Powerful Powerade looms for Wildcat wrestlers
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – You thought the 24-team Tom Best Memorial Top Hat tournament had a pretty good field? And the 30-team King of the Mountain was a tough test? You haven’t seen anything yet until you check out the Canon-McMillan Powerade tournament. How about 65 teams from ten states rolling around in western Pennsylvania this Thursday and Friday?
And not just any teams. Some of the very best at the PIAA level and prep school level, with past individual state champs galore among the participants. Teams include state AA powers Notre Dame-Green Pond and Bishop McCort, private schools such as Wyoming Seminary and Malvern Prep, WPIAL/state strong boys Waynesburg Central and host Canon-McMillan and District 6 leaders Central Mountain and State College.
Just ask Central Mountain coach Biff Walizer: “The Powerade is one of the top tournaments in the country. With each of our tournaments so far, the level of competition has been raised. There were multiple wrestlers who didn’t place at the Powerade last year who ended up on the top of the state podium in Hershey.”
Those who did not place at last year’s Powerade but went on to win PIAA titles in March and back this year include Dylan Evans from Chartiers Valley and the Wildcats’ own Dalton Perry. The CM sophomore went 41-2 a year ago and his only two losses came at the Powerade; he would not lose again in sweeping to a PIAA crown in his freshman year.
Coach Walizer said his lineup will be similar to the team’s starters from its last competition, taking first place at the team’s own King of the Mountain. There will be one change in that junior Giovanni Tarantella, off his eighth-place finish at the KoM, will earn the nod at 215 pounds. Additionally, standouts Perry and Luke Simcox will switch weights, Perry dropping to 133 pounds and Simcox bumping up to 139 pounds. Those two, in addition to Griffin Walizer, will lead the team into the Powerade.
Wrestling will begin Thursday at 8 a.m. and resume Friday at 9:30 a.m. Coverage will be available on a pay-per-view basis on Flo Wrestling. Therecord-online will provide periodic updates for the duration of the two-day event.
After Powerade, Central Mountain will be idle until Thursday, Jan. 5, hosting Selinsgrove. On Saturday, Jan. 7 the Wildcats will host the PHAC Division 1 Quad, the opponents Jersey Shore, Shikellamy and Williamsport.
