Central Mountain grapplers overpower Montoursville, 47-21
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – Central Mountain wrestling coach Biff Walizer was more than a little concerned going into the Wildcats’ initial dual meet with state-ranked (#10) Montoursville at home Tuesday night. But those concerns were pretty quickly allayed as the ‘Cats opened a 14-0 lead and finished strong for a 47-21 win.
Central Mountain was down three starters due to COVID protocols Tuesday and finished an otherwise solid showing at last weekend’s Tom Best Memorial Top Hat tourney with a rugged 2-12 final round showing.
Coach Walizer said his team had faced adversity before and he was anxious to see how they bounced back. Bounce back they did, the coach noting “everybody went out and fought hard; the effort was there from everybody.”
The Wildcats were missing starters Derek Keen at 120 and the Serafini brothers, Gino at 145 and Rocco at 172; they also were without a 106-pound wrestler and had to forfeit at both 106 and 120. But they got a key win the second bout of the night (the match started at 138) from back-up Zane Cooper (4-3) at 145 as he downed Montour’s Hunter Miller, 4-2. When Griffin Walizer (5-1) picked up a first period fall the home team was up 14-0.
The Warriors took the next two weights to cut the margin to 14-9, but Central Mountain snared the next three to open an insurmountable lead: Damien Galentine (3-2) with a first period pin, Micah Walizer (3-3) with an injury default win and Brayden Blackwell (5-2) with a rousing first period fall at heavyweight, putting the score at 32-9 and all but assuring the dual meet win.
The Warriors got six by forfeit at 106; the Wildcats’ Clayton Foster (2-3) got six back the same way at 113 and with Keen out, Montoursville gained another forfeit; team score 38-21 CM.
Next up freshman Dalton Perry (5-0) made his home debut a successful one with a 15-3 major decision at 126 pounds and Taylor Weaver (4-1) closed things out with a 19-4 technical fall at 132.. Sophomore Luke Simcox (4-1) started the dual with a 24-9 technical fall at 138 pounds.
The Wildcats compiled a 34-3 edge in takedowns and picked up three falls, two technical falls and a major decision.
Central Mountain now preps for its own 32-team powerhouse tournament, the King of the Mountain, this Friday and Saturday. 17 ranked teams are in the field, the Wildcats the top ranked AAA team at #4; Burrell the top ranked AA team at #5, according to the Pennsylvania Power rankings.
With three starters out for the KoM, coach Walizer indicated the Wildcats’ shot at the team title likely will be diminished but said the ‘Cat entrants will look to do well individually.
Wrestling begins Friday at 11 a.m.
