Wildcats Host Powerful King of the Mountain
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – For Central Mountain wrestling, it will be going from the Williamsport Top Hat frying pan into the Bald Eagle Township fire this weekend.
The Wildcats made a solid showing in their 2015-16 lid-lifter, a second place finish at the Tom Best Memorial Top Hat, a fair-to-middling December tourney. But this Friday and Saturday it’s a whole different challenge as Central Mountain stages its own event, the prestigious King of the Mountain tourney.
How good is the King of the Mountain? Of the 32 Pennsylvania teams in the field, 22 are ranked among the top teams in the state, according to Tom Elling’s PA Wrestling Handbook. These include on the AAA level defending tourney champion Bethlehem Catholic, ranked number one in the state preseason, and number two Boyertown.
Other Top 10 AAA teams include Mifflin County (#4), Greater Latrobe (#5) and Exeter Township (#6). Ranked area teams are this year’s Top Hat winner Jersey Shore (#13), Central Mountain (#21) and Bellefonte (#40). Leading the AA field is Wyalusing at number 12 and Boiling Springs checking in at number 13.
In Elling’s list of the Top 100 Returning AAA Wrestlers, six of the top ten are in the field: Luke Karam, (#2), PIAA champ, Bethlehem Catholic; Sammy Sasso, (#3), PIAA runner-up, Nazareth; Seth Janney, PIAA runner-up, (#4), South Western; Zack Trampe, PIAA champ, (#7), Council Rock South; Jordan Wood, (#9), PIAA champ, Boyertown; and Hayden Hidley, PIAA third, (#10), Mifflin County.
Central Mountain returns one place-winner from a year ago in this star-studded event, Geo Barzona finished sixth at the KoM and was a sixth place finisher at the PIAA tourney. He is wrestling at 113 this year, up from 106 a year ago.
The tourney schedule:
Friday –
Preliminary round one, consolation round one – 2 p.m.
Preliminary round two, consolation round two – 5:30 p.m.
Consolation round three – 9 p.m.
Saturday –
Quarterfinal round – 10 a.m.
Consolation round four – 11:45 a.m.
Semifinal round, consolation round five – 1:30 p.m.
Consolation round six – 3:15 p.m.
Parade of Champions – 4:30 p.m.
Championship & consolation finals – 4:45 p.m.
