Eagles’ patience pays off
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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Giving up three forfeits and a pin to Hollidaysburg in the first four weights of their respective dual meet openers, Tyrone had to remain patient and confident at the same time that its middle and upperweights would pick up the slack.
The Golden Eagles' remaining nine wrestlers definitely did that.
Sparked by Cohen Wallace's stunning pin while trailing 10-3 at 152 and Kyle Scott's impressive technical fall over Hollidaysburg star Mitchell Baronner at 172, the Golden Eagles swept the remaining nine bouts. The Eagles won four by fall to beat the Golden Tigers, 45-24, on Thursday night at the Hollidaysburg gym.
"I was thinking we need two more matches," Hollidaysburg coach Christian Harr said. "That should have been about it. We couldn't give up falls, but those things happen. Obviously the big match was at 152."
After Hollidaysburg's Brayden Sidney and Landon Krupka won by forfeit at 107 and 114, respectively, Logan Krupka recorded a pin in 2:45 at 121. District 6 Class 3A champion Carson Krupka won by forfeit to make the score 24-0.
Tyrone's Logan Rumberger became the comeback with an 11-0 major decision over Jacob Brua at 133. Rumberger was 4-0 entering the third period, but he took Brua down to his back for a five-point move and a 9-0 lead. He added two more nearfall points to close the scoring.
Two girls met up at 139 after Harr shifted Skylee Parks up a weight to face Gracie Pluebell. The result was Pluebell taking Parks down to her back and getting the fall in 29 seconds.
"I really respect Coach Harr," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said. "When we talked before the match, he decided to make that matchup. Girls wrestling is going to get big in Pennsylvania, and every time you can get girls versus girls that's the best thing."
"It's nice that you have that opportunity to do that," Harr said.
The 145-pound bout was scoreless entering the third period, where Remington Fleck escaped and then took Mason Schenk down. Schenk escaped with 14 seconds left and was shooting for a takedown in the final seconds, but Fleck held him off to win, 3-1.
"Remington was a little bit slower tonight," Wright said, "but we're going to fix some of that up and make a little better going forward."
Hollidaysburg freshman Blake Kennedy was too much for Wallace on his feet in the first two periods. Kennedy built a 10-3 lead, hitting a four-point move and adding another takedown in the first period for a 6-1 lead. Kennedy scored his third takedown and added a reversal in the second period.
Wright told Wallace, a senior, to take top for the third period, and he pushed the right button. Wallace hooked up a low leg cradle, put Kennedy on his back and pinned him in 4:34 as the Tyrone bench erupted in celebration. The Eagles only trailed by five, 24-19.
"As coaches, it's our job to put these guys in that best situation that they could make that happen," Wright said. "With Cohen, I was looking at the coaches and asking what do we want to do? We said go top, and that's what he did. He did what he does best, and he got a pin."
Lukas Walk's forfeit win at 160 gave Tyrone the lead for good.
Scott, a sophomore who was a state qualifier as a freshman, was aggressive against Baronner, a Northwest Regional qualifier, from the start. Scott built a 10-1 lead after one period with two takedowns and six nearfall points.
In the second period, Scott hit a textbook double-leg takedown for a 12-1 lead, added five more nearfall points and won, 17-1, in 3:05.
"Kyle is a monster," Wright said. "He just keeps getting better and he keeps getting bigger. We expect big things out of him, and he expects big things out of himself. We're pretty excited to watch him grow. Being his sophomore year, he just loves wrestling."
Tyrone senior Andrew Weaver followed with a pin in 1:28 at 189 to make the score 36-24.
At 215, Hollidaysburg's Tyson Bridenbaugh hip-tossed Richard Rawlings for four points to begin the bout.
Rawlings and Bridenbaugh traded reversals before Rawlings reversed to draw to within two, 6-4, entering the third period. Rawlings escaped and got a takedown to take a 7-6 lead. He added a two-point nearfall to win, 9-6.
Tyrone returning state qualifier Braden Ewing closed out the meet with a pin in 1:36 at 285.
"Quentin's squad was ready to go out there and compete," Harr said. "So were we. Matches turn on a dime whenever energy goes from one bench to another. That's kind of the good thing with dual meets. You get to feel that and experience that."
107-Sidney, H, won by forfeit; 114--La. Krupka, H, won by forfeit; 121--Lo. Krupka, H, pinned D. Pluebell, 2:45; 127--C. Krupka, H, won by forfeit; 133--Rumberger, T, maj. dec. Brua, 11-0; 139--G. Pluebell, T, pinned Parks, :29; 145--Fleck, T, dec. M. Schenk, 3-1
152--Wallace, T, pinned Kennedy, 4:34; 160--Walk, T, won by forfeit; 172--Scott, T, tech. fall Baronner, 17-1, 3:05; 189--Weaver, T, pinned Mayhle, 1:28; 215--Rawlings, T, dec. Bridenbaugh, 9-6; 285--Ewing, T, pinned Maines, 1:36.
Records: Tyrone (1-0), Hollidaysburg (0-1)
Exhibition fall winners: Ansman, T; Harris, T
Referee: Paul Myers