RIDGWAY – The Ridgway Elkers wrestling team upped its 2016-17 dual meet record to 5-2 with a somewhat easy 53-27 win over the outmanned Curwensville squad Thursday night in Ridgway.
The Golden Tide gave up five forfeits at 106, 113, 145, 160 and 170 pounds.
In between all the forfeits, Ridgway also picked up three pins at 126, 138 and 182 and then a technical fall at 152 to acquire the 53 points.
Curwensville did win three head to head bouts sandwiched around the two forfeits they received at 132 and 195.
Kaleb Witherite of the Tide, at 220 pinned Elker Hunter Kos in just 43 seconds to pick up his fifth win of the year against just one defeat.
Then in the night’s featured bout, at 285, Curwensville’s Steven McClure, now 2-0, upset previously unbeaten Colton McClain 5-4.
McClain came into the meet with a perfect 10-0 record, but McClure used a takedown in the first period, an escape in the second and a late takedown in the third period to pull out the exciting win.
The Tide’s other win came at 120 pounds as sophomore Blake Passarelli pinned Luke Tomaski in just 36 seconds.
Afterwards, Golden Tide head coach Dean Swatsworth talked about his team, saying, “Yes, we are down in numbers this year but the kids come to the wrestling room and work very hard each and every day. So they are trying to get better and I am proud of the kids we have wrestling.”
Swatsworth closed, commenting, “All we ask is that the kids wrestle hard for six minutes each time they go out onto the mat.”
The Golden Tide, 0-2 in dual meets, will have to wait until the new year to wrestle again when they visit Punxsutawney on January 4.
Bout by bout summary:
132 Anthony Winebold – CUR won by forfeit 6 0
138 Lukas McClain – RIDG pinned Ethan Collins – CUR :56 6 6
145 Billy Urmann – RIDG won by forfeit 6 12
152 Logan McClain – RIDG tech fall over Cole Bressler – CUR 18-3 6 17
160 Damon Kelly – RIDG won by forfeit 6 23
170 Jonathan Francis – RIDG won by forfeit 6 29
182 Robert Briggs – RIDG pinned Mason Lancaster – CUR 3:54 6 35
195 Nick Stewart – CUR won by forfeit 12 35
220 Kaleb Witherite – CUR pinned Hunter Kos :43 18 35
285 Steven McClure – CUR dec. Colton McClain 5-4 21 35
106 Gary Emerick – RIDG won by forfeit 21 41
113 Kyle Bush – RIDG won by forfeit 21 47
120 Blake Passarelli – CUR pinned Luke Tomaski – RIDG :36 27 47
126 Bryce Barclay – RIDG pinned Dylan Meyers – CUR 1:37 27 53
OFFICIAL: Jeff Lindenmuth
Golden Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/10 | Mountaineer Tourney @ PO | 77 pts. | 8th place |
| 12/13 | @ Redbank Valley | 27 – 54 | 0 – 1 |
| 12/17 | @ Redbank Valley Duals | ppd. | 0 – 1 |
| 12/22 | @ Ridgway | 27 – 53 | 0 – 2 |
| 01/04 | @ Punxsutawney | ||
| 01/07 | @ Indiana Tourney | ||
| 01/12 | @ West Branch | ||
| 01/19 | JOHNSONBURG | ||
| 01/24 | BROOKVILLE | ||
| 01/26 | MO VALLEY | ||
| 01/27 & 28 | Fred Bell Tourney @ Grove City | ||
| 01/31 | CLARION | ||
| 02/02 | GLENDALE | ||
| 02/14 | INDIANA | ||
| 02/24 & 25 | District 9 AA Champs @Clfd HS | ||
| 03/03 & 04 | Northwest Regionals @ Sharon | ||
| 03/09-11 | PIAA States @ Hershey |