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Wildcats rolling early in the season and area wrestlers flashing power

The Central Mountain Wildcats performed extremely well as a team, garnering second-place honors at the Top Best Memorial Top Hat last week in Williamsport. While the Cats didn’t have a champion, they did grab three runner-up medals in Taylor Weaver (126, Lane Porter (152) and Nick Miller (195). Ten of Coach Biff Walizer’s squad earned medals. Gino Serafini (106) and Derek Keen (113) took third. Braylen Corter (120), Gage Sutliff (220) and Cyrus McCarl (285) were fifth. Zach Miller (132) was 6th and Kaden Falls was eighth.

Saucon Valley took the team title for the second year in a row. The District 11 school should be a Class AA powerhouse in District 11.

CM had two entries in the 106-pound class and Clayton Foster showed his mettle taking a 7th place.

Crock Herman’s Jersey Shore showed some talent in the upper middle weights. Only Hayden Pacer (17) was able to medal. The Bulldog took eighth. Gabe Andrus (126), Cade Vuocolo (145), Gabe Packer (152), Tyler Bauder (160), and Ryan Kershner (182) all won a couple bouts.

The OW in the tournament was Caleb Dowling of St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg. He dismantled every opponent with three tech falls and a fall. SJCA is coached by Pat Flynn, brother of West Virginia (and former Edinboro head coach) Tim Flynn.

This weekend teams from all across the Commonwealth descend upon Clinton County for the King of the Mountain tournament. Five PIAA Champions are among the field. There are also three runners-up; one third; and one fourth. Al-in-all, the tournament will have twenty PIAA medalists entered. Local team entered are Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Williamsport and , of course, the host team.

Defending champion Council Rock South and Mifflin County appear to be the pre-tourney favorites. WPIAL Canon-McMillan and District 5 perennial state power Chestnut Ridge also bring strong teams.

The Central Mountain team will pretty much enter the same line-up as they had in the Top Hat. BEA (coached by Ron Guenot) has Cooper Gilham (12), Gage McClenahan (145) and David Close (285) as their potential top placers. McClenahan missed all last season with a football injury. He was a PIAA Runner-Up in 2018. Bellefonte (coach Mike Maney( features Lane Aikey (120), Jude Swisher (a Regional champ transfer from State College) 126), Ethan Richner (160), and Ethan Rossman (182) as their top entries.

Tentative Schedule:

December 13

Champ Round of 32 – 2PM

Champ Round of 16 & First Round Consys- 5:30 PM

Consy Round II – 8 PM

December 14

Champ Qtrs & Consy Round III – 10 AM

Consy Round III – 12:15 PM

Champ Semis & Consy Round IV – 1:30 PM

Consy Semis – 3:30

Champ Finals & Const Finals – 5:30 PM

Charley Barner is once again coaching the Sugar Valley matmen. Charley who gained notoriety by being the first student to wrestle for three of the four high schools in Keystone Central, is in his second season as the head coach. His Phoenix team opened the season at the Darren Klingerman Invitational at Bloomsburg last weekend, finishing 20th. Lackawanna Trail won the team title.

Bashier Tressler was 3rd at 220. Naaman Conoway (120) and Dominic Kennedy (138) Corey King (182) were 8th. The JH team travels to Shikellamy this weekend for a tournament.

Cade Wirnsberger won the 113-lb title. If the last name sounds familiar, his father is the head wrestling coach at Bucknell.

Thanks to Joe Walker for once again serving as my got-to stat guy. He is like Lewistown’s Bob Hower as far as being precise and accurate.

Jon Conklin is showing his sports expertise by doing LHU matches with Sam Kuperman for the BEAR radio. John Lipez and I (with director Butch Miller) bring you the Central Mountain action on therecord-online.com. We’ll start the KOM action at the 5:30 Friday session.

In case you missed it, the West Branch Sports Hall of Fame inducted former outstanding wrestlers Trap McCormack, Mike Vuocolo, and Milton’s Bobby Crawford as part of their class of 2019. Also a notable in that class was former Penn State basketball star Kelly Mazzante. Former LHHS and Lycoming Rick Burd was also honored.

The PA Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall will honor LHSC alums Marc Billett and Rich Vetock. Marc coached most of his career at Latrobe. Current Ohio State standout Luke Pletcher is one of his proteges. Vetock coached at Central Cambria and has worked District, Regional and State tournament for the past twenty years. He also is webeditor for the District 6 wrestling site.

Elling Wrestling Mat-Ters #3, December 12 2019

Was disturbed to see that my alma mater Moshannon Valley has just eight wrestlers on their roster. I’m not sure what the answer is. Certainly declining enrollment and technology play a part, but I’d also offet that in this age of instant gratification, stdent/athletes expect success without the effort.

Congratulations to Penn State’s Mark Hall who captured his 100th win on Sunday vs PENN.

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