MILLERSVILLE – Though representing one of the smallest schools in the Penn Manor Invitational Wrestling Tournament, Curwensville more than held its own in the 23-team field, with five medal winners and a sixth placewinner leading the Golden Tide to a tie for fifth place.
Derek Brothers at 112 pounds and Brett McCracken at 152 advanced to the championship round before losing, Tyler Peters at 119 battled back from Friday\’s first-round loss to place fourth and Justin Johnston at 135 and Jeff Thomas at 145 claimed fifth-place medals Saturday evening.
Jarrett Sloppy at 171 wound up eighth.
\”We\’re very pleased to go down there and tie for fifth against that type of competition,\” coach Duane Wriglesworth II said, noting that several schools had full junior varsity teams. \”That the best showing we\’ve had in the three years we\’ve been there.
\”It definitely was a team effort. Even the kids who lost (in earlier rounds) were able to win some bouts in the consolations.\”
Berwick won the team title, with Spring Grove, Montoursville, and La Salle College High School also finishing ahead of Curwensville, which tied Penn Manor. Sussex Tech of Delaware, Cape Henlopen of Maryland, Central York and Mechanicsburg rounded out the top 10.
Brothers, who placed eighth in the PIAA Class AA Tournament in March, lived up to his second seed with two wins on the tourney\’s second day before losing to Spring Grove\’s Tanner Bidelspach in the finals.
A first period takedown was the difference for the fourth-seeded Bidelspach, who had upset top seed Matt Mooney of La Salle College High School 2-1 in the semifinals on a penalty point.
A fourth seed, McCracken also was 2-1, including a 6-1 decision over top seed C.J. Burns of La Salle in the semifinals. He was pinned in 3:04 of the championship bout by Cape Henlopen\’s Randy Osorio after a move that Wriglesworth had difficulty describing.
Down to start the second period, the Golden Tide senior escaped for the first point and went right after the takedown.
\”Brett had a really clean, deep shot, lifted one leg up and was in the process of sliding his hips under to try to finish it off with a double-leg when the kid hit a move I\’ve never seen before,\” Wriglesworth explained. \”Most kids will try to put in one arm for a whizzer, but this kid faced Brett with a double overhook, released one overhook, grabbed his head and was able to muscle him right down to the mat in a headlock.
\”It happened so fast, that\’s what I think I saw him do. Brett was on his back in a headlock for about a minute. I think it would have been a close match. Brett just got caught.\”
Peters was nipped 3-2 by Montoursville\’s Caleb Lomax in the third-place match after staying in the hunt for a medal with four wins, one fall and three decisions, on the tourney\’s second day. The Golden Tide junior recorded the takedown, but Lomax picked up a penalty point in the middle period and then turned Peters for two in the third period.
\”That kid was good with legs, and Tyler just couldn\’t get out,\” Wriglesworth said. \”But to wrestle back and get to the medal stand is quite an accomplishment, not only for him but also J.J. and Thomas.\”
In the fifth-place consolations, Johnston won by forfeit over injured Shane Henry of Spring Grove, and Thomas major decisioned Mechanicsburg\’s Evan Baer 10-1. Johnston first lost in the championship semifinals. Both Golden Tide wrestlers were 2-2 Saturday.
Sloppy lost in the championship but rebounded with a major decision before dropping two close decisions, including 10-7 to Justin Gualtieri of Garnet Valley in the seventh-place match.
Justin Smith (160) bowed out in the consolation second round, while Greg Koptchak (103), Brett Sutika (125) and Nathan Russell (215) were ousted in the consolation quarterfinals. Russell did register a pin in the second round of wrestlebacks.
Curwensville returns to dual meet action at home Thursday against Redbank Valley. Both teams are 1-0.
\”It will be a tough match,\” Wriglesworth said. \”Redbank beat DuBois (45-15) for the first time in history last week. That\’s what we\’re up against.\”
He ranks the Bulldogs right at the top of Class AA teams to beat in District 9, adding, \”So we definitely have our work cut out for us.\”
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
103 – Tanner Bidelspach, Spring Grove, dec. Derek Brothers, Curwensville, 3-1.
152 – Randy Osorio, Cape Henlopen (Md.), pinned Brett McCracken, Curwensville, 3:04.
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THIRD-PLACE CONSOLATION FINALS
119 – Caleb Lomax, Montoursville, dec. Tyler Peters, Curwensville, 3-2.
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FIFTH-PLACE CONSOLATION FINALS
135 – Justin Johnston, Curwensville, won by forfeit over Shane Henry, Spring Grove.
145 – Jeff Thomas, Curwensville, major dec. Evan Baer, Mechanicsburg, 10-1.
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SEVENTH-PLACE CONSOLATION FINALS
171 – Justin Gualtieri, Garnet Valley, dec. Jarrett Sloppy, Curwensville, 10-7.
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CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS
112 – Brothers major dec. Colin Edris, Elco, 11-3.
135 – Austin Addis, Lampeter-Strasburg, dec. Johnston, 7-0.
152 – McCracken dec. C.J. Burns, La Salle College H.S., 6-1.
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CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS
112 – Brothers dec. Andrew Rensel, Northern, 4-1.
135 – Johnston dec. Brandon Yeager, Penn Manor, 5-1.
145 – Randy Abel, Spring Grove, dec. Thomas, 10-3.
152 – McCracken major dec. Luke Speers, West Chester-Henderson, 11-1.
160 – Michael Blaszczyk, Lancaster Catholic, pinned Justin Smith, Curwensville, 1:42.
171 – Hunter Smith, West Chester-Henderson, won by technical fall over Sloppy, 15-0.
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CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
119 – Peters pinned Tommy Simmons, Elco, 3:08.
135 – Nick Michaels, West Chester-Henderson, dec. Johnston, 3-0.
145 – Josh Winkelman, Berwick, major dec. Thomas, 8-0.
171 – Chris Drumm, Penn Manor, dec. Sloppy, 6-4.
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CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS
103 – Pat Cabry, Garnet Valley, pinned Greg Koptchak, Curwensville, :20.
119 – Peters dec. Kyle Coblentz, Garden Spot, 6-3.
125 – Zac Nickle, Garnet Valley, pinned Brett Sutika, Curwensville, 1:30.
145 – Thomas dec. Ryelan Pavlik, Sussex Tech (Del.), 5-2.
171 – Sloppy major dec. Steve Gregson, Cape Henlopen (Md.), 10-2.
215 – Nick Dawson, Montoursville, dec. Russell, 2-1.
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CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND
119 – Peters dec. Trey Duncan, Spring Grove, 13-8.
160 – Zephyr Dipple, West Chester-Henderson, major dec. Smith, 14-6.
215 – Russell pinned Caleb Roth, Central York, 1:42.
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CONSOLATION FIRST ROUND
119 – Peters dec. Matt Pyriah, La Salle College H.S., 5-4.