HERSHEY - Bedford's bid for a berth in the finals of the PIAA Class AA Team Championships ended with a 40-24 loss to Boiling Springs Friday night at the Giant Center.
Bedford will now turn its focus toward getting a third-place medal. The Bisons will wrestle in the consolation semifinals at 11 this morning against the winner of the 9
a.m. consolation quarterfinal between Wyalusing and Fort LeBoeuf. The consolation finals, as well as the championship finals, are set for 1 p.m.
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Photo for the Mirror by Jim Butler
Bedford’s Cody Yingling works on Pen Argyl’s Kyle Kutzler during his win at 170.
"It's very disappointing to lose in the state semifinals," Bedford coach Brian Creps said. "We had to roll the dice in the upper weights, and it backfired on us. We ended up giving up too much weight. They had a big crowd there, and it was very loud. They had the kids fired up. Boiling Springs is really good.
"The kids' spirits are good. They took the loss hard, but kids bounce back quicker than adults. They're very intent on getting a medal. It's good that they'll have a night to regroup. It will allow our kids to be ready to go in the morning."
Boiling Spring will wrestle defending state champion Bethlehem Catholic, a 46-12 winner over Brookville in the other semifinal.
The Bisons reached the semifinals with a 30-29 win over Pen Argyl, but the Bubblers charged out to a 23-3 lead in the semis after the first five weights.
Dylan Evans opened with a 5-0 win over Nathan Gouhin at 182, but Logan Murphy pinned Robert Minnich in 20 seconds at 195, Calvin Barrick pinned Michael Brett in 5:08 at 220 and Tyler Wentzel pinned Jacob Krupa in 1:27 at 285 as the Bisons shifted their lineup.
"Michael Brett was winning when he got pinned," Creps said. "Krupa's kid weighed about 280, and he was just too heavy. Those kids have been solid for us all year."
After Korbin Myers won by technical fall over Jake Warren at 106, Bedford's Ryan Easter avenged an earlier loss to returning state runner-up Joe Byers with a 9-6 win at 113. It was the second dual meet of the day Bedford's opponent lost a team point.
"Ryan wrestled a real nice match," Creps said. "He had many takedowns off the mat, but they were called out of bounds. He took it too him. He had lost to him, and it was nice to get some momentum going into postseason."
A Garrett Thomas 9-2 decision over Grant Bond at 120 and Toby Brett's pin of Kyle Shoop in 3:02 at 126 pulled the Bisons to within seven, 22-15.
But two straight major decisions and a pin gave the Bubblers a 36-15 lead. The Bisons won two of the last three weights, including a Tanner Williams decision at 152 and a Cody Yingling pin at 170.
"We just weren't able to pull off the upsets," Creps said. "Tanner possibly broke his hand. He did it in the first period, but he was able to gut it up."
Against Pen Argyl, the Bisons got pins from Michael Brett (195) and Warren (106). It was after Warren's pin that the Bisons held a 21-12 lead - comfortable enough that they could forfeit to Matt Williams at 113 and move Easter up to 120.
When the Bisons forfeited to Williams, he threw his headgear, and one team point was deducted from the Knights' score for unsportsmanlike conduct.
If the team scored had ended in a tie, the Bisons would have won on criteria D (most bout wins).
Also big in the win were one-point wins by Yingling (170) and Krupa (220), an overtime victory by Toby Brett and decisions by Josiah Koontz (160), Easter and Thomas (126).
"At 170, Yingling was able to fight back from behind," Creps said. "Krupa wrestled a real nice match. Easter and Thomas got decisions, but they weren't that close."
The Bisons went into the last two bouts with a 30-20 lead, and Jesse Martin secured the win in a 4-2 overtime loss to Ryan Lobb. That allowed Bedford to forfeit to returning state champion Michael Racciato in the final bout.
"The kid was roughing up Martin," Creps said. "When overtime came, we told Martin just get taken down so he wouldn't get pinned. You don't have that very often. I give him a lot of credit for not looking for individual glory."
BEDFORD 30, PEN ARGYL 29
160-Koontz, B, dec. Rabenold, 8-5; 170-Yingling, B, dec. Kutzler, 10-9; 182-Evans, PA, pinned Evans, 4:07; 195-M. Brett, B, pinned Salamone, 1:31; 220-Krupa, B, dec. B. Mutton, 3-2; 285-K. Mutton, PA, pinned J. Easter, :43; 106-Warren, B, pinned Meyers, 3:39.
*113-Williams, PA, won by forfeit; 120-R. Easter, B, dec. Knapik, 3-0; 126-Thomas, B, dec. Sutton, 9-2; 132-T. Brett, B, dec. Burriesci, 11-4 OT TB2; 138-Stoelzl, PA, dec. Dudek, 10-6; 145-Lobb, PA, dec. Martin, 4-2 OT; 152-Racciato, PA, won by forfeit.
*Pen Argyl was deducted one team point after the 113-pound bout for unsportsmanlike conduct
Records: Pen Argyl (21-5); Bedford (17-0)
BOILING SPRINGS 40, BEDFORD 24
182-Evans, B, dec. Gouhin, 5-0; 195-Murphy, BS, pinned Minnich, :20; 220-Barrick, BS, pinned M. Brett, 5:08; 285-Wentzel, BS, pinned Krupa, 1:27; 106-Myers, BS, tech. fall Warren, 15-0; *113-R. Easter, B, dec. Byers, 9-6; 120-Thomas, B, dec. Bond, 9-2.
126-T. Brett, B, pinned Shoop, 3:02; 132-Lentz, BS, maj. dec. Grimes, 10-0; 138-Fabo, BS, maj. dec. Dudek, 11-1; 145-Mellott, BS, pinned Martin, 1:27; 152-Williams, B, dec. Vaughn, 3-1; 160-Nickle, BS, maj. dec. Koontz, 14-2; 170-Yingling, B, pinned Taylor, 5:18.
*Boiling Springs was deducted one team point after the 113-pound bout for unsportsmanlike conduct
Records: Boiling Springs (24-0); Bedford (17-1)
