Lions claim third in Hershey

   It was another special weekend for Chestnut Ridge in Hershey.
   Special, because competing at the Giant Center, the PIAA's grand stage for these events, is an accomplishment in itself.
   Special, since a win that was so elusive for years was finally theirs early Friday afternoon.
   And oh so special, because the Lions came home with their third medal in the last six years.
   Chestnut Ridge secured it with a 31-27 victory over Harbor Creek in the consolation semifinals, before beating Muncy 39-22 to finish in third place in the Class AA state duals.
   The Lions placed fourth in their first-ever trip in 2013, and were the tournament's runner-up two years later. After two years of near misses, the District 5 power can now hang another banner in its home gymnasium.
   Seniors Seth Harbaugh and Scotty Miller didn't take long to mention the word 'team' in celebrating a medal.
   "I'm just so happy how the team performed, and how we overcame the tough loss (30-27 to Southern Columbia) in the semifinals," said Harbaugh. "It feels great."
   "I love my team," added Miller. "We are a family, and I'm glad to be a part of this experience with them."
   Helping pave the way was a hard-fought 35-27 quarterfinal win over state duals nemesis Boiling Springs, who was 5-0 against Chestnut Ridge on the floor of the Giant Center. Tied at 27 with two bouts remaining, state champion Justin McCoy rolled up a technical fall before Brodie Harbaugh scored a decision to exorcise demons of the past.
   That put the Lions in the semifinals for the second time in history (2015), going up against Southern Columbia. The District 4 champions were a little too much and went on to give defending champion Reynolds all it could handle in a 30-25 title match.
   Chestnut Ridge's third medal gives District 5 four team placewinners in the 20-year history of the event. Bedford owns the other one, having finished fourth in 2009.
   "It feels good to finally come through as a team," said junior and two-time individual state placer Jared McGill. "I've been on two previous teams that were so close to getting that medal but fell short. The guys really stepped it up and I'm proud of everyone.
   "I also want to give a shoutout to our fans for coming down to cheer us on."
   While the Lions will lose a number of seniors, headlined by McCoy, they'll have McGill and a host of experience back. That will include state placewinner Kaden Cassidy, who had his sophomore season cut short due to a hand injury. And as the varsity squad was winning another state medal, Chestnut Ridge also won another Mountain Conference junior high tournament championship, putting seven wrestlers into the finals with two champions.

State Duals Tidbits
- I had posted on social media after the win over Boiling Springs that Chestnut Ridge was 13-7 overall at the state duals. That was an error on my part as I had missed one year of results. To date including this season now, the Lions are 17-10 in Hershey.

- Reynolds repeated as Class AA champion for the second time (2006 and 07) and won its fifth title in history.

- According to Williamsport Sun-Gazette writer Mitch Rupert, Muncy's fourth-place effort is the first team medal by a Lycoming County school. Coupled with Southern Columbia's finals appearance, it's the first time two District 4 teams have placed in the same season.

#KeatonStrong, D5 Duals Wrap-up

   The wrestling community comes together like no other.

   That was again the case over the past few days after word spread that North Star's Keaton Furry underwent brain surgery hours after competing with his teammates in the District 5 Duals on Saturday at Chestnut Ridge.

   Eric Knopsnyder has a story in today's Tribune-Democrat regarding the surgery and the prognosis for Furry, which is optimistic at this point. Doctors removed a cyst, which does not appear to be cancerous.

   That is wonderful news. Since the news broke, there were countless well wishes and prayers posted on social media, with many using the hashtag #KeatonStrong on Twitter. 

   Again, it's so great to see everyone come together, no matter what team you're on or root for, in times like these. My best to Keaton, his family, and the North Star community.

Lions roar again in D5 Duals

   I covered the District Duals at Ridge for the Tribune-Democrat, and led with the premise of the seniors on the Lions' team leading the way, as they have generally in the past.

   In this case, every one of the seniors that took the mat in Saturday's 63-12 finals win over North Star won their bout. 

   Seth Harbaugh was one of them, as he used two takedowns and a reversal in his 6-1 decision over Furry at 126 pounds.

   I spoke with Harbaugh afterward, and he was very happy to contribute and keep Chestnut Ridge's streak of District 5 Duals championships alive (now six).

   "Wrestling's an individual sport, but it's a team sport as well," he said. "It's nice to get the ball rolling as a team. One guy goes out and gets it done, and that makes all of us want to do the same thing. It's a great feeling."

   Chestnut Ridge will be looking to finish in the medals for the third time in six trips to Hershey when the first round begins on Thursday. The Lions meet Derry in a 4 p.m. matchup.

   "We've always broke out of our huddles with (1, 2, 3...) state champs!," said Harbaugh. "We really believe we can become state champs. It's something we work hard at in the practice room all year and we really want to do it."

Bubblers on the horizon, again

   Not to get ahead of ourselves, but should Chestnut Ridge and Boiling Springs win first-round duals on Thursday, guess what the Friday quarterfinal on Mat 3 will look like?

   Yep, Chestnut Ridge vs. Boiling Springs. The District 3 champions are back at the Giant Center after a one-year hiatus, and they'll be looking to win their third medal in the last four seasons.

   And their control over the Lions in these state matches is well-known. While none of them have been blowouts, Boiling Springs is 5-0 against Chestnut Ridge. 

   The Bubblers won in the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2014, the final in 2015, and twice two years ago.

   Certainly, Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor will or already has been discussing that with his team.

State Duals medal predictions

Class AA

Champion - Reynolds

Runner-up - Southern Columbia

Third Place - Chestnut Ridge

Fourth Place - Brookville

Second state title chances motivating McCoy

   FISHERTOWN - Despite already owning a state championship and numerous other accolades, Justin McCoy isn't completely satisfied with his high school wrestling career just yet.
   That's great news for fans and followers of Chestnut Ridge's star 152-pounder, not so good news for opponents.
   McCoy got another step closer to more history during today's District 5 Dual Meet championship as he tied former teammate Aaron Burkett for the school record with 152 career wins. McCoy is 30-1 this season and 152-17 overall, and he sits only two victories behind ex-North Star wrestler Chris Lascari for the all-time mark in District 5.
   "When I first started my varsity career, I wasn't thinking about that," McCoy said after a 63-12 win over North Star for the district team title. "I just wanted to have fun and do my best each match. It's just kind of come along the way. It's an honor to be up there on that list."
   To echo his words, McCoy has certainly done his best each time out. He already has his name listed three times on banners in the Richard W. Fisher Gymnasium, symbolizing his trio of state medals (6th in 2015, 7th in 2016, and 1st in 2017). Should he take the podium again next month in Hershey, McCoy will become the first Chestnut Ridge wrestler to win four individual state medals.
   Furthermore, if the senior repeats as state champion, he'll be only the second multiple time PIAA winner from Bedford County. Northern Bedford legend Jan Clark won three straight state championships in the late 1970's and is the only local wrestler to own more than one gold medal.
   McCoy, a strong athlete in three sports (football and baseball also), hasn't rested on his prior accomplishments, and he's also taken advantage of Chestnut Ridge's strong schedule that includes the King of the Mountain and PowerAde tournaments in December.
   "I definitely worked on moving my feet more, and getting faster," the University of Virginia recruit said. "I've focused on being more physical, and non-stop moving the whole time. That's one thing that can really get you to the next level. You see that in (Penn State's) Jason Nolf.
   "I've been wrestling pretty well and I think I'm in a good spot right now. I just want to give my best effort each match and hopefully the wins will come with it."
   Before focus shifts to the individual season, Chestnut Ridge is hoping to earn its third state team medal in six trips to the Giant Center. The Lions haven't done so since a memorable run to the Class AA finals in 2015, a year in which McCoy was a freshman 120-pounder.
   "That was so fun and one of the best years of my life," he said. "We came out today and wrestled really well, and I think if we can continue to do that and get guys to step up and give us more energy, we'll have a great chance."

   NOTE: I covered the District 5 Duals for the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. My story on that will be available in Sunday's edition and on www.tribdem.com.