Central uses pins to take down Golden Eagle wrestlers
Trending
TYRONE -- As snow began to fall and pile up outside of Tyrone Area High School on Thursday night, the Central and Tyrone wrestling teams were piling up pins inside the gymnasium.
There were pins in 11 of the 13 bouts, with the two non-fall results being forfeits. Eight of the pins were completed in the first period.
The Scarlet Dragons held a 6-5 edge in falls, and they picked up the two forfeit wins. The score was tied going into the last three weights, but Central reeled off three pins in those weights to beat the Golden Eagles, 48-30, in a half-hour dual meet.
"We had some pretty good kids matched up with some of their newer kids," said Central coach Dave Marko, who earned his 351st career win while his team improved to 16-2. "It was probably pretty much as anticipated."
"We got the matchups that we wanted," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said after his team slipped to 3-11. "Overall, I thought we did great, but still we're plagued by getting pinned."
The forfeits came at the start of the dual meet, with Central's Carsen Mowery and Bailey Wilt getting their hand raised by referee Jim Weston at 114 and 121, respectively.
In one of three bouts that went beyond the first period, Central's Bryer Mickel won by fall in 2:17 over Coltyn Frye at 127 to make the score 18-0.
"We're trying to work on him scoring more on his feet," Marko said. "He wrestled that kid before, so we kind of knew what was coming. I wanted him to gain some experience on his feet."
Tyrone's Logan Rumberger responded with a pin in 19 seconds at 133 pounds.
The 139-pound bout was a competitive one between Central's Joel Morris and Tyrone's Rhys Rawlings. Morris (15-10), who moved up from 133, scored a first-period takedown and held a 3-1 lead going into the end period.
Rawlings, though, earned a reversal and scored four nearfall points for a 7-3 lead. Rawlings put Morris on his back again and got the fall in 3:49.
"Rhys is really coming along," Wright said. "He's fighting hard. He just loves to wrestle. He goes out there and scraps. It's one of those things where sometimes it works in your favor and sometimes it doesn't. It was fun. It was a good win for him."
Central junior Kaden Horn (20-8) moved up to 145 and got his fall in 1:35, giving the Scarlet Dragons a 24-12 lead.
In a stunning turn of events at 152, Central's Corbin Mobley got a takedown and four back points to take a 7-0 lead on Dominic Pluebell. But Pluebell reversed Mobley to his back and got the fall in 1:14.
"It's been awesome to watch Dom Pluebell wrestle," Wright said. "He's been the guy in the back waiting for his opportunity, and he's had in the last few weeks. We've been able to get him in the lineup. He's a guy who's not afraid to wrestle anybody."
There was no drama at 160, where Central's Cody Clapper won by fall in 40 seconds to make the score 30-18.
Central's Cole Marks bumped up to 172 and took Tyrone's Kyler Suhoney down in the first period. Suhoney, though, escaped, took Marks down, slipped in a half nelson and got the fall in 1:29.
At 189, Tyrone star Kyle Scott lifted Braydon Beach, slipped in half nelson while they were both still on their feet and brought Beach, who was upside down, to the mat. Scott got the fall in 28 seconds, and both wrestlers were smiling as they left the mat.
"Sometimes if the kid lands wrong they're going to call you for a slam," Wright said. "It's one of those things you've got to be careful. I told Scott when you do this move you've got have the half to get that final rotation through. Tonight he got that full rotation."
Scott's fall tied the dual meet score, 30-30.
"We were still big favorites in the last three weights," Marko said. "Not than anything can't happen, but I liked our chances in all three of those."
The 215-pound bout was also competitive as Central's Blair Miller led Kayden Ansman 6-5 after the first period. Ansman escaped in the second to tie the score.
It looked like it would remained tied going to the third, but Miller took Ansman down to his back in the final seconds for a seven-point move and a 13-6 lead. Miller put Ansman on his back in the third and got the fall in 4:33.
Central's Walldims Benitez took John Eaken down early in their 285-pound bout, worked hard from the top to put Eaken on his back and got the fall in 1:14 to secure the dual meet win for the Scarlet Dragons.
"Walldims is a big, strong boy," Marko said. "We need to get Walldims to believe in himself a little bit more. I think maybe Walldims could do something in the postseason."
Ty Matthews finished off the three-bout run and the dual meet with a 21-second pin at 107.
There was a moment of silence before the match for Tyrone's 1966 state champion Gary DiDomenico, who passed away on Jan. 6 at the age of 76.
114--Mowery, C, won by forfeit; 121--Wilt, C, won by forfeit; 127--B. Mickel, C, pinned Frye, 2:17; 133--Rumsberger, T, pinned G. Marks, :19; 139--Rawlings, T, pinned Morris, 3:49; 145--Horn, C, pinned Detwiler, 1:35; 152--Pluebell, T, pinned Mobley, 1:14
160--Clapper, C, pinned Shaffer, :40; 172--Suhoney, T, pinned C. Marks, 1:29; 189--Scott, T, pinned Beach, :28; 215--Miller, C, pinned Ansman, 4:33; 285--Benitez, C, pinned Eaken, 1:14; 107--Matthews, C, pinned Hunter, :21.
Records: Central (16-2), Tyrone (3-11)
Referee: Jim Weston