Wildcats Win District Crown Advance 10 Wrestlers

By Joe Walker

ALTOONA- In another close team race, the Central Mountain Wildcats defended their District 6 title by advancing 10 wrestlers into next week’s Northwest Class AAA Regional Tournament. The Wildcats finished with 206 points, edging out Mifflin County who finished in second place with 199.5 points and advanced 11 wrestlers. 

Wildcat wrestlers moving on to the regional tournament were champions Gavin Heverly (107), Aiden Kunes (121), Dalton Perry (139) and Rocco Serafini (215). Taking second place finishes were Luke Simcox (145), Griffin Walizer (152) and Bryce Brungard (189). Advancing with third place honors were Patrick Tarantella (127), Hunter Donley (160) and Jacob Weaver (172). 

“It was a team effort, but I still think we were not as crisp as we could be, but it is about advancing to the next week and we were able to move 10 guys onto next week. It was great to win the team title and in most cases we wrestled to our seeds, but we had places we didn’t. “ commented head coach Biff Walizer. 

“I will say the guys who came back to take third also got us a lot of bonus points and a lot of people look at the guys in the finals first, but sometimes it is those guys that comeback and get bonus points that can make a big difference between winning a close team title and not winning” added Walizer 

Heverly got the Wildcats started in the finals, as he built up an 8-2m lead before pinning mNoah Young of State College to give the freshman his first District title. Heverly will move into the regionals with a 32-10 record on the season. 

Classmate Kunes (31-13) was in command of his 121 pound title match and posted a 12-2 major decision over Jake Knable of Mifflin County in the finals. Perry (29-2) recorded six takedowns before pinning Jacob Campbell of State College just 14 seconds into the second period for the Wildcats’ third titleist. 

In the big match-up at 145 pounds, three-time District 6 champion Simcox (23-3) defaulted his championship bout to three-time District champion Pierson Manville just one second into the match. It was decided that with Simcox still recovering from a shoulder injury, that he would get one more week of recovery time before most likely tangling with the very talented Manville. 

“We decided to give one more week of recovery time before going against the very good Manville. But next weekend if they meet again we are going to let it fly and see how it goes,” state coach Walizer. 

Wildcat senior Walizer (32-8) gave up a first period takedown to Altoona standout Luke Sipes at 152 pounds and that finished as the deciding points, as Sipes (30-5) won a 3-1 decision. Both wrestlers entered the match as being two time state placewinners. The win also earned Sipes the Outstanding Wrestler Award. 

Brungard (29-17) surrendered two takedowns in the first two periods to trail 4-2 going into the final period at 189 against Gavin Mickey of Mifflin County. Mickey escaped to take a 5-4 lead, but with 18 seconds to go Brungard got a takedown to make it 5-4. Brungard let Mickey go for an escape to make it 6-4, but the Wildcat junior could not get a takedown and 6-4 was the final. 

Eliminated from further action for the season were Collin Bauman (114), Jaggar Pardoe (133) and Giovanni Tarantella (285). Tarantella was the second seed, but got caught in pinned in the semifinals and with an ailing shoulder forfeited out of the rest of the tournament.

“It was too bad for Gio getting the shoulder injury and it being his senior season, but I give him a lot of credit as he might not have placed here like he would liked, but he came threw big for us at the state duals and got the clinching win in the dual meet for third place, if fact he won all his bouts at state duals” added Walizer. 

Rocco Serafini (215) wrapped the team title up for the Wildcats, as he captured his third District 6 title with a fall in 1:59 of his championship bout with Evan Boose of Altoona. Serafini also captured his 100th career win in the semifinals, as he posted a :52 second fall over Paul Tisinger of Greater Johnstown in the semifinals. Serafini is now 101-43 in his career and joins teammates Dalton Perry, Luke Simcox and Griffin Walizer in the 100 win club.

Coach Walizer was named District 6 Class AAA coach of the year, while the Central Mountain staff was named District 6 Class AAA coaching staff of the year. His varsity assistants are Doug Buckwalter, Steve Krouse, Dylan Caprio (also Head Girls Coach), Mike Brown and Brad Lloyd. 

The 10 Wildcats will return to Altoona next Friday and Saturday for the Northwest Regional Tournament with wrestlers from Districts 4, 8, 9 and 10. Times and pairings have not been announced at press time, but we will make sure that info gets out once announced. 

TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Central Mountain 206; 2. Mifflin County, 199.5; 3, State College, 195; 4. Altoona, 159; 5. Hollidaysburg, 129; 6. Greater Johnstown, 21. 

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN RESULTS 

Championship Quarterfinals 

114 – Jon Whitbred (State College) WBF Collin Bauman, 1:53 

172 – Jacob Weaver WBF Devin Barrett (Johnstown), :31 

Championship Semifinals 

107 – Gavin Heverly WBD Brayden Sidney (Hollidaysburg), 3-1 

121 – Aiden Kunes WBF Johnathan Coates (State College), 2:12 

127 – Gavin Ciampoli (Altoona) WMD Patrick Tarantella, 15-2 

133 – James Whitbred (State College) WTF Jaggar Pardoe 17-0, 4:00 

139 – Dalton Perry WBF Mason Schenk (Hollidaysburg), :36 

145 – Luke Simcox WBF Luke Geishauser (Altoona), :24 

152 – Griffin Walizer WBF Brady Bucher (State College), :40 

160 – Deakon Schaeffer (Mifflin County) WTF Hunter Donley, 17-2, 5:04 

172 – Mitchell Barroner (Hollidaysburg) WBD Jacob Weaver, 7-2 

189 – Bryce Brungard WBF Tyson Bridenbaugh (Hollidaysburg), 4:48 

215 – Rocco Serafini WBF Paul Tisinger (Johnstown), :52 

285 – Wyatt Maines (Hollidaysburg) WBF Giovanni Tarantella, 1:11 

Consolation Semifinals 

114 – Landon Krupka (Hollidaysburg) WBD Collin Bauman, 7-4 

127 – Patrick Tarantella WBF Carson Krupka (Hollidaysburg), 3:35 

160 – Hunter Donley WBF Matthew Riccio (Altoona), 2:26 

172 – Jacob Weaver WBD Xavier Zeruth (State College), 5-3 

285 – Dekker Pietzsch (Mifflin County) WB FOR Giovanni Tarantella 

Consolation Third Place 

127 – Patrick Tarantella WBD Nicholas Berrena (State College), 6-3 

133 – Jacob Bura (Hollidaysburg) WBF Jaggar Pardoe, 2:46 

160 – Hunter Donley WBF Aiden Schank (Hollidaysburg), 2:21 

172 – Jacob Weaver WBF Tykear Davis (Altoona), 2:43 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS 

107 – Gavin Heverly (Central Mountain) WBF Noah Young (State College), 5:43 

114 – Braiden Weaver (Altoona) WBF Paxton Shawver (Mifflin County), 1:03

121 – Aiden Kunes (Central Mountain) WMD Jake Knable (Mifflin County), 12-2 127 – Gavin Ciampoli (Altoona) WMD Blake Aumiller (Mifflin County), 10-1 133 – James Whitbred (State College) WBD Kamden Everly (Mifflin County) 139 – Dalton Perry (Central Mountain) WBDF Jacob Campbell (State College), 2:14 145 – Pierson Manville (State College) WB Def Luke Simcox (Central Mountain) :01 152 – Luke Sipes (Altoona) WBD Griffin Walizer (Central Mountain), 3-1 160 – Asher Cunningham (State College) WTF Deakon Schaeffer (Mifflin County), 17-2, 5:04 172 – Avery Aurand (Mifflin County) WBD Mitchell Baronner (Hollidaysburg) 5-0 189 – Gavin Mickey (Mifflin County) WBD Bryce Brungard (Central Mountain) 6-4 215 – Rocco Serafini (Central Mountain) WBF Evan Boose (Altoona), 1:59 285 – Nick Pavlechko (State College) WBF Wyatt Maines (Hollidaysburg), :56