By: Tim Birney / January 25, 2022 / Photo: David Alliger
ATHENS — Athens won the final six bouts of the night to top Waverly, 51-18, here Tuesday night in non-league wrestling action.
The
Wildcats also picked up key wins early in the match from senior Collin
Rosh, and freshmen Caleb Nason, and Keaton Sinsabaugh.
Senior Karter Rude received a forfeit to open the match at 152 pounds to give the Wildcats a quick 6-0 lead.
Junior
Braeden Hills tied the bout quickly, scoring a quick five-point move
with a headlock in the opening second of his 160-pound bout with
freshman Landon Kizer. After Kizer worked his way off his back, Hills
turned him again for the fall at 30 seconds.
At 172 pounds, junior Gage Tedesco put the Wolverines ahead 12-6 with a pin of senior Cameron Whitmarsh in the third period.
Tedesco
scored a pair of takedowns, and two near-fall points for a 6-1 lead at
the end of the first period. He recorded three more takedowns in the
second period, and led 12-3 entering the final two minutes.
At
189, Waverly scored the initial takedown for a 2-0 lead over Rosh, but
Rosh scored a reversal and three near-fall points for a 5-2 lead, then
turned Kimble to his back for a fall at 1:35 to tie the match at 12-12.
At 215 pounds, Waverly junior Ty Beeman built a 6-2 lead with takedown and two near-fall points late in the second period.
Beeman started the third period on the bottom, and scored a reversal with 1:35 remaining to up his lead to 8-2.
Midway
through the third period, Nason escaped, then caught Beeman in a
headlock moments later, taking him directly to his back for a fall at
5:29 to give the Wildcats an 18-12 lead.
At 285 pounds, Waverly
freshman Kam Hills slapped a headlock on Athens sophomore Josh
Nittinger, taking him directly to his back near the edge of the circle
for a 5-0 lead.
Moments later, Hills returned Nittinger to the mat and directly to his back for a fall at 1:31 to tie the match at 18-18.
Sinsabaugh,
who won a pivotal match in the Wildcats’ 32-30 win over Wyalusing last
week, gave up takedowns to Waverly 7th-grader Nico Rae in each of the
first two period, and trailed 4-0 entering the final two minutes.
Sinsabaugh
scored a takedown early in the third period to close the gap to 4-2,
but was penalized for a “full nelson” and trailed 5-2.
After the re-start, Sinsabaugh locked in a half and turned Rae for the fall at 5:34 to give the Wildcats a 24-18 lead.
Sophomore Mason Vanderpool extended Athens’ lead to 30-18 with a 46-second pin of freshman Jake Besecker.
Athens
senior Gavin Bradley, ranked No. 1 in the state at 113 pounds, pinned
freshman Payton Fravel in 43 seconds at 126 pounds to make it 36-18.
In
the marquee match-up of the night at 132 pounds, Athens senior Kaden
Setzer used a pair of first-period takedowns, and two sets of swipes to
take a 9-1 lead on junior Connor Stotler after the first two minutes.
Setzer
stretched his lead to 13-2 with a pair of second-period takedowns, but
Stotler scored a reversal late in the period to close the gap to 13-4
entering the final two minutes.
Stotler started the third period
on bottom, scored an escape, and then used a headlock to take Setzer
down to close the deficit to 13-7. Setzer was able to stay off his back,
and preserve a 13-7 decision to give the Wildcats an insurmountable to
39-18 lead.
Junior Jake Courtney and senior Lucas Forbes closed out the match with first-period pins at 138 and 145 pounds.
Athens, now 8-2, returns to action when it hosts Towanda Wednesday night, while Waverly (8-11) hosts Owego Thursday.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly junior Ty Beeman and Athens freshman Caleb Nason. … PHOTOS BY DAVID ALLIGER — TRAVELING PORTRAITS.
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ATHENS 51, WAVERLY 18
152: Karter Rude (A) by forfeit;
160: Braeden Hills (W) by fall over Landen Kizer (A), 0:55;
172: Gage Tedesco (W) by fall over Cameron Whitmarsh (A), 5:20;
189: Colin Rosh (A) by fall over Andrew Kimble (W), 1:35;
215: Caleb Nason (A) by fall over Troy Beeman (W), 5:29;
285: Kam Hills (W) by fall over Joshua Nittinger (A), 1:31;
106: Keaton Sinsabaugh (A) by fall over Nico Rae (W), 5:34;
113: No Match;
120: Mason Vanderpool (A) by fall over Jake Besecker (W), 0:46;
126: Gavin Bradley (A) by fall over Payton Fravel (W), 0:43;
132: Kaden Setzer (A) dec. Connor Stotler (W), 13-7;
138: Jacob Courtney (A) by fall over Seth Noto (W), 0:52;
145: Lucas Forbes (A) by fall over Braeden Nichols (W), 1:11.