Central Mountain wrestling #4 in state preseason

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – It’s hard to tamp down the excitement for the Central Mountain wrestling program for the 2021-22 season. When you bring back 15 former varsity letter winners and move up two ninth graders who took state titles a year ago, there is reason for the excitement.

Pennsylvania Power Wrestling, in its preseason dual meet rankings released this week, has Central Mountain at #4 in the state, behind #1 Waynesburg Central, #2 Bethlehem Catholic and #3 Nazareth.

The Wildcats have 36 wrestlers on this year’s roster, including eight girls, so the numbers are good and the talent is there for a standout season. But it won’t be easy as the schedule has been toughened with a handful of power-packed tournaments on the slate.

Two of those tourneys are set for the next two weekends, starting with the 24-team Tom Best Memorial Top Hat Tournament at Williamsport this Friday and Saturday. There will be five teams participating ranked in the top ten in the state, per Pennsylvania Power Wrestling: from AAA are Central Mountain at #4, the host Millionaires at #6 and Northampton at #9. AA entrants include #1 Saucon Valley and #10 Montoursville. (Central Mountain also has a home dual with Montoursville on Tuesday, Dec. 14 before hosting its King of the Mountain event on Dec. 17 and 18).

As for Wildcat talent, two state place-winners return in sophomore Luke Simcox and senior Derek Keen, back after taking his junior year off. The junior high state champs are Dalton Perry and Jake Weaver; Perry’s appearance has been much anticipated as he has achieved nationwide recognition during his pre-high school years. Throw in the likes of Taylor Weaver, a couple Serafinis, Griffin Walizer and a handful more and the wrestling room is brimming with talent.

Head coach Biff Walizer, in a question-and-answer with The Record, said this year’s expectations are as in the past: to win the Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference, the Big 7, District 6, Northwest Region and have a strong showing at the state dual meet tourney and the state championships. He said the program has fallen short on several of those over the last few years but this is a new year: “There are many factors that need to come together such as getting the kids spread out across the weight classes, and avoiding injuries.”

The program has already taken one injury hit in promising heavyweight Anton Stratts who went down with a knee injury early in the football season and won’t be wrestling. Middleweight Julian Wilt also has been lost to a football injury.

Asked about other top teams in the area, Walizer was quick to note that Williamsport returns a full line-up, pointing out the Millionaires finished fourth in the state at the PIAA team duals a year ago. The two anticipated mid-state powers, as noted above, will start the season with a bang, among the 24 teams competing this Friday and Saturday at the annual Tom Best Memorial Top Hat Wrestling Tournament hosted by the Millionaires. As for District 6, Walizer said State College and Mifflin County will both have very good teams. Bald Eagle Area also returns a host of starters from a strong team a year ago.

As for the overall schedule, Walizer said it speaks for itself: “Our kids are going to be competing against nationally ranked teams and individuals in nationally ranked tournaments in the Powerade (Dec. 29-30) and Escape the Rock (1/15-16). By the time the post season rolls around, they should be well prepared.”

The program will also have expanded opportunities for girls on the squad, per the coach: “We are excited to be hosting the Queen of the Mountain Tournament the day, Dec. 19, after the King of the Mountain tourney, Dec. 17-18. We’ve received a good amount of interest from the other girls programs from around the state. The girls will also compete at the Powerade the day before the varsity tournament. This is the first year there will be regional tournaments for the girls before their state championships.”

Wrestling at the Top Hat begins this Friday at 5 p.m. and will continue through the finals on three mats Saturday at 5:30 p.m. therecord-online will audio stream the tournament.