griffin Walizer (CM) WBF Chase Lytle, 3:16 (51-9)