Wildcats second at Top Hat; Perry OW

Dalton Perry stands with Coaches Doug Buckwalter and Biff Walizer

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – It was a mixed bag for Central Mountain wrestling as the Wildcats opened their season at the 24-team Tom Best Memorial Top Hat Tournament. Central Mountain finished a solid second, placed a lot of wrestlers and had the tourney’s Outstanding Wrestler in freshman Dalton Perry.

But the Wildcats struggled in the tourney’s final round, where wins were hard to come by. Head Coach Biff Walizer termed Saturday night “not a great ending” and said the coaches saw “things to work on.”

Even with the final round showing, Central Mountain still placed 14 wrestlers in a tourney where schools were able to enter back-up grapplers. Coach Walizer said he was pleased with the amount of place-winners, including from second entrant performers Braylen Corter (132), Zane Cooper (145) and Jake Weaver (160) who all finished eighth.

The lead story for the Wildcats was the anticipated debut of 120-pound freshman Dalton Perry. He picked up pins in his first two varsity bouts, an 18-3 technical fall in the semifinals and took the championship with a 24-6 technical fall over top-seeded Aidan Kritzer of Line Mountain.

Two Wildcats fell in the finals: Taylor Weaver (132) lost 6-3 to Scott Johnson of Muncy and Luke Simcox (138) gave up a late takedown to Braden Bower of Williamsport and fell by a 3-1 score, just missing a tying two-pointer at the buzzer.

Central Mountain claimed one third place in Griffin Walizer at 152 pounds. He defeated top-seeded Carter Weaver of Williamsport by a 10-6 score.

Other placers were Clayton Foster (113), 8^th; Derek Keen (120), 4^th; Gino Serafini (145), 6^th; Tristan Probst (160), 6^th; Rocco Serafini (172), 8^th; Micah Walizer (215), 8^th; and Brayden Blackwell (285), 4^th.

Saucon Valley, ranked first in the state among AA teams, took the team title with 211 points, the Wildcats next with 186. Williamsport finished third with 176.

Central Mountain’s busy start to the season will continue next week: a home dual meet with Montoursville on Tuesday, Dec. 14, followed by the Central Mountain Wrestling Booster Club’s King of the Mountain tournament Friday and Saturday, 17 and 18, followed by the Queen of the Mountain tournament on Sunday, Dec. 19.