It didn’t take long for the thunder after the Tyrone/Penns Valley wrestling match began inside the Tyrone Area High School gym on Tuesday night. The storm that hit the Rams, had been building for four years. That was the first time then freshman Terry Tate stepped out on the varsity mat. On Tuesday night, a lot of wins later, Tate took over the career leadership in wins for the Tyrone wrestling program. The program is 66 years in the making and going strong. Only three have accomplished 100 wins. A gentle, quiet, young man, when not on the mat, football field or practice areas, Tate is someone to be reckoned with when doing what he does best-win.
Tate registered an easy takedown against Penns Valley 275-pounder John Keith and turned him for a nearfall. After a brief skirmish, Tate wrapped up Keith for the fall in 1:53. Tate improves his season mark to 26-0, with his 20th pin of the season. He now has a career record of 128-24. To put that into perspective, only a selected few high school wrestlers ever win 100 matches, period. Terry Tate has lost 24 times-but he has won better than 100 times more than he has lost.
“It felt really good to be able to do it (take the career lead in wins) at home,” said Tate following the dual meet, “to join the ranks of people like Thadd (Westley, who set the record of 127 wins in 2004), Bruce Wallace and all the great tradition that has come before me. I know somewhere down the line it’s going to get broken. I mean, records are made to be broken, but its cool to have now, to be put on the map with people who came before me.”
After his monumental win, Tate was awarded with the WTRN Outstanding Citizen Award for Feb. 2005. Terry received a plaque from Tyrone Area Athletic Director Tony Yaniello, in the presence of his coaches..
Tate’s pin tied the team score for Tyrone, after Penns Valley 215-pounder Evan Leitch had began the dual by pinning John Miller (5-12) in 1:46.
Tyrone freshman 103-pounder Anthony Romano put the Eagles into the lead with a 14-2 major decision over Josh Manning. Romano (9-5) used a pair of takedowns, reversal and three sets of back points to pile up the points against Manning, who managed only a late reversal. T. J. Albright (22-5) took a long time, but finally got Kelly Strouse where he wanted him for the fall at the 5:57 mark at 112, with just three seconds left in the third period. Albright notched a takedown in each period, leading 11-4 at pin time.
Robert Waite ( made quick work of Lucas Stover at 119, working a cement mixer for the fall in 0:31 for his 10th pin of the season to push the Eagles out to a 22-6 lead.
Penns Valley took the next two weight classes, but was able to get only a pair of regular decisions, with Tyrone avoiding giving up any bonus points.
At 125, Tyrone freshman Shayne Tate (4-18) trailed just 2-0 after two periods, then yielded a reversal and two back points to Tyler Myers in a 6-0 loss. Then at 130, Josh Hunter (11-16) fell behind only 4-3 after the opening period to Ben McNitt, but then gave up seven more points and looked to be giving up a major decision. Hunter escaped and hit a reverse peterson at the buzzer to cut McNitt’s lead to just 11-6 and might have pulled the win out if there had been more time.
Sam McCloskey and David Miller both weighed in at 135, with McCloskey wrestling at 135 and Miller moving up to 140. McCloskey (11-13) trailed 2-0 the entire match to Greg Myers, until reversing Myers to tie the score with 1:10 remaining in the final period, then turned his Ram opponent for three nearfall points in the last 18 seconds of the match to pull out a 5-2 win. Then at 140, in what was a pivotal match, Miller (27-3) waited until he got Preston Shawver where he wanted him. Miller hit his favorite fireman’s’ carry move for the takedown and quickly wrapped up the his 17th fall in 1:25.
Tyrone continued their run through the Ram lineup at 145, where Jacob Smerekar doubled up Trevor Benner 10-5. Smerekar (13-10) won his third straight regular decision taking a 5-0 advantage, before Benner recorded a three-point nearfall to climb back into the match at 145, but Smerekar responded with a five-point move of his won to ice his victory. At 152, Justin Schopp did all the scoring through the first five minutes-plus, a first-period takedown for a 2-0 lead. Then at the 5:19 mark, Schopp (11-13) suddenly wrapped up a cradle and put Luke Berkey on his back for the pin and a 40-12 Tyrone team lead.
At 160, Tyrone pinner Brice Mertiff stuck Eric Herrold in 2:51 for his 25th of the season. Mertiff (27-5), who has actually won two matches by decision, opened the first period with a takedown and nearfall. Herrold surprised everybody by getting a takedown when Mertiff chose neutral to begin the second period, but the Eagle senior escaped, took Herrold down again and showed him the lights midway through the second stanza.
Matt Lauder (3-3) evened his record by receiving a forfeit at 171 to provide the Eagles finals points of the evening.
Penns Valley 189-pounder Kane Bjalme came from behind to post a 5-2 win over Heath Walk. Walk (22-6) led 2-0 after two periods on the strength of a second-period reversal, but Bjalme scored a takedown and nearfall to win 5-2. Walk was injured during the match, but was able to finish.
“I think the way the kids wrestled tonight, the only black mark was the injury to Heath Walk in the last match,” said Tyrone head coach Blair Packer. “ If there was any question as to what was happening tonight, I think, we took control from the beginning and from there on it just kept snowballing.”
Junior high
Tyrone used five pins and five forfeits to easliy defeat the Penns Valley junior high 66-22 in the preliminary match.
Nathan Kruis (110), Josh Miller (115), A. J. Schopp (80), Cody Weaver (85) and Donnie Hunter (105) recorded pins and Shane Emigh (138), Jordan Berry (155), Byron Sullins (165), Nick Wilburn and Chase Weaver (75) received forfeits. Doug Rudy (95) and Matt Moore (100) picked up regular decisions for the Little Eagles.
Tyrone 52 Penns Valley 15
215 – Evan Leitch (PV) pinned John Miller 1:46
275 – Terry Tate (T) pinned John Keith 1:53
103 – Anthony Romano (T) maj. dec. Josh Manning 14-2
112 – T. J. Albright (T) pinned Kelly Strouse 5:57
119 – Robert Waite (T) pinned Lucas Stover 0:31
125 – Tyler Myers (PV) dec. Shayne Tate 6-0
130 – Ben McNitt (PV) dec.. Josh Hunter 11-6
135 – Sam McCloskey (T) dec. Greg Myers 5-2
140 – David Miller (T) pinned Preston Shawver 1:25
145 – Jacob Smerekar (T) dec. Trevor Benner 10-5
152 – Justin Schopp (T) pinned Luke Burkey 5:19
160 – Brice Mertiff (T) pinned Eric Herrold 2:51
171 – Matt Lauder (T) won by forfeit
189 – Kane Bjalme (PV) dec. Heath Walk 5-2
EXH.
275 – Brandon Oswalt (T) pinned Bob Prisk 2:39
Junior High
Tyrone 66 Penns Valley 22
110 – Nathan Kruis (T) pinned Nathan Resecker 2:19
115 – Josh Miller pinned Kody Bjalme 0:52
122 – Phil Wise (PV) dec. Jeremy Barlett 8-6
130 – Tom Sweeley (PV) dec. Cody Smith 3-2
138 – Shane Emigh (T) won by forfeit
145 – Ty Corl (PV) dec. J. P. VanAllman 10-4
155 – Jordan Berry (T) won by forfeit
165 – Byron Sullins (T) won by forfeit
185 – Nick Wilburn (T) won by forfeit
210 – Doug Mansell (PV) dec. J. D. Gardner 8-5
250 – Ethan Covalt (PV) won by forfeit
75 – Chase Weaver (T) won by forfeit
80 – A. J. Schopp (T) pinned Drew Zettle 0:27
85 – Cody Weaver (T) pinned Jacob Bierly 2:53
90 – Mitchell Brown (PV) maj. dec. Ben Smerekar 12-1
95 – Doug Rudy (T) dec. Patrick Whitehall 6-3
100 – Matt Moore (T) dec. Matt Brooker 1-0
105 – Donnie Hunter (T) pinned Fred Dawson 2:14.
EXH.
75 – Jacob Bierly (PV) maj. dec. William Shauf 13-0
85 – Mitchell Brown (PV) dec. Jimmy Weston 3-2
100 – Tyler Poorman (T) maj. dec. Oty Corman 12-0
122 – Kody Bjalme (PV) dec. Andrew Clark 9-2.
