WILDCATS ADVANCE NINE IN TOP HAT TOURNAMENT

By Joe Walker

WILLIAMSPORT-The Central Mountain Wildcats opened up the 2024-25 season at the Tom Best Memorial Top Hat Tournament Friday night and went home sitting in fifth place after the first day of competition. 

Saucon Valley is the current leader as they have 70.5 points, while Clearfield and Easton share second place with 69.5 points each. Connellsville is in fourth place with 66.5 points, while Central Mountain is currently in fifth place with 62.5 points. 

The Wildcats are sending nine wrestlers into Saturday mornings championship quarterfinal round, as Gavin Heverly (114), Aiden Kunes (127), Luke Garman (133), Patrick Tarantella (139), Dalton Perry (145), Luke Ananea (152), Jacob Weaver (172), Bryce Brungard (189) and Nick Lose (285) all advanced. 

Six Wildcats are still alive in the consolations, as Cael Dorman (107), Collin Bauman (121), Jaggar Pardoe (127), Dakoda Packer-Edwards (160), Jacob Nyman (189) and Hayes Henry (285) remain alive in the consi’s. Kia Fravel was the only Wildcat eliminated, as the sophomore won his first match, but then dropped his next two bouts. 

In the championship second round Kunes, Garman, Perry, Ananea, Weaver and Brungard all recorded falls, while Heverly recorded a tech fall and Tarantella added a major decision win. Garman, Ananea, Tarantella and Lose each won two bouts to advance, as they wrestled prelim round matches. 

“Was not sure what to expect from the boys coming in, as we have a lot of young faces, but everyone wrestled to their seeds and we got nine through to the quarterfinals. We did well in the consolation rounds as well and so far the guys are getting a lot of matches to find out where they are at this early point of the season,” commented Head Coach Biff Walizer after the opening night. 

The Jersey Shore Bulldogs are currently in 17th place of the 24 team field with 32.5 points, as they only had one wrestler advance to the quarterfinals in the person of standout athlete Slade Sechrist at 215 pounds. The Bulldogs still have Bradley Derr (107), Camden Baker (121), Mason Winter (133), Louden Spotts (139) and Tobias Morgret (152) still alive in the consolations. 

Action gets underway on Saturday at 10:00 am with the third round of consolations and the championship quarterfinals. Action will continue through the semifinals and consolation finals with the Championship finals slated for a 5 pm start time