Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

After the 145-pound weight class, Tyrone clung to a slim 20-18 lead over West Branch on the Tyrone Area High School mat. The Eagles knew they had a trump card in Terry Tate ready to finish the dual at heavyweight, but also knew they needed something in the middle to make it possible to get a win.
J. D. Shaw stepped out on the at 152, against the Warriors Denzel McDowell. In a battle of seniors, Shaw took McDowell down twice and with the aid of a pair of penalty points led 6-2 after one period. After McDowell escaped to begin the second period, Shaw (6-9) registered two more takedowns and an escape before finally scoring a fall at the 3:56 mark, just four seconds ahead of the buzzer ending the period to give Tyrone a 26-18 cushion.
Faced with a situation where the team needed Chris Tremmel to stay off his back for the second time in as many matches, the Tyrone junior was equal to the task. After the Eagles forfeited to two-time state qualifier Jared Ricotta at 160, Tremmel stepped out on the mat at 171, with only a two point lead for his team. Tremmel (5-5) had an escape in the first period and not only stayed off his back, but scored a two-point nearfall in the second period to stay within reach in a 9-3 loss. Although it didn’t add any points to Tyrone’s score, that gave West Branch only the minimum three for a regular decision.
At 189, Blake Cowfer battledwith the Warriors Colt Vedic. After a scoreless first period, Vedic got the scoring going with a reversal, before the Tyrone senior escaped, took Vedic down and rang up two back points. Leading 5-2, Cowfer (7-9) wrapped up the dual win by reversing Vedic and then taking him down and showing him the lights for a fall in 5:30 that sealed the Tyrone win with Tate ready at 275.
Zach McDowell pinned Justin Clark (3-11) in 3:00, at 215, to give West Branch a temporary 33-32 lead, but Tate (15-3) quickly scored a takedown on Jesse Gregory and registered the fall in 0:52 for the 38-33 triumph.
The dual began at 103, almost foreign since high school wrestling went to drawing the first weight out of a hat before each match this year.
Robert Waite fell behind Brandon LeFort 9-0 and seemed on the verge of giving up bonus points. Waite (8-8) broke the scoring ice with a late second period escape, then came up with a reversal and three nearfall points to drop the score back to 9-6, just a regular decision and no bonus points for West Branch.
The two teams traded pins at the next two weight classes. The Warriors James Yingling decked Andrew Hiller (1-5) in 1:27 at 112, and Tyrone junior Dane McCloskey (12-5) came back from a 4-0 deficit to pin Donnie Clark in 3:03 at 119 in what might have been the most pivotal match in the entire dual considereing the closeness of the final 38-33 score.
The middle lightweights came through big, as usual for the Eagles.
Thad Westley (16-4) used three first period takedowns, two penalty points and a nearfall to lead 11-2 after one stanza at 125, then quickly added an escape, takedown and two more back points to tech fall Steve Sudik 17-2 in 2:45. The five-point team win gave Tyrone the lead for first time, 11-9. At 130, Eagle senior Brett Harris (13-6) jumped out to an 8-0 lead with a takedown and two sets of nearfalls before wrapping up a fall over Scott Ellis in 2:46. Finally, David Miller (16-5) turned a quick five-point first-period move into all he needed with a lot of defense, defeating Nathan Owens 5-4, at 135, in a battle between two very good 10th graders. Owens was able to slice the final margin to a single point with first and third period reversals.
Tyrone forfeited to Teddy Little at 140, and Justin Wilkerson decisioned Brice Mertiff (11-6) by a 6-3 count to set up the late heroics by Shaw, Cowfer, Tate and Tremmel.
“The kids wrestled tonight,” said Tyrone coach Blair Packer. “We knew we were going to have to have a hundred percent effort from everybody. The way things turned out, having to bump kids around, it all worked out best for the team. The team came through. The kids that didn’t win wrestled a hard fought match and those who did really came across for us tonight. The kids are digging in and taking it upon themselves to score those bonus points and not give any up on the other side. That’s a couple times now Chris Tremmel has saved us. Not giving up bonus points. Is very critical in having a successful season.”
The Tyrone junior high also recorded a victory over West Branch, but had a much easier time in demolishing the Warriors 78-18. Sam McCloskey (122), Johnny Miller (165), Heath Walk (185), Anthony Romano (85), Shayne Tate (95), T. J. Albright (100) and Justin Schopp (105) pinned their oppoenent and Donnie Conrad (138), Matt Lauder (145), Tyler Updike (155), William Shauf (75) and Chris Miller (80) received forfeits.Josh Hunter (115) and Jacob Smerekar (110) won regular decisions.
Varsity
Tyrone 38 West Branch 33
103 – Brandon LeFort (WB) dec. Robert Waite 9-6
112 – James Yingling (WB) pinned Andrew Hiller 1:27
119 – Dane McCloskey (T) pinned Donnie Clark 3:03
125 – Thad Westley (T) won by tech fall Steve Sudik 17-2, 2:45
130 – Brett Harris (T) pined Scott Ellis 2:46
135 – David Miller (T) dec. Nathan Owens 5-4
140 – Teddy Little (WB) won by forfeit
145 – Justin Wilkerson (WB) dec. Brice Mertiff 6-3
152 – J.D. Shaw (T) pinned Denzel McDowell 3:56
160 – Jared Ricotta (WB) won by forfeit
171 – Matt Lawrence (WB) dec. Chris Tremmel 9-3
189 – Blake Cowfer (T) pinned Colt Vedic 5:30
215 – Zach McDowell (WB) pinned Justin Clark 3:00
275 – Terry Tate (T) pinned Jesse Gregory 0:52
Junior High
115 – Josh Hunter (T) dec. Erik Ames-Dixon 10-4
122 – Sam McCloskey (T) pinned Todd Sudik 2:17
130 – Johnny Demchak (WB) ames Updike 7-5 OT
138 – Donnie Conrad (T) won by forfeit
145 – Matt Lauder (T) won by forfeit
155 – Tyler Updike (T) won by forfeit
165 – Johnny Miller (T) pinned Brad Guiher 2:39
185 – Heath Walk (T) pinned Thoe Myers 0:29
210 – Dylan Viehdorfer (WB) pinned Jeff Miller 0:44
250 – Tim Smeal (WB) pinned Bradly Oswalt 0:57
75 – William Shauf (T) won by forfeit
80 – Chris Miller (T) won by forfeit
85 – Anthony Romano (T) pinned Adam Hurley 2:35
90 – Tim Smeal (WB) dec. Shane Emigh 9-2
95 – Shayne Tate (T) pinned J.T. Tice 2:36
100 – T.J. Albright (T) pined Andrew Simler 1:01
105 – Justin Schopp (T) pinned Justin Dilts 2:51
110 – Jacob Smerekar (T) 6-0
EXH – Chck Welker (WB) dec. Ryan Lauder 8-6

By Rick