Looking Back
Not much took place on the opening weekend of the season for the teams from the Bedford Gazette coverage area. Claysburg-Kimmel began its year at the St. Mary's Kickoff Classic and finished third in the team standings. I mistakenly had this down originally as a dual meet tournament, but it was actually a round robin style event. The Bulldogs had one individual champion in Jordan Musselman, who took the 106-pound crown, while James Dunmore, Dakotah Feathers, and Jacob Hypes all placed second, at 145, 170, and 182 respectively.
Claysburg coach Dave Aungst said he was pleased with his team's effort, and while this wasn't a top-level tournament, the Bulldogs showed some promising early results for the season.
Looking Ahead
Each of my other local teams get started this week. There are four matches tomorrow and five on Thursday. There are also four tournaments involving locals on the weekend. I should have more on the King of the Mountain Tournament, Jarvis Memorial Tournament at Athens, and ICC Duals later in the week. The annual Sheetz Holiday Classic also takes place at Penn Cambria. I would bet that Eric Knopsnyder will be previewing that at Knop's knotes at some point. Here's this week's rundown:
Tuesday
Bedford at Central Cambria
Claysburg-Kimmel at Juniata Valley
Mount Union at Everett
Northern Bedford at Southern Huntingdon
Thursday
Cambria Heights at Bedford
Southern Huntingdon at Claysburg-Kimmel
Northern Bedford at Central
Juniata Valley at Everett
Mount Union at Tussey Mountain
Friday and/or Saturday
Bedford in King of the Mountain Tournament at Central Mountain
Chestnut Ridge in Jarvis Memorial Tournament at Athens
Hyndman in Sheetz Holiday Classic at Penn Cambria
ICC Duals at Glendale
Around the State
There was plenty of wrestling happenings from across Pennsylvania this past weekend. I have compiled a list of links that can get you to stories and results from some of them.
Tom Best Jr. (Top Hat) Tournament at Williamsport final brackets
Bullet Invitational, Cumberland Valley Kickoff, Mule Classic (PennLive)
Wilson (D11) Invitational (Lehigh Valley Live/The Express-Times)
Eastern Area Tournament at Gateway (Observer-Reporter)
Hickory Invitational (Erie Times-News)
Griffiths is done
Southmoreland senior Austin Griffiths will not be wrestling this season as he was ruled ineligible. He was enrolled in an online charter school as a freshman wrestler in 2010-11, and repeated his freshman year of school at Southmoreland the following year. An appeal was denied twice by the WPIAL and then denied recently by the PIAA.
Griffiths was a two-time Class AA top five state placewinner and would likely have been at 120 pounds this season.
A link to the story is here: http://triblive.com/sports/hssports/wrestling/7175371-74/griffiths-southmoreland-class#axzz3LLFwZ1IB
Monday, December 8, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Season Opening Weekend Preview
Yes, the new wrestling season is almost here.
For me locally, it's a pretty light schedule as only Claysburg-Kimmel will be in action. You can see that tournament capsule below. Elsewhere, tournaments involving teams from the region will be taking place at Blairsville, Conemaugh Township, Philipsburg, and in other locales across the state.
Saturday
St. Mary's Kickoff Classic @ St. Mary's
Time: 9 a.m.
Style: Dual Meet Tournament
Local involved: Claysburg-Kimmel
Other Teams: St. Mary's, Cameron County, Conestoga (D1), Oswayo Valley, Port Allegany, St. Joseph's Academy, Southern Huntingdon
Top Returning Wrestlers expected
113 - Casey Vollmer, Port Allegany, 29-6 last season, Regional 4th
145 - Dan Iredale, Conestoga, 29-6 last season
182 - Derek Taylor, St. Mary's, 23-10 last season, Regional 4th
195 - Ethan Budd, Port Allegany, 28-7 last season, District 3rd
285 - Jack Karsten, Cameron County: 28-5 last season, Regional 4th
For me locally, it's a pretty light schedule as only Claysburg-Kimmel will be in action. You can see that tournament capsule below. Elsewhere, tournaments involving teams from the region will be taking place at Blairsville, Conemaugh Township, Philipsburg, and in other locales across the state.
Saturday
St. Mary's Kickoff Classic @ St. Mary's
Time: 9 a.m.
Style: Dual Meet Tournament
Local involved: Claysburg-Kimmel
Other Teams: St. Mary's, Cameron County, Conestoga (D1), Oswayo Valley, Port Allegany, St. Joseph's Academy, Southern Huntingdon
Top Returning Wrestlers expected
113 - Casey Vollmer, Port Allegany, 29-6 last season, Regional 4th
145 - Dan Iredale, Conestoga, 29-6 last season
182 - Derek Taylor, St. Mary's, 23-10 last season, Regional 4th
195 - Ethan Budd, Port Allegany, 28-7 last season, District 3rd
285 - Jack Karsten, Cameron County: 28-5 last season, Regional 4th
Monday, December 1, 2014
Tragedy hits Hyndman
It was reported to the Bedford Gazette on Monday that 16-year old Jonah Kindya of Hyndman was killed when he was struck by a passenger train in the borough on Sunday night.
Kindya was a junior at HOPE for Hyndman Charter School. He wrestled at 160 pounds for the Hornets last season and was on the preseason roster for the new season that begins this week.
A fundraising effort for Jonah's family has been started. To assist, visit http://www.gofundme.com/i2kyjo.
Kindya was a junior at HOPE for Hyndman Charter School. He wrestled at 160 pounds for the Hornets last season and was on the preseason roster for the new season that begins this week.
A fundraising effort for Jonah's family has been started. To assist, visit http://www.gofundme.com/i2kyjo.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Local Tour Stops #4-6
Over the first two days this week, I made my way to get a view of three teams — Bedford, Chestnut Ridge, and Northern Bedford.
My visit to Bedford was fairly brief, and unfortunately, some of the Bisons' wrestlers were not in the practice room when I was there. That said, numbers at Bedford are not usually a problem, as the program has a rich tradition and plenty of kids at the lower levels. Despite the absence of some, it did look like Brian Creps will have enough to fill his lineup, which these days is becoming more of the exception rather than the rule.
Bedford did take a hard hit from graduation, losing the likes of Ryan Easter and Garrett Thomas among others, but having Jonathan Gabriel back gives the Bisons one of the top studs in the area.
But Northern will have as many as 10 returning starters and should be solid through the middle of the lineup. Like most coaches, Brian Dutchcot works out right alongside his wrestlers. My time in the NBC room included the former Ridgway grappler keeping up with the youngsters in a few series of wind sprints.
One of Lazor's first questions to me was, "Are you going to Powerade?"
The Powerade is one of the big regular season tournaments on the east coast missing on my wrestling bucket list, but this year, the second day falls on my son's first birthday, too. So 2014 is out, but hopefully Ridge will continue to make that trip so I can get paid to attend.
Nonetheless, given how good the Lions should be, I'll be seeing plenty of them throughout the winter.
My visit to Bedford was fairly brief, and unfortunately, some of the Bisons' wrestlers were not in the practice room when I was there. That said, numbers at Bedford are not usually a problem, as the program has a rich tradition and plenty of kids at the lower levels. Despite the absence of some, it did look like Brian Creps will have enough to fill his lineup, which these days is becoming more of the exception rather than the rule.
Bedford did take a hard hit from graduation, losing the likes of Ryan Easter and Garrett Thomas among others, but having Jonathan Gabriel back gives the Bisons one of the top studs in the area.
———
At Northern Bedford, there's a lot of optimism, and rightly so. The Black Panthers could certainly be a darkhorse in District 5, though I'm not sure there's quite enough heavy duty firepower in Loysburg to seriously challenge Chestnut Ridge or Berlin, at least for this season.But Northern will have as many as 10 returning starters and should be solid through the middle of the lineup. Like most coaches, Brian Dutchcot works out right alongside his wrestlers. My time in the NBC room included the former Ridgway grappler keeping up with the youngsters in a few series of wind sprints.
———
I hit Chestnut Ridge earlier today, where the Lions are prepping for their District 5 title defense. It's no secret that Greg Lazor's group is loaded and the match at Berlin on January 6 has been circled for a long time as an early barometer on who's the favorite in D5. You can see more on each team in an earlier blog post, titled Top Team Talk.One of Lazor's first questions to me was, "Are you going to Powerade?"
The Powerade is one of the big regular season tournaments on the east coast missing on my wrestling bucket list, but this year, the second day falls on my son's first birthday, too. So 2014 is out, but hopefully Ridge will continue to make that trip so I can get paid to attend.
Nonetheless, given how good the Lions should be, I'll be seeing plenty of them throughout the winter.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Local Tour Stop #3
On Thursday, I ventured to the southernmost school in my coverage area for the Bedford Gazette, at HOPE for Hyndman Charter School.
The Hornets are coached this season by a new face, but a familiar one in District 5. Chadd Sines, who had some solid success at Meyersdale, is now in charge. Overall, Hyndman will be young this year, but at first glance in the room, numbers appear decent for Sines to begin his coaching reign in Bedford County.
Sines is joined on the coaching staff by Logan Sheldon, who also served as Jake Snyder's top assistant over the past few years. Sheldon, a former state finalist for the Hornets, is well-liked by many of the wrestlers and keeping him around should preserve continuity.
One note of interest I did see was another female wrestler among my locals. Rebecca Mosher is a freshman on Hyndman's roster. She joins Everett junior Selena Munoz in that regard. Somerset's Kat Luteri is another around the district.
I'm glad to see more girls in Pennsylvania giving wrestling a shot. It's a sport that's demanding and not for the faint of heart, yet these three and others are battling their male counterparts without blinking an eye. Kudos!
The Hornets are coached this season by a new face, but a familiar one in District 5. Chadd Sines, who had some solid success at Meyersdale, is now in charge. Overall, Hyndman will be young this year, but at first glance in the room, numbers appear decent for Sines to begin his coaching reign in Bedford County.
Sines is joined on the coaching staff by Logan Sheldon, who also served as Jake Snyder's top assistant over the past few years. Sheldon, a former state finalist for the Hornets, is well-liked by many of the wrestlers and keeping him around should preserve continuity.
One note of interest I did see was another female wrestler among my locals. Rebecca Mosher is a freshman on Hyndman's roster. She joins Everett junior Selena Munoz in that regard. Somerset's Kat Luteri is another around the district.
I'm glad to see more girls in Pennsylvania giving wrestling a shot. It's a sport that's demanding and not for the faint of heart, yet these three and others are battling their male counterparts without blinking an eye. Kudos!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Local Tour Stop #2
My travels around the local wrestling teams on Wednesday took me to Claysburg-Kimmel for a look at this year's version of the Bulldogs.
Claysburg could have as many as 11 returning lettermen in the 2014-15 lineup, which is a good foundation to start from for second-year head coach Dave Aungst. The Bulldogs have seven returnees that posted at least 10 wins last season, led by mid-upperweight Dakotah Feathers with 18.
Certainly, Aungst would like to see postseason success come from that experience. It was quite an odd sight not to see Claysburg represented at the regional tournament last season.
Feathers walked into the Altoona Fieldhouse as the sixth seed in a pretty solid 125-pound bracket at the District 6-AA Tournament. He got to the quarterfinals and knocked off Tyrone's T.J. Albright on that Friday night. The next day, he pinned Northern Cambria's Scott Knarr in the semifinals, then rallied with a late four-point move to defeat Glenn Winslow of Cambria Heights, 6-3, for the improbable championship.
The next weekend in the Southwest Regional, Feathers earned another title with a 10-8 win over Winslow in the finals. District 6 owned that regional bracket. Aside from Feathers and Winslow, Albright was third, Paul Myers of Penn Cambria took fourth, and Knarr finished sixth.
The Bulldog ended up winning his first 10 postseason bouts before losing in the state semifinals and eventually placing sixth in Hershey. He had a strong regular season as a senior, but didn't make it back to the Giant Center. However, Feathers was already etched in history, as former Claysburg and current Central head coach Dave Marko painted the names of district and regional champions, and state placewinners on the walls of CK's practice room. You can see my photo of Feathers' district winning accomplishment below.
Back to the question, which evolves from the fact that Feathers was not even close to the radar when it came to potential state qualifiers, let alone medalists. Yet at the end of the season, he was the Gazette area's only state placewinner.
Claysburg could have as many as 11 returning lettermen in the 2014-15 lineup, which is a good foundation to start from for second-year head coach Dave Aungst. The Bulldogs have seven returnees that posted at least 10 wins last season, led by mid-upperweight Dakotah Feathers with 18.
Certainly, Aungst would like to see postseason success come from that experience. It was quite an odd sight not to see Claysburg represented at the regional tournament last season.
———
Speaking of Claysburg-Kimmel, the start of each wrestling year begins with one question for me: Who might be the Cody Feathers for this season?
As a junior, Feathers caught lightning in a bottle during the 2006-07 postseason. It was my first year working at the Bedford Gazette, and Cody's run became a great story and still is one of my highlights over the past eight years of covering the sports scene around here.Feathers walked into the Altoona Fieldhouse as the sixth seed in a pretty solid 125-pound bracket at the District 6-AA Tournament. He got to the quarterfinals and knocked off Tyrone's T.J. Albright on that Friday night. The next day, he pinned Northern Cambria's Scott Knarr in the semifinals, then rallied with a late four-point move to defeat Glenn Winslow of Cambria Heights, 6-3, for the improbable championship.
The next weekend in the Southwest Regional, Feathers earned another title with a 10-8 win over Winslow in the finals. District 6 owned that regional bracket. Aside from Feathers and Winslow, Albright was third, Paul Myers of Penn Cambria took fourth, and Knarr finished sixth.
The Bulldog ended up winning his first 10 postseason bouts before losing in the state semifinals and eventually placing sixth in Hershey. He had a strong regular season as a senior, but didn't make it back to the Giant Center. However, Feathers was already etched in history, as former Claysburg and current Central head coach Dave Marko painted the names of district and regional champions, and state placewinners on the walls of CK's practice room. You can see my photo of Feathers' district winning accomplishment below.
Back to the question, which evolves from the fact that Feathers was not even close to the radar when it came to potential state qualifiers, let alone medalists. Yet at the end of the season, he was the Gazette area's only state placewinner.
Is there another Cody Feathers story in the works for this season?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)