High School Wrestling: Tri-Valley holds off Mahanoy Area
Tri-Valley's Garrett Leitzel and Mahanoy Area's Nolan Timko battle during their 114-pound bout Wednesday night. Leitzel won by fall. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
MAHANOY CITY — Tri-Valley proved a few things during Wednesday night’s 40-26, Schuylkill League Division II victory over Mahanoy Area.
First, the Bulldogs proved that they can win on the road, in a packed gym, against a quality opponent. They took eight bouts, including most of the tossups.
Second, the Dawgs proved that they are, once again, the team to beat in Division II of the Schuylkill League. Tri-Valley (5-2, 1-0 D-II), looking for its fifth straight division crown, extended its division winning streak to 21.
And the Dawgs proved they have resilience as they bounced back from a 36-31 loss to North Schuylkill in a dual meet that ended less than 24 hours before Tri-Valley took on Mahanoy Area.
Tri-Valley got bonus points where expected as Owen Wolfgang (107), Garrett Leitzel (114), Jaxson Bruso (139), Kayden Lucas (145) and Noah Hanlon (152) won by fall to help the Dawgs build a 33-12 lead after eight bouts.
Mahanoy Area (6-3, 0-1) put together a three-match run to cut the deficit to 33-26 with two bouts left. Jah Bushati (160) scored four takedowns in a 14-11 decision over Parker Hatter. Rory Dixon (172) piled up an 18-0 technical fall in 1:34 over Hogan Troutman, and Kyler Quick (189) caught Hunter Updegrave for a pin in 3:43. Quick rallied to lead 9-6 af the time of the fall. Sonny Seritti (133) added a pin for the Bears.
Down the stretch, Max Masser (215) and Donovan Keeth (285) earned victories to wrap things up for the Dawgs. Masser had four takedowns in a 13-4 major decision over William Stoyer, and Keeth compiled a reversal and two takedowns to rally past Kyle Pollack 9-5. In another tossup, the Dawgs’ Brock Bossler (127) made the match’s only takedown stand up in a 3-2 decision over Nick Manley.
“I thought we wrestled well, a couple things we need to work on,” Tri-Valley coach Dave Boltz said. “I think we could have gotten a win out of one or two more guys. They need to get in more situations … it’ll come.”
Tri-Valley, which weighed in 21 wrestlers, just three of them seniors, has challenged itself in the first month, competing in the super-tough Top Hat Tournament at Williamsport, going 4-1 at Blue Mountain’s PM Gauntlet, then taking on North Schuylkill and Mahanoy Area on back-to-back nights. Facing that competition has made the Bulldogs better.
“A lot of growth. Even since the Gauntlet at Blue Mountain (last weekend), we’ve gotten better since then,” Boltz said. “I’m very optimistic once … they descend and get to the weights where they need to be, we should be pretty good.”
Like Tri-Valley, Mahanoy Area is a team on the upswing. The Golden Bears hosted Past, Present and Future Night prior to the dual meet as alumni, elementary, junior high and varsity wrestlers gathered on the mat together. Mahanoy Area weighed in 25 wrestlers, far more than in recent seasons.
“For the most part, our guys wrestled with a lot of effort and attitude, and that’s what we look for,” Mahanoy Area coach Nathan Fegley said. “You can’t control winning and losing, but you can control how hard we try.
“It takes a lot of people to make it happen,” Fegley added. “We have awesome elementary coaches. We have junior high coaches who have been around forever. It takes us all working together. We’re getting the kids out, and things are looking bright.”
Tri-Valley 40, Mahanoy Area 26
107 — Wolfgang (TV) pinned Gregory, :09
114 — Leitzel (TV) pinned Timko, 1:56
121 — Hanley (MA) won by forfeit
127 — Bossler (TV) dec. Manley, 3-2
133 — Seritti (MA) pinned Gill, 3:17
139 — Bruso (TV) pinned Blackwell, 1:15
145 — Lucas (TV) pinned Slater, 5:08
152 — Hanlon (TV) pinned Spino, 3:25
160 — Bushati (MA) dec. Hatter, 14-11
172 — Dixon (MA) tech. fall H. Troutman, 18-0, 1:34
189 — Quick (MA) pinned Updegrave, 3:43
215 — Masser (TV) maj. dec. Stoyer, 13-4
285 — Keeth (TV) dec. Pollack, 9-5
JV Score: Mahanoy Area 3-0
Jr. High Score: Tri-Valley 46-9
North Schuylkill 52, Tamaqua 16
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Nate Sterner (152), Cadyn McGraw (215), Sander Stokes (285), Easton Edwards (121) and Bryce Kile (145) notched falls to power North Schuylkill past Tamaqua in a Division I dual meet at Cesari-Hope Gymnasium.
Ben Carr (160) added a major decision for the Spartans (4-0, 2-0 D-I), who took 10-of-13 weights.
For Tamaqua (1-7, 0-1), Jacob Hehn (189) had a pin, while Aiden Schlier (127) and Evan Temarantz (133) added technical falls.
152 — Sterner (NS) pinned Zeigenfuss, :34
160 — Carr (NS) maj. dec. Knepper, 15-3
172 — Meyer (NS) dec. Whalen, 4-3
189 — Hehn (T) pinned Dower, :29
215 — McGraw (NS) pinned Behun, 2:34
285 — Stokes (NS) pinned Cerimele, :37
107 — Mentusky (NS) won by forfeit
114 — Deritis (NS) won by forfeit
121 — Edwards (NS) pinned Kunkel, 2:40
127 — A. Schlier (T) tech. fall Leib, 15-0, 1:37
133 — Temarantz (T) tech. fall Padakowski, 18-1, 5:13
139 — Tavares (NS) dec. B. Schlier, 13-7
145 — Kile (NS) pinned Hill, :34
Pine Grove 42, Williams Valley 27
TOWER CITY — Robbie Schaeffer (215) scored a fall as Pine Grove defeated Williams Valley in a Division II dual meet.
The Cardinals (2-0, 1-0 D-II) also benefitted from six forfeits.
Williams Valley (0-10, 0-2) got pins from Xzavion Tennis (133), Colin Crisswell (160), Camron Green (285) and Magnus Monger (107).
127 — Cleary (PG) won by forfeit
133 — Tennis (WV) pinned Enge, 1:00
139 — Osatchuck (PG) won by forfeit
145 — Miller (PG) won by forfeit
152 — A. Frantz (PG) won by forfeit
160 — Crisswell (WV) pinned Martin, 3:47
172 — S. Green (WV) dec. Lengle, 7-1
189 — Zurtz (PG) won by forfeit
215 — Schaeffer (PG) pinned Weiss, 3:22
285 — C. Green (WV) pinned S. Frantz, 3:07
107 — Monger (WV) pinned Waite, :58
114 — No bout
121 — Nagle (PG) won by forfeit
