CM wrestlers hold off BEA, 37-31

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA -Going in, wrestling fans knew the Bald Eagle Area at Central Mountain match would likely be a tight one. And the fans that filled the Wildcat gym Thursday night got just that. A dual meet between two longtime rivals that came down to the final bout to decide.

Central Mountain got the win when Rocco Serafini, bumped up to 215 pounds, downed the Eagles’ Gage Gardner by a 10-1 count to put the final at 37-31 in favor of the Wildcats. The win allowed Central Mountain to finish its regular dual season with a perfect 7-0 mark, a season which saw Coach Biff Walizer’s team to avenge all four losses they suffered a year ago.

But Thursday did not come easily against the scrappy 9-3 Eagles.

The Wildcats jumped to a 12-0 lead in a dual that began at 285 pounds. Heavyweight Brayden Blackwell notched a second period pin and Collin Bauman followed with a forfeit victory at 103. But BEA ran three bouts in a row, including falls from Kayson Tice and Coen Bainey to take their only lead of the night at 18-12.

CM responded with falls from their powerful middleweights, Luke Simcox, Dalton Perry and Griffin Walizer to go back on top at 30-18.

The next two weights were the most competitive of the night and the first matches not to be decided by a pin or forfeit. BEA’s Jeff Pifer used a 4-point counter move on the way to a 5-1 win over Braylen Corter at 152. The Wildcats’ Gino Serafini answered back with a 1-0 win over Cameron Dubbs at 160, CM leading by 33-21 with three bouts to go.

The Eagles battled back with a fall from Shawn Knepp over Wyatt Kramer and a 9-1 major from Caleb Close over Jacob Weaver to close within 33-31 with a bout to go. But Rocco Serafini closed the dual with his 10-1 win, setting the final at 37-31 for the Wildcats.

After the match coach Walizer saluted his three standout middleweights, son Griffin, Simcox and Perry, for picking up fall points after the Eagles earlier had picked up wins in a couple bouts expected to be close, part of what he said was “other guys picking up the slack” after the earlier losses. Asked if the team is where it wants to be, soon to enter the postseason, coach Walizer said, “We’re undefeated and for the most part healthy, all you can hope for at this point.”

There was a point of contention before the 172 pound bout when BEA sent their standout Close out first but then withdrew him when the Wildcats countered with backup Wyatt Kramer. The Wildcat coaches briefly questioned the legality of such a move, but the Eagles decision proved correct. Record announcer/wrestling historian Tom Elling checked with the PIAA after the match and was told that a team may withdraw its wrestler if the other team was required to send out its wrestler first but did not do so. The Wildcats, upon seeing Close come out, sent out Kramer who fell victim to a pin from the Eagles’ Shawn Knepp. Close and the Wildcats’ Jacob Weaver both then moved up to 189, Close with a major decision.

Both teams on Friday and Saturday will be part of the Ultimate Warrior Challenge, a 41-team tournament at West Branch High School in Allport.

The BEA junior high team defeated their Central Mountain counterparts for the third year in a row, 44-38. It was the first loss of the season for the Wildcat junior high team.

Central Mountain Hs (CMH) 37.0 Bald Eagle Area Hs (BEAH) 31.0
285: Brayden Blackwell (CMH) over Eric Clark (BEAH) (Fall 3:01) 107: Collin Bauman (CMH) over (BEAH) (For.) 114: Kayson Tice (BEAH) over Jaggar Pardoe (CMH) (Fall 0:00) 121: Lucas Fye (BEAH) over (CMH) (For.) 127: Coen Bainey (BEAH) over Zachary St.Clair (CMH) (Fall 1:30) 133: Luke Simcox (CMH) over Connor Maney (BEAH) (Fall 2:45) 139: Dalton Perry (CMH) over Hunter Ishler (BEAH) (Fall 0:57) 145: Griffin Walizer (CMH) over Mason Reese (BEAH) (Fall 3:42) 152: Jeffre Pifer (BEAH) over Braylen Corter (CMH) (Dec 5-1) 160: Gino Serafini (CMH) over Cameron Dubbs (BEAH) (Dec 1-0) 172: Shawn Knepp (BEAH) over Wyatt Kramer (CMH) (Fall 1:50) 189: Caleb Close (BEAH) over Jacob Weaver (CMH) (MD 9-1) 215: Rocco Serafini (CMH) over Gage Gardner (BEAH) (MD 10-1)