Tyrone put out the welcome mat for the Mount Union wrestling team on Thursday evening for a battle of two once-beaten District 6-AA powers.
Mount Union (5-1 coming in) opened the match with a pair of victories by the Ryan twins, and closed out the dual with a win by forfeit, but the Eagles (7-1) won eight of the 11 matches in between for the 36-25 triumph, their seventh straight win following a season-opening loss to Indian Valley.
With two starters out, and another wrestling for the first time all season, Tyrone wrestling coach Blair Packer remarked about his team’s performance, “I feel really good about the team’s performance. We shifted the lineup to make up for the missing kids and weight problems. As it turns out, the kids came out for the better on this. I applaud Anthony Romano’s willingness to wrestle up at 130 for the team.”
Kevin Ryan (16-6) yielded a takedown to Eagle sophomore Anthony Romano (9-8) to begin the dual meet at 130, but then Ryan escaped and took a slim 3-2 lead after the first period, then added a nearfall and reversal for an 8-2 win. Twin brother Keith Ryan (16-5) also gave up the first takedown to Tyrone junior John Markel (0-14), before collecting a takedown, reversal and six back points for an 11-2 major decision and a 7-0 team lead.
With Romano giving up just a regular decision, the Eagles were fying high after two weight classes, even though Mount Union had the 7-0 advantage.
That didn’t last very long however. In the lineup for the first time this season after recovering from a collarbone injury, Jacob Smerekar (1-0) gave Eric Starr (12-8) a takedown clinic, at 140, using six along with a pair of three-point nearfalls in an 18-3 tech fall in 4:36. At 145, Sam McCloskey (12-4) jumped out in front of Mount Union’s Mike Harkless (5-9) 13-3 before showing him the lights at the 5:47 mark to push Tyrone into an 11-7 team lead.
At 152, the Eagles’ Shayne Tate and Phil Watson waged a knock-em down and pickup the points battle for the first two minutes. After Watson got the first takedown, Tate (9-6) came back with an escape, takedown and two back points to take a 5-2 advantage. He didn’t hold it for long, with Watson rolling for two reversals and Tate one and an 8-7 Watson lead at the end of the period. The second period started out the same way with Tate reversing and Watson re-reversing, but then Watson hooked up a quick pin in 2:37. In a rematch of a second round match at last Saturday’s Zeigler Tournament, the Trojans’ Eric Hoffmaster (12-8) avenged a 6-1 loss to Justin Schopp, by riding the Tyrone junior out in sudden death overtime for a 2-1 win. Schopp (10-6) had escaped with about 30 seconds gone in the second period and Hoffmaster did the same with 35 seconds remaining in the third stanza.
With Tyrone trailing 16-11 in the team score, the Eagles got regular wins from James Updike (171) and Donnie Conrad (189) and a major decision by Johnny Miller (215) to take a 21-16 lead.
Updike (9-6) muscled Mount Union freshman Zack Hicks into a first-period takedown and took advantage to slip Hicks takedown attempts for takedowns of his own in both the second and third periods and added a middle-period reversal and final stanza nearfall for a solid 9-3 win. After a scoreless first period, Conrad and Lyle Kylor (11-11) traded reversals in the second period. Kylor escaped early in the third period to take a 3-2 lead, and Conrad (7-7) notched the all-important takedown with just five ticks left on the clock to edge Kylor 4-3. Finally Miller (8-4) led just 2-1 over Westan Feather after one period, but added an escape, takedown ands reversal in the second and three back points and a takedown in the third for a 12-4 major decision.
Tyrone junior Brandon Oswalt and Mount Union senior Mike Wilson were deadlocked at 3-3 at the end of regulation and neither 275-pounder was able to score in the first one-minute overtime period. In the 30 second-sudden death tiebreaker however, Oswalt chose the bottom position and Wilson (7-5) was able to turn Oswalt (5-10) for two nearfall points and a 5-3 win.
That would be the final win on the mat for the Trojans. Tyrone got pins from Cody Weaver (103) and Matt Moore (112) and a 7-1 decision by Robert Waite.
Weaver (12-4) took Dalton Smith down and just beat the buzzer at the end of the first period for a fall at the 1:59 mark. At 112, Moore (1-2) subbing for T. J. Albright (9-1), who wasn’t able to make weight, pinned Cameron Mease in 0:59. Waite (17-3) took Devon Smith down for a 2-0 lead after one period, then added a second-period reversal and nearfall and rode Smith the entire third period for the win.
“I can’t say enough about the team,” said coach Packer. “They are doing what’s asked of them and then some. A lot of them are doing the extra stuff that need to be done, and that comes from within them. We coaches can do all we can, but the bottom line is the kids have to be the ones to step it up.
“There are a number of kids on this team, if they are willing to work between now and the end of the season could get to states. We have come a long way since Indian Valley (the opening loss) and if we can make that same leap between now and the end of the season, we should be OK.”
Junior High
In a battle of unbeaten junior high squads in the preliminary dual meet, Mount Union (10-0) remained undefeated with a 50-39 win over the Little Eagles (3-1). Mount Union jumped out to a 27-0 lead, and after Tyrone sliced the deficit to 30-24, and 41-36, on both occasions was able to turn it up a notch to earn the victory.
Tyrone got forfeit wins by Mark McMonigle (103) and Tyler Poorman (115), pins by Ronnie Garbinsky (95), A.J. Schopp (100), and Josh Miller (122) and regular decisions by Tyler Osterhout (80), Andrew Warrender (90) and Jeremy Barlett (130).
Tyrone 36 Mount Union 25
130 – Kevin Ryan (MU) Dec. Anthony Romano 8-2
135 – Keith Ryan (MU) maj. Dec. John Markel 11-2
140 – Jacob Smerekar (T) tech fall Eric Starr 18-3, 4:36
145 – Sam McCloskey (T) pinned Mike Harkless 5:47
152 – Phil Watson (MU) pinned Shayne Tate 2:37
160 – Eric Hoffmaster (MU) Dec. Justin Schopp 2-1 TB
171 – James Updike (T) Dec. Zack Hicks 9-3
189 – Donnie Conrad (T) Dec. Lyle Kylor 4-3
215 – Johnny Miller (T) maj. Dec. Westan Feather 12-4
275 – Mike Wilson (MU) Dec. Brandon Oswalt 5-3 OT
103 – Cody Weaver (T) pinned Dalton Smith 1:59
112 – Matt Moore (T) pinned Cameron Mease 0:59
119 – Robert Waite (T) Dec. Devon Smith 7-1
125 – Dave Grove (MU) won by forfeit
EXH- Cody Reese (T) pinned Brad Armstrong 3:30
Junior High
Mount Union 50 Tyrone 39
155 – Tyler Todero (MU) pinned Cody Smith 1:03
165 – Malikai Jackson (MU) Dec. Thad Graham 7-3
185 – Darion Walker (MU) pinned Devin Miller 0:46
210 – Jamel Fortson (MU) pinned Brian Diehl 1:51
250 – Willie Grove (MU) won by forfeit
75 – Mark McMonigle (T) won by forfeit
80 – Tyler Osterhout (T) Dec. Dylan Knable 8-3
85 – Mike Younce (MU) Dec. Chase Weaver 3-0
90 – Andrew Warrender (T) Dec. James Lane 2-0
95 – Ronnie Garbinsky (T) pinned Tyler Smith 2:25
100 – A. J. Schopp (T) pinned Ronnie Grove 3:30
105 – Blake Morder (MU) tech fall Jimmy Westan 15-0, 4:20
110 – Donnie Rosensteel (MU) pinned Jeremy Miller 1:22
115 – Tyler Poorman (T) won by forfeit
122 – Josh Miller (T) pinned David Bankes 2:12
130 – Jeremy Barlett (T) Dec. Adam Crouse 7-3
138 – Keith Hoffmaster (MU) pinned Kris Decker 3:26
145 – Jimmy Smith (MU) Dec. Jordan Berry 4-3
EXH- Cody Hockenberry (MU) pinned John Hoffman 1:37.
