Wildcats set to host powerful King of the Mountain

MILL HALL– The state scholastic wrestling spotlight will be on the Central Mountain High School gymnasium this weekend for the annual King of the Mountain tournament on Friday and Saturday and the Queen of the Mountain Duals and JV Mountain Man tournament on Sunday.

The KoM will feature 32 teams, including many top-ranked teams, among them the host Wildcats. Wrestling will begin at 11 a.m. Friday and finish with the championship and consolation finals to begin at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday. Friday a Free Live Audio Stream will be available from therecord-online following Central Mountain and other local wrestlers. Saturday all bouts will be streamed audio/video, on therecord-online, the one-time cost of viewing a $30 donation to the Central Mountain Wrestling Booster Club.

The 32-team field finds the Central Mountain Wildcats as the defending champions, led by returning tournament champions Luke Simcox (133) and Griffin Walizer (145). Dalton Perry (139) was a runner-up last year, but has been out of the line-up with a hand injury. Rocco Serafini (189) and Jake Weaver (172) both finished seventh last year, while Giovanni Tarantella (215) finished in 8th place. All return and should have the Wildcats in the hunt to defend their title. 

Other top teams that are coming into the tournament with strong chances to win the team title are State College, Warrior Run, Cranberry, Montoursville and Owen J. Roberts. Other teams that may get into the tourney team champion hunt are Bald Eagle Area, Chestnut Ridge, Canon-McMillan, Mifflin County and Pottsville. 

State College brings three nationally ranked wrestlers into the tournament, as Pierson Manville(145), Asher Cunningham (160) and Nick Pavlechko (285) are all ranked in the top 10 at there weights in the country. Manville (144) is currently ranked number 1 in the country (according to Floarena) after winning the prestigious Walsh Ironman Tournament in Ohio. Cunningham (157) and Pavlechko (285) both took third place finishes. Manville and Pavlechko were both state runner-ups last year and Cunningham placed fourth last year for the Little Lions. 

Warrior Run comes into the field with five state qualifiers from last season, three being state place winners. Reagan Milheim (139) and Cameron Milheim (152) both were AA state runner-ups last season, while Max Winsberger (121) was a seventh place finisher last year while Wrestling for Meadowbrook Christian. Tyler Ulrich (127) and Cole Shupp (172) are the other returning state qualifiers for the Defenders. 

The Montoursville Warriors bring back four state qualifiers in Gage Wentzel (145), Aristotel Bobotas (107), Dave Kennedy (127) and Cole Younkin (215). Wentzel placed fifth last year in the AA states, while Kennedy is a two time state qualifier for the Warriors. 

Cranberry also returns four state AA qualifiers in Dalton Wenner (107), Dane Wenner (139), Elijah Brousis (121) and Conner Reskowski (133). Dalton Wenner was seventh last season and Brousis placed eight both in 2022 and 2023. 

Owen J. Roberts comes into the tournament with three returning state AAA place winners on their roster. Dillon Bechtold (215) was state runner-up last season and was a fifth place winner in 2022. Sam Gautreau (152) took a fourth place finish in states, while Dean Bechtold finished with a 6th place finish last season. 

Muncys’ Austin Johnson (215) returns after winning last year’s tournament and also winning a PIAA Class AA state title. Johnson has not been in the Indians’ line-up yet due to a football injury. In all there are 54 combined state AA & AAA qualifiers and place winners in this year’s field.

For local college interest the Bald Eagles of LHU have five of their 2023-24 recruiting class in this year’s field. Cole Bartram (189) of Northern York was a state runner-up last season, while his teammate Rocco Fratelli (133) is a three-time state qualifier. Bald Eagle Area’s Lucas Fye (121) is a two-time state AA placewinner (5th in 2022 & 23). Central Mountain’s Griffin Walizer (152) is a two-time state placewinner for the Wildcats (8th & 5th), while Central York’s Wyatt Dillon is a two time state qualifier.