The Golden Tigers sprinted to five falls in the first period of the first eight weight classes to go with a Rocco Cacciotti third-period pin and two forfeit wins. They added two more falls later and cruised to a 60-18 win.

“That’s what we train for,” Hollidaysburg coach Christian Harr said. “The season didn’t start out too fluffy and pretty (a 58-12 loss) at Chestnut Ridge. I think having the weekend ahead of us and getting some competition matches in (at the Hickory Invitational Tournament) was a big help for tonight. Those guys going out and getting falls early and often was a big difference maker.”

The young Panthers were without injured starters Isaac Filak, who was a Southwest Regional qualifier, and Dayne Summerville. Nate Mack, who was 20-12 last year as a freshman, is getting close to returning after playing for the football team, which made the PIAA semifinals.

“Yeah, we’re really beat up,” said Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer, whose team also wrestled in the Hickory tournament. “There are no excuses. We’ve got to keep learning. There were some kids who fought, but we’re just a little outmanned. He’s got some nice athletes.”

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski Hollidaysburg 172 pounder Blake Kennedy pinned Penn Cambria's Michael Watt in 1:08.

The dual meet started with Hollidaysburg’s Tyler Rodgers winning by fall in 1:01 at 160. Blake Kennedy followed with a hip toss and pin in 1:04 at 172.

Hollidaysburg 189-pounder Keegan Hewitt, who was ranked 13th overall in PA Power Wrestling’s top incoming freshmen list before the season started, charged out to a 12-3 lead on Landon Simala before getting the fall in 1:07.

“It’s his first match back,” Harr said. “He’s knocking the dust off it’s certainly like riding a bike for him. He’s going to look pretty stellar as the season goes on being the only freshman we have on the team.”

The 215-pound bout between Cacciotti and Penn Cambria’s Jesse Horning was close through the first two periods. Horning led, 1-0, going into the third, but Cacciotti scored a reversal to take the lead, sunk a half nelson in and got the pin in 5:10.

“He kept scrapping and showing he wanted to get after it,” Harr said. “That was a good positive win for him.”

Golden Tiger 285-pounder Scott Payne needed only 21 seconds to record his fall.

Class 3A West Regional qualifiers Connor Sidney and Landon Krupka picked up forfeit wins at 107 and 114, respectively, before regional qualifier Brayden Sidney reeled off a 30-second pin at 121 to give Hollidaysburg a 48-0 lead.

The tables turned at 127 when Hollidaysburg’s Bryce Hollingshead took a 4-0 lead over PC’s Brycen Hursh into the third period. Hursh put Hollingshead on his back in the third and pinned him in 5:20 for the Panthers’ first bout win.

“Hursh is a character,” Niebauer said. “He doesn’t stop. When he was losing 4-0 he didn’t tuck his tail between his legs. He kept battling. He’s that kind of kid.”

Penn Cambria’s Layton Munyon, another regional qualifier, made it two in a row with a fall in 37 seconds.

At 139, Hollidaysburg’s Caleb Detrick held a 6-0 lead in the second period on Dominic Berardinelli. The Penn Cambria freshman was wrestling from the top position and looking for a tilt, but his got caught on the mat and referee Tyler Morder slapped the mat for a defensive pin victory for Detrick in 2:32.

“Caleb got kind of lucky in that tilt position when the guy wasn’t paying much attention (to his shoulders),” Harr said. “He back-hooked his heal and held himself from going over. In the tilting positions, sometimes those things do happen.”

After Hollidaysburg’s Trenton Oswald won by fall in 1:28, Penn Cambria’s Logan Hill won by forfeit at 152 to close the varsity match.

In a unique situation, Harr and Niebauer officiated the girls exhibition bout between Hollidaysburg’s Skylee Parks and PC’s Laura Farabaugh, who earned a 7-3 win.

How would the coaches evaluate the way they officiated the bout?

“I’d say we have some things to work on,” Harr joked, “but without a whistle it’s kind of hard to say one way or the other. Per the PIAA rule, we had to because they have a girls team and we don’t. So for them to wrestle, it has to be an unsanctioned event. Once the referees signed the scorebook and left it’s unsanctioned.”

“I don’t think I did very well,” Niebauer said. “Christian did okay. As a side ref, we could have called locked hands here or there, but you love to see the girls wrestle. We have seven on junior high and seven on varsity. We just decided to join the fight. We have some dedicated girls, and I’m happy they all came down to see it.”

160–Rodgers, H, pinned Mardula, 1:01; 172–Kennedy, H, pinned Watt, 1:04; 189–Hewitt, H, pinned Simala, 1:07; 215–Cacciotti, H, pinned Horning, 5:10; 285–Payne, H, pinned Goughnour, :21; 107–C. Sidney, H, won by forfeit; 114–Krupka, H, won by forfeit

121–B. Sidney, H, pinned Brooks, :30; 127–Hursh, PC, pinned Hollingshead, 5:20; 133–Munyon, PC, pinned C. Parks, :37; 139–Detrick, H, pinned Berardinelli, 2:32; 145–Oswald, H, pinned Coudriet, 2:32; 152–Hill, PC, won by forfeit.

Records: Penn Cambria (0-1), Hollidaysburg (1-1)

Exhibition winners: Frye, H; Farabaugh, PC

Referee: Tyler Morder