BRADLEY, SETZER EARN TITLES; FIVE WILDCATS MEDAL AT NEW OXFORD — BRADLEY NAMED ‘MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER
By: Tim Birney / January 15, 2022 / Photo: Photo Provided
NEW OXFORD, Pa. — Seniors Gavin Bradley and Kaden Setzer won their
weight classes in dominant fashion, and senior Karter Rude was a
runner-up here Saturday at the two-day New Oxford Tournament.
Sophomore Josh Nittinger placed sixth for the Wildcats, and freshman Caleb Nason earned a seventh-place medal.
Bradley, the top seed at 113 pounds, registered a 22-5 technical fall of Bishop McDevitt’s Michael Beutler, the fourth seed, in the semifinals.
Bradley scored a pair of takedowns, and two sets of near-fall points for a 9-1 lead after the first two minutes.
In the second period, Bradley recorded three takedowns to extend his lead to 15-4.
Bradley started the third period on top, and quickly collected three near-fall points for an 18-4 lead. After cutting Beutler loose, Bradley took him down to his back for a four-point move to end the bout at 5:33.
In the finals, Bradley put on a clinic in a 21-4 technical fall of third-seeded Elijah Hewitt of Northeastern.
Bradley hit on a pair of early takedowns for a 4-2 lead, then scored a five-point move to take a 9-2 lead after the first two minutes.
After a quick takedown to start the second period, Bradley cut Hewitt loose, then hit on a five-point move to take a 16-3 lead midway through the stanza.
After cutting Hewitt loose again, Bradley scored a quick takedown, then finished off the bout at 3:54 with three more near-fall points.
Bradley is 18-0 on the season.
Setzer, the second seed at 132 pounds, gave up an early takedown to sixth-seed Bryson Neidigh in the semifinals, then dominated the remainder of the bout for a 12-7 decision.
Setzer scored an escape late in the first period, and then recorded another escape off the second-period whistle to tie the score at 2-2.
Setzer scored a takedown midway through the period for a 4-2 lead, but Neidigh quickly escaped. With 38 seconds remaining in the period, Setzer registered another takedown, and scored two near-fall-points, but Neidigh reversed to trim the deficit to 8-5 entering the final two minutes.
Neidigh escaped to start the third period, but Setzer registered a pair of takedowns in the final 89 seconds to secure the win.
In the finals, Setzer again gave up an early takedown, but again answered with an offensive onslaught for a14-5 major decision.
Setzer countered the takedown with an escape midway through the period, and five-point move in the final 16 seconds to take a 6-2 lead into the final two minutes.
Midway through the second period, Setzer padded his lead with a takedown. After an escape by Schadel, Setzer recorded another takedown to take a 10-3 lead into the final two minutes.
Setzer extended his lead to 12-3 with a reversal early in the third period, and following an escape scored his fourth takedown for a 14-4 lead.
Setzer is 17-2 on the season.
At 152 pounds, Rude, the fifth seed, forged an 11-2 win over fifth-seeded Tyler Bard of West York, who upset top seed Garrett Bishop of Biglerville in the quarterfinals.
Rude scored a takedown midway through the first period, and led 2-0 after the first two minutes.
He added a pair of takedowns in the second period, and led 6-2 entering the final two minutes.
He added two more takedowns, and was award a stall point in the third period.
In the finals, Rude faced third-seeded Andrew Christie of Bishop McDevitt, who beat Canton’s Hayden Ward with a 16-0 technical fall in the semifinals.
Christie scored a quick takedown, and added three near-fall points for a 5-0 lead after the first two minutes.
He escaped quickly to start the second period, and recorded two more takedowns for a 10-1 lead.
Christie scored another takedown, and rode out the final 72 seconds to secure the major decision.
Rude is now 17-4 on the season.
At 285 pounds, sophomore Josh Nittinger, who was 1-1 on Friday, pinned West York’s Ian Perez in 1:54 in the consolation round-of-8.
Nittinger followed that up with a pin of CD East’s Mohamed Aly in 2:01 in the consolation round-of-4.
He then lost by fall to Meadowbrook Christian’s Gunner Treibley in 1:31 in the consolation semifinals.
In the fifth-place match, NIttinger built an 8-2 lead, but New Oxford’s Jake Biller turned him for a fall at 3:43.
Nittinger is 13-9 on the season.
At 215 pounds, freshman Caleb Nason, who went 1-1 Friday, opened Saturday’s action with a 2-1 win over Milton Hershey’s Tyler Quinter, then dropped a -6 decision to LaSalle’s Bryce Petrilli, who scored a reversal with 1 second remaining for the win.
In the seventh-place match, Nason trailed York Suburban’s Salani Hopkins, 6-2, in the second period, when he scored a reversal and two near-fall points to tie the bout at 6-6. About 45 seconds later, Nason turned Hopkins for the ball at 2:29.
Nason is 7-9 on the season.
About the Author
Tim Birney
Tim Birney is the founder / owner of River Road Media Group. He was born and raised in the Valley, graduating from Waverly High School in 1984.
Birney earned an Associate's Degree in Journalism from SUNY Morrisville in 1986 and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism / Public Relations from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1988. He began his newspaper career at The Daily Review in Towanda in 1989, before moving on to The Evening Times in 1995. He spent more than 10 years at the Times, the last four as Managing Editor.
River Road Media Group includes five sites in "The Sports Reports" family that cover 24 school districts in five counties: Valley Sports Report (launched Aug. 10, 2009), Tioga County (NY) Sports Report (Aug. 13, 2018), and Northern Tier Sports Report (Aug. 31, 2020); Northern Tier West Sports Report (March 15, 2021) Southern Tier Sports Report (Aug. 16, 2021).
