For most of the wrestling season, returning veterans have carried the Golden Eagles, while a crop of first-year varsity wrestlers have been slowly and steadily growing and maturing. At the District VI Class AA Team Dual Tournament at Tyrone on Saturday, youth provided much needed points to key the Eagles to their second straight District Team title.
Sophomore Donnie Conrad personally wrapped up two of the three victories with decisions and James Updike recorded a pin to ice the Golden Eagles’ triumph over Richland in the opening round.
With veterans Brice Mertiff and Heath Walk on the injured list and unable to wrestle, coach Blair Packer desperately needed somebody else to pick up the slack. Several of those who normally step aside for the others to put away their opponents, rose up to take a place in the spotlight.
“It (the loss of Mertiff and Walk) was a tough break for the kids,” acknowledged Packer. “But the rest of the kids came back and picked up the slack. We felt we had to step it up a notch to win this thing and they did it. Donnie wrestled a real smart match in each of his matches today.”
Conrad improved his record to 9-12 with three huge wins.
Rising to the occasion after Forest Hills tied the score 33-33 with only the 215-pound weight class to wrestle in the championship finals, Conrad won a pressure-packed 10-6 decision over Dan Hendrickson. That win gave the District Team championship to his Tyrone teammates, when many in the crowd had doubts if the Eagles could defeat the Rangers with their depleted lineup. Conrad took a 3-2 lead after one period over Hendrickson, but fell behind early in the second. A Hendrickson takedown moved Forest Hills junior into a 4-3 lead. Conrad responded with an escape to tie the score and then registered a takedown with 1.5 seconds left in the middle period. Leading 6-4, Donnie reversed to begin the third period and scored a takedown sandwiched by two Hendrickson escapes for the victory.
While Conrad weighed in at 189, Hendrickson was a husky 215-pounder, who had nearly a 40-pound weight advantage, prompting Conrad to wrestle smartly, fighting off Hendrickson’s efforts to go upper body, by dropping down on a leg.
“It feels awesome to be able to pull through for my team,” said Conrad. “I just went out there and wrestled my match. In the last match of the day, you got to give it your all.”
In each of the three duals, Tyrone used the 275-pound weight draw to begin the match, to build up a lead they had to have with their makeshift lineup. Tyrone led Forest Hills 18-6, Richland 17-0 and Westmont-Hilltop 19-0 after the first four weight classes were wrestled.
In the finals against Forest Hills, Terry Tate began by pinning Adam Bourdess in 1:20, T. J. Albright decked Corey Harrison in 1:00, at 112, and Robert Waite pinned Kaylyn Oshoben in 0:39, at 119.
Forest Hills was able to break through the Tyrone run only at 103, where Tom McVicker (22-6) pinned Anthony Romano (11-7).
Tate (30-0), Albright (26-5) and Waite (20-4) won all three matches on the day, while Romano won two of three as Tyrone rolled out to early leads.
Against Forest Hills, Shayne Tate (5-21) continued the streak for Tyrone, getting all his points in the middle stanza, to trip Travis Moss 3-2. Moss opened the scoring in the first with a takedown, but was shut out by Tate after that lone score. Shayne escaped in the second period and took Moss down for the win.
The Rangers closed their deficit to 21-15 when Shane Valko (28-1) pinned Josh Hunter (11-20) at 130, and when Chad Moyer and Sam McCloskey (12-16) had finished rolling each other around, Moyer had sqeeked by McCloskey 8-7, 135 at. A first-period Moyer takedown matched against a final-period escape gave Moyer the decision. Each wrestler notched three reversals in between.
David Miller trailed Jared Baxter 3-0, in a match Tyrone needed if they hoped to pull out the championship. Baxter recorded a takedown for all the scoring in the first period and began the second with an escape. Miller (29-3) then hit Baxter with a pancake move to put Baxter on his back and recorded the pin at the 3:33 mark.
“I just thought that I had to win this one for the team,” explained Miller. “Without wins from our main guys we count on for wins, there was no way possible for us to win the match. We knew we had to pick up bonus points somewhere. I just knew that I had to out there and win this one for the team.”
Forest Hills got back into the match with five wins in the next six weight, with only a pin by Justin Schopp (12-15) over Josh Weaver at 152, for the Eagles. The Rangers Arnie Barnard (24-9) downed Jacob Smerekar (15-12) 5-0 at 145, Art Moss (25-3) pinned Matt Lauder (2-5) at 160, R. J. Hostetler (11-7) beat James Updike (7-12) 6-3 and Sean Kisel (28-2) pinned John Markel (0-2) at 189.
In the opening match against Richland, Terry Tate won by fall, Romano edged Tyler Morder 2-1, on a reversal with eight seconds left in the third period, Albright downed Alex Lehman 9-2 and Waite won a 17-1 tech fall in 4:23, against Anthony Jardina. Miller picked up a forfeit when Richland moved their regular 135-pounder away from the Tyrone senior. Smerekar jumped out to a 6-1 first-period advantage over Nick Samko and then hung on to squeeze by 6-5 at 145. Schopp led only 3-0 after two periods over Mark Houck, then wrapped up the 160-pound match with an escape, takedown and pair of back points for a solid 8-3 win. James Updike took Andy Zimmerman down early at 171, and turned him for the fall at the 1:14 mark to give the Eagles the dual win. Tyrone forfeited the 189-pound weight class to Richland and Conrad closed out the dual by pinning Phil Parkins.
Against Westmont-Hilltop, after Tate, Romano, Albright and Waite turned the dual over to their teammates with a 19-0 lead, McCloskey pinned Mike Brant in 0:35 at 135, and Miller decked Vince O’Donnell at 140, in 1:30. With the Eagles needing one more win in the final six weight classes, Conrad stepped in at 189 against Nate Hamel. Conrad yielded the opening takedown to Hamel, but a reversal and nearfall got the Tyrone 10th grader out of the first period up 5-2. Conrad picked up a penalty point, that was the only score of the middle stanza. Hamel reversed Conrad to begin the third period, but Donnie escaped and took Hamel down and rode him out for a 9-4 win and a Tyrone victory that earned the Eagles a spot opposite Forest Hills in the finals.
Class AA
Quarterfinals
Tyrone 36 Richland 33
275 – Terry Tate (T) pinned Rob Flecker 1:33
103 – Anthony Romano dec. Tyler Morder 2-1
112 – T. J. Albright (T) dec. Alex Lehman 9-2
119 – Robert Waite (T) tech fall Anthony Jardina 17-1, 4:23
125 – Travis Lee (R) dec. Shayne Tate 10-3
130 – Russ Sichak (R) pinned Josh Hunter 4:38
135 – David Miller (T) won by forfeit
140 – John Whistler (R) dec. Sam McCloskey 9-2
145 – Jacob Smerekar (T) dec. Nick Samko 6-5
152 – Marco Pecora (R) pinned Eric Sweet 1:35
160 – Justin Schopp (T) dec. Mark Houck 8-3
171 – James Updike (T) pinned Andy Zimmerman 1:14
189 – Jon Sakmar (R) won by forfeit
215 – Donnie Conrad (T) pinned Phil Parkins 2:32.
Quarterfinals
Tyrone 34 Westmont-Hilltop 28
275 – Terry Tate (T) pinned Dan Polenik 0:14
103 – Anthony Romano (T) maj. dec. Shawn O’Donnell 15-2
112 – T. J. Albright (T) pinned Brandon Curtis 1:41
119 – Robert Waite (T) dec. T. J. Polacek 6-3
125 – Mike Bair (W) dec. Shayne Tate 2-1
130 – Kyle Patton (W) maj. dec. Josh Hunter 11-2
135 – Sam McCloskey (T) pinned Mike Brant 0:35
140 – Dave Miller (T) pinned Vince O’Donnell 1:30
145 – Dan Golias (W) dec. Jacob Smerekar 5-1
152 – Bryan Dumire (W) pinned Eric Sweet 5:11
160 – Quinten Cameron (W) pinned Justin Schopp 2:49
171 – Luke Patton (W) dec. James Updike 2-1 TB
189 – Donnie Conrad (T) dec. Nate Hamel 9-4
215 – Brandon Ferre (W) maj. dec. Jon Miller 15-4.
Championship Finals
Tyrone 36 Forest Hills 33
275 – Terry Tate (T) pinned Adam Bourdess 1:20
103 – Tom McVicker (FH) pinned Anthony Romano 1:15
112 – T. J. Albright (T) pinned Corey Harrison 1:00
119 – Robert Waite (T) pinned Kaylyn Oshoben 0:39
125 – Shayne Tate (T) dec. Travis Moss 3-2
130 – Shane Valko (FH) pinned Josh Hunter 1:28
135 – Chad Moyer (FH) dec. Sam McCloskey 8-7
140 – Dave Miller (T) pinned Jared Baxter 3:33
145 – Arnie Bernard (FH) dec. Jacob Smerekar 5-0
152 – Justin Schopp (T) pinned Josh Weaver 5:44
160 – Art Moss (FH) pinned Matt Lauder 0:50
171 – R. J. Hostetler (FH) dec. James Updike 6-3
189 – Sean Kisel (FH) pinned John Markel 0:49
215 – Donnie Conrad (T) dec. Dan Hendrickson 10-6.
