PHILIPSBURG — Curwensville Area High School sophomore Blake Passarelli lost in the finals, while senior Kaleb Witherite and freshman Zach Holland were victorious in three of their four matches to claim third place at the annual season-opening JJ Powell Mountaineer Wrestling Tournament hosted by Philipsburg-Osceola Saturday.
A penalty point in overtime was the difference in Passarelli’s title bout with Tyler Tinsman of Marion Center after the 120-pounders had traded escapes in regulation.
Passarelli pulled out an exciting 9-6 win in the semifinals by tossing New Oxford’s Jared Bair for a five-point move in the final seconds.
Holland, at 113, and Mason Lancaster, at 170, were the only other Golden Tide matmen to make the semis.
Holland defeated Philipsburg-Osceola’s Chase Chapman twice, 7-4 in the quarterfinals and 4-2 in the consolation finals. His loss was 7-3 to eventual champ Noah Richley of New Oxford in the semis, and his other win was by medical default over Michael Dunleavy of Central Dauphin East.
Witherite bounced back from a first-round 8-2 to loss to Glendale’s Garret Vereshack with three falls in a total of 3:02, two with headlocks and one with a cement mixer.
He pinned Scott McCoy in 38 seconds, Philipsburg-Osceola’s Brandon Anderson in 1:51 and Central Dauphin East’s Brenden Leach in 33 seconds.
Lancaster (2-2) and 126-pounder Dylan Myers (1-2) placed fourth, and Cole Bressler (1-2) took fifth.
“The tournament was a good gauge to see where we were for the first week,” coach Dean Swatsworth said. “We wrestled pretty well. There were just little things we need to work on to get us to where we need to be this early in the season.”
Curwensville, which had only seven entries, finished last in the eight-team season opener with 77 points.
Led by five champs, New Oxford amassed 197 points to easily win the title, with Philipsburg-Osceola coming in second with 178.5 points in former Clearfield Area High School state champion Brad Pataky’s debut as head coach.
The Golden Tide will take on Redbank Valley at New Bethlehem Tuesday in its first dual meet.
TEAM STANDINGS & KEY:
1. New Oxford (NO), 197 points; 2. Philipsburg-Osceola (P-O), 178.5; 3. Marion Center (MC), 168.5; 4. Central Dauphin East (CDE), 126; 5. Somerset (S), 115; 6. Punxsutawney (P), 108; 7. Glendale (G) 96; 8. Curwensville (C), 77.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
106 – (Round Robin) Timothy Uhler, NO, pinned Antwon Neal, CDE, 1:58; Uhler, NO, pinned Jacob Good, P, 1:13; Neal, CDE, pinned Good, P, 1:17.
113 – Noah Richley, NO, dec. Tristan Rutter, G, 5-0.
120 – Tyler Tinsman, MC, dec. Blake Passarelli, C, 2-1 (OT).
126 – Zurich Storm, NO, major dec. Mike Turner, MC, 18-7.
132 – Matt Johnson, P-O, tech fall over Eric Chambers, CDE, 16-1 (5:30).
138 – Quinn Cole, S, dec. Charlie Beatty, MC, 5-0.
145 – Challen Cornetto, MC, dec. Matt Poust, NO, 3-1.
152 – Levi Hughes, P-O, dec. Isaac Krause, G, 9-3.
160 – Austin Hemming, S, pinned Connor Giavedoni, P, :57.
170 – Carmen Gett, MC, dec. Ian Klinger, P-O, 6-2.
182 – Brad Smith, MC, dec. Dom Gonzalez, CDE, 5-2.
195 – Darrick Rudisill, NO, pinned Chase Marple, S, 5:03.
220 – Damian Rodriguez, NO, dec. Micah Sidorick, P-O, 2-1.
285 – Brad Dunkle, P-O, pinned Alexander Neal, P, 1:56.
CONSOLATION FINALS (THIRD PLACE)
113 – Zach Holland, C, dec. Chase Chapman, P-O, 4-2.
120 – Nykarri Cunningham, CDE, pinned Jared Bair, NO, 1:53.
126 – Jake Skarbek, P, pinned Dylan Meyers, C, 2:13.
132 – Kurt Smith, NO, pinned Brent Kuhn, G, 1:37.
138 – Landon McDonald, P-O, major dec. Devin Vadja, CDE, 9-1.
145 – Matt Shimmel, P-O, dec. Bradon Hughes, G, 8-7.
152 – Stone Smith, P-O, pinned Evan Brown, NO, 2:10.
160 – Mike Stewart, MC, dec. Zyaire Monserrat, CDE, 5-1.
170 – Tyler Krause, S, pinned Mason Lancaster, C, 2:38.
182 – Matt Yeckley, G, dec. Josh Hubler, P-O, 3-1.
195 – Kaleb Witherite, C, pinned Brenden Leach, CDE, :33.
220 – Blake Bizousky, P, dec. Jack Hause, S, 8-2.
285 – Kyle Waters, CDE, pinned Tyler Cover, MC, 2:43.
CONSOLATION FINALS (FIFTH PLACE)
132 – Matt Himes, MC, pinned Anthony Winebold, C, 1:16.
138 – Cole Bressler, C, dec. Jaleel Johnson, NO, 7-4.
* * * * *
Other Curwensville results:
CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
113 – Holland, C, won by medical default over Michael Dunleavy, CDE, 1:27.
126 – Meyers, C, pinned Noah Twoey, P-O, 1:38.
132 – Smith, NO, pinned Winebold, C, :39.
138 – McDonald, P-O, tech fall Bressler, C, 23-8 (6:00).
170 – Lancaster, C, pinned Seth Dudurich, G, 2:13.
195 – Witherite, C, pinned Brandon Anderson, P-O, 1:51.
CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS
113 – Richley, NO, dec. Holland, C, 7-3.
120 – Passarelli, C, dec. Bair, NO, 9-6.
170 – Gett, MC, pinned Lancaster, C, 5:21.
CONSOLATION QUARTERFINAL
195 – Witherite, C, pinned Scott McCoy, MC, :38.
CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS
113 – Holland, C, dec. Chapman, P-O, 7-4.
126 – Skarbek, P, pinned Meyers, C, 1:27.
132 – Kuhn, G, pinned Winebold, C, 4:23.
138 – J. Johnson, NO, pinned Bressler, C, 1:55.
170 – Lancaster, C, pinned Brian Rotheram, CDE, 5:21.
195 – Garret Vereshack, G, dec. Witherite, C, 8-2.