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| Down for the count Tyrone 103-pounder Ronnie Garbinsky, here getting back points against Philipsburg-Osceola’sLuke Wilkerson, before recording the pin. Garbinsky is the top seed at 103 in the District 6-AA Tournament which begins Fiday morning at Altoona. (The Daily Herald/File Photo) | In control Tyrone sophomore A. J. Schopp turnes Mount Union’s Ronnie Grove during an 11-1 win in the dual meet. Schopp received the top seed at 112 for the District 6-AA Tournament. (The Daily Herald/Mary Michaels) |
The regular season is over for the area wrestling teams. Now the real wrestling will take place. This weekend at the Altoona Area High School Fieldhouse the District 6-AA Tournament will begin tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 15, and continue Saturday, Feb. 16. The top wrestlers in the district will gather to go manu-manu to settle scores, gain revenge, prove to one and all who is the better man.
For some, it will provide one last hurrah, for others, a fruitful beginning, with lots of dreams to fulfill. For the majority it will provide closure as their high school and in a lot of cases wrestling careers will wind down.
Local wrestlers were given their due at the annual seeding meeting which took place at Tyrone Area High School on Wednesday evening, a process which literally took all evening.
Tyrone Area lightweights Ronnie Garbinsky (103) and A.J. Schopp (112) pulled down top seeds at their respective weight classes.
Garbinsky (29-2), a freshman, drew a bye through the opening round and then will wrestle the winner of a match between freshman No. 17 seed Luke McFarland (6-14) of Bellwood-Antis, and freshman No. 16 seed Brennan Knight (6-11) of Cambria Heights. Garbinsky pinned McFarland twice during the regular season, and has both losses in tournaments. Garbinsky dropped a 10-4 decision to Cameron Throckmorton of Southwestern, at the King of the Mountain Tournament and was edged 4-3 by Adam Weinell of Blairsville at the Thomas Tournament. Garbinsky came back to defeat Weinell (26-4), the No. 2 seed at districts, for third place at the Thomas.
Schopp (30-3) a sophomore, byes through the first round and will face the winner of the match between sophomore Kyle Smith (4-7) of Penn Cambria, and senior Wayne McMillen (no record listed) of Portage. Schopp also has his only losses in tournaments, falling to Mason Beckman of Reynolds, 7-1, who he came back to defeat for third place at the King of the Mountain, 7-2, to Shane Young of Penn Trafford, 3-0, at the Juniata Duels, and to Corey Thomas of Bedford, 5-3 at the Thomas Tournament.
At 125, Tyrone senior Anthony Romano moved down from wrestling 130 and 135, all season to earn the No. 2 seed. Romano (27-7) will wrestle the winner of the match between junior Adam Leasure (14-13) of Marion Center and sophomore Travis Shero (11-14) of Cambria Heights.
Back from an injury at the Thomas Tournament, Eagle senior Shayne Tate (19-7) has the fifth seed at 171. Tate gets a bye in the first round and will wrestle the winner of the bout between Marion Center sophomore Kyle Condrick (7-20) and Lee Quist (16-13) of Cambria Heights.
At 145, Tyrone junior Jeremy Barlett drew the No. 8 seed. Barlett (17-10) will meet junior Robbie Bopp (17-9) of Forest Hills, who also drew a bye through the opening round.
Bellwood-Antis 285-pounder Cody Smith has the Blue Devils’s highest seed. Smith, a junior, has the No. 8 seed and will bye through the first round, then meet Mount Union junior Will Grove (20-11), who was edged by Smith 4-3 in the dual meet.
At 112, B-A ninth grader Dan Noye (7-3) will wrestle junior Darryl Patterson (14-10) of Southern Huntingdon, after both receive byes in the first round.
Junior B-A 215-pounder Caleb Stevens will get a bye, and then face off against senior James Martin (8-5) of Forest Hills.
Tyrone junior Cody Weaver (17-13) with a No. 10 seed, will wrestle 23rd seed Mitch Thomas (4-10) 0f United.
Chase Weaver (119) of Tyrone, and Tim Collier (135) of Bellwood-Antis both received No. 13 seeds, and Tyrone senior Dalaun Carroll (285), Bellwood-Antis junior Kyle Shawley (152), and B-A sophomore Tyler Brazle (189) are all No. 14 seeds, this weekend.
Weaver (12-14), a sophomore, will begin his day against Juniata Valley sophomore David Kurtz (6-17). Collier (12-12), a junior, will meet Cambria Heights junior Joseph Rematt (8-19). Carroll (6-14) will wrestle junior Brooks Lohr (20-8) of Richland, in the second round after each gets a bye through the opening round. Shawley (15-14) will meet Joshua Jordan (0-0), a freshman from Sugar Valley. Brazle (10-17) will meet West Branch junior Joseph Penzo (0-7) in the first round.
Bellwood-Antis seniors Dustin Pruznak (160) and Shane Noye (130), both picked up No. 16 seeds and B-A junior Jimmy Watters (171) drew a No. 17 seed.
Pruznak (10-14) will meet Central Cambria senior Adam Petrosky (1-0) in the first round, with the winner facing top seed and undefeated Dustin Drake of Mount Union, in the following round. Noye (8-14) opens the tournament with a match against Robert Fry (6-7) from Glendale. Watters (9-15) will began by wrestling Moshannon Valley senior Shane Murarik (9-11) for the third time this season. Watters won 5-3 in the Tri-County Tournament, then Murarik edged Watters 3-1 in the dual.
Tyrone senior Donnie Hunter (1-3) will move up to 130, as the No. 19 seed to wrestle Westmont-Hilltop junior Aaron Goodwin (8-14). Eagle senior Corey Barnhart (5-17), the No. 19 seed at 215, will wrestle Richland sophomore Darren Williams (0-1). Jim Weston, (9-18), a Tyrone sophomore, with the No. 19 seed at 140, will meet Northern Cambria sophomore Steve Turner (7-10). Dustin Weaver (1-24), a senior with the No. 24 seed, will wrestle Zachery Glessner (10-7), a sophomore from Forest Hills.
B-A senior Donnie Partner (4-13), the No. 19 seed at 119, will wrestle Christopher Speicher from Richland. Troy Weyant (9-17), a sophomore 125-pounder with the No, 20 seed will face Patrick Whitehill (14-10) from Penns Valley. In the dual meet, Whitehill triumphed 3-0, in a close match.
B-A freshman Travis Taylor (4-14), the No. 22 seed at 145, will wrestle junior Mike Hoak (12-10) from Blairsville.
The doors will open on Friday morning at 9 a.m., with the first round starting at 10. The second round and first round consolations will begin at 12:30 p.m..
The doors will open again at 5 p.m. for the second round consys at 6 p.m. and championship quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, doors will open at 9 a.m. with third round consolations at 10 a.m.., fourth round consys at 11:30. Semifinals and fifth round consolations will begin at 1 p.m. followed by consolation semifinals at 3 p.m.
At 5 p.m., the doors will open for the championship rounds with consolation finals scheduled for 6 p.m., and championship finals at 7:15.
District 6 Hall of Fame and Man of the Year presentations will be made before the championship finals.
The top five wrestlers will advance to the Southwest regionals at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown March 1-2.
