After a back-and-forth first few bouts, the Wildcats established control in the middle and later weights, pressing their advantage and going on to beat the Braves 42-19 to keep their dual record perfect.

Central Mountain came into the night ranked the No. 14th team in the state, and their win Thursday will do nothing but help that ranking improve.

Things got off to a fast start for Central Mountain, winning at 107 pounds thanks to a 9-7 decision win for Hunter Nace. Then at 121 No.11 ranked Gavin Heverly got a win via tech fall (19-4) over Shikellamy’s Bobby Felmy. The Braves did manage to score a tech fall win of their own as Max Hallman scored a big victory over Angelo Tarantella.

Then after a back and forth match between CM’s Collin Bauman and Shik’s Braylon Chestnut, Chestnut came out on top via Pin to give Shikellamy the lead in the team score 10-8. What looked like a pretty routine pin began to look scarier however, as Bauman laid down on the mat for an extended period of time after the match concluded.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Central Mountain and Shikellamy compete in a wrestling dual in Mill Hall on Thursday evening.

Bauman was treated for what appeared to be a neck injury, as the in building athletic staff tended to him. Bauman would later be stretchered out by local paramedics, but luckily it seemed any major injury was avoided and it was purely a precautionary measure.

“He got choked out in the cradle when he was fighting it. And then as he came through and regained consciousness, a lot of things went through your head.” Central Mountain head coach Biff Wailzer elaborated after the game on Bauman’s situation. “It just took him a while to come through. He laid there and was moving his hands and feet and legs around better. But I think and hope it will be a speedy recovery.”

Once the mat was clear and everything sorted through the match would resume, and it was from that point on that the Wildcats really began to flex their muscles.

No. 18 Patrick Tarantella got things started with a major decision victory (10-1) over Keatin Lattimore. Before back to back decision victories from Hayes Donley and Alton Counsil put CM up 18-10.

Those close matches would not continue as the next five would each end in a pin, Four of those going the way of Central Mountain. Luke Garmen, Aiden Kunes, Dalton McDermott and Tanner McCall all won with 1st or 2nd period pins, meanwhile for Shikellamy Christian Boach won with an early pin of his own.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Central Mountain and Shikellamy compete in a wrestling dual in Mill Hall on Thursday evening.

Kunes is a name that Wildcats fans are already familiar with, but is one that is garnering some larger attention as well. Kunes is currently ranked No. 3 in the state of Pennsylvania at 152 pounds, but was forced to wrestle up at 160 in Thursday’s dual. It did not matter much though as he notched another dominant win under his belt. After the game coach sounded happy with his performance.

“He had to make sure he weighed enough to go up a few classes at 160.” Coach Walizer said. “He doesn’t back down from a challenge and that’s what leads him to be successful.”

Shikellamy would score one final victory at 285 pounds, with No. 2 ranked Brody Rebuck scoring a decision win over No. 25 Hayes Henry, but in the end it would not change the outcome as the Wildcats won the dual 42-19.

Next up for Central Mountain they will hit the road on Friday traveling to Millersville to be one of many schools compete in a regional dual at Penn Manor.

Central Mountain 42, Shikellamy 19

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Central Mountain and Shikellamy compete in a wrestling dual in Mill Hall on Thursday evening.

107: Hunter Nace (CM) dec. Austin Wolfe, 9-7. 114: Max Hallman (S) maj. dec. Angel Tarantella, 15-3. 121: Gavin Heverly (CM) tech fall Felmy, 19-4. 127: Chestnut (S) pinned Bauman, 1:35. 133: Patrick Tarantella (CM) maj. dec. Lattimore, 10-1. 139: Donley (CM) dec. Borich, 15-12. 145: Consul (CM) dec. Drake, 6-3. 152: Garmen (CM) pinned Morales, 0:37. 160: Kunes (CM) pinned Cox, 0:38. 172: McDermott (CM) pinned Mohica, 3:20. 189: Bosch (S) pinned Hockenberry, 0:03. 215: McCall (CM) pinned Snyder, 1:02. 285: Brody Rebuck (S) dec. Hayes Henry, 7-0.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Central Mountain and Shikellamy compete in a wrestling dual in Mill Hall on Thursday evening.