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Tom Elling on wrestling: Busy week for area teams headlined by success of Central Mountain

Fast and furious. So much to report since last week’s column.

Dalton Perry of Central Mountain earned his 100th win vs. rival Bald Eagle Area last Thursday. He joins teammates Luke Simcox and Griffin Walizer as 100-plus career winners. Bald Eagle Area earlier had two in Lucas Fye and Caleb Close.

Thursday night at Lock Haven was extra special in that LHU honored the late Mike Millward and had several alumni back to pay respects to him and to raise funds for a scholarship in his name. Matt Avery spearheaded that effort.

It was a bonus that LHU dominated George Mason, 33-6, and star 125-pounder Anthony Noto was back in the lineup and didn’t disappoint with a second-period fall over JB Dragovich.

Much credit is due for Doug Spadafore and athletic director Tom Giolio for hosting this fantastic event. Attendance at Thomas Field House was among the highest in years.

Central Mountain had a good night as the junior high (54-25), the girls team and the varsity posted wins. The varsity match featured two undefeated teams at the time in CM (7-0) and BEA (8-0). Next up for both are the District 6 team championships. Bald Eagle Area advanced to the semifinals after defeating Juniata on Tuesday, 58-6. Juniata had defeated Central 35-33 in th first round.

BEA will most likely join Bishop McCort,and Penns Valley on Saturday to wrestle for the top two slots. Huntingdon beat Philipsburg-Osceola, 34-29, to move on to wrestle Saturday. Central Mountain will host the District 6 Class AAA championships Saturday at 4 p.m. The Wildcats face off with Altoona on one mat and State College and Mifflin County compete on mat 2. The winner will tarvel to Hershey next weekend to compete for the PIAA team title.

LHU energy-laced head coach Scott Moore and staff proceeded to host the MatTown II tournament last Saturday, and it had several blue-chippers participating. Bald Eagle Dashawn Farber was runner-up at 157. Lucas Kapusta took a fifth at 149 and Wyatt Fox finished sixth at 141.

Of note, Bishop McCort freshman Jax Forrest took an 8-1 SV win over highly-touted Luke Stanich (unattached Lehigh) at 125. At 149, in what may have been an important bout for Cael Sanderson’s lineup plans, Tyler Kasak edged teammate David Evans, 4-2. It was reported later that wrestling fan Brian Coder from Ridgway was on his way to the action when his truck went out of control on the slick roads and he crashed headlong into a tree. Coder managed to come out of the wreck, call 9-1-1 and walk to meet the ambulance. He was hospitalized with several broken ribs and a punctured lung. Join me in send best wished for a quick and total recovery for him.

The Wildcats finished second (174 points) at the Ultimate Warrior tournament hosted by West Branch on Saturday. Perry and Walizer took titles at 139 and 145, respectively. Rocco Serafini was second to returning state champ Austin Johnson of Muncy. Other placers were Gavin Heverly (fifth at 107), Aiden Kunes (fifth at 121), Jake Weaver (sixth at 172), Bryce Brungard (seventh at 18) and Patrick Tarantella (eighth at 127). Reynolds won the team title with 182-points.

CM was without returning state champ Luke Simcox, 285 pounder Giovanni Tarantella and had no entry at the latter weight class. Jacob Nyman won the 172 JV title and Brody Long was second at 160.

A tip of the headgear to wrestling-related young women. Camryn Bair, daughter of two-time PIAA champ Scott, broke her own and the school’s 200 IM time in swimming by winning her event. Also, former girl-wrestling pioneer Leeah Eisenhower and her cheer team at the Wilmington University defended its Universal Cheerleading Association College Open Small Coed National Championship on Saturday, making it 10 titles since 2012.

Bald Eagle Area hosted a girls invitational this past Saturday and several area teams participated. Jersey Shore had two fifth-place finishers with Addison Dangle (148) and Isabella Gotschall (190).

Sugar Valley’s Emma Downing (fifth at 142) and Olivia Johnson (sixth at 136) also had success. BEA was led by champion Eden Eveleth (106), third-placer Angelina Grieb at 148 and fifth-placer Grace Crestani at 190.

Other local results of interest: Williamsport had two champions in the Rumsey sisters (both won by falls). Lillian won at 112 and LHU-bound Marissa claimed gold at 148. LHU girls coach Matt Lackey’s daughter Anna was third at 106 and Kendall Thomas finished fourth at 190.

The tenth-ranked LHU women had a solid performance at the PA Collegiate State Championships by finishing second out of eight teams. They captured four golds: Kaelani Shufeldt (109), Madison Matta (136), Stella Steigler (170) and Lindsay Laws (190). Lily Shearer was a runner-up at 130.

Taking third was Emma Heslin (106), Jayleah Pletz (116), Isabella Devito (130) and Trinity Monaghan (190). Azariah Moore (170) was a fourth-place finisher and Paige Jackson took fifth at 143.

At the Big 7 Junior High Tournament, Altoona took the team title with 269.5 points. Other finishers were State College (second, 190), Hollidaysburg (third, 176.5), Central Mountain (fourth, 170), Jersey Shore (fifth, 168), Shikellamy (sixth, 157.5), Bellefonte (seventh, 110.5) and Bald Eagle Area (eighth, 107).

Jersey Shore’s Gabriel Fisher (80), Bald Eagle Area’s Kael Davis (108), Bellefonte’s Braylon Price (138), Central Mountain’s Dalton Haegen (145), Central Mountain’s Dakoda Packer-Edwards (155) and Central Mountain’s Todd Caris Jr. (210) were all champions.

Bellefonte’s Louden Spotts (122), Jersey Shore’s Chayse Kellander (145), BEA’s Kyle Everett (170), Central Mountain’s Tanner McCall (190) and Jersey Shore’s Trenton Gee (210) were all runners-up at their respective weights.

Bald Eagle Area’s Logan Burns (87) and Tyler Corey (101), Bellefonte’s Tanner Clarkson (108), Central Mountain’s Ashton Falls (115) and Jersey Shore’s Zeke Sechrist (155) took third.

Bellefonte went 3-2 since my last column. They downed Sugar Valley (62-6), Knoch (48-24) and Sharon (63-12). They lost to Burgettstown 30-37) and Clearfield (20-44). They wrestle Central (Martinsburg) this Friday at Central.

Sugar Valley went 2-3 at the North Penn Duals. The Phoenix beat CMVT (31-30) and Coudersport (24-15), while losing to Williamson (24-48), Shamokin (24-33) and North Penn (Liberty) (36-42).

Former Lock Haven State wrestler Dave Crowell this past week gained his 600th coaching victory. He is the current coach at Nazareth, having also coached at Easton and Wilson.

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