Central Mountain Repeats as Top Hat Champs
WILLIAMSPORT—The Central Mountain wrestling team used team balance in claiming the Tom Best Memorial Top Hat tourney title a year ago. The Wildcats did the same thing this year with an even more dominant performance in bringing home the first place trophy on Saturday.
A year the Wildcats took the title with 174 points but did even better this time around, piling up 209 points to easily outdistance second place Line Mountain’s 149.5. The ‘Cats crowned three champs, led by 170 pound titlist Tanner Weaver (4-0) who took the trophy for the most pins in the least amount of time, four in 11:42. They included a first period deck job in the finals over Brent Burbules of Fort LeBoeuf.
Other CM champs were fellow seniors Seth Andrus at 132 pounds and Logan Long at 145 pounds. Andrus went 4-0, including an 11-6 championship bout win over Charles Everdale of Hazleton. Long earned his title with a 4-0 start to the season, his title bout a 3-0 win over Caleb Freeland of Clearfield.
The Wildcats had two runners-up: Johnny Shreffler (2-1) fell in the 113 pound final by an 11-3 score to Jacob Blair of Muncy; and heavyweight Jake Edwards (3-1), after a 3-0 start with three falls, was pinned by Danny Scheib, a returning PIAA Double-A runner-up from Tri Valley.
Central Mountain’s balance saw them get a third at 138 from Cody Coleman (4-1); fourths from Asher Corl (3-2) at 160 and Tanner Riggle (2-2) at 220; a sixth from Austyn Carson (3-3) at 152; and seventh place finishes from Dalton Bechdel (3-2) at 120 and Kayden Busey (2-2) at 126. Two other Wildcats contributed team points but did not place: Austin Confer (1-2) at 182 and Gage Sutliff (1-2) at 195.
Head coach Biff Walizer said he was “pretty pleasesdoverall…and everyone was fighting from top to bottom.” He indicated there are areas for improvement and noted there will be some lineup revisions as the season unfolds.
Central Mountain has taken the title the last two years after Jersey Shore earned the Top Hat crown in 2015. This time around the Bulldogs finished in 15th place with 60.5 points and three place-winners in Kyle Tomb seventh at 170, Hunter O’Connor, fourth at 182 pounds and David Tomb, fifth at 195. ‘Shore brought seven wrestlers to the event.
Next up for the Wildcats will be a dual meet at Shamokin on Tuesday, Dec. 12, then back home to host their annual King of the Mountain tournament Friday and Saturday, Dec. 15 and 16.
The Wildcat junior high team started its season at the Selinsgrove Duals Saturday and went 5-0, sweeping to the title.
TOP 10 TOURNAMENT TEAMS
| PLACE | TEAM | SCORE | CHAMPIONS |
| 1 | Central Mountain | 209 | 3 |
| 2 | Line Mountain | 149.5 | 1 |
| 3 | Muncy | 146.5 | 2 |
| 4 | Montoursville | 142.5 | 3 |
| 5 | Mifflinburg | 131 | 1 |
| 6 | Fort LeBoeuf | 123.5 | 1 |
| 7 | Cocalico | 112.5 | |
| 8 | Clearfield | 112 | 2 |
| 9 | Hazleton Area | 109 | |
| 10 | Mechanicsburg | 102 |
| Consolation Second Round |
|---|
| 106 – Seth Donovan, Titusville, major dec. Anson Zimmerman, Central Mountain, 10-0. |
| 120 – Dalton Bechdel, Central Mountain, pinned Peyton Stay, Clearfield, 2:30. |
| 126 – Kayden Busey, Central Mountain, dec. Blake Harner, Tri-Valley, 5-2. |
| 182 – Nate Powley, Williamsport, pinned Austin Confer, Central Mountain, 1:23. |
| 195 – Cael Hembury, Muncy dec. Gage Sutliff, Central Mountain, 6-2. |
| Semi Final Round |
|---|
| 113 – Johnny Shreffler, Central Mountain, tech fall Seth Fritz, Cocalico, 5:37 (16-0). |
| 132 – Seth Andrus, Central Mountain, dec. Nick Tewell, Mechanicsburg, 9-5. |
| 138 – Joe Klock, Muncy, pinned Cody Coleman, Central Mountain, 0:17. |
| 145 – Logan Long, Central Mountain, pinned Caleb Shaffer, Line Mountain, 1:07. |
| 152 – Trenton Pace, Fort Le Bouef, dec. Austyn Carson, Central Mountain, 8-7. |
| 160 – Tyler Stoltzfus, Mifflinburg, pinned Asher Corl, Central Mountain, 4:46. |
| 170 – Tanner Weaver, Central Mountain, pinned Cavin Sullivan, South Western, 3:42. |
| 220 – Cameron Wood, Montoursville, dec. Tanner Riggle, Central Mountain, 3-2. |
| 285 – Jacob Edwards, Central Mountain, pinned Ethan Williamson, 2:50. |
| Consolation Quarterfinal Round |
|---|
| 120 – Mario Barberio, Muncy pinned Dalton Bechdel, Central Mountain, 4:04. |
| 126 – Ben Heirich, Hughesville, dec. Kayden Busey, 7-2. |
| Consolation Semi-Final Round |
|---|
| 138 – Cody Coleman, Central Mountain, dec. Nate Reed, Mechanicsburg, 7-6. |
| 152 – Lucianio, DeRose, Titusville, dec. Austyn Carson, 3-2. |
| 160 – Asher Corl, Central Mountain, dec. Torren Potts, Williamsport, 2-0. |
| 195 – |
| 220 – Tanner Riggle, Central Mountain, pinned Joe Jacobson, Titusville, 5:39 |
| Consolation Finals 7th Place |
|---|
| 120 – Dalton Bechdel, Central Mountain, dec. Luke Gorg, Hughesville, 4-0. |
| 126 – Kayden Busey, Central Mountain, dec. Colby Ernst, Schuylkill Valley, 8-5. |
| Consolation Final 5th Place |
|---|
| 152 – Devyn Gurreri, Red Lion, dec. Austyn Carson, Central Mountain, 6-3. |
| Consolation Final 3rd Place |
|---|
| 138 – Cody Coleman, Central Mountain, dec. Cam Dickey, Williamsport, 3-2. |
| 160 – Ethan Baney, South Western, dec. Asher Corl, Central Mountain, 5-3. |
| 220 – Joseph Bearinger, Cocalico, pinned Tanner, Riggle, Central Mountain, 1:31. |
| Championship Final |
|---|
| 113 – Jacob Blair, Muncy, major dec. Johnny Shreffler, Central Mountain, 11-3. |
| 132 – Seth Andrus, Central Mountain, dec. Charles Everdale, Hazleton Area, 11-6. |
| 145 – Logan Long, Central Mountain, dec. Caleb Freeland, Clearfield, 3-0. |
| 170 – Tanner Weaver, Central Mountain, pinned Brent Burbules, Fort LeBoeuf, 1:10. |
| 285 – Danny Scheib, Tri-Valley, pinned Jacob Edwards, Central Mountain, 2:36. |
