The Tyrone wrestling team has gotten off to a tough start for the 2005-06 season, largely due to lack of practice time early, injuries and some really strong competition. That all was erased quickly however. It took just one day in fact, to end the old year with a flourish and set the basis for continued good efforts in 2006!
The Golden Eagles traveled to Hanover in Pennsylvania Dutch country Friday, Dec. 30 for their second go-around at the Hanover Snacktown Duals. Five dual meets later, the Eagles came back home, no doubt tired, after a full day of wrestling, but very happy, with the tournament title after breezing through all five meets with victories.
Tyrone wrestled a pair of matches in pool play besting West Chester East 62-12 and Littlestown 46-31, won semifinal and championship matches against Garnett Valley 38-32 and Hanover 33-28 to claim the title, and then took a match against Pottsville, which actually meant nothing except getting another match, 38-36.
The Eagle lightweights came through at Hanover for Tyrone coach Blair Packer. Cody Weaver (103), T. J. Albright (112) and Robert Waite (119) all went undefeated at 5-0 and Anthony Romano (125) went 4-1. Josh Hunter was 2-2 at 130 and Sam McCloskey was 4-1 at 145.
Shayne Tate (152), Justin Schopp (160) and James Updike (171) were all 3-2, Jon VanAllman (135), Donnie Conrad (189) and Johnny Miller (215) each went 2-3, Bradley Oswalt (275) was 1-4 and John Markel was 0-5 for the day.
Hanover took an 18-0 advantage in the championship match, after Phil Stover handed McCloskey (7-3) his only loss of the day, when a second-period reversal stood up for the winning advantage.
Shayne Tate (4-4) edged James Leedy 5-3 on the strength of a final period takedown, James Updike (3-5) won by fall and Johnny Miller (2-3) won a wild 13-12 decision with an escape and takedown in the final two minutes, but the Eagle still trailed 28-15 with just four weight classes to be wrestled.
Weaver and Albright both recorded pins and Waite and Romano regular decisions to pull out the win and the championship 33-28.
With the match against Pottsville being meaningless, the Eagles were due to be a little flat, following the championship match, and Pottsville took the occasion to jump out to a 30-14 lead. Again, Tyrone rose to the threat and came back running. Weaver (6-3) started the comeback with his fifth pin of the day, and Albright (5-0), wrestling for the first time of the season, each pinned their foes, Waite (9-3) picked up a win by forfeit and Romano (7-3) closed out the match and the win with his third fall of the day to go along with a pair of decisions, and a 38-36 team victory.
Albright opened the first dual with West Chester East, with a fall in 0:57 and Waite followed with a pin and Romano and Josh Hunter (3-6) each added decisions to give Tyrone a quick 18-0 lead. Jon VanAllman (4-6) pinned his man at 135, McCloskey punished his opponent for a 15-0 technical fall just 22 seconds into the middle period, Tate and Justin Schopp (5-5) won by fall, Donnie Conrad (2-6) used a first-period takedown and five-point move off a third-period reversal for a 6-1 win, and Brandon Oswalt (1-7) and Weaver finished off West Chester East with pins.
Schopp gave Tyrone a 28-13 lead in the second match against Littlestown, with a fall, although Johnny Miller had the Eagles’ only win from 171 to 275 to allow Littlestown to crawl back to within three points in the team score at 34-31.
When the lineup turned to the lightweights, so did all chance of a Littlestown triumph. A fall by Weaver and forfeit for Albright pushed the Eagles back to a 46-31 win.
Garnet Valley took leads of 12-0 and 17-9, but Tyrone tied the score at 32-32 on a tech fall by Robert Waite and Anthony Romano’s pin gave the Orange and Black the victory. Weaver, Albright and James Updike also contributed falls to the Tyrone pin power that allowed the Eagles to take the match.
