HYDE — Golden Tide senior wrestler Zach Holland earned his second District 9 AA gold medal on Saturday afternoon at the Bison Gymnasium at the Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School.
Holland went 3-0 in the tourney to raise his record to an unblemished 30-0 record as he heads to the North West Region Championships at Sharon High School on Friday and Saturday.
Joining Holland at regionals will be the two Jakes – sophomore Jake Carfley at 106 and junior Jake McCracken at 170.
Holland reached the finals after a pin in the quarterfinals on Friday evening and then a 10-0 major decision over Luke Ely (17-9) of Kane in the semis.
The top seed, Holland then faced off with Johnsonburg’s Dalton Stahli (25-9), the number three seed in the championship final.
At the 1:07 mark of the first period, Holland opened up the scoring with a takedown and rode out the rest of the period for a 2-0 lead after one. Holland also rode the entire second period and still held a slim 2-0 lead heading in to the final period. From the down position, it took just 21 seconds for the escape and a 3-0 advantage for Holland. A takedown with about a minute left gave Holland some breathing room at 5-0. Stahli escaped with less than 30 seconds remaining and added a meaningless takedown with five seconds left to set the final at 5-3.
Holland will take a 78-18 career record with him to Sharon as he tries to qualify for the PIAA State Championship for the first time. The top-4 finishers at Sharon will advance to Hershey.
Jake McCracken (24-7) made his way to the finals via falls in both the quarters and semis. He pinned Joe Miller (11-11) of Ridgway on Friday night in 3:13 and Clarion’s Donavan Edmonds (21-10) in 3:40 on Saturday morning.
In the finals McCracken, the number two seed, ran in to the top seed in Teddy Race (29-2) of Kane. The bout was scoreless after one, but Race started to distance himself in the second with a five point period via escape, takedown, and two nearfall points. Race upped the ante a bit in the final period with two sets of 3-point nearfalls and an 11-0 major decision.
106 pounder Jake Carfley (25-10) had to fight his way back to fourth place and qualify for regionals the hard way after losing his first bout on Friday. The number five seed, Carfley pinned the eight seed Jake Rinehart (6-14) of Oswayo Valley in 4:26 in his first wrestleback. Facing elimination or a trip to next week, Carfley upset the number two seed, Chase Weimer (18-6) of Port Allegany 4-2. In the consolation finals, Carfley was defeated by the same wrestler that beat him on Friday in the quarterfinals, Alex Bachakas (24-8).
Four Tide wrestlers placed fifth, one spot short of a regional berth. Nik Fegert (15-13) at 126, Duane Brady (22-11), and Brennen Moore (15-12) at 220 will all be back next year and try to take the next step. The season, and career, of senior Nick Holbert (8-11) at 195 ended with a pin, but one sport short of moving on.
Curwensville placed seventh in the team standings for the second year in a row, Winning the title was perennial state power Brookville, after a year’s hiatus when Brockway won the title last year.
Brockway’s Anthony Glasl was named the tourney’s Outstanding Wrestler.
Medal results courtesy PA-Wrestling.com:
| Championship Finals | |
| 106 | Cayden Walter, Brookville, pinned Wyatt Shaffer, Johnsonburg, 1:04 |
| 113 | Owen Reinsel, Brookville, dec. Bryent Johnson, Port Allegany, 3-0 |
| 120 | Brayden Kunselman, Brookville, dec. Mark Palmer, Brockway, 8-6 SV |
| 126 | Braedon Johnson, Port Allegany, pinned Trenten Rupp, Redbank Valley, 2:51 |
| 132 | Anthony Glasl, Brockway, pinned Nolan Shaffer, Johnsonburg, 5:33 |
| 138 | Zach Holland, Curwensville, dec. Dalton Stahli, Johnsonburg, 5-3 |
| 145 | Ethan Wiant, Redbank Valley, pinned Kaden Dennis, Johnsonburg, 5:12 |
| 152 | Aiden Zimmerman, Johnsonburg, dec. Jacob Wickett, Ridgway, 3-1 SV |
| 160 | Cole Casilio, Johnsonburg, dec. Noah Bash, Brockway, 8-3 |
| 170 | Teddy Race, Kane, maj. dec. Jake McCracken, Curwensville, 11-0 |
| 182 | Cameron Whisner, Kane, dec. Ethan Finch, Sheffield, 5-2 |
| 195 | Eric Johnson, Brockway, dec. Aiden Gardner, Redbank Valley, 11-5 |
| 220 | Nathan Taylor, Brookville, dec. Justin Young, Port Allegany, 9-2 |
| 285 | Colby Whitehill, Brookville, pinned Kobe Bonanno, Redbank Valley, 1:46 |
| Third Place | |
| 106 | Alex Bechakas, Kane, dec. Jacob Carfley, Curwensville, 8-2 |
| 113 | Ridge Cook, Redbank Valley, dec. Isaak Johnson, Kane, 6-0 |
| 120 | Dillon Illerbrun, Kane, dec. Zack Keihl, Clarion, 1-0 |
| 126 | Josh Popson, Brookville, dec. Harley Morris, Kane, 4-0 |
| 132 | Isaiah Caden, Port Allegany, pinned Dalton Bish, Redbank Valley, 2:37 |
| 138 | Elijah Petruzzi, Port Allegany, pinned Luke Ely, Kane, 2:24 |
| 145 | Tanner Morelli, Brockway, dec. Montgomery Tanner, Port Allegany, 5-2 |
| 152 | Wyatt Kulik, Brookville, dec. Colton Gietler, Oswayo Valley, 4-0 |
| 160 | Wyatt Griffin, Brookville, pinned Cutter Boggess, Clarion, 3:50 |
| 170 | Isaac Zimmerman, Johnsonburg, dec. Donavan Edmonds, Clarion, 8-2 |
| 182 | Elliot Park, Brookville, dec. Tyler Watts, Johnsonburg, 2-1 UTB |
| 195 | Cole LaBenne, Brookville, dec. Derek Kallenborn, Port Allegany, 3-1 |
| 220 | Cale Ayers, Coudersport, pinned Ray Shreckengost, Redbank Valley, 1:19 |
| 285 | Gavin Thompson, Brockway, pinned Jacob Kunselman, Ridgway, 0:31 |
| Fifth Place | |
| 106 | Chase Weimer, Port Allegany, maj. dec. Cole Bish, Redbank Valley, 11-1 |
| 113 | Wyatt Daisley, Coudersport, won by forfeit over A.J. Barnes, Sheffield |
| 120 | Collin Porter, Johnsonburg, won by forfeit over Scott Fuller, Port Allegany |
| 126 | Nik Fegert, Curwensville, pinned Adam Stine, Brockway, 4:19 |
| 132 | Parker Fleming, Brookville, pinned Tyler Merritt, Ridgway, 4:14 |
| 138 | Garret Park, Brockway, dec. Gage Aldrich, Oswayo Valley, 6-4 |
| 145 | Dylan Kelly, Coudersport, won by forfeit over Lane Hillard, Kane |
| 152 | Thomas Wilson, Coudersport, dec. Linkin Nichols, Brockway, 9-4 |
| 160 | Wendell O’Brien, Cameron County, won by forfeit over Nate Asp, Kane |
| 170 | Seth Stewart, Brockway, maj. dec. Isaak Baumgarner, Port Allegany, 11-2 |
| 182 | Duane Brady, Curwensville, pinned Weston Smith, Brockway, 0:26 |
| 195 | Nick Holbert, Curwensville, pinned Dakota Neal, Kane, 2:29 |
| 220 | Brennen Moore, Curwensville, received a bye |
| 285 | Shawn Nystrom, Kane, pinned Tim Hasselman, Cameron County, 1:31 |