Just like the District 6 Class 3A Duals championship match between Altoona and Central Mountain, the team title of the District 6 Tournament careened dramatically between the two schools down to the very end of the championship finals.

The Wildcats had a slight lead over the Mountain Lions heading into the 215-pound finals bout between Altoona third-seeded sophomore Michael Colyer and Bellefonte’s top-seeded Jack McHail on Saturday night at the Altoona Fieldhouse.

A win by Colyer combined with a win by Mifflin County’s top-seeded Peyton Kearns over Central Mountain’s second-seeded Hayes Henry at 285 would clinch the team title for Altoona.

“I did (know about how key a win was),” Colyer said, “but I didn’t know how much. I was just trying to wrestle my match. I didn’t want to try to let that weigh me down.”

Colyer shot out to a 12-6 lead as his excited teammates urged him on. McHail nearly dashed Altoona’s dreams when he hip-tossed Colyer to his back late in the bout, but Colyer gave up only a takedown and two nearfall points to win, 12-11.

When he left the mat, seemingly the entire Altoona team was there hugging and jumping on Colyer in celebration.

“It felt good,” Colyer said. “It was a little closer than it wanted to be, but it felt really good. I got into a position I didn’t want to be in, but I was able to fight out of it.”

“Mike Colyer is money in the bank a lot of times,” Altoona coach Joel Gilbert said. “He’s a guy I like to see out there when the match is on the line. He wrestles smart, keeps a cool head and keeps wrestling hard the whole time.”

Kearns followed suit and won by technical fall over Henry, so the Mountain Lions captured the team title by 2.5 points over the Wildcats. It was the first District 6 title for Altoona since 1981 and seventh overall.

“It felt phenomenal,” Colyer said, “because we’ve been grinding all year and it was a team effort. I think it really came down to the kids in the fifth and sixth-place and third and fourth-place matches getting the job done when we needed them. I don’t know how many years (since 1981 was) that is, but that’s a long time.”

“I tell you what, it took a team effort all the way around,” an ecstatic Gilbert said. “Every guy put forth everything they had. All year-long, they’ve been grinding it out, working from the coaching staff down. It’s simply amazing the time and the effort these guys put in.

“It’s been over 44 years since we had the last had a district champion wrestling team. We don’t discuss that a lot. We talk about scoring points and getting better. Our guys went out to score points and they got better today. Every guy on that squad did something to help win this team championship.”

It was a great weekend for the Mountain Lions, who set a program record with five District 6 champions. They also swept the awards portion of the tournament as freshman 127-pounder Deklan Barr was named the Outstanding Wrestler and Gilbert was named District 6 Class 3A Coach of the Year for the second time.

“That’s kind of crazy when you think about it,” Gilbert said.

The third-seeded Barr went 3-0, including a 9-0 win over Bellefonte’s second-seeded Wyatt Long in the semifinals and a dramatic 4-2 win over Central Mountain’s returning district and regional champion Aiden Kunes in the finals.

“Big upset,” Gilbert said. “Deklan Barr has gotten beaten twice by that guy this year. He has just gotten better all year-long. We expected him to do that, and he did it. The sky is the limit for that young man.”

Senior 160-pounder Luke Sipes captured his fourth district title with a 19-3 technical fall over Bellefonte’s Noah Weaver in 4:14, becoming the fourth Mountain Lion to achieve that milestone, joining Matt Sarbo (2021), Cole Manley (2017) and T.J. Brandt (2013).

“I’m very blessed and so thankful that I was able to get my fourth one in dominant fashion with a tech fall,” Sipes said. “It’s almost a little sad too because that was my last match ever in this Fieldhouse.”

“That’s outstanding,” Gilbert said. “That puts him in an elite group not only in Altoona but also all of District 6. Luke Sipes has been a leader for these kids since Day 1 of this program. He has blazed a trail. You see a lot of these young guys are following him.”

Altoona junior Braiden Weaver earned his third title with a 15-0 technical fall over Hollidaysburg’s Landon Krupka in 1:12 at 121 pounds. Teammate Gavin Ciampoli earned his second title with a 7-2 win over Mifflin County’s Kamden Everly at 139.

Altoona’s Dominic Nardozza finished second at 107, falling to Mifflin County’s Andrew Alexander, 14-0, in the finals.

The Mountain Lions qualified eight wrestlers to the newly formed Western Regional in two weeks at Canon-McMillan. Reese Hite (145) and Tykear Davis (189) finished third. The top three at every weight qualified for the regional.

Altoona had five other placers who didn’t qualify in Liam Chirdon (fourth, 114), Philip Sarbo (fourth, 133), Caleb Darpino (fifth, 172), Brayden Wible (sixth, 152) and Khamden Thompkins (sixth, 285).

Hollidaysburg advanced five wrestlers. In addition to Landon Krupka, third-placers Connor Sidney (107), Brayden Sidney (114), Mitchell Baronner (172) and Rocco Cacciotti (215) also advanced.

“We’re happy,” Hollidaysburg coach Christian Harr said. “You always want to get the whole squad to the next level. We put together some good performances up and down the lineup. We fell just short in some of those other weight classes.”

The Golden Tigers had eight other non-qualifying placers in fifth-placers Jacob Brua (133), James Bialo (145), Mason Schenk (152), Aiden Schenk (160) and Scott Payne (285) and sixth-placers Logan Krupka (127), Caleb Detrick (139) and Blake Kennedy (189).

Returning to the finals, things weren’t looking good for Barr (29-9) through two periods as Kunes was awarded penalty points for interlocking hands and a second stall warning on Barr, who disputed both calls on the mat.

Barr escaped in the third, missed a takedown with 50 seconds left and then with about 10 seconds left got into a scramble. With 5 seconds left, Barr came out on top of Kunes out of the scramble for the winning takedown. An excited Barr flexed and pounded his chest in celebration as time expired.

“That’s probably my favorite way to win,” Barr said. “It was the last second, and it feels great. I like the hard matches. I get more excited when I win, and it feels a lot better. I got into a pretty good flurry. That’s probably one of my best things. I’m a real good scrambler.”

Sipes (35-4), who had a pin in the semifinals, was unstoppable from his feet and top position in the finals. He used the tilt to score eight nearfall points and notched three takedowns. His final takedown of Weaver secured his 19th technical fall, and Sipes held up four fingers to the Altoona section.

“All year Coach Gilbert and my dad (Luke Sr.) have been preaching to me to let your offense loose,” Sipes said. “Don’t worry about losing. Don’t worry about winning. Just go out and try to score points because in most positions you’re going to be better than your opponents. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I think it’s pretty evident in my results.”

After getting a pin in 3:33 in the semifinals, Weaver (34-6) was relentless against Krupka, notching a takedown and three sets of four-point nearfalls to score 15 points, secure the technical fall and get a little closer to matching best friend and neighbor Sipes.

“I feel great. One more district title to go until I’m a four-timer,” Weaver said with a smile. “I’m really happy about that; just keep adding to the list. It’s certainly both of our goals to be four-timers.”

“It’s certainly not the way he wanted it to go,” Harr said, “but Weaver is certainly a high quality opponent. We’ve got some things to work on. Hopefully in the next two weeks we get some things cleaned up and get refocused.”

Ciampoli, who had a major decision in the semifinals, and Everly were scoreless until Everly escaped with 8 seconds left in the second period. But Ciampoli took an exhausted Everly down right before the buzzer to take a 2-1 lead.

Ciampoli kept being aggressive in the third, escaping, taking Everly down at the edge of the mat and releasing the Wildcat. The major decision wasn’t in the cards, but a second district title was for Ciampoli.

“It feels really good,” Ciampoli said. “It never feels old. Last year, I was a little less confident coming in, but this year I’m excited to work my way toward the state tournament. Sometimes I gas out in matches, but it was really nice to kind of flip the tables and put the gas pedal on.”

KEY, TEAM STANDINGS

1. A–Altoona 181; 2. CM–Central Mountain 178.5; 3. MC–Mifflin County 162; 4. SC–State College 156; 5. B–Bellefonte 144.5; 6. H–Hollidaysburg 109.5; 7. J–Johnstown 12.

SEMIFINALS

107–Alexander, MC, tech fall Diaz, SSC, 15-0, 2:30; Nardozza, A, dec. C. Sidney, H, 5-2; 114–Davis, SC, pinned Chirdon, A, :39; Heverly, CM, dec. B. Sidney, H, 7-0; 121–Weaver, A, pinned Bauman, CM, 3:33; La. Krupka, H, dec. Jo. Whitbred, SC, 5-2; 127–Kunes, CM, tech fall Lo. Krupka, H, 15-0, 2:00; Barr, A, maj. dec. W. Long, B, 9-0; 133–Tarantella, CM, dec. Berrena, SC, 6-2; Knable, MC, dec. Sarbo, A, 2-0; 139–Ciampoli, A, maj. dec. Donley, CM, 16-3; Everly, MC, dec. Garcia, B, 5-3; 145–Perry, CM, pinned Hite, A, :42; Gall, B, maj. dec. Bucher, SC, 12-1

152–Swisher, B, maj. dec. Ananea, CM, 10-0; Ja. Whitbred, SC, maj. dec. Seiler, MC, 13-2; 160–Sipes, A, pinned Zeruth, SC, 1:09; Weaver, B, tech fall McDermott, CM, 15-0, 1:15; 172–Cunningham, SC, tech fall Christine, MC, 19-2, 4:45; J. Long, B, dec. Baronner, H, 12-8; 189–Aurand, MC, tech fall Kennedy, H, 17-2, 1:33; Brungard, CM, pinned Hockenberry, B, 3:03; 215–McHail, B, tech fall Torres, MC, 15-0, 1:40; Colyer, A, pinned Fravel, CM, 3:00; 285–Kearns, MC, tech fall Rarrick, B, 17-1, 4:20; Henry, CM, maj. dec. Payne, H, 17-4.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

107–Alexander, MC, maj. dec. Nardozza, A, 14-0; 114–Davis, SC, dec. Heverly, CM, 6-4; 121–Weaver, A, tech fall La. Krupka, H, 15-0, 1:12; 127–Barr, A, dec. Kunes, CM, 4-2; 133–Tarantella, CM, dec. Knable, MC, 6-3; 139–Ciampoli, A, dec. Everly, MC, 7-2; 145–Perry, CM, pinned Gall, B, 3:31

152–Ja. Whitbred, SC, maj. dec. Swisher, B, 17-4; 160–Sipes, A, tech fall Weaver, B, 19-3, 4:14; 172–Cunningham, SC, tech fall J. Long, B, 18-3, 2:49; 189–Aurand, MC, maj. dec. Brungard, CM, 9-0; 215–Colyer, A, dec. McHail, B, 12-11; 285–Kearns, MC, tech fall Henry, CM, 19-4, 3:45.

Outstanding Wrestler: Deklan Barr, Altoona

THIRD PLACE

107–C. Sidney, H, dec. Diaz, SC, 1-0 UTB; 114–B. Sidney, H, tech fall Chirdon, A, 19-0, 1:25; 121–Bauman, CM, dec. Shawver, MC, 5-2 OT; 127–W. Long, B, maj. dec. Bowersox, MC, 9-0; 133–Berrena, SC, dec. Sarbo, A, 9-6 OT; 139–Garcia, B, won by forfeit over Donley, CM; 145–Hite, A, dec. Bucher, SC, 6-3

152–Seiler, MC, tech fall Ananea, CM, 19-4, 2:41; 160–Zeruth, SC, dec McDermott, CM, 7-5; 172–Baronner, H, tech fall Christine, MC, 17-2, 4:40; 189–Davis, A, maj. dec. Al-Sulaimani, SC, 12-2; 215–Cacciotti, H, dec. Tisinger, J, 4-0; 285–Troupe, SC, dec. Rarrick, B, 1-0.

FIFTH PLACE

121–Jo. Whitbred, SC, pinned Torano, J, :53; 127–Coatess, SC, maj. dec. Lo. Krupka, H, 14-4; 133–Brua, H, dec. Horn, B, 8-1; 139–Davidson, SC, pinned Detrick, H, 4:37; 145–Bialo, H, won by injury default over Albert, MC; 152–M. Schenk, H, maj. dec. Wible, A, 12-2; 160–A. Schenk, H, dec. Aurand, MC, 6-1; 172–Darpino, A, dec. McCall, CM, 12-8; 189–Hockenberry, B, tech fall Kennedy, H, 20-1, 3:49; 215–Fravel, CM, tech fall Torres, MC, 18-0, 3:40; 285–Payne, H, pinned Thompkins, A, 2:14.