The B-A Middle School gymnasium was the site for a rare Wednesday evening wrestling match on Feb. 17, 1993. The Blue Devils won five of six weight classes from 130 to 160, all by fall, but it wasn’t enough to offset fellow Blair County and Tri-County foe Claysburg-Kimmel’s strength at both ends of the lineup. The Bulldogs triumphed 39-36.
The loss dropped Bellwood-Antis, under coach Pat Detterbeck, to 8-6 overall and 5-4 in the Tri-County Conference.
Thad White received a forfeit to open the dual, but Claysburg won the next three weights to take a 15-6 lead.
Tony Montanaro began the B-A barrage at 130. Montanaro (13-2) trailed 2-1 after a period, but opened the second period with a three-point nearfall, escape and takedown before collecting the pin at the 3:46 mark. At 135, Jason Highduch (15-5) and his opponent were knotted 5-5 when Highduch was suddenly pinned in 3:22.
The Blue Devils then took control with four straight pins to jump ahead in the team score 36-21.
Comanche Garcia (18-4) rang up four takedowns at 140, before wrapping up a pin in 3:21. At 145, Shane Torsell continued the pin parade. With a 4-4 score after the opening period, Torsell (12-14) began the second stanza on the bottom, gained an escape and then grabbed a takedown and worked for the fall in 2:46.
At 152, junior Joe Highduch improved his record to 10-9 with a fall over Duane Walter, the previous weekend’s 145-pound Blair County champ and Outstanding Wrestler as well. Walter took a 2-0 lead, but Highduch slapped a spladle on and registered the fall in 2:40.
Randy Mielnik completed the barrage and unfortunately, all the Bellwood-Antis scoring for the evening as well. Mielnik won at 160, following up a quick takedown with the fall in just 0:55.
Bellwood-Antis closed out the 1998-99 season with a double win over Southern Huntingdon and Everett on Feb. 16, 1999 for first year head coach Jim Torsell and assistant Dave Frazier. The two wins up the Blue Devils final mark to 8-6.
In the first dual of the evening, wrestled at Glendale, Bellwood-Antis defeated Southern Huntingdon 31-28 when 275-pounder Vince Torsell decisioned his foe 7-0 to give the Blue Devils the win. Jason Shura began a Blue and Gold charge at 152 with Southern Huntingdon up 28-7 after Luke Miller (130) and Chad Acker (135) saved bonus points in one-point losses to keep the team score close.
Shura jumped all over his opponent for a 16-0 lead when he pinned his man in 4:58. Shura opened up a 7-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and pair of nearfalls, added a penalty point and five point move off a reversal in the second to lead 13-0 after two periods.
Dave Miller made short work of his foe at 160, with a takedown and pin in 0:26 and when coach Torsell moved regular 171-pounder Jeremy Diehl up a weight, Dave’s twin brother Chris stepped in at 171, to receive a forfeit. Diehl opened up a slim 2-0 lead over the first two periods, then after getting caught, fought off his back after giving up three back points to escape, score a takedown and register two sets of nearfalls for a big 10-3 win that set the stage for Torsell’s win at heavyweight.
Southern opened the dual with a pair of bonus wins to take an early 10-0 lead before Skip Dunmyer stopped the Rockets momentum with a final-period takedown for a 3-1 win. Josh Hayes, scored takedowns in the first and last periods and an escape, reversal and five back points in the middle for a 12-4 major decision at 125.
B-A won the second match over Everett 36-27. Dunmyer again provided the Blue Devils with their first points, pinning his opponent in 2:42 at 119. At 135, Chad Acker traded escapes with his foe and added an all-important takedown in the second period for a 3-1 win. Brian Shura got B-A to within 18-15 with a pin over his foe in 1:08, at 140.
Jason Shura picked up a forfeit to tie the score 21-21 at 152. Dave Miller led 2-1 after two periods, before escaping, scoring a takedown and adding two back points to win going away 7-1. Jeremy Diehl grabbed a quick takedown and followed with the fall in 0:27, at 171. Vince Torsell closed out the dual with another fast pin, decking the Everett heavyweight in 0:49.
