Wildcat Seniors Celebrate with 53-13 Win over Hollidaysburg
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP — Central Mountain wrestling fans could not have scripted a better senior night performance turned in by the Wildcat wrestling team Thursday night.
Six seniors were honored before the match and the Wildcats picked up four falls plus two team members avenged earlier season losses in a 53-13 win over Hollidaysburg. The victory finished the Central Mountain season with an 18-2 mark, the Golden Tigers dropping to 4-10 with the loss. The Wildcats will spend the next week drilling in preparation for the District 6 AAA tournament Saturday, Feb. 25.
The dual saw a number of entertaining bouts, the Wildcats winning two one-pointers on final period points. At 195 pounds two promising sophomores squared off, Central Mountain’s Tanner Riggle (15-10) scoring a takedown at the final buzzer for a 4-3 win over Augustus Dellinger (18-13).
Two bouts later state-ranked heavyweights Richie Thompson (28-9) and Hollidaysburg’s Hunter Gill (23-4) locked up for the second time this season. Gill had edged Thompson 3-2 at the Top Hat tournament in December but this time Thompson secured an escape with less than 10 seconds remaining for a 4-3 win.
Another outcome reversal occurred at 182 pounds where the Wildcats’ Caleb Turner (27-7) continued his late season run of success with a 5-2 win over the Tigers’ Mason McCready (18-9). McCready had defeated Turner 5-4 in December.
Since it was senior night Central Mountain junior starter Mahlik Houtz (22-12) stepped aside so senior Kullen Bechdel (2-0) could get a start at 220 pounds. Bechdel responded with a first period fall.
In addition to Thompson, Turner and Bechdel, two other Wildcat seniors picked up wins in their final dual meets: Geo Barzona (31-2) recorded his 117th career win with a 17-2 technical fall. And Brandon Miller (12-12) notched a first period fall.
Only senior to lose was Colton Weaver (17-15), losing to longtime Hollidaysburg nemesis Dalton Long by a 5-2 score. The two have been splitting bouts with each other for four years.
Other Wildcat wins came from Johnny Shreffler (21-14), a fall; Dalton Bechdel (11-6), a forfeit; Seth Andrus (26-8), a forfeit; Asher Corl (21-11), a decision; and Tanner Weaver (29-7), a 14-second fall.
Central Mountain was without starting middleweights Seth Reese and Logan Long, both out due to sickness. The Wildcat junior high team trounced their Hollidaysburg counterparts by a 81-9 score.
| HOLLIDAYSBURG 13 CENTRAL MOUNTAIN 53 |
|---|
| 106 – Johnny Shreffler, Central Mountain, pinned Jared Giarth, Hollidaysburg, 2:20. |
| 113 – Geo Barzona, Central Mountain, tech fall Andrew Simpson, Hollidaysburg, 3:01(17-2) |
| 120 – Dalton Bechdel, Central Mountain, received a forfeit. |
| 126 – Seth Andrus, Central Mountain, received a forfeit. |
| 132 – Cody Dively, Hollidaysburg, major dec. Kayden Busey, Central Mountain, 9-0. |
| 138 – Nathan Swartz, Hollidaysburg, pinned Logan Soo, Central Mountain, 2:19. |
| 145 – Dalton Long, Hollidaysburg, dec. Colton Weaver, Central Mountain, 5-2. |
| 152 – Asher Corl, Central Mountain, dec. Aden Myers, Hollidaysburg, 9-4. |
| 160 – Tanner Weaver, Central Mountain, pinned Noah Houck, Hollidaysburg, 0:14. |
| 170 – Brandon Miller, Central Mountain, pinned Vincent Burkhart, Hollidaysburg, 1:15. |
| 182 – Caleb Turner, Central Mountain, dec. Mason McCready, Hollidaysburg, 5-2. |
| 195 – Tanner Riggle, Central Mountain, dec. Augustus Dellinger, Hollidaysburg, 4-3. |
| 220 – Kullen Bechdel, Central Mountain, pinned Justin Detwiler, Hollidaysburg, 1:06. |
| 285 – Richie Thompson, Central Mountain, dec. Hunter Gill, Hollidaysburg, 4-3. |
