CURWENSVILLE — Eight lettermen, including returning District 9 Class AA champion Jake Lancaster and two other Northwest Region qualifiers, provide the nucleus for the Curwensville Area High School wrestling squad that will be out to regain the program’s winning tradition in 2013-14.
The Golden Tide took a major step in that direction last season, winning nine of 20 matches after totaling only 18 victories in the previous three campaigns.
Coach Duane Wriglesworth is looking forward to his ninth year at the helm with six of the returnees having posted winning records in 2012-13.
Lancaster, a junior, was tops with a 23-12 record with 15 pins after winning 12 of his last 14 bouts, including four in the district tourney where he claimed the 126-pound gold medal.
Right behind him was classmate Sam Bressler, who placed third at 106 pounds in districts and finished 21-12 for a two-year record of 35-27.
Joining those two at the regional tourney was 145-pounder Trey McKenzie after a fourth-place effort in D-9. The senior checked in with an 18-13 mark that included 13 falls in his third year as a regular.
Senior Tyler Mays also will be working on his fourth letter after a 14-13 season at 120 and 126 that set his career record at 46-38.
Senior Zack Tibbens was 9-6 with seven falls at 160 before an injury ended his season prematurely.
Senior Ricky Magnuson made it back-to-back winning seasons by going 9-7 at 220 and 285. He was 13-11 at 220 as a sophomore.
The other lettermen are senior Dakota Royer, who wrestled at 152 and 160, and junior Jake Stiles, who filled in from 152 through 170.
Sophomores Jeff Harvey, Jeremy Gardner and Logan Charles will be counted on in the lightweights, junior Seth Connors shows promise at heavyweight after an injury limited him to three bouts last season.
Brandon Sass (6-15 at 132 and 138), Nate Wriglesworth (14-14 at 170 and 182), Austin Pollick (10-11 at 182) and Brad Coudriet (3-9 at 195 and 220) were the seniors on the 2012-13 squad.
Wriglesworth’s eight Golden Tide squads logged records of 58-73 in regular season duals and 1-4 in District 9 Class AA Team Duals.
Curwensville opens the season at the Philipsburg-Osceola Mountaineer Tournament Saturday and makes only one home appearance this month. Ridgway will visit Patton Hall on Dec. 19.
The roster, including certified weights and (*) denoting letterwinner:
Seniors – Ricky Magnuson (*), 220; Tyler Mays (*), 120; Trey McKenzie (*), 145; Dakota Royer (*), 152; Zach Tibbens (*), 160; Tim Wriglesworth, 220.
Juniors – Sam Bressler (*), 113; Seth Connors, 220; Shawn Ebersole, 152; Jake Lancaster (*), 132; Jake Stiles (*), 145.
Sophomores – Logan Charles; James Demi; Jeremy Gardner; Jeff Harvey; Ben Junod; Hunter Lancaster; James Lee; Remington McGarry; Jordan Peters.
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The schedule, with varsity matches to get under way at approximately 7:30 p.m. unless noted, or immediately following junior high meets that will start at 6 o’clock:
December
7 -Mountaineer Tournament at Philipsburg-Osceola (10 a.m.)
12 – at Brockway
19 – RIDGWAY
27-28 – Big Dog Tournament at Brockway
January
2 – PUNXSUTAWNEY
9 – REDBANK VALLEY
14 – at Glendale
16 – WEST BRANCH
18 – at Clearfield Duals
23 – at Brookville
24-25 – Fred Bell Tournament at Grove City
28 – at Clarion
30 – at Moshannon Valley
February
4 – at Cameron County
13 – Oswayo Valley
21-22 – District 9 Class AA Tournament at Clarion University
28 – Northwest Region Class AA Tournament at Sharon
March
1 – Northwest Region Class AA Tournament at Sharon
6-9 – PIAA Class AA Tournament at Hershey