Huskies Stun Wildcats, Eagles and Claim D6 Crown

TYRONE – Other than maybe some really hard core Lewistown area wrestling fans, no one likely saw this coming: the unheralded Mifflin County wrestling team came to the Tyrone High School gym Saturday afternoon and knocked off No. 2 seed Central Mountain 36-35 and followed up with a 36-33 stunner over No. 1 seed Bald Eagle Area.

The results mean the 11-5 Huskies, the No. 3 seed coming in, earned the District 6 AAA Dual Meet title and a trip to Hershey for the PIAA Dual Meet tournament starting next Thursday.

For Central Mountain, 12-2 on the season, it was a heartbreaking loss to a Mifflin County team it had defeated relatively handily in two January matches by scores of 41-21 and 40-24. But this time the Huskies reversed three bout results from the Jan. 24 dual, getting a buzzer-beating win at 220 pounds, a fall at the 1:59 mark of the third period at heavyweight and a middleweight fall reversing a bout outcome from the earlier dual. The final Husky fall, at 145 pounds, put the score at 35-35 and sent tournament officials to the rulebook to study the tiebreakers. After an extended period they announced MC won on the criteria for most bout “first points” scored, 12 to 9.

The loss was a shocker for Wildcat followers. In addition to the three bout turn-arounds from the Jan. 24 dual, Mifflin County did just enough in more than a few areas to earn the win including the last second points and two key major decision wins, both by the required 8-point margin. Put it all together the Huskies won, with the criteria point, by the final of 36-35.

It was a dual meet District 6 fans in attendance will remember for a while. It started at 152 pounds and the Central Mountain coaching staff made a lineup change right at the start, moving Logan Long (23-6) up from his regular 145 pound slot to go at 152 where he picked up a fall. Mifflin County would record a major and a fall at the next two weights to take a 10-6 lead. As part of the juggling, Central Mountain ended up bypassing standout Asher Corl (21-6). Tanner Weaver (25-4) moved up to 182 pounds and earned an 11-3 major to tie the dual at 10-10. Tanner Riggle (13-14) regained the lead for the Wildcats with a fall at 195.

But Mifflin County regained the momentum with a decision and fall at the last two weights for a 19-16 lead. The Huskies forfeited to the ‘Cats’ Jason Rinker (9-3) at 106 pounds and CM was back on top at 22-19. Mifflin County’s Christian Fisher earned a major at 113 for a 23-22 Husky lead but Dalton Bechdel (18-11) responded with a hard-earned 7-5 win at 120 pounds for a 25-23 CM lead with four bouts to go.

Mifflin County went back on top with a fall at 126 for a 29-25 lead. Cody Coleman (19-8) answered back with a 13-2 major and the dual was tied at 29-all. The Huskies forfeited to Seth Andrus (25-3) at 138 pounds and it was 35-29 with a bout to go. But MC’s John Retherford tied things up, 35-35, with a fall at 145 pounds and it was on to the rulebook for the determination that the Huskies had won.

Mifflin County carried over its momentum into the championship match against BEA (13-1). The dual started at 160 pounds and the Huskies blitzed to a 36-12 lead with four bouts to go. When BEA could not get a fall at 132 the score was 36-15 and the dual meet decided. Mifflin County then forfeited the final three weights to BEA’s standout trio of Seth Koleno, Garrett Rigg and Gage McClenahan to put the final at 36-33 the Huskies as the Mifflin County team sent both BEA and Central Mountain down the Bald Eagle Valley with rare losses.

BEA had defeated Bellefonte, 49-22 in the other semifinal. Westmont-Hilltop downed Huntingdon, 36-33 in the AA district final.

Central Mountain will now be off until a final dual meet, at Hollidaysburg, Thursday, Feb. 15. The District 6 individual tournament will follow on Saturday, Feb. 24.

MIFFLIN COUNTY – 36 CENTRAL MOUNTAIN – 35 (Mifflin County wins on criteria No. 8 most bout points scored)
152 – Logan Long, Central Mountain, pinned Brycen Hassinger, Mifflin County, 2:45.
160 – Trey Kibe, Mifflin County, major dec. Alonzo Henry, Central Mountain, 12-4.
170 – Trent Hidlay, Mifflin County, pinned Austin Confer, Central Mountain, 0:26.
182 – Tanner Weaver, Central Mountain, major dec. Jacob Krepps, Mifflin County, 11-3.
195 – Tanner Riggle, Central Mountain, pinned Dylan Grassmyer, Mifflin County, 4:50.
220 – Kross Today, Mifflin County, dec. Mahlik Houtz, Central Mountain, 3-1.
285 – Bronson Smith-Price, Mifflin County, pinned Jacob Edwards, Central Mountain, 5:59.
106 – Jason Rinker, Central Mountain, received a forfeit.
113 – Christian Fisher, Mifflin County, major dec. Johnny Shreffler, Central Mountain, 9-0.
120 – Dalton Bechdel, Central Mountain, dec. Derek Burk, Mifflin County, 7-5.
126 – Logan Wise, Mifflin County, pinned Davis Seyler, Central Mountain, 1:15.
132 – Cody Coleman, Central Mountain, major dec. Josh Snook, Mifflin County, 13-2.
138 – Seth Andrus received a forfeit.
145 – John Rutherford, Mifflin County, pinned Lane Porter, Central Mountain, 2:13.