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Northern Bedford picks up enough close wins to top Vikings

By Todd Irwin 5 min read

FLINTON -- With what turned out to be only 10 bouts contested, Northern Bedford needed to win the close bouts against Glendale on Thursday night at Donald A. Kitko Memorial Gymnasium.

Fortunately for the Black Panthers, they had the edge.

Northern Bedford, which had a couple starters out with injuries, won two of the three bouts decided by four points or less at 160 and 127, respectively, and recorded four pins en route to a 36-20 win over the Vikings.

"I think we wrestled well tonight," Northern Bedford coach Brian Dutchcot said. "We have a couple injuries on our team, so we've got to bounce some things around to make up for those forfeits. I can't say enough about the kids when I bump some kids around in the lineup.

"Winning the close ones makes it all the while for the team. When your teammates see you battling and giving it everything you've got, that gets them fired up. That just keeps the momentum going."

"I don't think we wrestled too bad honestly," Glendale coach Brian Storm said. "Northern Bedford has some really good wrestlers, and really didn't match up well with them. I think they wrestled a hair better than us in matches. They won the close ones."

Northern Bedford improved to 11-4, while the Vikings fell to 6-6.

When Dutchcot moved Aidan Pittman up to 160 to start the match, Storm moved Dayton Johnson up to face Pittman. Pittman got a takedown in the first period and spent much of the rest of the bout on top, riding the rest of the period, the entire second and, after a reversal, the final 1:33 for a 4-0 win.

"That opening takedown was big for him to get that lead," Dutchcot said, "and then go to work on top."

Storm opted to have Southwest Regional Tournament qualifier George Campbell (19-3) pick up a forfeit win at 172. Northern Bedford regional seventh-placer Eion Snider (22-4) followed with a pin in 3:33.

After Northern's Rece Dibert won by fall in 1:14 at 215, Glendale returning state qualifier Daniel Williams earned a 3-2 decision over regional qualifier Brock Beach at 285. Williams scored a takedown in the first period and escaped in the second. Beach managed two escapes, but that was all.

"I thought he did well," Storm said of Williams. "I think he might have been able to score a couple more points. He almost had (Beach) on his back."

Both coaches moved their 107-pounders up to 114, leaving no bout at 107. Northern Bedford's Aiden Replogle had a 2-0 lead on Hayden Kohn in the second when he suddenly put Kohn on his back with a half nelson and pinned him in 3:22, giving the Panthers a 21-9 lead.

"Aiden went to his bread and butter," Dutchcot said with a smile. "He grinds it out with a half and thigh pry. When he gets that half, he's tough with it, just like every other Replogle. His brothers were tough with it as well."

Glendale's Tanner Ammerman racked up a 17-0 technical fall in 4:29 over Kace Clapper at 121.

The 127-pound bout between Glendale's Ethan Gilbey and Northern's Wyatt Clouse was scoreless for two periods, but Gilbey was very close to escaping in the second. And when Clouse (23-4) reversed in the third, Gilbey was close to escaping, but Clouse, who had moved up a weight, defended and hung on for a 2-0 win.

"That's what you come to see," Dutchcot said. "That was a real good high school match. There were a couple roll-throughs by Gilbey, and Wyatt didn't panic. We scramble our way up to get back on top. There was great action in that match."

"He just couldn't get separation," Storm said. "He was out a couple times, but you've got to give Clouse credit. He hung on. That was a great match."

The Black Panthers followed with pins by Bryson Free in 3:05 at 133 and Hayden Dively in 49 seconds at 139 to make the score 36-14 and secure the victory.

Glendale's Zach Vereshack closed out the meet with a pin in 37 seconds.

"The season is going well," Dutchcot said. "We had some hiccups last week. We ended up having seven matches last week. We got into a situation with Meyersdale (a 37-33 loss for Northern). I can't fault the kids for anything they've done. These kids have battle all year-long and wrestled real hard."

160--Pittman, NB, dec. Johnson, 4-0; 172--Campbell, G, won by forfeit; 189--E. Snider, NB, pinned Oshall, 3:33; 215--Dibert, NB, pinned Richards, 1:14; 285--Williams, G, dec. Beach, 3-2; 107--No bout; 114--Replogle, NB, pinned Kohn, 3:22

121--Ammerman, G, tech. fall Clapper, 17-0, 4:29; 127--Clouse, NB, dec. Gilbey, 2-0; 133--Free, NB, pinned Storm, 3:05; 139--Dively, NB, pinned Krise, :49; 145--Vereshack, G, pinned Amick, :37; 152--No bout.

Records: Northern Bedford (11-4), Glendale (6-6)

Referee: Kerry O'Harra

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