Wildcats wrestlers topple BEA, 45-21
WINGATE, PA – The Central Mountain wrestling team showed no ill effects from a nearly two week lay-off Thursday night, picking up five falls on the way to a 45-21 road win over Bald Eagle Area. The win for the Wildcats put their record at 6-2, BEA falling to 9-2 with the loss.
The match was the first time since early December that Central Mountain had its full lineup intact and its first competition since the PHAC Duals on Jan. 8. But CM never missed a beat in a dual that started at 138 pounds. Four underclassmen jump-started the ‘Cat effort: first period falls from Luke Simcox (soph) and Griffin Walizer (soph), a major decision from Gino Serafini (jr) and a regular decision from Jake Weaver (fr) and the score was 19-0 before the Eagles got on the scoreboard.
Damien Galentine added a fall at 189 and Brayden Blackwell avenged a loss from a year ago with a 4-2 win over Matthew Knepp in a match-up of under-sized heavyweights. BEA pulled to within 28-21 with a forfeit at 106 and a fall from Lucas Fye at 113. But Central Mountain closed things out by sweeping the final three bouts: a first period fall from Derek Keen at 120, a second period fall from Dalton Perry at 126 and a 16-0 technical fall from Taylor Weaver at 132 to set the final at 45-21.
Other Eagles winners, in addition to Fye, were Caleb Close, a regular decision at 172; Noah Foltz, a fall at 215; and Gavin Guenot, a forfeit at 106.
While the Wildcats had their full lineup back, BEA did not, Coen Bainey (18-3 at 120 pounds) out with an injury.
Wildcat Coach Biff Walizer was happy with his team’s performance, not sure going in how they would respond to the layoff. He said it was a team effort but lauded Blackwell for his effort in reversing a loss from a season ago.
The BEA junior high team defeated Central Mountain for the second year in a row, Thursday night’s score 52-20 for the young Eagles. BEA wrestling historian Todd Warner said the varsity dual meet was the 1,000 for the Eagles, the school’s all-time record 731-256-13. The series with Central Mountain stands at 16-12 for the Wildcats after BEA had won the first 10 match-ups between the two wrestling rivals.
Both Central Mountain and BEA will next be in action Saturday at the Big 7 individual tournament in Altoona.
Squads participating, in addition to the Wildcats and Eagles, include host Altoona (6-8), Bellefonte (7-1), Hollidaysburg (2-7), Jersey Shore (2-11), Shikellamy (6-4) and State College (5-2).
The Saturday calendar: Quarterfinals are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday; a round of jayvees to follow; the semifinals and first round of consolations at 11:30 a.m.; another round of jayvee action to follow; consolation semifinals at 12:45 a.m.; another jayvee round to follow; and the placing round at 2 p.m. Four mats will be in use at the Altoona Field House.
The tournament will be streamed on therecord-online.
