Eagles get big win from Rawlings to spark victory
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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
It seems each dual meet Tyrone gets a big bout win from somebody who hasn't in the past been heroic on the wrestling mat.
Freshman star Kyle Scott came up big against Northern Bedford. Caleb McKinney beat Hollidaysburg's Northwest Regional participant Rally Hoover on Tuesday. And then on Wednesday, unheralded Richard Rawlings pinned Altoona's Evan Boose in what was a back-and-forth bout at 189.
That pin, in combination with Korry Walls beating Altoona freshman star Braiden Weaver, 9-6, in an entertaining 114-pound bout, lifted the Golden Eagles to a 36-26 win on Wednesday night at the Altoona Fieldhouse.
"We figured out a way to win again," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said. "I'd say Richard Rawlings getting that crazy pin for us was the difference in the match. Those guys get a chance to go out there to fight to win."
"We wrestled pretty well," Altoona coach Joel Gilbert said. "That's a good Tyrone team. I think our kids fired in a lot of positions. We were outmanned in some areas. We knew that going in."
The 3-0 Eagles forfeited 133 and 107, and neither team had a 121-pound wrestler.
So Walls, a returning state qualifier and Weaver, a fourth-placer at junior high states, hit the mat.
Weaver was winning, 1-0, in the second period, when Walls, a senior, countered his offensive move and took the Mountain down to his back for a five-point move. Walls scored a reversal in the third period to go up 7-1.
Weaver escaped with 40 seconds remaining, and in the waning seconds headlocked Walls to his back for a four-point move. But Walls reversed before the buzzer to win, 9-6.
"Korry wrestled like a senior," Wright said. "He was tough and smart, and he did some wild moves."
"What a great match that was," Gilbert said. "Walls hit him with some nice stuff, but Weaver kept wrestling hard for three periods."
Walls might have paid a price, though. He injured his hand and was sent to the emergency room to get it checked out.
In a battle of the Logans at 127, Tyrone's Rumberger made a takedown, reversal and tough riding stand in a 4-0 win over Altoona's Brandt.
Wright moved Remington Fleck up to 139 from 133 and forfeited to Caleb Fasick. Altoona's Wyatt Young made the Eagles pay for that move. Leading 3-2, Young put Fleck on his back with a low leg cradle and pinned him in 3:40.
Tyrone's Cohen Wallace moved up to 145 and recorded a fall in 1:15 to tie the meet, 12-12.
Altoona returning state fifth-place Luke Sipes, who had labrum surgery in the offseason, was in nearly top form against Lukas Walk, posting five takedowns and nine nearfall points in a 20-3 technical fall in 4:51.
But Tyrone's Andrew Weaver reeled off a pin in 20 seconds at 160, and Scott followed with a 17-second fall at 172. Tyrone led 24-17.
Boose scored the first takedown against Rawlings, who reversed to tie the score. Boose escaped and took Rawlings down. Rawlings reversed and notched two nearfall points and a 6-5 lead entering the second period.
Rawlings reversed again in the second, and then stacked Boose's shoulders to the mat. Referee Jim Weston slapped the mat in 2:44, thrilling the Eagles, who led, 30-17.
"That was a pivotal bout," Gilbert said. "It's only Boose's second year of wrestling. Sometimes when you're new like that you don't understand if you're in good or bad position. But Boose is dangerous. I think he'll learn from that, and he'll be a better wrestler."
At 215, Altoona's Michael RIccio broke open a scoreless bout with McKinney by scoring a takedown and three nearfall points in the second. McKinney escaped and then reversed in the third to make the score 5-3. McKinney released Riccio, but Riccio avoided danger to win, 6-3.
With Altoona's Nick Irwin set to pick up a forfeit win at 107 in the final bout, the Eagles needed a pin from returning state qualifier Braden Ewing at 285. That's what they got, as Ewing closed out the meet with a fall in 1:18.
"I'd say we're a little brother to Altoona," Wright said, "so it's always fun when little brother gets that win."
Both teams will now get ready for the Panther Holiday Classic on Friday and Saturday at Mount Aloysius College.
"They're excited," Wright said. "We just have to get past the snow day Thursday and keep our weights down. I'm going to tell these guys to start running up the hills and sled down."
114--Walls, T, dec. Weaver, 9-6; 121--No bout; 127--Rumberger, T, dec. Brandt, 4-0; 133--Fasick, A, won by forfeit; 139--Young, A, pinned R. Fleck, 3:40; 145--Wallace, T, pinned Wisor, 1:15; 152--Sipes, A, tech. fall Walk, 20-3, 4:51
160--Weaver, T, pinned McMillon, :20; 172--Scott, T, pinned Fetter, :17; 189--Rawlings, T, pinned Boose, 2:44; 215--Mi. Riccio, A, dec. McKinney, 6-3; 285--Ewing, T, pinned Speece, 1:18; 107--Irwin, A, won by forfeit.
Records: Tyrone (3-0), Altoona (1-5)
Exhibition winners: Pluebell, T; Rice, T; Howard, T; Myers, T
Referees: Paul Myers, Jim Weston