Wildcats Shutdown in PIAA Initial Bouts

HERSHEY – The preliminary and first rounds of the 81st annual PIAA wrestling championships have been completed; they were not kind to the Central Mountain Wildcats. Five wrestlers came to the Giant Center, all five lost their first matches and must win their first round consolations Thursday night in order to keep alive hopes to stay in the three day tourney.

First round match results:

At 113 pounds, junior Johnny Shreffler (23-14) was edged, 4-3, by Tim Uhler (38-9), a sophomore from New Oxford.

At 132 pounds, senior Seth Andrus (31-5) fell 11-3 to Tyler Williams (31-7), a junior from Souderton.

At 145 pounds, senior Logan Long (30-9) lost a technical fall, 21-5, to Chambersburg freshman Tate Nichter (29-9), the time 3:54.

All three will be back on the mat beginning Thursday night at 8 p.m. They will be joined by two teammates who fell in their preliminary bouts.

First up was Tanner Weaver (33-7) at 170 pounds. He fell to Steve Newell (40-3), the Northeastern fourth place finisher by a 4-1 score..

Fellow senior Mahlik Houtz (23-11) lost his opener at 220 pounds. John McCarthy (33-6) from Delaware Valley, a Northeast four place finisher, downed Houtz by a 7-2 score.

The tourney is double-elimination. Quarterfinals and second round consolations are scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Friday, third round consolations at 5 p.m. The tourney will continue into Saturday, semifinals at 9 a.m. and the championships at 7 p.m.