BRADLEY, SETZER ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS AT MID-WINTER MAYHEM; COURTNEY ALIVE IN WRESTLEBACKS

By: Tim Birney  /  January 7, 2022

INDIANA, Pa. — Athens seniors Gavin Bradley and Kaden Setzer both advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-Winter Mayhem tournament here Friday, and junior Jake Courtney is alive in wrestlebacks.

Bradley, the top seed at 113 pounds, opened with a 21-3 technical fall over General McLane’s Ethan Snyder in 3:05.

Bradley scored a quick takedown and two sets of near-fall points for an 8-0 lead after the first period.

He scored a quick takedown to start the second period for a 10-0 lead. After cutting Snyder loose, Bradley recorded another takedown and a tilt for a 14-1 lead.

Bradley cut Snyder loose again, then added another takedown to make it 16-2. After cutting Snyder loose for a third time, Bradley registered a quick five-point move to close out the bout.

In the quarterfinals, Bradley decked eighth-seeded Leyton Zechary of Commodore Perry in just 22 seconds.

Bradley will face fourth-seeded Jared Popson of Brookville in the semifinals Saturday morning.

Setzer, the fourth seed at 132 pounds, was 3-0 on the day to advance to the semifinals.

He opened the day with 57-second fall over T.J. Carroll of Forest Hills in the round-of-32.

Setzer followed it up with a 16-1 technical fall over Mikey Hollar of Pocono Mountain East. He scored a takedown and three near-fall points for a 5-0 lead after the first period.

Setzer scored a five-point move early int he second period for a 10-1 lead. After an escape by Hollar, Setzer scored a takedown and a two-point tilt for a 14-1 lead heading into the final two minutes.

Setzer clinched the win with a takedown at 4:18.

In the quarterfinals, Setzer forged a 7-5 decision over Todd McGann of Quakertown.

Setzer scored a five-point move midway through the first period for a 5-0 lead, but McGann escaped at the buzzer to close the gap to 5-1after the first two minutes.

McGann opened the second period with a reversal to close the gap to 5-3, but Setzer escaped to make it 6-3.

McGann scored a takedown with 22 seconds remaining in the second period to pull within one point, at 6-5.

McGann cut Setzer loose to start the third period for a 7-5 lead, and the two spent the entire two minutes on their feet.

Setzer will face top-seeded Owen Reinsel of Brookville, who registered three first-period pins Friday, in the semifinals.

At 138 pounds, junior Jake Courtney trailed Daniel Boone’s Brett Marciano 7-4 midway through the third period in the round-of-32, but scored a takedown and fall with 34 seconds remaining.

In the round-of-16, Courtney, the ninth seed, trailed 5-0 to eighth-seeded Dave Wenner of Cranberry, but rallied to close the gap to 6-4, but Wenner scored a reversal in the closing seconds to win an 8-4 decision.

In the consolation bracket, Courtney went 3-0 to advance to the consolation round-of-4.

Courtney was awarded a stalling point with 9 seconds remaining in the second overtime period for a 1-0 win over Clearfield’s Ty Aveni in his first wrestleback match, and followed that up with a 3-2 win over Curwensville’s Nik Fegert.

In his final bout of the day, Courtney scored a pair of third-period takedowns to really from a 4-2 deficit for a 6-5 win over sixth-seeded Caden Finck of Montgomery.

At 215 pounds, freshman Caleb Nason, the fifth seed, scored an escape and a takedown early in the second period to take a 5-3 lead over General McLane’s Brady Haskins. He rode Haskins the final 76 seconds of the period, then the two grapplers spent the entire third period on their feet, with Nason preserving the 5-3 win.

In the round-of-16, Nason fell behind early, but scored a reversal and three near-fall points late in the first period to take a 5-2 lead on Richland’s Ryan Audi. He added an escape and a takedown in the second period for an 8-2 lead, on his way to an 11-6 win.

In the quarterfinals, Nason dropped a 7-1 decision to fourth-seed Bradley Leon of Montgomery.

Nason was eliminated in his first wrestleback match, a 9-3 loss to Penn Cambria’s Brandon Oravec.

At 152 pounds, senior Karter Rude, the fifth seed, opened with a pin of Pocono Mountains East’s Camryn Sopko in 1:45.

In the round-of-16, Rude scored a pair of takedowns to take a 4-1 lead early in the first period, but Dubois Area’s Carter Wilson countered with a takedown with 12 seconds remaining to tie the bout, and then secured the pin at 1:55.

In the consolation bracket, Rude received a forfeit from Clearfield’s Karson Kline to advance to the consolation round-of-8, then built a 6-1 lead before registering a fall in 4:05 over Benton’s Evan Brokenshire.

Rude’s tournament came to an end in the second round-of-8 via a second-period fall against second-seeded Travis Stipetich of North Allegheny.

At 285 pounds, sophomore Josh Nittinger, the seventh seed, lost via fall to Canton’s Mason Nelson in 3:37 in the opening round, but bounced back with two wins in the consolation bracket.

In his first wrestleback match, Nittinger scored a takedown 19 seconds into overtime for a 2-0 win over Penn Cambria’s Brandon Yeoman. In his next bout, NIttinger turned a reversal into a fall at 2:15 against Marion Center’s Luke Winters.

In the second round-of-8, NIttinger was eliminated by St. Joe’s Prep’s Maxwell Roy via fall in 4:49.

At 120 pounds, sophomore Mason Vanderpool, the eight seed, led Pennfield’s Ryan Parton, 5-3, in the third period, but Parton turned Vanderpool for a fall at 4:51.

In the consolation bracket, Vanderpool flattened Hollidaysburg’ Noah Horne in 24 seconds, but was eliminated in his next bout — a 7-2 loss to Commodore Perry’s Hunter Gable.

At 189 pounds, senior Collin Rosh scored a fall over Daniel Boone’s Jake
 in 3:43. Pogash led 1-0 after an escape early in the second period, but Rosh answered with a takedown and turn for the fall.

In the round-of-16, Rosh lost via first-period fall to second-seeded Colby Springman of Montoursville.

Rosh also lost via fall in his first wrestleback match to Cranberry’s Branden McFetridge.

Freshman Keaton Sinsabaugh went 0-2 at 106, and senior Lucas Forbes went 0-2 at 145 pounds.

Day 2’s action begins Saturday at 10 a.m.