Perry and Kunes Win Top Hat Titles

By Joe Walker

WILLIAMSPORT-Central Mountain senior Dalton Perry and sophomore Aiden Kunes did what they couldn’t do last season and that was capture titles at the Tom Best Top Hat Tournament. Perry was unable to compete in last year’s tourney due to injury and Kunes lost his finals match to finish second. 

The duo and five other place winners helped lead the Wildcats to a fourth place team finish in the 24 team field. Connellsville won the tournament with 220.5 points, while Easton finished second with 212.5 points. Saucon Valley finished in third place with 187.5 points, while Central Mountain was fourth with 169 points and Clearfield rounded out the top five with 166.5 points. 

Top Seeded Perry had little trouble in winning the 145 pound title, as he went 4-0 with two falls and two tech fall wins enroute to the title. Perry capped off his tournament with a 15-0 tech fall in 4:00 over second seeded Jacob Mitchell of Cumberland Valley. 

Kunes, who was second seeded, also posted a 4-0 tourney record, as he won a 7-1 decision over top seeded Bradley Wagner of Mifflinburg in the finals. Bradley finished seventh in Class AA states last season. Kunes had recorded two falls and a major decision win to get to the finals. 

The Wildcats had five other place winners, as Patrick Tarantella (139) and Bryce Brungard (189) placed fourth, while Gavin Heverly (114) and Luke Garmen (133) added fifth place finishes. Senior Jacob Weaver (172) rounded out the place winners with a sixth place finish. 

Tarantella finished with a 4-2 record and four major decision wins, while Brungard also went 4-2 with 1 fall and 2 major decision wins. Garman posted a 5-2 record in the tourney, while Heverly was 3-2.and Jacob Weaver went 2-3 for the tournament. 

The Wildcats had nine other wrestlers entered but did not win a place finish. They did win some bouts and added to the Wildcats point total. Cael Dorman (107), Collin Bauman (121), Luke Ananea (152), Dakoda Packer-Edwards (160), all posted 2-2 records, while Kai Fravel (215) and Hayes Henry (285) both added 1-2 records. They combined to record 5 falls, 1 Tech Fall and three major decisions plus bracket advancement points to the teams total. 

The Wildcats had three extra wrestlers in the tournament, as Jaggar Pardoe (127), Jacob Nyman (189) and Nick Lose (285) all were 2-2 with three falls. Teams can enter extra wrestlers in a tournament, but they can not add to the teams point total. 

The Jersey Shore Bulldogs had one place winner in the tournament, as Slade Sechrist (215) took a fourth place finish and compiled a 4-2 record. The Bulldog made it into the semifinals and was defeated by top seeded Muncy standout Austin Johnson by a technical fall. Sechrist bounced back to win his consolation semifinal bout, but then medical forfeited in the match for third place, thus finishing with the fourth place finish.

The Wildcats will open their dual meet season on Tuesday night when they travel to Wingate and face the Eagles of Bald Eagle Area and then on Thursday night they will to Sunbury to face the Shikellamy Braves. 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS: 

107 – Tommy Gretz (Connellsville) pinned Jackson Max (Emmaus), 1:11 

114 – Emilio Albanese (Emmaus) dec. Carter Chunko (Saucon Valley), 2-1 UTB 121 – Brock Rothermel (Line Mtn) dec. Nicholas Salamone (Easton), 14-7 

127 – Aiden Kunes (Central Mtn) dec. Bradley Wagner (Mifflinburg), 7-1 

133 – Caden Yannerella (Conestoga Valley) WTF Ben Straub (Mifflinburg), 18-2, 5:02 139 – Kai Vielma (Connellsville) maj dec Aiden Grogg (Saucon Valley), 10-1 

145 – Dalton Perry (Central Mtn) WTF Jacob Mitchell (Cumberland Valley), 15-0, 4:00 152 – Evan Petrovich (Connellsville) WTF Jackson Albert (Saucon Valley), 18-3, 5:18 160 – Sam Almedina (Mid Valley) maj dec Jesse Scott (Emmaus), 13-4 

172 – Brady Collins (Clearfield) pinned Justin Cosover (Easton), :58 

189 – Abdoul Akala (Conestoga Valley) dec. Shane Linegar (Easton), 4-1 SV 

215 – Austin Johnson (Muncy) WTF Jude Bremigen (So. Columbia), 19-4, 3:53 285 – Tal Stoltzfus (Conestoga Valley) dec. Nick Bailor (Clearfield), 4-0 

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN THIRD PLACE: 

139 – Christop Kelly (Easton) maj dec Patrick Tarantella, 9-0 

189 – Mason Marolo (Hazelton) dec. Bryce Brungard, 7-2 

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN FIFTH PLACE: 

114 – Gavin Heverly (CM) dec. Sawyer Wolfkiel (Titusville), 7-1 

133 – Luke Garman (CM) won by medial forfeit Hector Mateo (Saucon Valley) 

172 – Jared Rohn (Saucon Valley) dec. Jacob Weaver, 4-1 SV