WILDCAT TEAM DEPTH CARRIES THEM TO WIN
By Joseph Walker
MILL HALL – Five matches into the dual meet, the Central Mountain found themselves with a slim 12-10 lead against the Shikallemy Braves, but the Wildcats proceeded to win six of the next eight bouts to come away with a solid 42-19 Heartland Conference victory.
“It was a total team win tonight, as we were missing three guys, but it was the next man up and the kids came through big tonight. We bumped some guys up a weight in the middle and they came through, Alton Counsil and Tanner McCall came through big for us. Tanner had to put on a couple pounds earlier today in order to weigh in at the cutoff weight for 189 and then be allowed to move up to 215,” commented a very happy Wildcat Head Coach Biff Walizer after the win.
“Alton did a nice job of riding in the third period to come away with his win. Patrick Tarantella had two really close matches with his guy last year but controlled his match with him tonight. Hayes (Henry) got pinned twice last year by Brody (Rebuck), but even though he lost tonight, he showed improvement, as Brody is a really tough wrestler,” added Walizer
“We talked to the kids about Central Mountain wrestling and what we expect from them and tonight I think we saw them get a lot closer to that. It was a lot better then how we looked Tuesday against Mifflin County, who is always good, and if you don’t wrestle up to your abilities they will beat you”, continued Walizer.
Wildcat freshman Hunter Nace (now 2-3) got things started at 107, as he used a five point move in the second period to be the difference in a tough 9-7 decision win. Freshman Angelo Tarantella (3-4) had a tough draw in veteran Brave senior Max Hollman at 114. Hollman used three takedowns to help come away with a 15-3 decision and put the Braves up 4-3.
Wildcat junior Gavin Heverly (5-2) put the Wildcats back in the lead at 121, as using six takedowns to come away with a 19-4 tech fall at the end of the second period and put the Wildcats up 8-4.
The Braves took back the lead by a 10-8 score at 127, as the Braves took down and then caught Wildcat junior Collin Bauman (2-5) for a fall 25 seconds into the final period. Unfortunately Bauman was injured during the move and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Once action resumed, junior Patrick Tarantella (7-1) used two tackedowns and three nearfall points to come away with a solid 10-1 major decision over the Braves Keatin Lattimore at 133 pounds. Sophomore Hayes Donley (3-3) used four big back points at the end of the match to
come away a wild hard fought 15-12 win at 139 and the two wins put the Wildcats Up 15-10.
Junior Alton Counsil (3-2) held a tight 5-3 lead after two periods, but then put on a riding clinic in the final period, thus allowing him to earn a stallion penalty point to come away with a solid 6-3 decision win at 145. Luke Garman (3-2) promptly went out and got a takedown and recorded a fall over Jewlius Morales in 1:23 of the first period to up the Wildcat lead to 24-10 after 152.
Wildcat junior Aiden Kunes (5-1) weighed in for 152, but bumped up to 160 and recorded a fall in 1:22 of the first period over the Braves’ Aiden Cox. Senior Dalton McDermott (4-3) followed that with a fall in 3:20 of his 172 pound bout and assured a Wildcat team victory, as they now led 36-10 with three bouts left.
Junior Brody Hockenberry made his varsity debut at 189, but ran into Brave standout Christian Boetsch (son of Brave Head Coach Tim Boetsch) and was pinned in 1:57 of the first period and cut the Wildcat lead to 36-16. Sophomore Tanner McCall (2-3) jumped to 215, weighing in at 174 pounds and promptly went out and got a takedown and then pinned the Braves Jaxon Snyder in 58 seconds and put the Wildcats up 42-16.
The final bout of the evening pitted Wildcat sophomore 285 pounder Hayes Henry (5-1) against Brave standout athlete Brody Rebuck, who placed eighth in the state last season and had 106 career wins entering the bout. Rebuke used two takedowns to decision Henry by a 7-0 score, as Henry was coming off a tourney title at the Top Hat last weekend, but suffered his first loss of the season. Rebuck, who has committed to wrestle at Lock Haven University., set the final score at 42-19.
The Wildcat junior high recorded its first dual meet win of the season with a 48-32 win over the Little Braves. Winning by fall for the Little Wildcats were Carter Leone, Roman Weikel, Jack Stout, Dylan McDermott and Beckham Weaver. Brad Brungard, Kaiden Daniels and Kyle Witherite all received forfeit wins to set the final score.
The next action for the Wildcat varsity is this weekend, as they will compete in the 42-team Penn Manor Holiday Tournament at Penn Manor High School in Millersville. They will then wrap up the month of December by hosting the annual King of the Mountain tournament on Friday and Saturday, December 19-20.
CENTRAL MOUNTAIN 42, SHIKALLEMY 19
107 – Hunter Nace (CM) dec. Austin Wolfe, 9-7, (3-0) ….. 114 – Max Hollman (S) maj dec. Angelo Tarantella, 15-3 (3-4) ….. 121 – Gavin Heverly (CM) tech fall Bobby Felmy, 19-4, 4:00 (8-4) ….. 127 – Brayton Chestnut (S) pinned Collin Bauman, 4:25 (8-10) ….. 133 – Patrick Tarantella (CM) maj dec Keatin Lattimore, 10-1 (12-10) ….. 139 – Hayes Donley (CM) dec. Ryder Borich, 15-12 (15-10) ….. 145 – Alton Counsil (CM) dec. Drake Beyer, 6-3 (18-10) …..152 – Luke Garman (CM) pinned Jewlius Morales, 1:23 (24-10) ….. 160 – Aiden Kunes (CM) pinned Aiden Cox, 1:22 (30-10) ….. 172 – Dalton McDermott (CM) pinned Dominic Molice, 3:20 (36-10) ….. 189 – Christian Boetsch (S) pinned Brody Hockenberry, 1:57 (36-16) ….. 215 – Tanner McCall (CM) pinned Jaxon Snyder, :58 (42-16) ….. 285 – Brody Rebuck (S) dec. Hayes Henry, 7-0 (42-19).
