Trending
By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
This year's Altoona Area High School wrestling team is a balanced unit that has many wrestlers throughout its lineup with double-digit victory totals.
That hasn't always been the case, according to veteran Altoona coach Joel Gilbert.
"In some of the past years, we had a few championship-caliber wrestlers in the lineup, but we didn't have the number of good second-tier wrestlers that we have this year,'' Gilbert said. "And that helps a team in dual meets.''
It did again Thursday night, as Altoona (11-5) reeled off its eighth straight dual meet victory by defeating DuBois, 44-21, on Altoona's senior night at the Altoona High Fieldhouse.
Returning PIAA state medalist Braiden Weaver, a sophomore, improved his season record to 16-3 with a 58-second fall at 121 pounds, and two-time state medalist Luke Sipes (21-5) took a forfeit win for Altoona at 160.
In a match that Gilbert considered pivotal, freshman Dom Nardozza (18-7) bumped up from 107 to 114 pounds and slipped past Antonio Giambanco, 2-0, by virtue of a second-period escape and a penalty point assessed to the Giambanco for interlocking hands.
In another match that Gilbert deemed pivotal, at 133, sophomore Philip Sarbo (12-6) scored four takedowns in an 8-4 decision over Samson Deeb, who finished fourth in the Northwest AAA Regional Tournament at 121 pounds last year.
"Nardozza moved up a weight class and wrestled a good match and Philip Sarbo really stepped it up and dominated his match against a very good opponent,'' Gilbert said. "We know that Philip can do things like that. We've just got to get him to believe in himself. I thought those two matches were key tonight.''
DuBois coach Jake Krupka agreed.
"Joel is an excellent coach and Altoona has a really great team,'' said Krupka, whose team is 1-4 in dual meets. "The matches at 114 and at 133 were toss-ups, and Altoona showed a lot of physicality in the matches they won tonight.''
At 127, stellar freshman Gavin Ciampoli (12-3) racked up an impressive 18-3 technical fall in 3:23 over Brandt Bash, and at 145, senior Wyatt Young (11-8) pinned Carter Vos in 3:10.
"Ciampoli looked really good, and Wyatt Young is a smart, athletic kid who looked good in all positions tonight,'' Gilbert said.
Evan Boose (9-7) needed only 12 seconds to pin Shane Kemer at 215 for Altoona, which won five straight bouts from 107 through 133 in the middle of the dual to sew up the outcome.
"I was thinking to myself to get the match done pretty quick,'' Boose said. "I came out and gave everything that I had, and that's what I did.''
Gilbert said that "Boose went out and took care of his opponent, and looked very good.''
Other winners for Altoona — which enjoyed a 17-8 advantage in total takedowns - were sophomore Tykear Davis, who scored two takedowns in a 4-0 decision over Jacob Gardner at 189, and junior Nick Irwin, who took a forfeit victory at 107.
Boose, Young, and other Altoona seniors Matthew Riccio, Hayden Speece, Haydon McMillon and Will Himmelwright were recognized before the match.
160--Sipes, A, won by forfeit. 172--Wilson, D, pinned Riccio, :37. 189--Davis, A, dec. Gardner, 4-0. 215--Boose, A, pinned Kemer, :12. 285--Gallagher, D, pinned Speece, 5:12. 107--Irwin, A, won by forfeit. 114--Nardozza, A, dec. Giambanco, 2-0.
121--Weaver, A, pinned Chewning, :58. 127--Ciampoli, A, tech. fall Bash, 18-3, 3:23. 133--Sarbo, A, dec. Deeb, 8-4. 139--Aughenbaugh, pinned Geishauser, 5:14. 145--Young, A, pinned Vos, 3:10. 152--George, D, dec. Marks, 8-4.
Records: DuBois (1-4), Altoona (11-5).
Official: Nick Shope.
Exhibition matches: Aiden Fox, A, won by decision. JaReese Stowe, Jeff Morris and Evan Dickson, D, each won by fall.