Wildcats move to 7-0 with 46-21 win over BEA
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – Central Mountain’s young buzz-saw light middleweights set the tempo Thursday night, sparking the Wildcats to a 46-21 win over longtime rival Bald Eagle Area. The victory put the ‘Cats at 7-0, the match was the first for BEA; the Eagle season delayed by COVID-related issues at the Wingate school.
The dual started at 120 pounds, a good spot for Central Mountain. So far through the Wildcats first seven wins, the combination of Zane Cooper (fr, 120), Luke Simcox (fr, 126), and Gino Serafini (soph, 132) are a combined 20-0.
Cooper got things rolling with a third period fall. Then Simcox for the third time in the young season defeated a ranked opponent, a 5-3 win over Eagle veteran Cooper Gilham, ranked seventh in AA. Serafini followed with a 7-0 win and the Wildcats were up 12-0 and never looked back.
Two more Wildcat underclassmen, junior Taylor Weaver and freshman Rocco Serafini, posted first period pins and the lead was 24-0. Frosh Griffin Walizer put up a 9-1 major at 152 pounds and the score was 28-0. BEA took two of the next three, Noah Foltz with a fall at 160 and Matthew Knepp with a 13-6 win at 189; they were sandwiched around Damien Galentine for Central Mountain who moved up a weight and recorded a second period pin.
Two Wildcat senior upper-weights made their final home dual meet appearance and both picked up first period deck jobs: Nik Miller at 215 and Gage Sutliff at 285. That put the score at 46-9 for the home team. BEA took the final two, a pin for Lucas Fye at 106 and a forfeit for Coen Baney at 113.
It was senior night for the Wildcats in their only home dual meet in this abbreviated season. Honored before the match were Miller and Sutliff, along with Caleb Porter (held out as a COVID-related precaution), the injured Lane Porter, Paul Risley, Cyrus McCarl, Olivia Miller and Madison Packer.
Coach Biff Walizer heaped praise on the freshman Cooper for getting things started and complimented Nik Miller and Sutliff for picking up the slack in the absence of teammate Caleb Porter who is expected back this weekend. Walizer also said that Miller will be continuing his wrestling career next year at Hofstra University.
Both Central Mountain and BEA will be in Altoona Saturday for the first-ever Big Seven Individual Tournament. Other teams participating are Bellefonte, State College, Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Jersey Shore and Shikellamy. Wrestling is to begin around 10 a.m. and therecord-online will be streaming the event.
Central Mountain 46, BEA 21
120 – Zane Cooper (CM) fall 4:30 over Hunter Gardner
126 – Luke Simcox (CM) dec 5-3 over Cooper Gilham
132 – Gino Serafini (CM) dec 7-0 over Jeffre Pifer
138 – Taylor Weaver (CM) fall 1:45 over Mason Reese
145 – Rocco Serafini (CM) fall 1:35 over Grace Stemm
152 – Griffin Walizer (CM) maj dec 9-1 over Cameron Dubbs
160 – Noah Foltz (BEA) fall 3:57 over Lucas Porter
172 – Damien Galentine (CM) fall 2:42 over Brody Proctor
189 – Matthew Knepp (BEA) dec 13-6 over Brayden Blackwell
215 – Nik Miller (CM) fall 0:15 over Mason McAuley
285 – Gage Sutliff (CM) fall 1:58 over Nathan Antonuccio
106 – Lucas Fye (BEA) fall 5:03 over Clayton Foster
113 – Coen Baney (BEA) won by forfeit.
