The Tyrone wrestling squad (5-1) blitzed their way through five opponents to win the Hanover Snacktown Duals to finish the old year with a flourish and get set for 2005, at Hanover on Thursday, Dec. 30.
After opening with a bye, the Eagles edged Saucon Valley in the first match and then proceeded to trounce Littlestown 50-19 and Everett 48-16 to gain a berth in the semifinals against Garnett Valley where they won easily, 54-19. In the championship finals against the host Hanover Nighthawks, Tyrone used three pins and a tech fall in five weight classes from 160-275 to open a lead and cruised to a 47-30 win for the title.
All the matches began at the 135-pound weight class, with David Miller opening the Hanover match with a fall to jumpstart the Eagles out to a 6-0 lead. Miller opened up a commanding 10-1 lead before decking Bryan Lippy at the 5:38 mark.
Ryan Copenhaver majored Sam McCloskey 16-6, to cut the Eagles advantage to 6-4, but Jacob Smerekar pinned Chris Torbect to open the margin to 12-4.
Hanover got a pin at 152, but Tyrone used their veteran firepower to jump into a 35-16 lead.
At 160, Brice Mertiff pinned Joe McGee in 0:12, James Updike pinned Brent Deschermaker in 1:00 at 171, Heath Walk recorded a pair of takedowns and a ton of back points in 19-3 tech fall at 189, and Terry Tate wrapped up the string with a pin over Paul Trimmer at 275, in 4:44.
With the Eagles forfeiting the 103 class all day, Hanover closed their deficit to 35-22, but T. J. Albright and Robert Waite put the match on ice with first-period falls. Albright pinned Justin Bowers in 1:10 at 112 and Waite showed Ryan Shepler the lights in 1:34.
Earlier, Tyrone hammered District 5 school Everett, winning 10 of the 14 matches for a 48-16 triumph. Dave Miller (135), Sam McCloskey (140), Jacob Smerekar (145), Brice Mertiff (160), James Updike (171), and Josh Hunter (130) all pinned their foes and T. J. Albright (112) and Robert Waite (119) received forfeits. Donnie Conrad (215) used a takedown and two sets of nearfall points, all in the opening two minutes, for an 8-2 win. Johnny Miller opened with a five-point move and added a late takedown at 275, for a 7-1 win.
Adrien Ritchey of Everett and Heath Walk were locked in a tight 4-4 battle at 189, when Ritchey reversed Walk to his back for five points and added five more in the third period to take a 14-4 major decision in a battle that could have a great deal of significance down the road during post-season tournaments. Mertiff and Jacob Brambley were going at it tooth and nail, when with a score tied 4-4, Mertiff suddenly put Brambley on his back for the quick pin in 1:21.
Tyrone got a second-period fall from Jacob Smerekar at 145, in the semifinal match against Garnett Valley over Jason Bertulic in 2:41 and then Justin Schopp (152), Mertiff (160), James Updike (171), Walk (189) and Terry Tate (275) all followed with falls to take a commanding 33-6 advantage. Albright and Waite came through with pins as well to shoot the Eagles into the finals against Hanover. Josh Hunter closed out the Garnett Valley match with a decision to cap the win.
During the long day, Dave Miller, Brice Mertiff, T. J. Albright and Robert Waite each went 5-0. Terry Tate was 4-0. Jacob Smerekar and Heath Walk won four matches and every Tyrone wrestler won at least one match.
The Eagles are back in action on Tuesday at Lewistown, with junior high wrestling beginning at 5:30 p.m. and varsity action following at 7:30.
