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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
FLINTON -- Before the dual meet against rival Moshannon Valley, Glendale coach Brian Storm tried to figure out how the Vikings should wrestle the Black Knights - straight up or with a lineup shift.
It was a tough choice, so he made the choice the democratic way.
"We looked at the lineup and I asked them as a team what they wanted to do," Storm said. "We had the choice of wrestling straight up or to bump some guys up and we could get more guys in and maybe have George (Campbell) wrestle (Rocco) Reifer. They were all for (the lineup shift)."
Mo Valley coach Thad Walstrom also shifted his lineup, so the matchup between Campbell and freshman star Reifer didn't happen.
In the end, Glendale's lineup shift worked, but it was 285-pounder Daniel Williams' 2-1 win over Tyler Lobb, who was up from 215, that proved most pivotal in the Vikings' 37-34 win before a large crowd at Donald A. Kitko Memorial Gymnasium.
"I thought we wrestled great," Storm said. "We got back from the Babbit Duals (Saturday after going 2-3) and we didn't wrestle well at all. I talked to the team yesterday and I said we need a little more passion. It was a team effort tonight. It was great to see. We really needed that."
In the first bout of the night at 133, Glendale's Tanner Ammerman got his team off on the right foot with a pin of Landon Buck in 1:28.
After Glendale's Ethan Gilbey won by fall in 1:41 in the 139-pound bout, Mo Valley's Nicholas Albright followed with a 56-second fall at 145.
Luke Yarger moved up to 152 and earned a 12-4 major decision over Ryder Krise. Yarger had Krise on his back three times, netting eight points.
"Luke wrestled real well," Walstrom said. "I thought we had the fall there, but the ref didn't slap the mat, so we didn't have the fall.
"We weren't sure they were going to bump all those guys up like they did. We thought they would. We told them we needed bonus at 145 and 152, and they went out and got us bonus points."
At 160, Glendale's Zach Vereshack moved up to 160 and got a fall in 1:13, giving Glendale an 18-10 lead.
After a scoreless first period at 172, Glendale's Dayton Johnson reversed Jalen Kurten to take the lead. But Kurten reversed Johnson to his back and pinned him in 3:41.
"Jalen didn't give up," Walstrom said. "That was a good match for Jalen. We wanted that matchup going in. We expected bonus at that weight, so Jalen came through for the team."
Walstrom shifted Reifer up to 215, giving a forfeit to Campbell. Reifer followed with a pin in 3:48.
Williams, a returning state qualifier, broke a scoreless tie against Lobb with a reversal in the second period. He rode the rest of the period and the entire third. Lobb got a stalling point with 24.3 seconds left, but that was the last of the scoring.
"Those two have been battling since elementary school," Storm said. "It's always pretty close. That was a big match. I kind of figured they were going to bump Lobb up. Danny went out there as a professional and just did his thing."
"I knew he wouldn't pin Lobb," Walstrom said. "I actually knew Lobb could hang with him, and Lobb did. He was one move, or maybe two moves, away from getting out on the bottom, tying that match up and who knows what happens when it goes to overtime."
Glendale's Hayden Kohn followed at 107 with an 8-0 major decision over Autumn Shoff, making the score 31-22.
"Hayden Kohn came out with a big win," Storm said. "I thought about bumping him up to wrestle (Aaron) Cook because he said he's beaten Cook before."
After Cook won by forfeit at 114, Glendale's Dominic Kaufman won by forfeit at 121. And then Mo Valley's Mason Abernethy closed the meet with a pin in 4:51 at 127.
The meet was wrestled before a crowd that was vocal for even the junior high match.
"It's always loud in here," Walstrom said. "I tell the kids every time we come here you've got to be looking over (at the bench). With a small gym like this, it gets loud. They always have a good showing and our fans travel well up to here."
133--Ammerman, G, pinned Buck, 1:28; 139--Gilbey, G, pinned Socie, 1:41; 145--Albright, MV, pinned Franks, :56; 152--Yarger, MV, maj. dec. Krise, 12-4; 160--Vereshack, G, pinned Lovell, 1:13; 172--Kurten, MV, pinned Johnson, 3:41; 189--Campbell, G, won by forfeit
215--Reifer, MV, pinned Oshall, 3:48; 285--Williams, G, dec. Lobb, 2-1; 107--Kohn, G, maj. dec. Shoff, MV, 8-0; 114--Cook, MV, won by forfeit; 121--Do. Kaufman, won by forfeit; 127--Abernethy, MV, pinned Storm, 4:51.
Records: Moshannon Valley (0-1), Glendale (3-4)
Exhibition winner by fall: Richards, G
Referee: Jason Helsel