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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
CRESSON -- In an era in which it's not uncommon to have multiple forfeits in a dual meet in District 6, Tuesday's season-opener between visiting Huntingdon and Penn Cambria was a refreshing change of pace.
Neither team forfeited a bout, including to respective state qualifiers in Huntingdon's Andrew McMonagle and Penn Cambria's Trent Hoover, and a combined 40 wrestlers weighed in to wrestle at 13 weight classes. Heck, there were even three exhibition bouts.
In the end, Huntingdon was too much for the young and inexperienced Panthers, rolling up nine pins in 3:30 or less, including the final one at 189 by McMonagle in his return after injuring his right knee at the PIAA Class 2A Championships, en route to a 54-21 victory.
"We've got a full lineup, and I tell you what, that's good for the sport," Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer said. "We had 40 kids at weigh-in, and I thought that was a great thing. Yes, some of mine are raw, but they're learning every day. I don't know how many times you're going to see 40 kids weigh in for a dual meet these days."
The dual meet began with Penn Cambria senior Nick Summerville earning a 7-1 decision over Landon Erdman at 215. It was the only bout that didn't end in a pin. Summerville bearhugged Erdman for three takedowns.
The Bearcats then reeled off four straight pins. Lincoln Miller's fall in 2:34 at 285 was followed by a 7-second pin by Gaige Sholly at 107. Degan Brown recorded a pin in 2:53 at 114, and Alex Gladfelter followed with a 20-second pin at 121.
PC sophomore Layton Munyon stopped the Huntingdon run with a pin of Gavin Bilich in 3:30 at 127. Munyon built a 7-0 lead before getting the fall.
"He's a tough kid," Niebauer said. "He's a kid who comes up from Portage. He's super talented. He'll be at 121 on Thursday (at Bellwood-Antis). He just missed the cut, so he's going to be a super talented 121-pounder."
Huntingdon's Liam Simpson reversed Isaiah Chyr to his back and pinned him in 3:10 in a bout Chyr was leading 2-1 at 133.
At 139, Penn Cambria Isaac Filak's hip-tossed Chris Gibson twice and got the fall after the second one in 3:25.
"Filak is an athlete," Niebauer said. "He's learning the sport. He might be one of the best athletes in the room, if not the best athlete in the room. He's got to let his athleticism go. If he does, phew, you saw it. He was throwing the guy left and right."
After Huntingdon's Eric Mykut needed only 16 seconds for a pin at 145, Hoover took the mat against Dom Peruso at 152. Hoover built a 13-4 lead thanks in part to five takedowns and a three-point nearfall before using a cradle for the fall in 1:49.
"Trent's got to get some work in," Niebauer said. "He's got some things to work on to win those big matches. He's not trying to embarrass anybody, but needed to get some takedowns."
Huntingdon's responded with pins from Grady Clark in 2:15 at 160 and Luke Uplinger in 1:25 at 172.
Niebauer chose to send freshman Logan Johnson out to wrestle McMonagle, who was wearing a brace on his right knee. McMonagle, a Williamsburg senior who had 30 pins last season, built a 6-2 lead before taking Johnson down to his back. Referee Dick Wood slapped the mat in 1:13.
"He's coming along," Huntingdon coach Jon Mykut said. "He's wrestled with that brace all summer and through the fall. That braces comes off in a couple weeks, and he can let it fly without the brace on there."
"The kid I sent out is a little beat up," Niebauer said. "I questioned it, but I thought I don't think McMonagle is going to hurt him. McMonagle is a nice kid. I could have forfeited, but people come to watch their sons wrestle, come to watch everybody wrestle. I don't want any forfeits.
"I know Huntingdon lost a lot (to graduation), but Jon does a great job down there. I knew they were going to be well-coached. They were going to expose our weaknesses. Some of our kids are absolutely inexperienced."
"We went out and went after it," Mykut said. "That's what we preach in the room."
215--N. Summerville, PC, dec. Erdman, 7-1; 285--Miller, H, pinned D. Summerville, 2:34; 107--Sholly, H, pinned West, :07; 114--Brown, H, pinned Brooks, 2:53; 121--Gladfelter, H, pinned Szpala, :20; 127--Munyon, PC, pinned Bilich, 3:30; 133--Simpson, H, pinned Chyr, 3:10
139--Filak, PC, pinned Gibson, 3:25; 145--Mykut, H, pinned Farabaugh, :16; 152--Hoover, PC, pinned Peruso, 1:49; 160--Clark, H, pinned Mardula, 2:15; 172--Uplinger, H, pinned Watt, 1:25; 189--McMonagle, H, pinned Johnson, 1:13.
Records: Huntingdon (1-0), Penn Cambria (0-1)
Exhibition fall winners: Barnish, PC; Dignan, PC; Metz, H
Referee: Dick Wood