Wildcats Finish Second at Tom Best Memorial Top Hat Tournament

WILLIAMSPORT – The Central Mountain wrestling team made a more than representative showing at the annual Tom Best Memorial Top Hat tournament Saturday, but first-time entrant Saucon Valley did even better, the Panthers crowning six individual champs in romping to the title.

Saucon Valley finished with 233.5 points while defending champion Central Mountain settled for second place in the 21-team field with 187 points. Line Mountain was third with 152.5 points.

The Wildcats did place nine wrestlers, paced by senior Johnny Shreffler. A Top Hat runner-up last season, Shreffler was dominant this year in claiming the 120 pound title. He racked up three pins in winning four matches, including his first period (1:26) deck job of Chase Sthamen of Daniel Boone in the finals.

Central Mountain finished with one runner-up in senior heavyweight Jake Edwards; he was ahead 2-0 in the second period against Nick Warnke of Saucon Valley when he was caught and pinned.

Two Wildcat seniors earned third place finishes: Dalton Bechdel at 126 pounds and Tanner Riggle at 220 pounds. Fourths were earned by sophomore Lane Porter at 145 and senior Alonzo Henry at 152. Two freshmen achieved fifth place finishes, Derek Keen at 106 pounds and Taylor Weaver at 113. Rounding out the Central Mountain place-winners was senior Cody Coleman, seventh at 138 pounds.

All 14 Wildcat entrants earned at least one win.

Head coach Biff Walizer said he saw some bright spots and “liked the fight of some of the young guys in their first varsity experience.”

The tourney was the first action of the year for Central Mountain and Walizer said, “I like the tourney, it’s a gauge as to where we are; now to progress as the season unfolds.” He said the appearance of PIAA Double-A power Saucon Valley “took the  level of the Top Hat competition up a notch.”

The Top Hat, Walizer said, will better prepare his team for CM’s own King of the Mountain next Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14 and 15. He called the KOM one of the premier tournaments in the East and said it will serve to keep his wrestlers focused over the next month.

Jersey Shore crowned one champion in senior Hunter O’Connor at 170 pounds. The top-seeded O’Connor downed Brent Burbules from Fort LeBoeuf in the finals by a 10-4 score. Saucon Valley’s Josh Jones, champ at 132 pounds, was named the tourney’s outstanding wrestler; he went 4-0 with four falls.