CURWENSVILLE – Bonus points in all seven of their wins were the difference as the Punxsutawney Chucks turned back the Curwensville Area High School wrestling team 38-31 in Patton Hall Thursday night.
The Chucks registered five falls and two major decisions to balance their record at 5-5.
Coach Duane Wriglesworth’s Golden Tide also won seven matches, but three went the distance with Tyler Mays at 120 pounds, Brandon Sass at 126 and undefeated Jake Keller (7-0) at 138 logging those decisions.
Nate Wriglesworth at 170 and Spencer Smeal at heavyweight engineered falls, Sam Bressler at 106 posted a major decision and Ricky Magnuson at 220 received a forfeit.
Punxsy jumped in front 16-0 via Perry Arrington’s 13-3 win over Alex Holt at 145 pounds and pins by Ceasar Maruca at 152 and Seth Spack at 160. Spack, a 2010 District 9 Class AAA champion, will join the 100-Win Club the next time a referee raises his hand.
Nate Wriglesworth notched Curwensville’s lone win in the first six bouts, taking down Ryan Marshall, turning him with a rebar tilt and getting the fall in 1:18.
Pins by Carl Langley at 182 and Josh Neal at 195 hiked Punxsy‘s lead to 26-6, but the Golden Tide then made it interesting.
Following Magnuson’s forfeit win, Smeal ended a 3-2 bout with Tyler Titus by working a bundle-arm combination for his first career victory and Bressler hit several chain tilts to major Andrew Bullers 13-2, according to coach Wriglesworth. That closed the Tide to within four, 26-22.
Bowers spoiled Curwensville freshman Travis Lansberry’s debut at 113, but the Golden Tide again closed to within four points, 32-28, when Mays bested Matt Burke 9-5 and Sass built a 5-0 advantage and held on to edge Devan Snyder 5-4.
“I was very happy to see Sass outlast his opponent by using good top control,” Wriglesworth said.
After Schuckers iced it for Punxsy with his fall, Keller and Neko Cappella hooked up in the meet‘s headliner.
The Golden Tide senior wrestled six minutes for the first time this season and came away with a 3-0 decision over Neko Cappella, who became just the third Punxsy matman with 100 wins when he went 7-0 during the Wheeling Park (W.Va.) Duals last week.
“Keller had a difficult time turning Cappella, but it was a crowd pleaser,” Wriglesworth said.
The Golden Tide will take a 1-2 record to the Coudersport Duals Saturday.
PUNXSUTAWNEY 38, CURWENSVILLE 31
145 – Perry Arrington, P, major dec. Alex Holt, 13-3. (4-0)
152 – Ceasar Maruca, P, pinned Dakota Royer, 3:29. (10-0)
160 – Seth Spack, P, pinned Austin Pollick, 4:32. (16-0)
170 – Nate Wriglesworth, C, pinned Ryan Marshall, 1:18. (16-6)
182 – Carl Langley, P, major dec. Chad Desmett, 18-5. (20-6)
195 – Josh Neal, P, pinned Jake Kavelak, :41. (26-6)
220 – Ricky Magnuson, C, won by forfeit. (26-12)
285 – Spencer Smeal, C, pinned Tyler Titus, 2:27. (26-18)
106 – Sam Bressler, C, major dec. Andrew Bullers, 13-2. (26-22)
113 – Joel Bowers, P, pinned Travis Lansberry, :58. (32-22)
120 – Tyler Mays, C, dec. Matthew Burke, 9-5. (32-25)
126 – Brandon Sass, C, dec. Devan Snyder, 5-4. (32-28)
132 – Josh Schuckers, P, pinned Devin Kerin, 2:28. (38-28)
138 – Jake Keller, C, dec. Neko Cappella, 3-0. (38-31)
Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/10 | @ Mountaineer Tourney | 57.5 pts. | 8th |
| 12/15 | @ Brockway | 54 – 18 | 1 – 0 |
| 12/22 | WEST BRANCH | 16 – 62 | 1 – 1 |
| 01/05 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | 31 – 38 | 1 – 2 |
| 01/07 | @ Coudersport Duals |