Area sends 15 into semis
Glendale’s Campbell making up for lost time
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Glendale junior George Campbell was out of the Vikings' lineup for a little bit during the season dealing with a concussion and an injured arm.
"We were at a practice and playing basketball," Campbell said. "I went up, tipped the ball and my legs got swept out from underneath me. I landed on my arm and I thought I broke my arm. That's why I wrestle."
That might have cost him a higher seed for this weekend's District 6 Class 2A Tournament at the Altoona Fieldhouse. Campbell, who entered with a 24-6 record, was a sixth seed.
"It meant absolutely nothing," Campbell said of the seed. "I knew going into this tournament I was going to be lower seeded to kids I've beaten or kids I know I'm better than because of injuries."
Campbell didn't let that seed bother him as he knocked off Huntingdon's third-seeded Devin Grubb, 10-4, in the quarterfinals of the tough 152-pound weight class Friday evening. Campbell, who had a pin in his first bout, scored three reversals, a takedown and two-point nearfall against Grubb.
"It feels really, really good," Campbell said. "I just had to go out there and do what I knew how to do. I knew every single time he was going to go for a cradle. What ultimately won that match was knowing how to get up from the bottom."
Campbell, who will face Philipsburg-Osceola's returning champion Marcus Gable in the semifinals, is one of 15 wrestlers from the Mirror coverage area who advanced to today's 10:30 a.m. semifinals and qualified for the Southwest Regional Tournament.
Tyrone advanced five into the semifinals in Korry Walls (107), Lukas Walk (139), Andrew Weaver (160), Kyle Scott (172) and Braden Ewing (285). Second-seeded Logan Rumberger (121) was upset by Penns Valley's seventh-seeded Braydon Lisowski, 4-1, in the quarterfinals.
"We did well," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said. "There are a few matches we left on the table. You get some calls and you don't get some calls. You just have to take it as it goes."
The Golden Eagles are in fourth place in the team standings with 76.5 points. Bald Eagle Area leads the team race by 19 points, 103-84, over Centre County foe Penns Valley. Huntingdon (78) is in third place. District 6 Duals champion United is seventh with 63 points.
Penn Cambria pushed four into the semifinals in returning champion Trent Hoover (145), Austin McCloskey (160), Braedan Oravecz (189) and Mason Raymond (215). Hoover and Oravecz both recorded two pins to reach the semifinals.
"At the beginning of the week, I felt like we could qualify three to five," Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer said. "We've still got some guys in the wrestlebacks, so we're right on track. I maybe would have liked to have pushed one more through in the quarters, but we went four for five. I guess I'll take that any year."
Joining Campbell in the semifinals are two teammates in returning champion Zeke Dubler (160) and freshman Daniel Williams (285). Glendale second-seeded Britton Spangle (189) was upset by BEA's seventh-seeded Cameron Dubbs, 4-3, with a last second takedown in the quarterfinals.
Central Cambria's top-seeded Karter Quick (215) and Bellwood-Antis' Ethan Norris (285) reached the semifinals, as did Williamsburg student and Huntingdon star Andrew McMonagle (160).
The 160-pound weight class has all local wrestlers in the semifinals. Dubler, who had a pin and an injury default win, will wrestle McCloskey, who had an 8-0 win and a 6-4 decision over Forest Hills' Mason Papinchak. Weaver, who had two pins, will wrestle McMonagle, who also had two pins to raise his season total to 27.
The 285-pound weight class is similar. Norris, a returning runner-up who had a 43-second pin and a pin of River Valley's Brad Miller in the tiebreaker, faces Huntingdon returning champ Gunner Singleton.
Ewing, who earned a 3-0 decision over Penn Cambria's Nick Summerville following a pin, faces Williams, who had a pin and a 6-2 decision over Moshannon Valley's Connor Williams. Glendale's Williams beat Ewing, a returning runner-up, in the ultimate tiebreaker at the Panther Classic.
Walls, a returning District 6 runner-up missed most of the season with a broken hand. He was wrestling on Friday with both of his hands taped and braced up. It didn't stop him from racking up a pin and a 13-2 major decision over Huntingdon's Gaige Sholly.
"He's just making sure people don't know which one to grab I'd day," Wright said laughing. "It's his senior year, and he's excited to be back on the mat."
The wrestling resumes with the fourth round of consolations for the Class 2A wrestlers and begins for the Class 3A wrestlers at 8:30 a.m. in this year's unique format.
"It's going to be interesting tomorrow," Niebauer said. "I'm thinking maybe I should have camped out here tonight."
"I was looking at the stands today," Wright said. "It's going to be packed tomorrow, so it's probably going to be a little bit uncomfortable for everybody. But, hey, join the crowd. The kids are out there wrestling uncomfortable."
KEY, TEAM STANDINGS
1. BEA--Bald Eagle Area 103; 2. PV--Penns Valley 84; 3. H--Huntingdon 78; 4. T--Tyrone 76.5; 5. MU--Mount Union 68; 6. B--Bellefonte 65; 7. U--United 63; 8. PO--Philipsburg-Osceola 57.5; 9. PC--Penn Cambria 55; 10. FH--Forest Hills 54; 11. G--Glendale 52; 12. WB--West Branch 51; 13. MC--Marion Center 45; 14. J--Juniata 39; 15. SH--Southern Huntingdon 36; 16. CC--Central Cambria 28; 17. MV--Moshannon Valley 27; 18. RV--River Valley 24; 19. BA--Bellwood-Antis and CK--Claysburg-Kimmel 20; 21. C--Central 17; 22. JV--Juniata Valley and R--Richland 15; 24. WH--Westmont Hilltop 11; 25. CH--Cambria Heights 6.
QUARTERFINALS
107--Walls, T, maj. dec. Sholly, H, 13-2; Hummel, PO, dec. Tinsman, MC, 8-2; Beatty, MU, pinned Taubler, RV, 1:29; Sombronski, U, dec. Long, B, 2-0; 114--Bainey, WB, pinned Jones, CH, 3:20; Gladfelter, H, pinned Garcia, B, 2:54; Darlington, PV, pinned Biesinger, C, 1:30; Garshnick, U, pinned Tice, 3:24; 121--Fye, BEA, maj. dec. Yocum, H, 8-0; Chilcote, MU, dec. Shilcosky, FH, 4-3; Bracken, U, dec. Swisher, B, 7-5 OT; Lisowski, PV, dec. Rumberger, T, 4-1; 127--Bainey, BEA, pinned J. Long, B, 2:38; Gustkey, PO, dec. Henning, U, 6-4; Dunsmore, H, pinned R. Smith, J, 2:46; Hess, MU, dec. Gibson, JV, 8-6; 133--Shunk, PV, pinned Harper, SH, :42; Fleck, PO, dec. Maney, BEA, 8-2; Stewart, MC, pinned L. Dick, JV, 4:15; Forcellini, FH, tecch. Fall Monty, U, 19-4, 5:10; 139--T. Smith, J, pinned King, PV, 1:03; Weaver, B, dec. Mykut, H, 3-0; Cornetto, MC, pinned Hower, MU, 4:36; Walk, T, dec. Smith, C, 7-2; 145--Hoover, PC, pinned Clark, H, 1:42; G. Long, B, dec. Reese, BEA, 12-8; Flinn, FH, dec. Claycomb, CK, 4-3; Heilbrun, MC, dec. Ray, WH, 7-0
152--Watson, PV, pinned McCully, U, 4:19; Pifer, BEA, dec. Barnhart, RV, 5-0; Campbell, G, dec. Grubb, H, 10-4; Gable, PO, maj. dec. Murray, B, 8-0; 160--Dubler, G, won by injury default over Martin, PV; McCloskey, PC, dec. Papinchak, FH, 6-4; Weaver, T, pinned Rittenhouse, MU, 3:42; McMonagle, H, pinned Lattieri, CK, 4:41; 172--Close, BEA, pinned Mummah, J, 1:32; Folmar, WB, pinned Brenneman, H, :48; Cohenour, SH, dec. Marsalko, FH, 10-3; Scott, T, pinned Irwin, B, 5:20; 189--Ryan, MU, pinned Biggans, WB, 1:36; Shawley, B, pinned Stuchal, RV, 4:13; Oravecz, PC, pinned Bonnell, J, 2:58; Dubbs, BEA, dec. Spangle, G, 4-3; 215--Quick, CC, pinned McKinney, T, 3:06; Hart, SH, dec. Lobb, MV, 2-0; Brungart, PV, pinned Gardner, BEA, 7:05 TB; Raymond, PC, dec. Peiper, J, 5-2; 285--Singleton, H, pinned Inch, MU, 3:34; Norris, BA, pinned Miller, RV, 7:18 TB; Ewing, T, dec. Summerville, PC, 3-0; Williams, G, dec. Williams, MV, 6-2.