Raiders take 31 – 28 thriller over Central Mountain

AdminMarch 16, 2021Last Updated: March 16, 2021

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BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – It may have been mid-March, not midseason, but the Bellefonte and Central Mountain wrestling teams hooked up in a thriller Tuesday night, the Red Raiders going home with a hard-earned 31-28 win in a District 6 AAA team dual semifinal. With the win, Bellefonte moves to the district final at State College Thursday night.

The dual meet started at the traditional 106 pounds and after four lead changes, it came down to heavyweight. Bellefonte’s undersized entry (202 pounds), sophomore Addison Shawley, trailed the much heavier Cyrus McCarl by a 1-0 score after two periods. But Shawley rallied with a penalty point for interlocking hands, then an escape and a final takedown in period three for a 4-1 win, breaking the 28-28 tie and keeping the Red Raiders undefeated at 14-0 on the year. The loss ended Central Mountain’s season at 12-2.

Wildcat Coach Biff Walizer said he was pleased with his team’s effort, “the same case as all year; we asked for their best effort and got it; I can’t complain about the effort.” He said he took particular pride that even with the pandemic-delayed finish to the season, everyone in the program, from the starters through the jayvees, stayed in the wrestling room for a month of extra work. He said, “That whole experience sets us up for next year.”

Bellefonte stormed to a 13-0 lead after 120 pounds. The Wildcats got on the board off a first period fall from Gino Serafini (17-6) at 126 pounds and a 19-3 technical fall from Luke Simcox (26-5) at 132, the score 13-11 Bellefonte five weights into the dual meet.

The Raiders moved their lead to 17-11 after 138 pounds, then Central Mountain took the lead for the first time at 21-17 after a first period fall from Griffin Walizer (17-8) at 145 and a major decision from Rocco Serafini (16-9) at 152. Bellefonte moved back on top after Ethan Richner picked up a pin at 160, the score 23-21 for the visitors.

In a key match at 172 pounds, Wildcat senior Caleb Porter (10-10) avenged two earlier losses to Bellefonte’s Steve Ivicic, earning a 9-1 major decision, the ‘Cats back on top, 25-23. Porter’s effort drew special mention from coach Walizer.

At 189, Central Mountain’s Nik Miller dropped to that weight for the first time this season, but Bellefonte’s state medalist Ethan Rossman earned an 18-3 technical fall, Bellefonte back in the lead at 28-25. Gage Sutliff (10-7) wrestled 215 for Central Mountain and won 5-1 over Max Berrier to tie things up at 28-28. That set the stage for the heavyweight finale and Shawley earned the dual-meet winning decision.

Bout-by-bout results:

106: Garrett Choates (B), 5-0 dec. over Clayton Foster

113: Aidan O’Shea (B), fall, 1:34 over Madison Packer

120: Lane Aikey (B), 9-1 dec. over Zane Cooper

126: Gino Serafini (CM), fall, 0:42, over Aaron McClusik

132: Luke Simcox (CM), 19-2 technical fall, 5:43, over Nathan Smith

138: Jude Swisher (B), 10-0 major dec. over Taylor Weaver

145: Griffin Walizer (CM), fall, 1:09, over Grady Garrison

152: Rocco Serafini (CM), 13-4 major dec. over Andrew McChesney

160: Ethan Richner (B), fall, 1:54, over Damien Galentine

172: Caleb Porter (CM), 9-1 major dec. over Steve Ivicic

189: Ethan Rossman (B), 18-3 technical fall, 5:30, over Nik Miller