Bellwood-Antis and West Branch wrestled a complete dual meet at the B-A Middle School gymnasium on Thursday evening and when all the wrestling was done and the mat was put away, nobody knew who had won.
Finding themselves down 39-6 after the 140-pound match, Bellwood-Antis rallied to win all of the final six weight classes to jump into a 39-39 tie. As in most varsity sports, wrestling matches don’t end in ties any more because of the need for a winner due to the district team race. The PIAA has allocated a list of criteria to be checked when the score is tied after all weight classes have been wrestled. Usually the official doesn’t have to go far down the list to find one team is the winner by having more total wins, six-point wins or unsportsmanlike conduct.
In the B-A/West Branch match, it seems that Bellwood-Antis had won according to criteria F – the team having more total points scored by the wrestlers scoring first in their match. If that is the case, the Blue Devils win eight to seven. The rule was challenged however. Does it mean the total number of wrestlers who scored first (a four-four tie in this case), or the total number of points scored by the wrestlers who get the first points in every match.
A call was placed to Dr. John Hosage, the PIAA state interpreter, but Dr. Hosage was not home and could not be reached immediately by referee Terry Deihl, who is the District 5 interpreter, but was not sure how the criteria should be viewed.
But the correct interpretation turned out to be total number of first points giving the Blue Devils the victory to even their record at 1-1 and send the Warriors to 0-4.
The dual meet began at 285 where Bradley Michaels escaped to begin the third period after he and Bellwood-Antis heavyweight Kris Morder (2-4) had gone scoreless through the first two periods. Michaels took Morder down and got the pin in 5:04.
That escape represents the seventh point by West Branch wrestlers who scored first. Amos Albright (130), Trevor Yeager (135), and Jon Demchak (140) all scored takedowns to begin their matches. Albright pinned Timmy Collier (0-4) in 2:14 and Yeager decisioned Shane Noye (3-3), 7-0
Bellwood-Antis got takedowns by Ronnie Wilson (152), Jimmy Watters (189) and Caleb Stevens (215), and a reversal by Garett Wyland (171) for their eight points.
Following the 140-pound match where Demchak decked Cody Fink (0-4) in 1:11, Bellwood-Antis found themselves in a 39-6 hole, with a long way to climb and not much time for the ascent.
West Branch coach Gary Miller, a Tyrone grad, chose to forfeit to undefeated B-A senior Ricky Shawley (9-0) at 145 and move Jeremy Kanouff up to 152.
The move didn’t pay off when Ronnie Wilson (6-4) made a first-period takedown stand up for a 3-2 win over Kanouff. Wilson added a second-period escape and Kanouff had escapes in the first and third stanzas to drop the Warriors lead to 39-15. Needing four straight six-point wins to tie West Branch 39-39 and involve the criteria, Bellwood-Antis began when West Branch forfeited to Troy Byers (2-5) at 160.
After a scoreless first period, at 171, B-A senior Garett Wyland (2-4) reversed Doug May to his back and recorded the fall in 2:25. At 189, Jimmy Watters (3-5) wasted no time in taking Tyler Bell down and turning him to his back for the fastest fall of the evening in 0:53. With the crowd going crazy, 215-pound wrestler Caleb Stevens (2-2) quickly recorded a takedown and worked Glenn Linberg to his back, getting the pin at the 1:12 mark to tie the score and set up Deihl’s phone call to Hosage.
Troy Weyant (7-2) picked up a win by forfeit at 103 for Bellwood-Antis and Shane Pewanick (112), Tyler English (119) and Aaron Albright (125) received forfeits for West Branch.
Junior High
Bellwood-Antis remained undefeated (2-0) in junior high action pounding West Branch 60-31.
The B-A wrestlers won 10 matches by either pin or forfeit. Troy Boutiller (85), Dan Noye (105), Lincoln Stehley (115), Buddy Shaw (122), Tyler Beech (138) and Trey Campbell (155) pinned their opponents and Trevor Helsley (90), Adam Davinsizer (100), Tyler Brazel (185) and Gerald Price (210) won by forfeit.
Bellwood-Antis will travel to Huntingdon on Thursday, Dec. 28 for a makeup of a match that was originally scheduled for Dec. 5.
Bellwood-Antis 39 West Branch 39
285 – Bradley Michaels (WB) pinned Kris Morder 5:04
103 – Troy Weyant (BA) won by forfeit
112 – Shane Pewanick (WB) won by forfeit
119 – Tyler English (WB) won by forfeit
125 – Aaron Albright (WB) won by forfeit
130 – Amos Albright (WB) pinned Timmy Collier 2:14
135 – Trevor Yeager (WB) dec. Shane Noye 7-0
140 – Jon Demchak (WB) pinned Cody Fink 1:11
145 – Ricky Shawley (BA) won by forfeit
152 – Ronnie Wilson (BA) dec. Jeremy Kanouff 3-2
160 – Troy Byers (BA) won by forfeit
171 – Garett Wyland (BA) pinned Doug May 2:25
189 – Jimmy Watters (BA) pinned Tyler Bell 0:53
215 – Caleb Stevens (BA) pinned Glenn Linberg 1:12
Junior High
250 – Derek Ellis (WB) pinned Travis Lyons 0:17
75 – No match
80 – Roy Evans (WB) won by forfeit
85 – Troy Boutiller (BA) pinned Dustin Fish 1:14
90 – Trevor Helsley (BA) won by forfeit
95 – Cody Hinish (WB) pinned Luke McFarland 2:56
100 – Adam Davinsizer (BA) won by forfeit
105 – Dan Noye (BA) pinned Ethan Slippey 0:40
110 – No match
115 – Lincoln Stehley (BA) pinned Terrance Page 1:48
122 – Buddy Shaw (BA) pinned Adam Albright 0:44
130 – Dylan Corly (WB) pinned Jordan Simmers 1:48
138 – Tyler Beech (BA) pinned Todd Rees 3:56
145 – Johnathan Confer (WB) maj. dec. Travis Taylor 17-7
155 – Trey Campbell (BA) pinned Brock Bell 0:28
165 – Brenden Speigle (WB) dec. Nic Cover 5-4
185 – Tyler Brazel (BA) won by forfeit
210 – Gerald Price (BA) won by forfeit
