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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
WINGATE -- To avoid a repeat of the first time they wrestled Forest Hills on Jan. 17, Penn Cambria's wrestlers had to stay off their backs in the first round of the District 6 Duals.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, that didn't happen.
The sixth-seeded Rangers recorded eight pins against the 11th-seeded Panthers, including the final three bouts to pull away and win, 48-25, on Tuesday evening at Bald Eagle Area High School.
The Rangers beat the Panthers, 42-30, in that first meeting two weeks ago.
"There were probably three pivotal matches where we were right in them and got pinned," Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer said. "That's not acceptable. I'm not going to ever attack my team, but we can't give that up.
"That's something I've got to fix in the room. We've got to not go to our backs. Maybe you give up the takedown, but we've got to recover and live to see another day."
Third-seeded Bald Eagle Area, though, beat Forest Hills, 51-18, in the ensuing quarterfinal match. BEA, top-seeded Penns Valley, second-seeded Huntingdon and fourth-seeded United advanced to Saturday's District 6 Duals semifinals at Penns Valley with wins Tuesday.
The Panthers' bad luck began right off the first whistle at 139 as Forest Hills' Jacob Gould defended a shot by Bane Mallory and took the Panther senior to his back and pinned him in 44 seconds.
After Penn Cambria star Trent Hoover (29-2) pinned Maddux Dombrosky in 43 seconds with a cradle at 145. Forest Hills' star Dustin Flinn (24-8) followed with pin in 11 seconds at 152.
Penn Cambria's Austin McCloskey (21-7) earned three takedowns, three nearfall points and an escape in a 10-1 major decision over Nick Noon at 160.
"To be honest, I was looking for six there," Niebauer said. "That's a matchup we didn't have the first time. I would have liked to have seen him get a pin. He worked hard, so I can't fault him."
After Ranger sophomore Mason Papinchak moved up to 172 and got a fall in 24 seconds, the Panthers suffered some more heartbreak at 189.
PC's Braedan Oravecz, who had a takedown of Kory Marsalko in the first period to draw within a point, was down 6-2 in the third period when the Ranger put him on his back and pinned him in 4:53. The Rangers led, 24-10.
At 215, Penn Cambria's Mason Raymond built a 10-1 lead on Trevor Burkett with three takedowns, three nearfall points and an escape. Raymond then put Burkett on his back and pinned him in 3:24.
"Mason knows what we expect from him," Niebauer said. "He knew we needed six, and he worked hard to get it."
Panther heavyweight Nick Summerville was outweighed against Lucas DeLoatch, but then didn't deter him from trying to go upper body with him.
On Summerville's third takedown, he lifted the Ranger off the mat and brought him down for two points to make it 8-1. Summerville (21-8) released DeLoatch in an effort to get a major decision, but he had to settle for an 8-2 win.
"That kid outweighs him by almost 40 pounds," Niebauer said. "That's a pretty impressive strong man who can lift another guy that weighs 40 pounds more with that double leg shot. He outworked him."
Landon Arrington, the freshman brother of three-time state champ Jackson Arrington, built a 16-2 lead on PC's Keaton Brooks at 107. The Panther freshman fought hard to avoid the pin throughout, but Arrington finally earned the fall in 4:26.
After PC's Isaiah Chyr won by forfeit at 114, the Panthers were down 30-25. But the Rangers reeled off pins by Isaiah Shilcosky at 121, T.J. Carroll at 127 and Hunter Forcellini (20-3) at 133 to finish the dual meet.
"I knew they were going to be tough with Shilcosky and be tough with Forcellini," Niebauer said. "We had to get our lead and definitely build it. We didn't build the momentum."
The Panthers have one dual meet left -- Thursday at Central -- before preparing for districts.
139--Gould, FH, pinned Mallory, :44; 145--Hoover, PC, pinned Dombrosky, :43; 152--Flinn, FH, pinned Goshey, :11; 160--McCloskey, PC, maj. dec. Noon, 10-1; 172--Papinchak, FH, pinned Kunowsky, :24; 189--Marsalko, FH, pinned Oravecz, 4:53; 215--Raymond, PC, pinned Burkett, 3:24
285--Summerville, PC, dec. DeLoatch, 8-2; 107--Arrington, FH, pinned Brooks, 4:26; 114--Chyr, PC, won by forfeit; 121--Shilkosky, FH, pinned Munyon, 2:41; 127--Carroll, pinned Filak, 1:55; 133--Forcellini, FH, pinned Gill, :21.
Records: Penn Cambria (10-5), Forest Hills (12-4)