WILDCATS PIN THEIR WAY TO 71-5 WIN OVER SHAMOKIN

By Joe Walker

MILL HALL – Coming off the winning of the Coudersport Duals over the weekend, the Central Mountain Wildcat varsity boys wrestling team did not have a letdown against an undermanned Shamokin Indian squad, as the Wildcats dominated with seven falls and received three forfeits to dominated the Indians by a 71-5 decision. 

Sophomore Patrick Tarantella opened the dual meet at 139 pounds with a fall over the Indians’ Zachariah Randall in :59 seconds of the first period, the Wildcat soph was leading 15-4 at the time of the fall. Wildcat senior Dalton Perry followed with a 34 second fall over Joyce Zinck at 145 pounds to make it a 12-0 lead. The fall was Perrys’ 80th and he is currently ranked fifth all-time in Clinton County history and one behind Brian Brills’ 81 for fourth place. 

Senior Luke Ananea kept the pin train rolling at 152 pounds, as he pinned Indian freshman Trey Taylor in 1:24 of the first period to give the Wildcats a quick 18-0 lead heading into 160 pounds. The Indians got their only points of the dual meet at 160, as senior Chase Pensyl recorded a 19-2 tech fall in 1:03 of the first period over Wildcat freshman Dakoda Packer-Edwards. Pensyl is now 13-3 on the season and was 29-6 last season. 

Leading 18-5, the Wildcats got things rolling again at 172, as Dalton McDermott went out and took down the Indians’ Jesse Villari and recorded a fall in just 11 seconds, upping the Wildcat lead to 24-5. Bryce Brungard received a forfeit win at 189 and increased the Wildcat lead to 30-5. Sophomore Kai Fravel upped the Wildcat lead to 36-5 by pinning Tristen Campbell in one minute of the first period. 

In the bout that went the longest, Wildcat freshman Hayes Henry used three takedowns to lead 11-5 and then pinned the Indians’ Robert Witmer with just six seconds left in the bout and put the Wildcats up 42-5 after the 285 pound bout. 

Wildcat sophomore Cael Dorman recorded another first period fall at 107, as he pinned Indian freshman Ashton Hughes in 1:37 of the first period and the Wildcat lead went to 48-5. Gavin Heverly gave a takedown clinic at 114 pounds, as he recorded five takedowns and three back points enroute to a solid 18-3 technical fall 19 seconds into the second period. 

Collin Bauman recorded the final fall of the night, as the Wildcat junior recorded a fall in 32 seconds of the first period to put the Wildcats up 59-5. Aiden Kunes (127) and Luke Garman (133) both received forfeit wins to set the final tally at 71-5 to help the Wildcats stay unbeaten at 7-0 on the season. 

“We wrestled well at the Coudersport Duals to claim the title and then you come back and wrestle a team you are a heavy favorite over, you worry that there could be a letdown by some of the guys. We did not see that tonight, the guys were aggressive and got the falls quickly against a young team” commented Walizer after the win. 

“Was really pleased with Hayes Henry, as he didn’t get himself into some bad positions against one of their better record guys. When his opponent shot for a takedown and got stretched out, Hayes was real quick and didn’t hesitate by countering that with go behinds three times for takedowns and then got the fall. Dakoda just happened to run into their best wrestler by far in Pensyl, a lot of talent and experience was in his favor, but Dakoda is doing well for us and learning a lot as a freshman.” added Walizer. 

The Wildcats will be back in action this Thursday night when they host the Seals of Selinsgrove in a Heartland Conference match-up. The dual meet will start at 5:30 with the junior high match to follow. The junior high match will also involve the Little Bucks junior high team from Bucktail. 

The Wildcats then will travel to the Indian Convention Center on Friday and Saturday for the 53-team Mid-Winter Mayhem Tournament, as they were runner-ups last year to Bishop McCort in the team race. 

The Wildcats honored a pair of longtime junior high wrestling coaches, as Don Adams and Eric Coleman are both being inducted to the Central Mountain High School Hall of Fame. Adams coached for both Bald Eagle-Nittany and Central Mountain junior high, while Coleman coached the Lock Haven junior and senior high programs and then the Central Mountain junior high program. Coleman was inducted to the District 6 Hall of Fame last February at the District 6 Championships. 

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN 71, SHAMOKIN 5 

139 – Patrick Tarantella (CM) pinned Zachariah Randall, :59 (6-0) ….. 145 – Dalton Perry (CM) pinned Jayce Ginck, :34 (12-0) ….. 152 – Luke Ananea (CM) pinned Trey Taylor, 1:24 (18-0) ….160 – Chase Pensyl (S) tech fall Dakoda Packer-Edwards, 19-2, 1:03 (18-5) ….. 172 – Dalton McDermott (CM) pinned Jesse Villari, :11 (24-5) ….. 189 – Bryce Brungard (CM) won by forfeit (30-5) ….. 215 – Kai Fravel (CM) pinned Tristen Campbell, 1:00 (36-5) …… 285 – Hayes Henry (CM) pinned Robert Whitmer 5:54 (42-5) ….. 107 – Cael Dorman (CM) pinned Ashton Hughes, 1:37 (48-5) ….. 114 – Gavin Heverly (CM) tech fall Xavier Carr, 18-3, 2:19 (53-5) ….. 121 – Collin Bauman (CM) pinned Logan Pensyl, :32 (59-5). 127 – Aiden Kunes (CM) won by forfeit (65-5) …133 – Luke Garman (CM) won by forfeit (71-5).