Despite a continually more depleted lineup, that seems to have fewer and fewer wrestlers, the Bellwood-Antis wrestling squad managed to put the right people in the right positions on Saturday. In a double dual at Claysburg, both Bellwood-Antis and Claysburg-Kimmel won two matches. Claysburg continues to be the only area team that is still undefeated at 7-0, while the Blue Devils evened their dual mark at 3-3 after beginning the season 0-3.
Though the wrestling took place at Claysburg, the Bulldawgs and Blue Devils didn’t wrestle on Saturday. B-A will travel to Claysburg for a dual meet on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Bellwood-Antis went with a lineup minus one wrestler who had Army Reserves this weekend and another who was at in-school suspension, one wrestler who is still recovering from an operation and won’t be cleared physically to wrestle until Jan. 21, one who got sick between the two matches on Saturday, another with a broken finger and still another nursing a cut hand. That is in addition to several others, who haven’t been physically able to perform for some time.
After listing Bellwood-Antis’ physical woes, there was still enough for coach Ron Wilson’s Blue Devils, to edge Southern Huntingdon 36-33 and thrash Tussey Mountain 54-30.
Against Southern Huntingdon, Dwayne Cherry (160), Derrick Miller (171), Mike Thomas (189), Dustin Earnest (215) and Chris Carrier (275) opened the dual with forfeits that gave B-A a quick 30-0 advantage.
Ron Colyer (2-6) gave Bellwood-Antis their only win on the mat by pinning Glenn Werner in 3:15 at 135. Colyer opened up a 10-3 lead over Werner after one period on a pair of takedowns, an escape and five nearfall points, then added an escape and two more takedowns before showing Werner the lights.
Will Edwards (10-2) and the Rockets Justin Berrier traded a first period takedown by Berrier and second period reversal by Edwards for a 2-2 tie to begin the final two minutes. Berrier escaped with 40 seconds left to squeeze past the B-A junior 3-2 at 125.
At 130, B-A freshman Josh Ervine (7-11) dropped a 9-4 decision to the Rockets’ David Sunderland. Ervine led 2-0 after scoring on a first-period takedown and onmly trailed 6-4 after two stanzas, but Sunderland added a three-point nearfall for the only points of the third period.
Pad Flynn (2-8) also dropped a tough decision to the Rockets 140-pounder Corey Woodward inn overtime. Flynn jumped out in front with a big five-point move in the opening period. Woodward cut the deficit to 5-3 after two periods and countered a reversal by Flynn with a takedown, penalty point and escape to knot the match at 7-7 at the end of regulation. In the first sudden-death overtime, Woodward notched a takedown to win 9-7.
Although both lost close matches, by keeping off their backs and giving up just regular decisions, Edwards and Flynn insured the team win for Bellwood-Antis.
Mike McGeary was pinned at 112, by Brian Fleming in 0:43. There was no match at 119 and with the match already wrapped up Bellwood-Antis forfeited to Southern at 145 and 152.
In the second matchup against TusseyMountain, which also began at 160, the Blue Devils received forfeit wins for Dwayne Cherry ((9-9) at 160, and Derrick Miller (4-10) at 171, to open a quick 12-0 lead over the Titans.
At 189, Mike Thomas (4-4) pinned Dustin Hess at the 3:53 mark and Dustin Earnest (2-4) received a forfeit at 215 and Chris Carrier (2-9) picked up one at 275.
Shane Evans (4-9) picked up a free six at 103 to give the Blue Devils a 36-0 cushion. At 112, Robby Foster pinned B-A senior Mike McGeary (1-13) and at 119, Tussey’s John Neville received a forfeit to close the scoreto 36-12.
Will Edwards picked up a forfeit at 125, and Josh Ervine followed withj one at 130 to open up a 48-12 lead with three weight classes to wrestle.
Ron Colyer was pinned in 0:50 by Bobby Bollman at 140 and Jordan Bollman picked up a forfeit at 145, to close out the scoring for Tussey.
Travis Ehredt (1-5) received a forfeit at 152 to cap the 54-30 victory for Bellwood-Antis.
“We’re all banged up,” described B-A coach Ron Wilson. “It was nice to come out of here with two wins. The fact that the other teams were banged up a little bit helped us out considerably today. But the matches that were that wrestled out there, we were in all of them, so we were pleased with the effort. This brought us back to 3-3. For us to be this banged up and even our record at .500 is pretty good. If we can just get everybody healthy and back by the end of the month, we will be alright.”
The entire BA-Tussey took only 14 minutes to complete.
Junior High
The Bellwood-Antis junior high also claimed two victories on Saturday whipping Southern Huntingdon 60-36 and Tussey Mountain 63-39 to improve their record to 4-2.
In the Southern Huntingdon dual, after Southern Huntingdon took a 9-0 lead to begin the match, the lead changed hands three times and was tied three more before the Little Blue Devils took advantage of five straight forfeits near the end of the lineup to double up Southern 60-30, before the Rockets won by fall at 90 to set the final score.
Brandon Beech (105) and Willie Dukes (165) pined their foes and Ricky Tilley (110), Dustin Harris (130), Trevor Latchford (145), Brian Dougherty (210), Tyler Narehood (250), Jordan Miler (75), Don Partner (80) and Risky Shawley (85) won by forfeit.
In the second match against Tussey Mountain’s junior high, Bellwood-Antis used pin power to open a 24-6 lead.
B-A forfeited at 95 to begin the match, but then Eli Colyer (100), Brad Beech (105), Ricky Tilley (110) and Ron Wilson (115) all decked their opponents in the first period.
Tussey and the Blue Devils then traded points in the next four weight classes. Tussey won by forfeit at 122 and by fall at 130, before Liam Flynn (138) and Boe Latchford (145) pinned their respecftive opponents to maintain the same margin with the score 36-18.
The Little Titans put another pin and a regular decision on the board before the Blue Devils’ Caleb Stephens (185), Brian Dougherty (210) and Tyler Narehod (250) picked up forfeits to put the dual out of reach.
Tussey Mountain won both 75 and 80 by pin, before Joe Delmastro picked up a forfeit and Ricky Shawley decioned his foe at 9- pounds 10-5 to give the Blue Devils the final two wins of the match.
varsity
Bellwood-Antis 36 Southern Huntingdon 33
160 – Dwayne Cherry (BA) won by forfeit
171 – Derrick Miller (BA) won by forfeit
189 – Mike Thomas (BA) won by forfeit
215 – Dustin Earnest (BA) won by forfeit
275 – Chris Carrier (BA) won by forfeit
103 – Nathan Stains (SH) won by forfeit
112 – Brian Fleming (SH) pinned Mike McGeary 0:43
119 – no match
125 – Justin Berrier (SH) dec. Will Edwards 3-2
130 – David Sunderland (SH) dec. Josh Ervine 9=4
135 – Ron Colyer (BA) pinned Glenn Werner 3:15
140 – Corey Woodward (SH) dec. Padraig Flynn 9-7 OT
145 – Scott Everhart (SH) won by forfeit
152 – Michael Jodin (SH) won by forfeit
Bellwood-Antis 54 Tussey Mountain 30
160 – Dwayne Cherry (BA) won by forfeit
171 – Derrick Miller (BA) won by forfeit
189 – Mike Thomas (BA) pinned Dustin Hess 3:53
215 – Dustin Earnest (BA) won by forfeit
275 – Chris Carrier (BA) won byb forfeit
103 – Shane Evans (BA) won by forfeit
112 – Robby Foster (TM) pinned Mike McGeary 1:08
119 – John Neville (TM) won by forfeit
125 – Will Edwards (BA) won by forfeit
130 – Josh Ervine (BA) won by forfeit
135 – Bobby Bollman (TM) pinned Ron Colyer 0:50
140 – Jordan Bollman (TM) won by forfeit
145 – Travis Ehredt (BA) won by forfeit
152 – David Snyder (TM) won by forfeit.
