Perry, Tarantella Win District Titles, While Wildcats Finish Second

By Joe Walker

ALTOONA – Senior Dalton Perry and sophomore Patrick Tarantella both captured District 6 Class AAA individual titles and the Central Mountain Wildcats qualified seven wrestlers to advance into the Western Regional Tournament on February 28-29th at Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg. Districts 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 will all be represented in the tournament. 

The Wildcats finished in second place in the District 6 Class AAA team race, as the Altoona Mountain Lions rallied with an excellent final round to overtake the two-time defending champion Wildcats 181 to 178.5 points, as they crowned five champions. 

In the team race, the Wildcats led for most of the tournament by 10 to 12 points, until the final round, which consisted of the championship finals and the third place matches. When the round was finished, Altoona won 7 of their 10 matches in those two rounds, while the Wildcats managed to win just 3 of their 10 matches. The four win difference was enough for the Mountain Lions to claim the 2025 title, their first team title since 1981. 

In the finals the Wildcats came away with their pair of champs, as the top seeded Tarantella posted a 6-3 decision over third seeded Jake Knable (23-12) of Mifflin County in the finals to claim his first District crown. Tarantella was 2-0 on the day and will take a 31-13 record into the Western Regional Tournament.. 

Perry had little trouble in winning his third District title, as he pinned Bellefonte Freshman Andrew Gall (28-12) in 3:21 of their championship bout. Perry was also 2-0 on the day with two falls to run his season mark to 35-2 and has 96 career falls to his credit. 

The Wildcats had four wrestlers drop their championship finals bout, as returning champs Gavin Heverly (114) and Aiden Kunes (127), along with senior Bryce Brungard (189) and freshman Hayes Henry (285) were all defeated in their quest for District crowns. 

Second Seeded Heverly was leading State College freshman Kael Davis 4-3 when he surrendered a takedown in the final 10 seconds to drop a close 6-4 bout. It was top seeded Davis’ (17-7) second win over Heverly, who he defeated 2-1 in the King of The Mountain Tournament. Heverly will take a 29-9 record into the Western Regional tournament. 

Top seeded Kunes was leading Altoona freshman Deklan Barr (29-9) by a narrow 2-1 score, when he fell victim to a takedown with just five seconds remaining in their championship bout to lose a close 4-2 decision. Kunes had defeated Barr twice this season by scores of 7-1 and 11-2, but as they say, every time you wrestle the same guy it gets tougher to beat him and the Wildcat sophomore found out this time. Kunes will move on to the regional tournament with a 32-8 record. 

Second seeded Brungard dropped his second major decision match to top seeded Avery Aurand (27-5) of Mifflin County by a 9-0 score in the finals at 189 pounds. Brungard lost a 14-3 major decision to Aurand earlier in the season. Brungard is now 32-13 and moving onto the Regional tournament.

Wildcat freshman Hayes Henry was second seeded at 285 pounds, but ran into top seeded senior Peyton Kearns (27-4) of Mifflin County in the finals and the Husky recorded a 19-4 tech fall over the young Wildcat. Henry went 1-1 in the tourney and will take a 12-18 record into the regional tournament. 

Wildcat junior Collin Bauman was the seventh and final Wildcat to qualify for the regional tournament, as he took a third place finish at 121 pounds. Bauman used a takedown in the first overtime period to defeat Mifflin Countys’ Paxton Shawver (19-14) by a 5-2 score in their third place bout to earn his ticket to the regionals. 

Bauman pinned Shawver in the championship quarterfinals to first get his revenge, as Shawver had defeated Buaman by a 6-1 score earlier this season. Bauman posted a 3-1 record in the tournament and will take a 19-17 record in the regionals. 

Three Wildcats just missed their tickets to regionals, as freshman Hayes Donley (139), senior Luke Ananea (152) and junior Dalton McDermott (160) all lost their third place consolations to take fourth place finishes. Donley was 2-2 in the tourney to finish his season with a 13-10 record, while Ananea was also 2-2 and concluded his fine senior season with a 27-14 record. McDermott gave up a takedown with four seconds remaining to fall 7-5 in his third place match and went 2-2 to finish with a 20-15 record. 

Wildcat sophomore Kai Fravel went 2-2 at 215 pounds to finish in 5th place and finished the season with a 17-16 record, while young freshman Tanner McCall was 0-3 in the tourney and finished in sixth place with a 2-5 record in limited varsity action this season. 

Finishing behind Altoona and Central Mountain in the team race was MIfflin County with 162 points and three champs, while State College was fourth with 156 points and three champs. Bellefonte was fifth with 144.5 points and have five runner-ups, while Hollidaysburg was sixth with 109.5 points and no champs and Greater Johnstown round out the seven team field with just 12 points. 

The Central Mountain coaching staff of Biff Walizer, Doug Buckwalter, Dylan Caprio, Steve Krouse and Mike Brown were the District 6 Class AAA coaching staff of the year award. The Class AA coaching staff of the year award went to the Penns Valley staff of former Bald Eagle-Nittany product and Ram head coach Joel Brinker, who also won the Class AA Coach of The Year. Altoona Head Coach Joel Gilbert was named Class AAA Coach of the Year.’ 

State College 172 pound standout Asher Cunningham and Altoona standout Luke Sipes (160) both claimed their fourth District 6 titles, as they are 33rd and 34th District wrestlers to claim four district crowns. 

Former Bald Eagle-Nittany wrestler and coach Dave Pick was inducted into the District 6 Wrestling Hall of Fame prior to the championship finals. Pick wrestled at BEN from 1978 to 1980

and took a third place finish in the 1978 state tournament. He was two-time District 6 AA champion and was voted the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler in 1979. Pick started coaching in the elementary program and then one year in the BEN junior high and then served as a varsity assistant for nine seasons. Pick finished his wrestling career with a 79-9-2 record. 

Joining Pick in the Hall was former Lock Haven wrestler and longtime wrestling referee Randy Brungard. Brungard won a District title his senior year in 1973 and was a regional runner-up, finishing 18-3 on the season. Randy has officiated wrestling for 40 years and has officiated 38 straight District 6 tournaments, 15 regional tournaments, 6 state dual meet championships and 5 state individual tournaments. 

Three Bald Eagle Area wrestlers and coaches also were selected, Ed Hockenberry, Steve Millward and Don Peters all made their way into the Hall of Fame, along with former Hollidaysburg standout Charlie Brennamen. 

The real touching moment of the night came when current Mifflin County assistant coach Dale Searer and his late son Tyson were both selected to enter the Hall of Fame this year. Tyson was a standout athlete for both Lewistown and then Mifflin County, as he finished with 136 career wrestling victories and two state place finishes. The younger Searer passed away much too early at the young age of 29, as he left us in October of 2023 due to brain surgery complications.. 

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN RESULTS: 

CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS: 

121 – Collin Bauman (CM) pinned Paxton Shawver (Mifflin County), 3:01; … 139 – Hayes Donley (CM) dec. Sam Davidson (State College), 6-1; … 152 – Luke Ananea (CM) maj dec Mason Schenk (Hollidaysburg), 10-1; … 160 – Dalton McDermott (CM) dec. Brayan Aurand (Mifflin County), 7-0; … 172 – Jackson Long (Bellefonte) pinned Tanner McCall (CM) 3:14; … 189 – Bryce Brungard (CM) pinned Hunter Bowser (Johnstown), 1:18; … 215 – Kai Fravel (CM) pinned Izaiah Zeruth (State College), :52. 

CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS: 

114 – Gavin Heverly (CM) dec. Brayden Sidney (Hollidaysburg), 7-0; … 121 – Braiden Weaver (Altoona) pinned Collin Bauman (CM), 3:33; … 127 – Aiden Kunes (CM) tech fall Logan Krupka (Hollidaysburg), 15-0, 2:00; … 133 – Patrick Tarantella (CM) dec. Nicholas Berrena (State College), 6-2; … 139 – Gavin Ciampoli (Altoona) maj dec Hayes Donley (CM) 16-3; … 145 – Dalton Perry (CM) pinned Reese Hite (Altoona), 0:42; … 152 – Ezra Swisher (Bellefonte) maj dec Luke Ananea (CM) 10-0; … 160 – Noah Weaver (Bellefonte) tech fall Dalton McDermott (CM), 15–0, 1:15; … 189 – Bryce Brungard (CM) pinned Luke Hockenberry (Bellefonte), 3:33; 215 – Michael Colyer (Altoona) pinned Kai Fravel, 2:52; … 285 – Hayes Henry (CM) maj dec Scott Payne (Hollidaysburg), 17-4. 

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS:

121 – Collin Bauman (CM) pinned Nicholas Taranto (Johnstown), 2:33; … 139 – Hayes Donley (CM) pinned Caleb Detrick (Hollidaysburg), 1:53; … 152 – Luke Ananea (CM) tech fall Brayden Wible (Altoona), 18-0, 4:25; … 160 – Dalton McDermott (CM) pinned Aiden Schenk (Hollidaysburg), 2:17; … 172 – Reese Christine (Mifflin County) pinned Tanner McCall (CM), 1:35; … 215 – Rocco Cocciotti (Hollidaysburg) pinned Kai Fravel (CM), 2:07. 

CONSOLATION 5th PLACE: 

172 – Caleb Darpino (Altoona) dec Tanner McCall (CM), 12-8; … 215 – Kai Fravel (CM) tech fall Alonso Torres (Mifflin County), 18-0, 3:40. 

CONSOLATION 3rd PLACE: 

121 – Collin Bauman (CM) dec. Paxton Shawver (Mifflin County), 5-2 SV; … 139 – Cameron Garcia (Bellefonte) maj dec. Hayes Donley (CM), 15-3; … 152 – Colby Seiler (Mifflin County) tech fall Luke Ananea (CM), 19-4, 2:41; … 160 – Xavier Zeruth (State College) dec. Dalton McDermott (CM) 7-5; … 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS: 

107 – Andrew Alexander (Mifflin County) maj dec. Dom Nardozza (Altoona), 14-0; … 114 – Kael Davis (State College) dec. Gavin Heverly (CM), 6-4; … 121 – Braiden Weaver (Altoona) tech fall Landon Krupka (Hollidaysburg), 15-0, 1:12; … 127 – Deklan Barr (Altoona) dec. Aiden Kunes (CM) 4-2; … 133 – Patrick Tarantella (CM) dec. Jake Knable (Mifflin County), 6-3; … 139 – Gavin Ciampoli (Altoona) dec. Kamden Everly (Mifflin County), 7-2; … 145 – Dalton Perry (CM) pinned Andrew Gall (Bellefonte), 3:21; … 152 – James Whitbred (State College) maj dec Ezra Swisher (Bellefonte), 17-4; … 160 – Luke Sipes (Altoona) tech fall Noah Weaver (Bellefonte), 15-0, 1:15; . 172 – Asher Cunningham (State College) tech fall Jackson Long (Bellefonte), 18-3, 2:49; … 189 – Avery Aurand (Mifflin County) maj dec. Bryce Brungard (CM), 9-0; … 215 – Michael Colyer (Altoona) dec. Jack McHail (Bellefonte) 12-11; … 285 – Peyton Kearns (Mifflin County) tech fall Hayes Henry (CM) 19-4, 3:45.