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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
FLINTON -- Glendale's Dayton Johnson probably hasn't been put into too many situations where a dual meet came down to him in the very last bout.
On Wednesday night at Donald A. Kitko Memorial Gymnasium, the dual meet against Penn Cambria came down to him. And the Viking junior handled it like he had been there before.
With the Panthers holding a 36-33 lead going into 139 pounds, Johnson recorded the pin in 1:33 to secure the Vikings' 39-36 victory. It was the second Glendale win in as many days.
"It feels great," Johnson said. "I had to win it to beat the other team. I like that. I thought I was going to get the pin. I was confident in myself."
"Dayton has really come on," Glendale coach Brian Storm said. "In the past, he was always wrestling up. He's down to the right weight, I think. His confidence is flying, which is great. I believed in him."
The meet started with Zach Vereshack getting a lightning-quick 9-second pin at 145. The Vikings were without injured 152-pounder George Campbell, so they forfeited to returning District 6 and Southwest Regional champ Trent Hoover at 152.
"We lost the disc flip," Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer, "and they were able to forfeit to Hoover. Glendale did a nice job moving some guys around."
After Penn Cambria's Austin McCloskey recorded a fall in 2:47 at 160, Glendale's Brady Vereshack moved up to 172 got a pin in 1:03.
"Brady joining the team this year is great," Storm said. "He's the type of kid we need to come out and win a couple matches for us."
Lehigh recruit Zeke Dubler then moved up to 189 and got a pin in 32 seconds.
Glendale's Britton Spangle gave up the first takedown to Braeden Oravecz, but he escaped and got a takedown in the first period and scored three nearfall points in the second for a 6-2 lead. But Oravecz reversed, and the wrestlers flurried from the top and bottom at the end of period but no points were scored.
In the third, Oravecz released Spangle, who then had to take a sickness timeout. After coming back, he scored a takedown, gave up an escape and won, 9-5.
"I thought Britton wrestled great," Storm said. "I thought he controlled what he needed to control."
Penn Cambria will soon have Mason Raymond back at 215 pounds, but Drew Mardula is out with a shoulder injury.
Freshman star 285-pounder Daniel Williams gave the Vikings a 27-12 lead with a pin in 3:32.
Forfeit wins for Penn Cambria's Keaton Brooks and Isaiah Chyr at 107 and 114, respectively, drew the Panthers to win three, 27-24.
At 121, Glendale freshman Ethan Gilbey responded with a fall in 2:36 to widen the lead.
"He's a scrapper," Storm said. "I think he's going to get better and better every match."
Glendale's Nate Storm took a 3-0 lead on freshman Layton Munyon in the second with three nearfall points off of a cradle. But Munyon scored a reversal get within one. In the third, he put Storm on his back and pinned him in 4:20.
Glendale led, 33-30. It was around that time Johnson figured it was going to come down to him.
In a highly competitive 133-pound bout, Penn Cambria freshman Isaac Filak was leading Ryder Krise, 11-8, in the third period when he took Krise down to his back. Filak got the fall in 5:15 to give the Panthers a 36-33 lead.
"Munyon and Filak are both very, very solid kids," Niebauer said. "Munyon has a jujitsu background. Filak is a physical specimen for a freshman. He's been kind of taken under the wing of Trent Hoover. We pulled him up thinking he may as well learn from the best."
But Johnson got a takedown, put Bane Mallory on his back and waited until referee Nick Sidorick slapped the mat in 1:33. The Viking bench and fans erupted in celebration.
"At times, we wrestled okay," Niebauer said. "I could go in there and scream and yell, but it's not going to do any good. We're going to get better every week. We have three freshmen in the lineup. We made some mistakes that I've got to correct."
145--Z. Vereshack, G, pinned Goshey, :09; 152--Hoover, PC, won by forfeit; 160--McCloskey, PC, pinned Richards, 2:47; 172--B. Vereshack, G, pinned Rodgers, 1:03; 189--Dubler, G, pinned Kunowsky, :32; 215--Spangle, G, dec. Oravecz, 9-5; 285--Williams, G, pinned Summerville, 3:32
107--Brooks, PC, won by forfeit; 114--Chyr, PC, won by forfeit; 121--Gilbey, G, pinned Szpala, 2:36; 127--Munyon, PC, pinned Storm, 4:20; 133--Filak, PC, pinned Krise, 5:15; 139--Johnson, G, pinned Mallory, 1:33.
Records: Penn Cambria (0-1); Glendale (2-0)
Referee: Nick Sidorick