Recap and analysis for Monday, 12-29-2014

It was an action-packed Monday, with local teams at the POWERade and Southmoreland tournaments, among others, and an interesting dual meet between Central and Cambria Heights.

Mifflin County's Noah Stewart and Chestnut Ridge's Trent
Crouse scramble for control in a wild 160-pound bout at the
POWERade Christmas Tournament on Monday.

POWERade Christmas Tournament
I got to check out the round of 32 at POWERade but wasn't able to stay for the quarterfinals. FloWrestling is providing live updates, brackets and everything you need from it. The POWERade site links to it.
Not surprisingly, it was a rough day for local teams at the tournament, which is ranked as the third-best in the nation. Here's a quick recap of local teams in the 48-team tournament, with wrestlers in bold still alive in the tournament:

Altoona, 42^nd place, 1 in championship bracket, 1 in consolations

106-No entry

113-C.J. Manley 2-1

120-Hunter Hileman 2-2

126-Jerrell Kephart 0-2

132-Tristan Grassmyer 0-2

138-Mike Sarbo 0-2

145-Dylan Riscigno 3-2

152-Parker McClellan 0-2

160-D.J. Hollingshead 3-0

170-Brinton Simington 0-2

182-Trent Kephart 2-2

195-Garth Fochler 1-2

220-Jacob Scheinberg 0-2

285-Kevin Givens 0-2

Notes: I didn't see any Altoona matches, but Manley, who was the sixth seed, had a couple of big early wins before losing to No. 3 Daniel Planta of St. Paul's (Md.), 2-1. Hollingshead, the fourth seed, beat Penn-Trafford's Devin Austin 3-2 in the quarterfinals and draws top-seeded Josh Shields of Franklin Regional in today's semifinal round.

Chestnut Ridge, 18^th place, 0 in championship bracket, 5 in consolations

106-Aaron Burkett 2-1

113-Dylan Williams 1-2

120-Luke Hobson 2-2

126-Justin McCoy 1-2

132-Morgan Deremer 3-1

138-Derrick Claar 0-2

145-Levi Hobson 0-2

152-Josh McGill 0-2

160-Trent Crouse 2-1

170-Colby Hillegass 2-2

182-Brandyn Beaver 3-1

195-Conner Buttry 2-1

220-Jon Heming 0-2

285-Shane Davis 2-2

Chestnut Ridge's Conner Buttry controls Fort LeBoeuf's
Garrette Reinwald at 195 pounds.

Notes: Second-seeded Aaron Burkett posted a couple of shutouts before being shut out, 8-0, by Patrick Glory, a freshman from Delbarton (N.J.).  

I'm not surprised that the Lions still have five alive in the tournament, but I am a bit surprised by who is back for Day 2. Derrick Claar had a rough day, going 0-2 while Brandyn Beaver and Morgan Deremer impressed, with each going 3-1.

Conner Buttry looked solid in a 5-1 win over Fort LeBoeuf's Garrette Reinwald, a District 10 champ last season and the No. 8 seed here, before losing 13-2 to top-seeded Dylan Reynolds of Saegertown in the quarters.

Ryan Spring's blog says Trent Crouse picked up his 100th career victory. I missed that, but I did see his back-and-forth battle with Mifflin County's Noah Stewart. Crouse scored the opening takedown, then fell behind 7-2 before rallying to tie it only to lose 9-7 on a reversal with 6 seconds remaining in the third period.

Mifflin County, 16^th place, 2 in championship brackets, 1 in consolations

106-No entry

113-Kyle Smith 0-2

120-Noah Myers 1-2

126-Jonah Kile 1-2

132-Logan Wise 0-2

138-Trent Hidlay 2-2

145-Hayden Hidlay 3-0

152-Isaac Underhill 2-2

160-Noah Stewart 2-1

170-Keith Corson 1-2

182-Scott Kyper 0-2

195-Trey Harstock 3-0

220-Wyatt Renninger 2-2

285-Gavin Erb 0-2

Notes: The Huskies' big guns are all still alive, with Hidlay and Hartsock in the semifinals today. Hidlay was supposed to be the fourth seed, but moved up to third when Travis Vasquez of Delbarton (N.J.) scratched. I'm not sure why that is, but it certainly helps Hidlay. Rather than facing Franklin Regional's Michael Kemerer, an Iowa recruit, in the semis, he likely will get him in the finals. For now, Hidley faces Nick Monico, a sixth-place PIAA Class AA finisher a year ago, in the semifinals. The unseeded Monico pounded second-seeded Hunter Dean of Strasburg (Va.).

Hartsock also draws a Saegertown wrestler in the semis, as he gets top-seeded Dylan Reynolds, who finished third in Class AA last season.

I recapped Stewart's funky match with Trent Crouse above in the Chestnut Ridge notes. Stewart reached the quarters before falling, 7-0, to second-seeded Thomas Bullard of Archer (Ga.).

Westmont Hilltop, 46^th place, 0 in championship bracket, 2 in consolations

106-Derrick Christie 1-2

Westmont Hilltop's Anthony Walters (right)
works to bring Reynolds' Michael Millero
back to the mat.

113-No entry

120-Clayton Dorian 0-2

126-Carnell Andrews 2-1

132-Trent Blackburn 0-2

138-Drake Dorian 3-2

145-Nick Mical 0-2

152-Jake Dorian 0-2

160-Mark Barbera 0-2

170-Anthony Walters 3-1

182-No entry

195-No entry

220-Hussein Sbeitan 0-2

285-No entry

Notes: A rough day for the Hilltoppers. Their two highly touted freshmen are still alive. Anthony Walters pushed sixth-seeded Michael Millero of Reynolds in a 2-1 loss. Walters was hit for stalling twice in the second period on top and gave up an escape with 3 seconds left in the period to fall behind 2-0. He escaped to start the third and pushed Millero around for almost 2 minutes but, surprisingly, only drew one stall call on the senior. He'll need to beat fifth-seeded Bill Bowlen of Jefferson-Morgan on Tuesday morning to place.

I didn't see Andrews' matches, but he beat Derry Area's Stone Kepple, a state qualifier last season, 9-2 to reach the quarters, where he was pinned by top-seeded Jacob Lizak of Parkland. Andrews draws freshman David Johnson of Walsh-Jesuit (Ohio), who lost 6-1 to South Park's Dallas Bulsak on Monday, in the consolation round Tuesday.

Southmoreland Holiday Classic

The complete brackets are online here, so I won't go over this too much.

North Star, tied for 3rd with 81.5; Southmoreland leads with 97.5; Northern Bedford (8) and Blairsville (T9) are only others in top 10 out of 29

Local semifinalists
106-Logan Pirl, Ligonier Valley
113-Jake Keiper, Forest Hills
120-David Wiles, Marion Center
126-None
132-Triston Law, Forest Hills
138-Carter Replogle, Northern Bedford
145-Michael Baker, North Star; Robby Patrick, Ligonier Valley
152-Isaac Stewart, Marion Center
160-Drew Doak, Blairsville
170-Nathan Trottier, Ligonier Valley; Chris Hutzell, Meyersdale
182-Jon Thomas, North Star
195-Scott Thompson, Blairsville; Ty Smith, Meyersdale; Tyler Oliver, United
220-Hunter Conner, North Star
285-Hunter Gill, Hollidaysburg

And, finally:
Central 40, Cambria Heights 36
220-Anthony Mezzello, CH, pinned Mitchell Conrath, 2:23.
285-Alexander Albright, CH, forfeit.
106-Hunter Campbell, CH, pinned over Cameron Ulery, :24.
113-Bryce Campbell, CH, dec. Nathan Earnest, 8-2.
120-Braeden Swab, C, maj. dec. Michael Dautlick, 11-0.
126-Brock Biddle, C, pinned Austin Kirsch, 2:25.
132-Ethan Kennedy, C, pinned Brody Mezzello, 4:36.
138-Nick Hoenstine, C, forfeit.
145-Bryce Biddle, C, pinned Eric Kuskoski, 2:15.
152-Jordan Quarello, C, pinned Ben Yahner, 2:17.
160-Mike Mock, C, pinned Austin Gill, 3:03.
170-Dalton Waksmunski, CH, dec. Jared Smith, 4-0.
182-Levi Niebauer, CH, pinned Jeremiah Albright, 2:30.
195-Dennis Link, CH, pinned Kaleb Gahagan, :52.
Analysis: This is a big win for Central over a Cambria Heights team that many saw as one of the stronger ones in District 6-AA. I would have given the Highlanders the edge going into it, but give coach Dave Marko's team credit for improving to 5-0 on the season. The Scarlet Dragons were down 21-0 before getting to the strength of their lineup, and the middleweights did not disappoint, running off seven consecutive victories for a 40-21 lead. The big one for me came at 160, where Mike Mock pinned Austin Gill in what I would have seen as a toss-up match. Gill was a District 6 fourth-place finisher at 145 in an injury-marred sophomore season while Mock placed sixth at 152. When Central avoided bonus points at 170, it was all over.