WILDCATS DOMINATE IN MID-SEASON BATTLE OF UNBEATENS
By Joe Walker
MILL HALL – Staying aggressive is important in wrestling and the Central Mountain Wildcats followed an aggressive 71-5 win over Shamokin Monday night with another one Thursday night, as they dominated the Seals of Selinsgrove 57-9 to remain unbeaten at 8-0 on the season and hand the Seals their first loss of the season.
“It reminded me of the Bald Eagle Area match where we were able to get most of the toss-up bouts and then get falls at weights we were favored. We had a couple of guys get behind early in their bouts, but stayed aggressive and worked their way back for wins, commented Wildcat head coach Biff Walizer after the win.
The Wildcats got going at 215, as sophomore Kai Fravel (8-6) got the initial takedown and then pinned the Seals’ Rayshawn Warren in 54 seconds of the first period and a 6-0 Wildcat lead. The Seals closed to 6-5 at 285 pounds, as standout Jack Peters (12-1) posted a 17-1 tech fall over young Wildcat freshman Hayes Henry (7-9).
The dual meet flipped to the lightweights and the Wildcats got rolling, as Bucktail sophomore Cael Dorman got the takedown and pinned Seal freshman Colten Kratzer in 39 seconds of the first period. Sophomore Gavin Heverly (14-3) followed up with a fall in 1:09 of the first period over Seal senior Mike Zettlemoyer to put the Wildcats up 18-5.
In one of the toss-up bouts Coach Walizer mentioned, Wildcat junior Collin Bauman (8-8) was down 4-2 after the first period, but then escaped and recorded a takedown in the second period to lead 6-4. Bauman then rode the Seals’ Anthony Snook (3-3) out the final period to win the 6-4 decision and a 21-5 Wildcat lead after 121 pounds.
The Seals got back on the scoreboard at 127 pounds as freshman Cael Badman (8-4) won a 13-4 major decision over Wildcat sophomore Luke Garman to cut it to a 21-9 lead. Sophomore Aiden Kunes (15-3) increased the Wildcat lead to 24-9 at 133 pounds, as he handed the Seals” Alex Kadryina (12-5) a 9-3 decision in another Wildcat win of a toss-up bout.
Wildcat sophomore Patrick Tarantella (14-6) built up a 15-1 lead and then pinned the Seals’ Ryan Harpster (5-2) in just 14 seconds into the final period, which was followed by senior Dalton Perry (17-0) who pinned Nathan Martin (6-4) in 13 seconds of the second period to put the Wildcats up 36-9 after 145 pounds and put the dual meet out of reach for the Seals.
Senior Luke Ananea (12-5) built up a 10-1 lead and then recorded a fall over Seal sophomore Carter Cain (5-4) in 1:37 of the second period to up the lead to 42-9. Freshman Dakoda Packer-Edwards (6-7) trailed 9-6 after two periods at 160 pounds, then gave up an escape to fall behind 10-6, but he then took down the Seals’ Matt Snook (5-4) and recorded the fall in 1:04 of the final period and the Wildcats led 48-9.
Wildcat junior Dalton McDermott gave up a reverse to trail 5-3 in the second period, but he re-reversed the Seals’ Elijah Billheim and recorded a fall in 1:02 of second period to increase the lead to 54-9. The in the final toss-up bout of the night, Wildcat senior Bryce Brungard (14-6) got an escape mid way through the final period and then recorded the clinching takedown with nine seconds left to come away with a 10-5 win over the Seals’ Ethan Miller (10-5) to set the final at a lopsided 57-9.
The Wildcats are back in action this Friday and Saturday, as they will be in the 53-team Mid-Winter Mayhem Tournament on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Wrestling action gets started Friday at 9 am. Along with Central Mountain some other District 6 teams include Altoona and Bald Eagle Area and of course all 52 teams will be chasing tournament favorite and District 6 Class AA powerhouse Bishop McCort.
CENTRAL MOUNTAIN 57, SELINSGROVE 9
215 – Kai Fravel (CM) pinned Rayshawn Warren, :54 (6-0) ….. 285 – Jack Peters (S) tech fall Hayes Henry, 17-1, 5:55, (6-5) ….. 107 – Cael Dorman (CM) pinned Colten Kratzer, :39 (12-5) . 114 – Gavin Heverly (CM) pinned Mike Zettlemoyer, 1:09 (18-5) ….. 121 – Collin Bauman (CM) dec. Anthony Snook, 6-4 (21-5) ….. 127 – Cael Badman (S) maj dec Luke Garman, 13-4 (21-9). 133 – Aiden Kunes (CM) dec. Alex Kadryna, 9-3 (24-9) ….. 139 – Patrick Tarantella (CM) pinned’ Ryan Harpster, 4:14 (30-9) ….. 145 – Dalton Perry (CM) pinned Nathan Martin, 2:13 (36-9) ….. 152 – Luke Ananea (CM) pinned Carter Cain, 1:37 (42-9) ….. 160 – Dakoda Packer-Edwards (CM) pinned Matt Snook, 5:04 (48-9) ….. 172 – Dalton McDermott (CM) pinned Elijah Billheim, 3:02 (54-9) ….. 189 – Bryce Brungard (CM) dec. Ethan Miller, 10-5 (57-9)
