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CC’s Murin dominates another regional

Photo for the Mirror by Tami Knopsnyder Huntingdon’s Jacob Oliver captures the 170-pound crown.

Williams, McCoy, Brown, Oliver win, too

By Todd Irwin

For the Mirror

INDIANA — Central Cambria’s Max Murin accomplished a feat not many wrestlers in the history of the Southwest Regional Class 2A Tournament have been able to do — win four titles.

Murin earned his fourth title with a 5-2 win over Frazier’s freshman star Thayne Lawrence in the 138-pound finals on Saturday in the Ed Frey Arena at the Kovalchick Convention Center & Athletic Complex.

Murin, though, always wanting to dominate, was less than thrilled with the milestone.

“I definitely didn’t want to wrestle the way I wanted to wrestle,” Murin said. “I felt that I was trying to win, not to dominate. I’ve been dominating all year, I don’t know why I was stopping now.”

“This is not the definition of dominant in his mind, but through anyone else’s, and ours, he was very dominant,” Central Cambria coach Bob Nikolishen said.

Nikolishen was asked how special winning four regional titles is.

“These are footprints that he’s leaving in the cement outside of Central Cambria High School,” Nikolishen said. “You can follow those footsteps down the hall and into our room. It’s the house that Max built.”

Murin was one of five area champions. It was the first title for the other four. Chestnut Ridge had two champs in Dylan Williams (113) and Justin McCoy (145), and Moshannon Valley’s Larry Brown (160) and Huntingdon’s Jacob Oliver (170) also won titles.

Ridge’s Morgan Deremer (160) and Jared McGill (170) finished second, as did Central’s Brock Biddle (152) and Huntingdon’s Landon Fisher (220).

Twenty-one area wrestlers in all advanced to the state tournament by placing in the top six. Everett matched Ridge with four qualifiers in Garret Cornell (fifth, 113), Liam Flaherty (fifth, 132), Gavin Wills (sixth, 170) and Kyle Peterson (fifth, 285).

Brown is joined by teammates Alex Richner (sixth, 126) and Jon Dale (fifth, 152). Penn Cambria’s Derek Brown (fifth, 160) and Jarred Stoy (fifth, 170), Cambria Heights’ Allen Simmons (third, 106), Huntingdon’s Seth Baney (third, 160), Central’s Jared Smith (fifth, 195) and Central Cambria’s Nate Martin (fourth, 285) also qualified.

Ridge finished second in the team standings by three points, 111-108, to Bishop McCort. Huntingdon tied for third with Burrell with 70 points.

“I thought we did well,” Ridge coach Greg Lazor said. “When you look back at it, you always feel like there were a couple matches here and there that you wish you could have won. McCort came here on a mission, and they did a good job.”

Ridge’s second place might have stung a little bit more because Deremer had to default to Brown in the tiebreaker periods in the finals, officially a time of 7:44. Deremer hurt his knee after he shot in at the end of overtime, and Brown hit a body lock at the edge of the mat to defend it, sending Deremer sailing off the mat.

Deremer’s knee hit the cement floor. Deremer, who got by Baney, 3-2, in the semifinals, tried to continue wrestling, but he defaulted with Brown leading 5-2 in the second 30-second period. Brown, who earned a 5-4 decision over Greensburg Central Catholic’s Hunter Jones in the semis, felt bad about the injury.

“It’s nice to be a regional champ. That was one of my goals coming into the season,” Brown said. “That’s not how I wanted to go out. I hope Deremer is all right, and I hope to see him down in Hershey. I was wrestling all right. I wasn’t getting to my leg attacks enough this week. That last match, I started getting to my attacks a little more. I was pushing the pace, moving him around.”

“I thought he was a little more aggressive on his feet,” Mo Valley coach Justin Fye said. “He was showing he was still going hard. He does feel bad how it ended because he wanted to be able to wrestle him at his best, but we did what we needed to do there and took advantage of situations. That’s another step of where he wants to get to.”

Lazor said the injury appears to be a bone bruise.

“They don’t think anything is broken,” Lazor said, “so that’s good news. If there’s a hairline fracture, we’ll have to check it out. It was just a consequence of two boys scrapping it out. There was no intention on their part at all. It’s just the way it goes sometimes. We were on the wrong end of it. Hopefully he’s good for states.”

In the other all-area final, Oliver earned a 5-3 decision over McGill. Both had pinned their way to the finals. Oliver got two first-period takedowns that made the difference.

“I knew it was going to be a pretty tough match,” Oliver said. “The takedowns were pretty key. He knew what was coming then and made it harder for me to score.”

“I thought McGill gave a great effort against a state champ,” Lazor said, “and he pushed him all the way.”

McGill made it interesting at the end as he attempted called a “flying squirrel,” in which he tried to jump over Oliver for a takedown.

“I figured I had to try something,” McGill said with a laugh, “so I went for something big. I almost got the two, actually. It was close.”

Murin scored a takedown with 15 seconds left in the first period, added an escape and takedown in the second and rode the entire third.

“He was definitely backing up a little bit, but that’s no excuse,” Murin said. “I just have to hand-fight through that and get to my offense. I don’t know if five (points) is going to be enough in the state tournament to win.”

Williams (31-11), the District 5 runner-up, got a takedown with 10 seconds left in a 1-1 bout to beat Westmont Hilltop’s Derrick Christie, 3-2, in the finals. Williams reached the finals by pinning Bentworth’s Manny Dovshek in 5:10 in a bout that was tied, 2-2.

“It feels great,” Williams said. “I wasn’t ranked among the highest, and I wasn’t expecting to do this good at first, but after I starting going, it felt great. I felt like I could do whatever I wanted. It was probably one of the best tournaments I’ve ever wrestled.”

“I knew he had the capability,” Lazor said. “I knew he was up with those guys. Would he be able to string enough of those good matches together? That’s always been a question with him, but he showed great consistency here today and came up with some great wins.”

McCoy earned a 3-2 decision over Freedom’s Kody Komara, escaping with 52 seconds left in the third period. McCoy scored a takedown in the second take the lead.

“McCoy looked good as always,” Lazor said. “He looked very aggressive going after things. It looked close points-wise, but he didn’t look like he was in danger at any point during the match.”

Biddle earned a rematch with Ligonier Valley’s Robbie Patrick, but unlike the District 6 finals, it was all Patrick this time, winning 14-6. It was Biddle’s second runner-up finish at regionals.

Fisher dropped an 11-5 decision to McCort’s Josiah Jones, the icing on the cake for McCort.

TEAM KEY

A–Avella; AVON–Avonworth; BE–Beaver; B–Bedford; BA–Bellwood-Antis; BENT–Bentworth; BB–Berlin Brothersvalley; BC–Beth-Center; BM–Bishop McCort; BL–Blairsville; BURG–Burgettstown; BURR–Burrell; CAL–California; CH–Cambria Heights; CAR–Carlynton; C–Central; CC-Central Cambria; CV–Central Valley; CHART–Chartiers Houston; CR–Chestnut Ridge; CT–Conemaugh Township; CW–CW North Catholic; DA–Derry Area; EF–Elizabeth Forward; E–Everett; EC–Elwood City; FC–Fort Cherry; FH–Forest Hills; FRA–Frazier; FA–Freedom Area; G–Glendale; GC–Greensburg Central Catholic; HIGH–Highlands; HFH–Hope for Hyndman; H–Huntingdon; I–Indiana; J–Jeannette; JM–Jefferson Morgan; JO–Johnstown; JUN–Juniata; JV–Juniata Valley; KO–Keystone Oaks; L–Laurel; LV–Ligonier Valley; MC–Marion Center; MCG–McGuffey; M–Meyersdale; MV–Moshannon Valley; MP–Mount Pleasant; MU–Mount Union; NB–Northern Bedford; NS–North Star; PC–Penn Cambria; PV–Penns Valley; PO–Portage; QV–Quaker Valley; SJ–St. Joseph’s; SHA–Shade; SA–South Allegheny; SF–South Fayette; SH–Southern Huntingdon; SOUTH–Southmoreland; SP–South Park; SSB–South Side Beaver; SUM–Summit Academy; TM–Tussey Mountain; T–Tyrone; U–United; V–Valley; W–Washington; WB–West Branch; WG–West Greene; WH–Westmont Hilltop; WS–West Shamokin; Y–Yough

TOP 10 TEAM STANDINGS

1. Bishop McCort 111; 2. Chestnut Ridge 108; 3. Huntingdon and Burrell 70; 5. Freedom Area 68.5; 6. Saint Joseph’s 57; 7. Penns Valley and Derry Area 52; 9. Chartiers-Houston 50; 10. Everett, Moshannon Valley and Ligonier Valley 45.

SEMIFINALS

106–Cassidy, BM, tech. fall Simmons, CH, 17-0, 3:35; Boozel, MU, tech. fall Valovchik, BURR, 15-0, 5:28; 113–Christie, WH, dec. Ward, FA, 6-4; Williams, CR, pinned Dovshek, BENT, 5:10; 120–Yearick, PV, dec. Bechtold, BURR, 1-0; Powers, SJ, dec. Dawson, HFH, 4-2; 126–Teasdale, JM, won by injury default over Broadway, DA; Jeffrey, BURR, dec. Kazalas, QV, 5-0; 132–Dowling, SJ, dec. Flaherty, E, 3-1; Andrews, BM, maj. dec. Griffiths, SOUTH, 11-3; 138–Murin, CC, tech. fall Kuslock, CHART, 22-7, 4:38; Lawrence, FRA, maj. dec. Caldwell, LV, 10-0; 145–McCoy, CR, dec. Bulsak, SP, 8-2; Komara, FA, dec. Hurd, PV, 5-3.

152–Patrick, LV, tech. fall Dale, MV, 15-0, 1:50; Biddle, C, pinned Witwicki, CAR, :17; 160–Deremer, CR, dec. Baney, H, 3-2; Brown, MV, dec. Jones, GCC, 5-4; 170–Oliver, H, pinned Stoy, PC, :59; McGill, CR, pinned Hall, CHART, 2:53; 182–Fundy, BC, dec. Hutzell, M, 4-3; DeLuca, DA, dec. Marra, BURR, 5-4; 195–Walters, BM, pinned Stine, SA, 5:04; Loe, JO, tech. fall Moore, BL, 18-0, 4:13; 220–Jones, BM, dec. Wiencek, DA, 3-2; Fisher, H, dec. McCoy, SSB, 3-2; 285–Sweesy, FA, dec. Martin, CC, 11-5; Cahill, BB, dec. Winfield, SH, 3-0.

SECOND ROUND CONSOLATIONS

106–Shunk, PV, pinned Howard, EF, 1:27; Sebedra, DA, dec. Holderbaum, CR, 5-1; Kauffman, SJ, maj. dec. Lee, BB, 13-0; Kushner, WH, dec. George, MP, 2-0; 113–Gaul, BURR, pinned Daubert, FH, 4:21; Ball, MV, dec. Kekich, BM, 3-2; Dunn, SF, dec. Bittner, MP, 3-1; Cornell, E, pinned Ryan, BURG, 3:24; 120–Polacek, WH, dec. Tinsman, MC, 3-1; Pattison, MCG, pinned Brown, CR, 3:12; Gwyer, BC, dec. Agnew, JM, 2-0; Furry, NS, pinned Baker, DA, 4:32; 126–Kern, JV, dec. Hicks, T, 9-4; Richner, MV, dec. Benson, H, 8-2; Candelore, FC, dec. Brinsky, SF, 5-2; Mihalchik, MP, pinned Turner, MC, 1:33; 132–Beatty, MC, maj. dec. Washic, CC, 11-1; Miller, CR, maj. dec. Fouse, NB, 9-0; Alberts, EC, dec. Azzerello, AVON, 4-1; Confer, WB, pinned Templeton, FH, 2:48; 138–Lee, BB, maj. dec. Chambers, EC, 18-6; Scott, H, dec. Courts, SJ, 3-2; Hyrb, BE, dec. Weinell, DA, 8-6; Komara, FA, dec. Todaro, MU, 4-2; 145–Demor, SSB, maj. dec. Wileman, J, 17-7; Graeff, HFH, dec. Baker, NS, 7-0; Cornetto, MC, dec. Cusick, SF, 3-1 OT; Law, FH, dec. Christie, BURR, 5-3.

152–Yingling, WB, maj. dec. Ognibene, CHART, 9-1; McConn, MCG, dec. Supanick, NS, 3-2; Garner, L, dec. Sossong, PO, 3-1; Sharer, PV, pinned Gates, BURR, 3:13; 160–Jenkins, SA, pinned Mele, BURR, 3:47; Clutter, MCG, pinned Hutcherson, V, 3:14; Brown, PC, dec. Datz, SOUTH, 9-5; Allebach, PV, dec. Heister, J, 5-4; 170–Myers, WB, dec. Wingard, FH, 3-0; Gett, MC, dec. Shingle, MCG, 5-3; Wills, E, dec. Bastaroli, SF, 10-3; Ramsey, CV, pinned O’Sullivan, V, 3:08; 182–Graham, E, dec. Helfrick, MU, 4-3; Barber, JO, pinned Ostermeyer, L, 2:16; Dull, CR, pinned Smith, MC, 3:17; Gabel, J, pinned Mykut, H, :47; 195–Tremain, NS, pinned Marraccini, SA, :32; Hockenberry, MU, dec. Miller, FA, 5-3; Crouse, CR, dec. Fernandez, B, 10-7; Smith, C, maj. dec. Wise, BENT, 12-0; 220–Miller, U, pinned Harvey, M, 2:52; Ryan, MU, dec. Augustine, NS, 4-2; Kemper, BURG, pinned Greise, B, 2:26; Mauro, SOUTH, dec. Walker, SF, 9-2; 285–Shingle, MCG, dec. Cover, MC, 1-0; Peterson, E, pinned Schuffert, 2:44; Lober, CHART, pinned Caragien, KO, 2:21; Leydig, SP, dec. Foltz, J, 2-1.

CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS

106–Shunk, PV, dec. Sebedra, DA, 11-4; Kauffman, SJ, dec. Kushner, WH, 6-1; 113–Gaul, BURR, maj. dec. Ball, MV, 11-2; Cornell, E, dec. Dunn, SF, 6-0; 120–Pattison, MCG, dec. Polacek, WH, 5-1; Gwyer, dec. Furry, NS, 2-1; 126–Richner, MV, maj. dec. Kern, JV, 9-1; Mihalchik, MP, dec. Candelore, FC, 4-3; 132–Beatty, MC, pinned Miller, CR, 3:41; Alberts, EC, dec. Confer, WB, 1-0; 138–Lee, BB, dec. Scott, H, 2-1 TB; Komara, FA, dec. Hyrb, BE, 5-3; 145–Demor, SSB, dec. Graeff, HFH, 9-5; Cornetto, MC, pinned Law, FH, 3:55.

152–Yingling, WB, dec. McConn, MCG, 8-2; Garner, L, dec. Sharer, PV, 8-7; 160–Jenkins, SA, dec. Clutter, MCG, 1-0; Brown, PC, maj. dec. Allebach, PV, 13-3; 170–Myers, WB, pinned Gett, MC, 2:01; Wills, E, dec. Ramsey, CV, 8-6 OT; 182–Barber, JO, dec. Graham, E, 7-5; Gabel, J, pinned Dull, CR, 4:38; 195–Tremain, NS, dec. Hockenberry, MU, 8-4; Smith, C, maj. dec. Crouse, CR, 15-4; 220–Miller, U, dec. Ryan, MU, 5-3; Mauro, SOUTH, dec. Kemper, BURG, 4-1; 285–Peterson, E, pinned Shingle, MCG, 3:58; Lober, CHART, pinned Leydig, SP, 2:20.

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS

106–Simmons, CH, dec. Shunk, PV, 5-0; Kauffman, SJ, dec. Valovchik, BURR, 5-2 TB; 113–Ward, FA, dec. Gaul, BURR, 7-4; Dovshek, BENT, dec. Cornell, E, 5-3; 120–Pattison, MCG, dec. Bechtold, BURR, 3-1; Dawson, HFH, dec. Gwyer, BC, 6-0; 126–Broadway, DA, dec. Richner, MV, 2-1; Kazalas, QV, dec. Mihalchik, MP, 5-2; 132–Beatty, MC, dec. Flaherty, E, 4-0; Griffiths, SOUTH, dec. Alberts, EC, 1-0; 138–Kuslock, CHART, pinned Lee, BB, 1:55; Caldwell, LV, pinned Komara, FA, 4:39; 145–Bulsak, SP, dec. Demor, SSB, 5-4; Cornetto, MC, dec. Hurd, PV, 4-3.

152–Yingling, WB, dec. Dale, MV, 3-1; Garner, L, pinned Witwicki, CAR, 2:38; 160–Baney, H, won by injury default over Jenkins, SA, 1:10; Jones, GCC, dec. Brown, PC, 4-0; 170–Myers, WB, dec. Stoy, PC, 3-2; Hall, CHART, pinned Wills, E, 1:21; 182–Hutzell, M, dec. Barber, JO, 9-6; Marra, BURR, maj. dec. Gabel, J, 10-0; 195–Tremain, NS, dec. Stine, SA, 4-0; Moore, BL, dec. Smith, C, 6-1; 220–Wiencek, DA, dec. Miller, U, 3-1; McCoy, SSB, pinned Mauro, SOUTH, 2:21; 285–Martin, CC, dec. Peterson, E, 1-0; Winfield, SH, pinned Lober, CHART, 1:14.

FIFTH PLACE

106–Shunk, PV, dec. Valovchik, BURR, 5-3; 113–Cornell, E, dec. Gaul, BURR, 2-0; 120–Bechtold, BURR, pinned Gwyer, BC, 2:35; 126–Mihalchik, MP, dec. Richner, MV, 5-0; 132–Flaherty, E, dec. Alberts, EC, 1-0; 138–Lee, BB, won by injury default over Komara, FA; 145–Demor, SSB, dec. Hurd, PV, 9-3.

152–Dale, MV, pinned Witwicki, CAR, 2:04; 160–Brown, PC, won by injury default over Jenkins, SA; 170–Stoy, PC, dec. Wills, E, 9-2; 182–Barber, JO, tech. fall Gabel, J, 16-0, 5:00; 195–Smith, C, dec. Stine, SA, 5-0; 220–Miller, U, pinned Mauro, SOUTH, 2:22; 285–Peterson, E, pinned Lober, CHART, 2:39.

THIRD PLACE

106–Simmons, CH, dec. Kauffman, SJ, 2-0; 113–Ward, FA, dec. Dovshek, BENT, 6-5; 120–Pattison, MCG, dec. Dawson, HFH, 3-1; 126–Kazalas, QV, pinned Broadway, DA, 2:59; 132–Griffiths, SOUTH, maj. dec. Beatty, MC, 10-1; 138–Kuslock, CHART, dec. Caldwell, LV, 7-6; 145–Bulsak, SP, maj. dec. Cornetto, MC, 12-3.

152–Yingling, WB, pinned Garner, L, 3:23; 160–Baney, H, dec. Jones, GCC, 5-1; 170–Hall, CHART, dec. Myers, WB, 7-1; 182–Marra, BURR, dec. Hutzell, M, 7-4; 195–Moore, BL, dec. Tremain, NS, 3-2; 220–McCoy, SSB, dec. Wiencek, DA, 7-3; 285–Winfield, SH, dec. Martin, CC, 3-1.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

106–Cassidy, BM, dec. Boozel, MU, 1-0; 113–Williams, CR, dec. Christie, WH, 3-2; 120–Powers, SJ, dec. Yearick, PV, 7-1; 126–Teasdale, JM, tech. fall Jeffrey, BURR, 17-2, 2:46; 132–Andrews, BM, dec. Dowling, SJ, 5-4; 138–Murin, CC, dec. Lawrence, FRA, 5-2; 145–McCoy, CR, dec. Komara, FA, 3-2.

152–Patrick, LV, maj. dec. Biddle, C, 14-6; 160–Brown, MV, won by injury default over Deremer, CR, 7:44 TB; 170–Oliver, H, dec. McGill, CR, 5-3; 182–Fundy, BC, dec. DeLuca, DA, 7-2; 195–Walters, BM, dec. Loe, JO, 5-0; 220–Jones, BM, dec. Fisher, H, 11-5; 285–Cahill, BB, maj. dec. Seesy, FA, 9-0.

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