Tuesday's Results

   Not a whole lot to discuss tonight, as everything went pretty much according to form. I was at Northern Bedford, where Central registered a solid 43-24 win. Ethan Kennedy’s decision over Carter Replogle at 145 was the marquee bout. I covered the match for the Bedford Gazette.

   One result of note would be Scotty Miller’s 7-1 win over Liam Flaherty in Chestnut Ridge’s lopsided victory against Everett. Miller is another promising youngster for Greg Lazor’s group, and this is a strong result for him in beating a returning state qualifier.

CHESTNUT RIDGE 57, EVERETT 12

160 - Josh McGill, CR, pinned Cody Eshelman, 0:36.

170 - Brandyn Beaver, CR, pinned Gavin Wills, 1:14.

182 - Wes Graham, E, dec. Austin Crouse, 5-2.

195 - Kyle Nichols, CR, won by forfeit.

220 - Conner Buttry, CR, pinned Keithan O’Brien, 0:45.

285 - Shane Clark, E, pinned Brandon Clark, 1:06.

106 - Garret Cornell, E, dec. Cody Brown, 11-4.

113 - Aaron Burkett, CR, tech. fall Evan Brennan, 18-1, 5:52.

120 - Seth Harbaugh, CR, pinned Landon Bambling, 3:19.

126 - Scott Miller, CR, dec. Liam Flaherty, 7-1.

132 - Jared McGill, CR, pinned Dalton Klotz, 0:50.

138 - Justin McCoy, CR, pinned Macen Akers, 1:32.

145 - Levi Hobson, CR, dec. Ben Stover, 8-2.

TUSSEY MOUNTAIN 54, CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL 24

285 - Chris Morales, TM, won by forfeit.

106 - Brady Villa, TM, won by forfeit.

113 - Robert Sloan, TM, won by forfeit.

120 - Sean Walker, CK, won by forfeit.

126 - No Match.

132 - Liam Lafferty, CK, pinned Cameron McCabe, 4:38.

138 - Brennan Price, TM, pinned Trenton Ritchey, 3:11.

145 - Shayne Brumbaugh, TM, won by forfeit.

152 - Roy Reichard, TM, won by forfeit.

160 - Brennen Jones, TM, won by forfeit.

170 - Ian Ody, pinned Drew Hart, 1:06.

182 - Nick Foster, TM, pinned Caleb Sell, 3:09.

195 - Michael Zembower, CK, pinned Travis Russell, 0:34.

220 - Zach Bollinger, TM, won by forfeit.

152 - Morgan Deremer, CR, maj. dec. Mahlon Akers, 11-0.

CENTRAL 43, NORTHERN BEDFORD 24

195 - Cameron Norris, C, pinned Zach Price, 1:36.

220 - Scott Foor, NB, dec. Doug Shade, 1-0.

285 - Mason Guyer, NB, pinned Brice Brumbaugh, 1:44.

106 - Brandon Holsinger, C, won by forfeit.

113 - Cameron Ulery, C, won by forfeit.

120 - Kyler Hoenstine, C, won by forfeit.

126 - Zach Clark, NB, won by forfeit.

132 - Jon Raab, NB, dec. Devon Mountain, 3-2.

138 - Brock Biddle, C, pinned Chase Eller, 1:21.

145 - Ethan Kennedy, C, dec. Carter Replogle, 7-1.

152 - Bryce Biddle, C, maj. dec. Ridge Hershberger, 14-5.

160 - Jordan Quarello, C, pinned Dakota Brunner, 1:04.

170 - Lucas Kolinchak, NB, dec. Jared Smith, 2-1.

182 - Josiah Lingenfelter, NB, dec. Corey Aungst, 8-6.

Review and Preview - Dec. 21

 

Photo by Ryan Spring

   Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel and Chestnut Ridge's Jared McGill

 are tied up in the middle of the mat on Friday night.

   This week's review obviously begins with Friday night's Bedford at Chestnut Ridge match, of course highlighted by Jared McGill's 10-8 win over Jonathan Gabriel.
   McGill stole the show by beating a returning state champion with a late reversal, and it kept the Lions' crowd into it all night as they picked up a 50-17 victory.
   It was one of the best bouts I'll probably see all season as the pair of studs went back and forth, back and forth with a lot of non-stop action, especially in the third period. Each of them took to social media after the bout, and each showed the respect that kind of matchup deserves.
   McGill - "He will definitely bounce back. That's why he's a state champ."
   Gabriel - "(McGill) wrestled a tough match."
   My opinion is the result is good for both wrestlers. Remember that Gabriel lost two of his three bouts as a junior last December, then rode a long winning streak until the regional finals. He lost to Forest Hills' Triston Law that night, but showed up in Hershey as a man on a mission. He needed overtime in that first bout there, and then hit his now-memorable five point Peterson roll to win it all.
    For McGill, it just enhances what the freshman had already accomplished on the wrestling mat. Having been a two-time PJW champion and five-time finalist on that level, McGill was going to be a name to know.
   And it definitely adds to the table as to what may happen by the time things are in the books for 2015-16.
   When you have a state champion (Gabriel), state runner-up (Aaron Burkett), state third place (Conner Buttry), and a state sixth place (Justin McCoy) all returning, it was already expected to be a cant-miss season. With McGill firmly in the conversation also, and could the county top last year's performances? Could we produce two, or even more state champions in a single year?
   Stay tuned.

———

   Looking ahead to the next few days, it's a short week with the holiday, and all of the local wrestling takes place tomorrow night. I plan to be at Northern Bedford as Central comes to town. It will be another tough opponent for the Black Panthers in their early-season schedule. The Dragons are solid through the middle of their lineup, including Brock Biddle who won the 132-pound title at the Sheetz Holiday Classic on Saturday.

Tuesday
   Everett at Chestnut Ridge
   Tussey Mountain at Claysburg-Kimmel
   Central at Northern Bedford
 


 
 
 

Thursday's Recap and More

   There were a couple of intriguing matchups last night. Bedford put itself in control of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference with a 41-24 win at Somerset. Daniel Brett began things with a big pin for the Bisons, while they ended up with eight victories.
   I was at Everett as the Warriors held a lead on Moshannon Valley most of the night before dropping the last bout by fall to come up just short, 31-29. There were certainly some chances for Everett to get more bonus points or one extra bout win to defeat the Black Knights, but I continue to be impressed by the upward progress of Everett's program under Robbie Ripple and his collection of assistants that includes a number of Bedford standouts — his son Tanner, Josh Krupa, and most recently Ryan Easter.
  The victory of the match for the Warriors belonged to Ben Stover at 152 pounds. Stover, a regional qualifier last season, trailed Mo Valley's Jon Dale 2-0 into the third period before getting a locked hands point, but he then gave up a two-count nearfall. However, Stover rallied for a reversal and three back points and another penalty tally to win, 7-4. Dale is a touted freshman who was rated No. 49 in PA Power Wrestling's Incoming Freshman review.
   In the other match involving one of my locals, Tussey Mountain dropped a 69-10 result to Central.
   Central has a good bit returning this year, although the loss of Braeden Swab is a blow to the Scarlet Dragon lineup. Though I would say Huntingdon is the favorite in District 6-AA, Central is likely to be in the mix for the title along with some others. I should be seeing the Dragons early next week.
   Of course tonight is the annual showdown between rivals Bedford and Chestnut Ridge. It's actually my first chance to see either team in person yet, as my plans to see the Bisons at Penn Cambria didn't materialize. I'm looking forward to seeing this one, though I'm not sure how close the final score will be. Bedford has a couple of kids back that didn't wrestle last season and has added some other youngsters to its lineup, while Chestnut Ridge has a strong lower to middle weight nucleus back, though how the upperweights fill in around Conner Buttry will be a key as to how far the Lions can go this year.

Tuesday's Recap

A Local Look
   Tuesday's matches locally were highlighted by Bedford's 40-25 victory at Penn Cambria. I had planned on attending this match for the Bedford Gazette, but was unable to as I had to stay in the office.
   The Bisons made their first claim toward Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference supremacy in this one. Certainly from an individual perspective, a 13-6 decision by Josh Grimes over Zach Stevens at 152 pounds stands out. Grimes has experience, but didn't wrestle last year. On the other side, Stevens is also a veteran who finished sixth in District 6-AA. Bedford looks to be a better team than expected this season, and Brian Creps has said that there is a lot more team camaraderie this year.
   As for the LHAC race, it's obviously early to get a clear-cut favorite, as Bedford beat Penn Cambria, who beat Westmont-Hilltop. But Penn Cambria lost to Somerset, who faces Bedford tomorrow. I think Cambria Heights may have something to say about it, too. The Highlanders don't face any of the above four until January. Bedford hosts Westmont on January 12. And as we all know, individual matchups dictate duals. One thing is for sure — it should be a fun year in the league.
   Also last night, Everett (55-23 at Juniata Valley) and Northern Bedford (60-18 at Tussey Mountain) posted big blowout victories.

Around the State
   Two high profile national events took place this past weekend, with Pennsylvania wrestlers showing strong at both the King of the Mountain and Ironman events.
   At Central Mountain, Bethlehem Catholic dominated but individually, the top final of note was at 138 pounds, where Latrobe's Luke Pletcher needed overtime to defeat Nazareth's Sammy Sasso. Pletcher, ranked second in the country at 132 by Intermat and an Ohio State recruit, beat Sasso with a takedown in the extra period for a 7-5 decision. Sasso, ranked eighth nationally at 132, is just a sophomore but certainly no slouch, as he placed second in Class AAA last season at 120.
   In the Ironman, Wyoming Seminary beat Blair Academy in the team race. Individually, I'm looking at 126 pounds there, where Reynolds' sophomore Cole Matthews made a run to the finals after being seeded 12th.
   Matthews is another in a line of lower to middle weight studs across the state that are back this season, and I'm very interested to see who is where by the postseason tournaments. If Matthews stays 126, and Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel and Central Cambria's Max Murin are there as well, that's three returning state champions in the same weight. Throw in potentially Huntingdon's Collin Glorioso (two-time state placewinner) and/or Athens' Brian Courtney (state runner-up behind Matthews) and/or others, this could be the weight to watch.

Review and Preview - Dec. 14

   Looking back on this past weekend, Chestnut Ridge highlighted the action with its second championship in as many appearances at the Jarvis Memorial Tournament at Athens.
   The Lions had four individual champions — Aaron Burkett (113), Justin McCoy (138), Morgan Deremer (152) and Conner Buttry (195) — and won the team title by 61 points over host Athens.
   Buttry's championship included his 100th career win, and it came over a Maine state champion from last season. My story on the newest member of the 100-win club will be in Tuesday's Bedford Gazette.
   Elsewhere, HOPE for Hyndman was at the Max Horz Invitational at Berkeley Springs on Friday and Saturday. I made the trip south to catch up on the Hornets on Friday. A day later, Lee Moskey was a winner in the round robin tournament at 182 pounds. The field was a little different from what was in my preview last week, as tournament officials said they had some late defections. Still, it seemed like a good early test for what Logan Sheldon has on his Hyndman roster this season.

This Week's Schedule
Tuesday
Bedford at Penn Cambria
Everett at Juniata Valley
HOPE for Hyndman at Mountain Ridge (Md.)
Northern Bedford at Tussey Mountain

Thursday
Bedford at Somerset
Moshannon Valley at Everett
Central at Tussey Mountain

Friday
Bedford at Chestnut Ridge
Northern Bedford at West Branch

   Looking ahead to the coming days, Bedford has a very interesting week with three road matches. And with the way the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference season has started, the Bisons have a chance to join the discussion about who is at or near the top. In big duals that have happened thus far, Penn Cambria defeated Westmont-Hilltop 40-33, but then lost to Somerset by the same score. Bedford is at Penn Cambria tomorrow and then visits Somerset on Thursday. I'm not sure how good the Bisons are just yet, though if they can get their lightweight lineup together (no 106 or 113 against Forest Hills), I'm not sure I'd bet too much against them in any of the league matches.

Weekend Tournaments

   A pair of tournaments involving teams from the county are taking place this weekend. Here's a closer look:

What: Jarvis Memorial Tournament at Athens
When: Saturday
    Chestnut Ridge returns to the Jarvis Tournament for the second straight season and will see good competition from teams in Pennsylvania and New York. Dylan Williams, Aaron Burkett, Justin McCoy, and Conner Buttry are all returning champs for the Lions, though Williams will probably not be in the lineup as he is still getting back to 100% after an offseason injury. Ridge coach Greg Lazor tells me Williams probably could wrestle now if needed, but they're taking it easy to make sure he's ready for more important events later in the season.
   Tournament host Athens, who will be a newcomer to January's Thomas Tournament at Bedford, is headlined by returning 120-pound state runner-up Brian Courtney. While it's not certain, Courtney could see Chestnut Ridge freshman stud Jared McGill in his bracket somewhere. Between possibly seeing Courtney and maybe Bedford state champ Jonathan Gabriel next week, we might get an early read on how good McGill is.
   Also in the field is Wyoming Seminary's "B" Team, which won't feature studs like Jake Riegel, Mason Manville, Christian Dietrich, or Nick Reenan, as all of them are on the "A" team that will compete at Ohio's prestigious Ironman Tournament this weekend. That said, I would assume the prep power will have some strong talent on the "B" side.
The Field:
Chestnut Ridge (D5-AA)
Athens (D4-AA)
Coughlin (D2-AAA)
Lake Lehman (D2-AA)
Sayre (D4-AA)
Wyoming Valley West (D2-AAA)
Wyoming Seminary "B" Team (Prep)
Johnson City (NY)
Deposit-Hancock (NY)
Alexander (NY)
Pal-Mac (NY)
Falconer (NY)
Massabesic (ME)

What: Max Horz Invitational at Berkeley Springs (WV)
When: Friday and Saturday
   HOPE for Hyndman takes part in the Max Horz Invitational at Berkeley Springs that begins on Friday afternoon, an event that features a collection of teams from different states.
   Also in the field are Maryland's Northern Garrett, a regular to the Thomas Tournament, and PA District 3 team Northern Lebanon, who reached the state duals last season (lost to Chestnut Ridge in opening round). Northern Lebanon on paper appears to be one of the better teams in that district again this season.
The Field:
HOPE for Hyndman (D5-AA)
Northern Lebanon (D3-AA)
Allegany (MD)
Frederick (MD)
Northern Garrett (MD)
Berkeley Springs (WV)
Hedgesville (WV)
Jefferson (WV)
James Wood (VA)
Loudoun Valley (VA)
Northwestern (VA)
Rural Retreat (VA)

Tuesday's Recap and More

A Local Look
   The first full night of local wrestling didn't find too many surprises. I was at Everett as the Warriors defeated an undermanned Glendale team, 48-25. There wasn't much to talk about, as the Vikings forfeited to many of Everett's better wrestlers. Everett coach Robbie Ripple is excited about many of his younger kids and he should be. The four freshmen starters along with sophomore and returning state qualifier Liam Flaherty give him a nice core to build on, as well as compliment veterans like Ben Stover and Wes Graham. One of the ninth graders, Evan Brennan at 113, had a solid win last night, while classmate Macen Akers was heading towards the victory at 138 before being caught in a late cement job.
   Elsewhere, Mount Union showed it will still be one of the best squads in District 6, dispatching Northern Bedford 49-18. The Black Panthers forfeited the three lowest weights, and that certainly didn't help against the Trojans.

Around the Region
   One final that sticks out from last night was Penn Cambria's 40-33 win over Westmont-Hilltop, which threw an early monkey wrench into the battle for the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference title. Quite a few in the know pegged Penn Cambria as a darkhorse team in that league and District 6-AA this season, but I didn't see this one coming. The Panthers won the toss, then took a huge win with Brock Talko's overtime pin of Trent Blackburn at 138.

Around the State
   Could you imagine Bedford and Chestnut Ridge not wrestling in a dual? Or Everett vs. Northern Bedford? Or any other big, close-knit rivalry?
   Seems hard to believe, but that's what's happening in one of the best areas in the nation for the sport.
   I came across rumors of this during the summer, and really still can't believe the powers that be in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference are completely misguided when it comes to making the wrestling schedules. The EPC is a two-year old league that took the place of the former Lehigh Valley and Mountain Valley conferences, combining those into an 18-team, two-division format.
   Wrestling lives in that area. Easton, Nazareth, and Northampton dominated the state for a long time, and more recently, Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland have emerged as year to year top contenders for PIAA's biggest prizes on the mat.
   But via the schedule for this season, some of the matchups that won't happen are Easton-Northampton, Easton-Parkland, Nazareth-Parkland, and Easton-Bethlehem Catholic. The one that really sticks out in my mind is no Nazareth-Northampton this winter.
   REALLY? Two schools separated by 12 miles in the cement belt of the Lehigh Valley. Two schools that everyone wanted to beat, because of their statewide and national standing. Back in the heyday of the 1980's and 90's, you had Hall of Fame coaches in each corner, Don Rohn of the Konkrete Kids, and the late Ray Nunamaker of the Blue Eagles. Unbelievable battles, and those two programs along with Easton made everyone better for it.
   It's just a real shame that this match and the others, for the fan bases if not for the wrestlers themselves, won't be happening in a single dual setting. Even the all-Bethlehem city match between Freedom, coached by former Tussey Mountain wrestler Brandon Hall, and Liberty had to be scheduled as an independent dual because of the stupid league setup.
   Some of these matches could take place in a one-day crossover that the EPC has set for late January, but as Brad Wilson of The Express-Times/lehighvalleylive.com says, "an all-day event in a neutral gym is no substitute for a one-off dual on a Saturday night."
   I really wonder how many of the coaches had any say in this, and would doubt that many would sign off on such a plan.

Review and Preview - Dec. 7

   The first full week of wrestling for the 2015-16 season is upon us. Before that, a pair of local teams have already seen action so let's do a review.
   Everett earned a nice 37-31 win at West Branch on Friday night. My blog post below has the recap. This is a nice boost to begin the year for Everett, beating the defending District 6-AA champions in their own gym. Individually, sophomore Liam Flaherty picked up a 7-5 decision in a rematch with West Branch's Joey Couteret. Couteret had defeated Flaherty in a consolation bout at last season's Southwest Regional.
   Also, a nod to Everett's four freshmen, who all won. Macen Akers (138) had a major decision, Shane  Clark (285) won by decision, and Garret Cornell (106) won by forfeit, before Evan Brennan clinched the victory at 113 with a pin.
   On Saturday, Claysburg's Tyler Elder was the bright spot for the Bulldogs in winning the St. Mary's Tournament title. Elder, sixth in District 6-AA at 220 last season, had three pins in three bouts.
   It looks to be a tough dual meet year for Claysburg, as only nine wrestlers are out for the team, with a number of last year's starters among those that are not. With them and one or two freshmen that third-year coach Dave Aungst was expected to have in the room, the Bulldogs certainly could have matched or bettered last season's 12-win team that included a district duals first round upset over Cambria Heights.

This Week's Schedule
Tuesday
Greater Johnstown at Bedford
Bellwood-Antis at Claysburg-Kimmel
Glendale at Everett
Northern Bedford at Mount Union
Tussey Mountain at Southern Huntingdon

Thursday
Bedford at Forest Hills
Chestnut Ridge at Philipsburg-Osceola
Everett at Claysburg-Kimmel
Southern Huntingdon at Northern Bedford
West Branch at Tussey Mountain

Friday
HOPE for Hyndman at Berkeley Springs (WV) Tournament

Saturday
Chestnut Ridge at Athens' Jarvis Memorial Tournament
HOPE for Hyndman at Berkeley Springs (WV) Tournament

Friday Night Scores

   Just one match on the card for the first night of winter sports, and it was a big win for Everett, 37-31 at West Branch.
   West Branch is the defending District 6-AA team champion and while they lost state champ Buzzy Maines to graduation, there are still plenty of veteran wrestlers for coach Jason Bainey. That also speaks to how far Everett has come in a few years. The Warriors keep getting better and deeper.
   Individually, what stands out is 126 pounds, where Liam Flaherty knocked off Joey Couteret in a 7-5 decision, in a battle of returning state qualifiers at 113. Couteret beat Flaherty 2-1 in last year's consolation rounds at the Southwest Regional, where the West Branch wrestler finished third and Flaherty was fifth. In this one, Flaherty used a pair of first period takedowns to build a lead.

EVERETT 37, WEST BRANCH 31

120 - Nick Sample, WB, pinned Landon Bambling, 3:02.

126 - Liam Flaherty, E, dec. Joey Couteret, 7-5.

132 - Dylan Confer, WB, dec. Dalton Klotz, 8-4.

138 - Macen Akers, E, maj. dec. Jon Gobbert, 14-4.

145 - Ben Stover, E, dec. Hunter Parks, 5-3.

152 - Derek Yingling, WB, maj. dec. Mahlon Akers, 11-0.

160 - Kyle Myers, WB, pinned Blair Burkholder, 5:25.

170 - Gavin Wills, E, pinned Seth Sankey, 1:23.

182 - Wes Graham, E, pinned Daniel Ryder, 1:56.

195 - Clayton Green, WB, pinned Zack Sigel, 1:16.

220 - Vince McDowell, WB, pinned Keithan O’Brien, 0:19.

285 - Shane Clark, E, dec. Trey Kalke, 4-1.
 106 - Garret Cornell, E, won by forfeit.
 113 - Evan Brennan, E, pinned Tylenochick, 2:44.