Phoenix Wrestlers Look to Keep Growing

By Tom Elling

SUGAR VALLEY, PA-Sugar Valley Rural Charter School showed vast strides winning ten (10) dual meets a season ago. Head coach Jason Bilbay is in his third year as the head coach stresses the team goal this year is to win fifteen.

The coach stated, “Fifteen will be very challenging as we have to be spot on with tougher teams like Hughesville,  Danville, Jersey Shore, and Bellefonte on our schedule.”

The Phoenix are once again entered in the Darren Klingerman Invitational. “The DKI tournament always shows some great competition, with teams like Warrior Run and Lackawanna Trail. We will have our work cut for us. Would like to place into 10 out of 24 teams.”

Bilbay reports that he has 14 on the boys team and 5 on the girls team. Just five seniors on the boys’ side. The key returners are: Wyatt Conoway, Jarren McCloskey, Cameron Quick, Cayden Weaver, Colton Etters, and Levi Galentine. Newcomer freshman Gavin Matter should help out the team in the lighter weights. The Loganton team graduated Gavin Hampton, Isaiah Conoway, and Kyle Stahl.

On the girls’ side, the coach noted “The girls are looking better everyday; picking up moves quickly. They will hold separate practices. The limited schedule shows three duals and two tournaments.

Assisting Bilbay this season are Justin  McCloskey, Seth Conoway and Damian Galentine. His assistant with the girls will be Tanya Miller-Mitchell.

His take on the PIAA new format which includes the girls was, “I see states finals, to be broken up into two separate like it’s always been run just with exceptions where boys and girls finals on center mats with 3rd & 4th on outside mats.”

The Record-Online looks to cover a home dual meet (TBA). The Phoenix open December 5 at Williamson then a few days later (December 8 and 9) will head to Bloomsburg for the DKI.