Central Mountain claims District 6 Duals Title

By Joe Walker

MILL HALL- The Central Mountain Wildcats defended their District 6 Class AAA Dual Meet Title, as they posted a very hard fought 36-18 win over rival Mifflin County in a match that was a lot closer than the score may indicate. The win earns the Wildcats a trip to the PIAA Duals Team Championships next week in Hershey. 

The top seeded Wildcats earned the right to face Mifflin County in the District Finals after posting a 50-23 win over the fourth seeded Little Lions of State College in the semifinals. The Wildcats got falls from Dalton Perry (139), Luke Simcox (152), Griffin Walizer (160), Jacob Weaver (172) and Bryce Brungard (189). Gavin Heverly (107) and Patrick Tarantella (127) both recorded major decision wins and Rocco Serafini (215) received a forfeit. 

The Little Lions got falls from Jon Whitbred (114) and Pierson Manville (145), while James Whitbred (133) recorded a tech fall and the Wildcats forfeited to heavyweight standout Nick Pavlechko (285) in the final bout to set the final at 50-23. 

Second Seeded Mifflin County earned their right to the championship final after posting a 34-33 win over third seeded Altoona in the other semifinal. The score was no indication of that dual meet, as the Huskies jumped out to an insurmountable 34-3 after 152 pounds, thus their coaching staff decided to forfeit the final five bouts giving Altoona the final 30 points to set the final at the one point difference. 

Things were now set for the championship final and it turned out to be a classic, as six bouts were decided by two points or less and most with a takedown in the final 30 seconds. The Wildcats were able to win four of those six bouts, while winning a fifth three points. 

The Huskies jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead at 114 pounds, as Freshman Preston Shawver (23-10) recorded a fall in 1:34 of the first period over Wildcat sophomore Collin Bauman (1-3), who was just back in the line-up after being out with an injury. 

Wildcat freshman Aiden Kunes (28-10) cut the lead to 6-3 when he posted a wild 10-8 decision over Huskie freshman Jake Knable (17-13) at 121 pounds. Kunes built up an 8-4 with three takedowns and a reversal to four Knable escapes, but Knable caught Kunes with a takedown and two nearfall points to tie it at 8-all. Kunes then got a reversal with under 25 seconds left in the match and rode Knable out for the win. 

The Huskies got three more points at 127, as senior Blake Aumiller (6-3) decisioned Wildcat freshman Patrick Tarantella (19-14) by a 8-6 score in overtime. The bout was tied 2-2 after the first period and then in the second Aumiller sandwiched an escape and a reversal around a Tarantella takedown to take 5-4 lead into the final period. Tarantella reversed Aumiller for a 6-5 lead late in the final period, but then Aumiller got a penalty point for stalling to tie it at 6-6 and into overtime. Aumiller got the takedown in overtime to get the narrow win and the Huskies a 9-3 lead. 

The Huskies went up 15-3 at 133 pounds, as junior Kamden Everly (22-14) recorded a fall over Wildcat sophomore Mario Serafini in 39 seconds of the second period. Leading 4-0 after one period, Everly reversed and pinned the young Wildcat, who was making his varsity debut. 

Wildcat sophomore Carnell Noone (16-7) registered three takedowns and a 6-3 lead before pinning the Huskie freshman Brian Albert (6-15) in 1:18 of the first period. The fall cut the Huskies lead to 15-9 after 139 pounds.

Wildcat senior standout Dalton Perry (22-2) gave the Wildcats their first lead of the dual meet, as recorded a fall over junior Colby Seiler (21-13) in just 12 seconds into the second period. Perry took an 8-3 lead into the second period and then took Seiler down to start the second and recorded the fall giving the Wildcats an 18-15 lead. 

The Wildcats bumped defending state champ Luke Simcox (18-1) up to 152 pounds to face Husky standout Parker Kearns (28-5). Simcox got a takedown in the first period for a 2-0 lead into the second period, which Simcox rode Kearns the entire period to keep it a 2-0 into the final period. Simcox got an escape and then with under a minute to go recorded another takedown for 5-0 win and put the Wildcats up 21-15. 

Wildcat junior Griffin Walizer (27-6) bumped up to 160 to face another Husky standout in senior Deakon Schaeffer (31-6). Schaeffer recorded the first takedown, Walizer later escaping to make it 2-1 after one period. Walizer had an escape in the second period to make it 2-2 going into the third period. Schaeffer got an escape to take a 3-2 lead and Walizer got in for a takedown attempt at the edge of the mat in the 

final 10 seconds. They were ruled off the mat and after a brief discussion by the two officials the call stood and the 3-2 score stood as well. 

The team score now being tied at 18-18, Wildcat junior Jacob Weaver (23-14) got the momentum back for the Wildcats, as he recorded a takedown in the final 25 seconds to win a 3-1 decision over the Huskies Avery Aurand (27-7) to give the Wildcats a 21-18 lead. Weaver had lost his last six bouts against Aurand, all close scores and this win came at a great time for Weaver and the Wildcats. 

Bryce Brungard (26-13) put the Wildcats up 24-18 with a hard fought 7-5 overtime decision over the Huskies Reese Christine (10-9). Brungard led 2-1 after one period, but Christine got a takedown to two Brungard escapes to make it 4-3 Brungard after two periods. Christine reversed Brungard, who later escaped to make it 5-5 after regulation. Christine shot in for a takedown attempt, but got stretched out too much and Brungard was able to work his way behind the Husky for the winning takedown. 

Senior Rocco Serafini (28-6) recorded four takedowns enroute to a 9-6 decision over Huskie senior Gavin Mickey (23-12) at 215 pounds. The match was tied 2-2 after one period and then 4-4 after two periods, as Serafini had a second period takedown to two Mickey escapes. Serafini then recorded an escape and two takedowns to come away with the win and upped the Wildcat lead to 27-18. 

Wildcat senior Giovanni Tarantella (13-8) used a late third period takedown to come away with a 3-1 decision over Husky sophomore Truitt Davis (19-13) to seal the victory for the Wildcats, their lead was now 30-18 with one bout left. With the dual meet wrapped up, the Huskies forfeited the 107 pound bout to Wildcat freshman Gavin Heverly (25-10) to set the final at 36-18. 

“This was a total team effort, we bumped some guys around to get match-ups we wanted and the guys responded. That is a very good team we beat tonight, the match was a lot closer than that score shows, as they are well coached and well disciplined. There were obviously a lot of bouts that could have gone either way, I’m just pleased the guys stayed aggressive in their whole bouts and came away with a lot of close wins in our favor,” stated Head Coach Biff Walizer after the hard fought win. 

“They started to get some momentum after 160, but Jacob Weaver coming up with his big win at 172 pounds really got the guys fired up. Carnell Noone also came up with a huge win at 139 and getting the bonus of the fall was big.” added Walizer.

The Wildcats, now 9-0, will head to Hershey next week to wrestle in the PIAA Class AAA Team Duals Championships. Their first round match will be against District 3 runner-up Boiling Springs (17-3), who fell to District 3 champion Gettysburg 44-15. Boiling Springs is guided by first year head coach and former LHU wrestler Kyle Shoop, who has done some previous training with many of the current Wildcat wrestlers. 

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN 50, STATE COLLEGE 23 

107 – Gavin Heverly (CM) WMD Noah Young, 11-3; 114 – Jon Whitbred (SC) WBF Collin Bauman, 1:55; 121 – Aiden Kunes (CM) WBF Jonathan Coates, 3:35; 127 – Patrick Tarantella (CM) WMD Nicholas Barrena, 14-3; 133 – James Whitbred (SC) WTF Jaggar Pardoe, 16-0, 4:00; 139 – Dalton Perry (CM) WBF Jacob Campbell, 1:04; 145 – Pierson Manville (SC) WBF Luke Ananea, 1:48; 152 – Luke Simcox (CM) WBF Brady Bucher, :57; 160 – Griffin Walizer (CM) WBF Levi Mellott, 1:42; 172 – Jacob Weaver (CM) WBF Alijah Al-Sulaimani, :46; 189- Bryce Brungard (CM) WBF Reagan Dillon, 1:32; 215 – Rocco Serafini won by forfeit; 285 – Nick Pavlechko (SC) won by forfeit. 

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN 36, MIFFLIN COUNTY 18 

114 – Preston Shawver (MC) WBF Collin Bauman, 1:34; 121 – Aiden Kunes (CM) WBD Jake Knable, 10-8; 127 – Blake Aumiller (MC) WBD Patrick Tarantella, 8-6sv; 133 – Kamden Everly WBF Mario Serafini, 2:39; 139 – Carnell Noone (CM) WBF Brian Albert, 1:18; 145 – Dalton Perry (CM) WBF Colby Seiler, 2:12; 152 – Luke Simcox (CM) WBD Parker Kearns, 5-0; 160 – 

Deakon Schaeffer (MC) WBD Griffin Walizer, 3-2; 172 – Jacob Weaver (CM) WBD Avery Aurand, 3-1; 189 – Bryce Brungard (CM) WBD Reese Christine, 7-5sv; 215 – Rocco Serafini (CM) WBD Gavin Mickey, 9-6; 285 – Giovanni Tarantella (CM) WBD Truitt Davis, 3-1; 107 – Gavin Heverly (CM) won by forfeit.