Snider among area wrestlers in semifinals
PAA 2A Southwest Regional wrestling
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Northern Bedford's Eion Snider knows the feeling of just missing out on wrestling in the PIAA Class 2A Championships because he finished seventh at the Southwest Regional Tournament.
But that bitter taste in his mouth has been replaced with a smile because the Black Panther senior has already qualified for the state tournament.
Snider advanced to today's Southwest Regional Tournament semifinals with a 5-2 win over Beth Center's Jacob Layhue in the 189-pound quarterfinals on Friday night at the Altoona Fieldhouse.
"It's the thing I've been looking forward to since I was 8 years old," Snider said after receiving hugs from family and friends in the Northern Bedford section. "I'm going to go to the big stage down in Hershey."
Five other wrestlers from the Mirror coverage area will also be making the trip to Hershey with wins in the quarterfinals.
Tyrone's Kyle Scott (172) and Braden Ewing (285) will be making a return trip, although Ewing had to win in overtime to do it. Penn Cambria's two-time regional champ Trent Hoover (152), Huntingdon/Williamsburg's Andrew McMonagle (189) and Glendale's Daniel Williams (285) are also making return trips to Hershey.
Wrestling resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday with a consolation round. Another consolation round will follow before the 12:30 p.m. semifinals. The championship finals, third-place, fifth-place and seventh-place bouts are set for 5:15 p.m.
After winning by fall in 39 seconds in his first bout, the second-seeded Snider got a takedown 33 seconds into the bout. That 2-0 lead remained until the third period, when Snider escaped 32 seconds into the period.
He got another takedown with 39 seconds left, and excitement took over the Northern Bedford section. Layhue escaped with 4 seconds left and a got stalling point, but Snider had punched his ticket to Hershey.
"I knew what it took," Snider said. "I knew I had to be able to go for a whole six minutes, plus I had to keep my hands and feet moving."
"Eion came up big," Northern Bedford coach Brian Dutchcot said. "He got some revenge against Layhue. He lost to him (2-1) earlier in the season at the Thomas Tournament
Snider (38-6) will be wrestling McMonagle (42-2), ranked second by PA Power Wrestling, in the semifinals.
"He just has to keep wrestling tough and battle through," Dutchcot said.
"I'm going to keep going, place as high as I can and get the best seed for states," Snider said.
McMonagle was wearing a hard mask to protect the bandaged area above his left eye. He won by fall in 55 seconds in his first bout and then earned a 7-1 win over Derry Area's District 7 champ Brady Brown in the quarterfinals.
McMonagle notched three takedowns of Brown as he eyes a possible finals rematch with Bald Eagle Area's top-ranked Caleb Close.
"I messed up my eye in practice, so I decided to wear a mask this weekend," McMonagle said. "Yeah (it's uncomfortable), but you just have to deal with it, overcome adversity and keep wrestling. I could have done better, but a win is a win. I'm pumped up, ready for a rematch in the finals."
"I think he wrestled great," Huntingdon coach Jon Mykut said. "Andrew went out and took care of business and the kid wasn't really in the match. It's hard to breathe out of that (mask), but we have another one we're getting from another team tomorrow that just covers the top of the nose. It's called a gladiator mask."
The second-seeded Ewing won by fall in 2:45 in his first bout, but his second wasn't as easy. Ewing and Burgettstown's Joseph Baronick went into overtime tied, 1-1, and appeared headed to the tiebreaker periods.
But then Baronick, who placed sixth at the state tournament, lost his balance and Ewing slipped behind him with 15 seconds left in overtime. Ewing raised his arms in celebration in the final bout of the night.
"This is the fourth time I've wrestled him," Ewing said. "Last year, I wrestled him at Trojan Wars and beat him in overtime. The year before that, I wrestled him at regionals and beat him 3-1. A couple months ago at The Surge, I beat him, 3-1.
"I used my speed to my advantage. I got him offbalance. I was faking, moving his head. I was just being smart during the match because getting stuck underneath him isn't a good thing. He's 285 pounds."
Ewing (39-2) will wrestle Mount Pleasant's Dylan Pitzer (39-1) in the semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket, Williams won by fall in 4:31 in his first bout. He was tied, 2-2, in the third period when he reversed Carlynton's Henry Barbisch to his back and got the pin. Williams hit two five-point moves on Everett's Howard Brambley in the first period and won, 11-1.
Williams (34-3) will take on Central Valley's 37-0 Brenan Morgan, a returning state runner-up, in the semifinals.
Hoover, won got a pin in 3:30 with cradle in the round of 16, raced out to an 11-3 lead over Riverview's Alex Wylly before pinning him in 1:22.
Hoover (39-4) will go to battle again with Penns Valley's Ty Watson (33-4) in the semifinals. Bishop McCort's Melvin Miller cruised to the semifinals in the other bracket.
Scott rolled to a 13-1 major decision in his first bout. In the quarters, he tilted Brayden Taggert for three back points to make the score 9-1 going into the third period. Scott was up 11-1 when he got the fall in 4:49.
Scott (37-4) will face Belle Vernon's top-seeded Elijah Brown in the semifinals. If Scott does win, he won't have to deal with McCort's Owen McMullen because the District 6 champ lost, 9-0, to Valley's Charles Perkins.
"Two years in a row for both of us now," Ewing said. "He's my cousin, and I'm real proud of him."
TEAM KEY
AG--Albert Gallatin; A–Avella; AVON–Avonworth; BEA--Bald Eagle Area; BF--Beaver Falls; BED–Bedford; BELL--Bellefonte; BA--Bellwood-Antis; BENT–Bentworth; BB–Berlin Brothersvalley; BC–Beth-Center; BURG–Burgettstown; BURR–Burrell; CH–Cambria Heights; CAR–Carlynton; C–Central; CC-Central Cambria; CV--Central Valley; CHART–Chartiers Houston; CR–Chestnut Ridge; CK--Claysburg-Kimmel; CT--Conemaugh Township; DA–Derry Area; EF–Elizabeth Forward; E–Everett; EC--Elwood City; FC–Fort Cherry; FH–Forest Hills; FRA--Frazier; FA–Freedom Area; G–Glendale; GS--Greensburg Salem; HAM--Hampton; HIGH–Highlands; HOPE--Hopewell; H–Huntingdon; I--Indiana; JM–Jefferson Morgan; J--Juniata; KO--Keystone Oaks; L–Laurel; LV--Ligonier Valley; MC–Marion Center; MCG–McGuffey; M–Meyersdale; MON--Montour; MV--Moshannon Valley; MP–Mount Pleasant; MU–Mount Union; NB–Northern Bedford; NS–North Star; PC–Penn Cambria; PO--Philipsburg-Osceola; PV–Penns Valley; QV--Quaker Valley; RIVER—Riverview; RV--River Valley; S--Somerset; SOA--South Allegheny; SOUTH–Southmoreland; SP–South Park; SSB–South Side Beaver; SA--Summit Academy; TM–Tussey Mountain; T–Tyrone; U--United; V–Valley; W–Washington; WB–West Branch; WH–Westmont Hilltop
TOP 20 TEAM STANDINGS
1. Bishop McCort 102.5; 2. Bentworth 49; 3. Chestnut Ridge 42.5; 4. Burrell 37.5; 5. Frazier 36; 6. Burgettstown 30.5; 7. Bald Eagle Area and Central Valley 30; 9. United 28; 10. Derry Area 27.5; 11. Northern Bedford and Tyrone 25; 13. McGuffey 22.5; 14. Philipsburg-Osceola and Somerset 22; 16. Belle Vernon 21.5; 17. Penn Cambria and Mount Pleasant 21; 19. Quaker Valley 20.5; 20. Penns Valley 20.
QUARTERFINALS
107--Deputy, CR, tech. fall W. Long, BELL, 17-0, 5:14; Hummel, PO, dec. Anderchak, QV, 2-1; Guenot, BEA, maj. dec. Santamaria, TM, 13-5; Baker, BURR, dec. Main, MCG, 6-1; 114--McClure, BENT, dec. Judice, BEA, 6-4; Williams, CHART, pinned Collins, WG, 1:09; Mucci, DA, dec. Tinsman, MC, 4-2 OT; Mull, CR, dec. Sombronski, U, 6-1; 121--Bainey, WB, dec. Wolfe, MCG, 2-1; Boni, CV, dec. Garshnick, U, 3-1; Wright, BC, dec. Robertson, FC, 8-1; Sledzianowski, BM, pinned Clouse, NB, 3:17; 127--Vargo, BENT, maj. dec. Bertucci, BURR, 10-0; Bracken, U, pinned Lindsey, CV, 3:40; Forrest, BM, tech. fall Fanella, I, 19-4, 3:11; Barr, MCG, dec. Weyant, CR, 5-0; 133--Kazalas, QV, dec. Forcellini, FH, 3-2; Shunk, PV, dec. Orlandini, MON, 4-3; Sentipal, BURG, maj. dec. Stewart, BURR, 10-0; Gibson, BM, tech. fall Clark, FRA, 23-6, 1:42; 139--Hornack, BURR, dec. Swisher, BELL, 5-3 OT; Gable, PO, maj. dec. Danna, QV, 10-0; Suica, BURG, maj. dec. Wood, S, 18-6; Bassett, BM, pinned Burford, HIGH, :50; 145--Horwat, DA, dec. Poklembo, MP, 5-3 OT; Ivcic, BENT, dec. Weaverr, Bell, 7-0; Ja. Butler, BM, dec. Smith, MON, 4-0; Doppelheuer, BV, dec. Imler, CR, 1-0.
152--Watson, PV, dec. Brown, BURG, 3-1; Hoover, PC, pinned Wylly, RIVER, 1:22; Michaels, EF, pinned Danner, HAM, 3:49; Miller, BM, tech. fall Shaulis, MP, 20-5, 3:32; 160--Pisano, HOPE, pinned Mardula, PC, 4:55; Barnhart, RV, pinned Masood, TM, 4:39; Celaschi, FRA, maj. dec. Baker, S, 9-1; Magro, BM, pinned Frameli, JM, 4:57; 172--Brown, BV, tech. fall Marsalko, FH, 15-0, 2:14; Scott, T, pinned Taggart, BENT, 4:49; Welsh, FC, pinned Huffman, CT, 3:11; Perkins, V, maj. dec. McMullen, BM, 9-0; 189--Close, BEA, pinned Angelo, FRA, 1:57; Daniels, BENT, pinned Hay, BB, 2:54; McMonagle, H, dec. Brown, DA, 7-1; Snider, NB, dec. Layhue, BC, 5-2; 215--Lawrence, FRA, pinned Summerville, PC, :18; Jo. Butler, BM, dec. Dibert, NB, 5-0; Ryan, MU, deec. Whyte, WG, 7-3; Holmes, S, maj. dec. Boylan, BURR, 9-1; 285--Morgan, CV, pinned McCoy, WH, 1:28; Williams, G, maj. dec. Brambley, E, 11-1; Pitzer, MP, pinned Beach, NB, :37; Ewing, T, dec. Baronick, BURG, 3-1 OT.