PHILIPSBURG – Jake Keller was the lone Curwensville wrestler to reach the finals of the JJ Powell Mountaineer Tournament at Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School Saturday, and the senior 138-pounder capped a 4-0 performance when New Oxford’s Joel Zepp ran out of injury time and defaulted at the the 3:31 mark.
The two had met in pool action, too, and the outcome was the same, Keller getting the victory when Zepp defaultd at 3:20.
In his only other Pool A match, Keller pinned New Oxford’s Tadea Achmad in 1:30.
Then, he won by injury default over P-O’s Andrew Greenawalt after 2:57 of their championship semifinal bout.
Keller was in command in all of his matches during the impressive march to the title.
“Jake wrestled a great tournament,” Golden Tide coach Duane Wriglesworth said. “He used that split scissors and a guillotine on those guys (who defaulted), and when they stopped the matches, they couldn’t recover before using up their injury time.”
Wrestlers at each weight were split into two pools for round-robin matches that determined the championship and consolation semifinalists.
“It was a good format, and the tournament was very competitive,” Wriglesworth said, “A lot of our guys gained a lot of good experience, especially our upper weights.”
Freshman 106-pounder Sam Bressler (2-3) and sophomore 132-pounder Trey McKenzie (1-3) were the only other Curwensville matmen to advance to the championship semis, and both placed fourth. Bressler won his first two varsity bouts via falls.
McKenzie suffered a pair of two-point setbacks, 4-2 to eventual runner-up Jon Fabian of Somerset and 14-12 to Justin Millard of P-O in the third-place bout. His other loss was to champion Levi Catalfu of Corry.
Soph 120-pounder Tyler Mays (3-1) was one of three wrestlers to finish 2-1 in his pool, but lost out on the tie-breakers used to determine the two who moved on, so he dropped into the consolation semis and claimed fifth place with a 52-second fall against Hollidaysburg’s David Noll.
“I thought Mays and McKenzie looked very good,” Wriglesworth. “I was really happy with their performances even though they didn’t place higher. They were up against very tough opponents.”
Austin Pollick at 170, Chad Desmett at 182, Ricky Magnuson at 220 and Spencer Smeal at 285 placed sixth.
Smeal and soph Dakota Royer at 152 notched their initial varsity wins, the latter earning seventh place with his decision.
The Golden Tide wound up with 57.5 points.
P-O, which crowned three champions, won the eight-team tourney with 165 points, seven more than Somerset, which also had a trio of titlists.
Altoona led with four winners, including T.J. Brandt, who emerged atop a round-robin of just four entries at 126, and took third with 126 points.
Curwensville will travel to Brockway Thursday for its first dual meet.
TEAM STANDINGS AND KEY
1. Philipsburg-Osceola (P-O), 165 points; 2. Somerset (S), 158; 3. Altoona (126); 4. New Oxford (NO), 111; 5. Central Dauphin East (CDE), 101; 6. Corry (Co), 98; 7. Hollidaysburg (H), 84; 8. Curwensville (Cur), 57.5.
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
106 – Chris Thompson, P-O, dec. Lake Laughman, NO, 6-0.
113 – Damian Huff, H, dec. Austin McMaster, NO, 5-2.
120 – D.J. Hollingshead, A, pinned Cody Cavich, CDE, 5:49.
126 – T.J. Brandt, A, round robin winner; 2. Slade Storm, NO.
132 – Levi Catalfu, Co, dec. Jon Fabian, S, 1-0.
138 – Jake Keller, Cur, won by injury default over Joel Zepp, NO, 3:13.
145 – Jared Smith, P-O, pinned Landon Lohr, S, 1:23.
152 – Logan Walstrom, P-O, dec. Josh Darr, S, 7-5 (OT).
160 – Michael Sutton, S, dec. Jeff Thompson, P-O, 7-2.
170 – Markief Knode, A, dec. Brody Honeycut, NO, 3-1.
182 – Laret Miller, H, dec. Jaob Nickelseon, S, 9-5.
195 – Mante Barnes, A, dec. Shawn Jacoby, NO, 4-1.
220 – Jon Baer, S, dec. Tim Suydan, Co, 3-0.
285 – Jake Hayman, S, dec. Matt Barton, H, 4-1.
THIRD-PLACE FINALS
106 – Garrett Foster, S, pinned Sam Bressler, Cur, 3:09.
113 – Damian Jano, S, pinned Bryan Descavish, P-O, 3:46.
120 – Brian Evans, P-O, pinned Sheldon Wagner, S, 3:17
126 – 3. Joe Bainey, P-O; 4. Joe Porter, CDE.
132 – Justin Millard, P-O, dec. Trey McKenzie, Cur, 14-12.
138 – Mike Laue, S, won by forfeit over Andrew Greenawalt, P-O.
145 – Cody Baily, Co, major dec. Dan Perrington, A, 10-3.
152 – Ryan Morris, Co, won by disqualification over Conner Lesniak, A.
160 – Shane Taubert, Co, pinned Charlie Hoffman, NO, 3:02.
170 – Jay Prentice, P-O, pinned Brnaon Mays, CDE, :56.
182 – Zac Morris, Co, dec. Abdullah Abu-Manfouz, CDE, 9-4.
195 – Brad Anstine, P-O, pinned Anthony Mancuso, CDE, :53.
220 – Brad Sinclair, dec. Nick Gray, P-O, 2-1.
285 – Robert Fitzkee, CDE, pinned Austin Rosenberry, A, 3:51.
CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS
106 – Thompson pinned Fostere, 1:17; Laughman pinned Bressler, 1:39.
113 – Huff dec. Jano, 5-3; McMaster dec. Descavsh, 12-7.
120 – Hollingshead pinned Wagner, :15; Cavich pinned Evans, 3:13.
132 – Catalfu pinned Millard, 5:46; Fabian dec. McKenzie, 4-2.
138 – Keller won by injury default over Greenawalt, 2:57; Zepp dec. Laue, 6-4.
145 – Lohr dec. Baily, 3-1; Smith pinned Pennington, 2:29.
152 – Walstrom dec. Lesniak, 11-4; Darr dec. Morris, 6-5.
160 – Suttton pinned Hoffman, :45; Thompson major dec. Taubert, 9-1.
170 – Knode major dec Mays, 12-3; Honeycut dec. Prentice, 9-5.
182 – Nickelsen dec. Morris, 10-6; Miller pinned Abu-Mahlfouz, 1:42.
195 – Jacoby major dec. Anstine, 10-1; Barnes dec. Mancuso, 4-3.
220 – Baer major dec. Gray, 9-0; Suydan pinned Sinclair, 3:35.
285 – Hayman pinned Fitzkee, 1:07; Barton pinned Rosenberry, 2:49.
FIFTH-PLACE FINALS
106 – Mark Kociola, H, pinned Ervin Jones, CDE, 2:59.
113 – Curtis Royek, Co, dec. Marques Barnes-Lamb, CDE, 5-3.
120 – Tyler Mays, Cur, pinned David Noll, H, :52.
132 – Anthony Lippy, NO, dec. Josiah Russel, CDE, 4-3.
138 – Brennan Luciano, A, dec. Josh Silka, Co, 3-1.
145 – Leonardo Hidalgo, CDE, pinned Caleb Walls, H, 5:18.
152 – Shane Hoff, NO, dec. Cevon Nugien, CDE, 4-3.
160 – Austin Trephan, CDE, pinned Jacob Walk, H, 5:34.
170 – Alex Suydan, Co, dec. Austin Pollick, Cur, 4-1.
182 – Dennis Lumadue, P-O, pinned Chad Desmett, Cur, 3:23.
195 – Matt Milardo, H, dec. Drew Dunsmire, Co, 5-1.
220 – Marcus Arant, CDE, major dec. Ricky Magnuson, Cur, 12-3.
285 – Tim Dombroski, P-O, dec. Spencer Smeal, Cur, 10-6.
SEVENTH-PLACE FINALS
106 – Dan Querry, A, unopposed.
113 – Jay Rimbeck, A, unopposed.
120 – Guy Nitchman, NO, unopposed.
132 – Josh Price, A, unopposed.
138 – Tadea Achmad, unopposed.
145 – Alex Holt, Cur, unopposed.
152 – Dakota Royer, Cur, dec. Dillon Lascoli, H, 6-4.
160 – Nick McCarthy, A, dec. Nate Wriglesworth, Cur, 6-4.
170 – Nate Buckrop, A, unopposed.
182 – Ian Bilofsky, Ho, dec. Logan Eller, S, 8-4.
195 – Pat Blough, S, pinned Jake Kavelak, Cur, 3:36.
285 – Garrett Switzer, Co, unopposed.
CONSOLATION SEMI-FINALS
106 – Jones dec. Querry, 3-0.
113 – Barnes-Lamb pinned Rimbeck, 3:01.
120 – Noll dec Nitchman, 8-5.
132 – Lippey dec. Price, 6-3.
138 – Silka dec. Achmad, 5-2.
145 – Hidalgo pinned Holt, 1:19.
152 – Nugien pinned Royer, 2:11; Hoff pinned Lascoli, 4:43.
160 – Walk dec. McCarthy, 9-4; Trephan dec. Wriglesworth, 5-2.
170 – Suydan pinned Bilofsky, 1:16; Pollick pinned Eller, 3:11.
182 – Desmett won by tech fall over Buckop, 17-1 (4:40).
195 – Dunsmire pinned Kavelak, 1:54; Milardo pinned Blough, 5:50.
285 – Dombroski pinned Switzer, 10-6.
Curwensville results in pool matches:
POOL A
132 – McKenzie major dec. Price, 12-2; lost by tech fall to Catalfu (6:00).
138 – Keller won by injury default over Zepp, 3:20; pinned Achmad, 1:30.
145 – Holt pinned by Pennington, 1:17; pinned by Lohr, 3:00.
170 – Pollick pinned by Prentice, 3:41; pinned by Knode, 2:35; major dec. Bilofsky, 11-3.
182 – Desmett major dec. by Abu-Mahfouz, 11-3; pinned by Nickelson, :51.
220 – Magnuson pinned by Sinclair, 1:54; pinned by Baer, :43.
POOL B
106 – Bressler pinned Querry, :35; pinned Kociola, 5:27; lost by tech fall to Thompson, 17-0 (3:57).
120 – Mays major dec. by Wagner, 8-0; dec. Evans, 6-4 (OT); pinned Noll, :24.
152 – Royer pinned by Darr, 1:50; pinned by Hoff, 2:22; pinned by Lesniak, 1:48.
160 – Wriglesworth major dec by McCarthy, 15-6; pinned by Thompson, 2:22; pinned by Hoffman, 3:12.
195 – Kavelak pinned by Anstine, 1:23; pinned by Mancuso, 1:53; pinned by Blough, 5:11.
285 – Smeal dec. by Fitzkee, 6-1; dec. Switzer, 6-4; pinned by Barton, 4:42.
