Bellwood-Antis traveled to Portage for a wrestling dual meet on Tuesday. The bus was light a few people and when the final score was calculated, the missing warm bodies really hurt the Blue Devils. Bellwood-Antis gave up four forfeits-24 team points and lost 40-27, a margin of 13 points. You figure the math, shouldn’t even need a calculator.
The match began with a B-A forfeit at 125 and Brandon Beech (13-11) dropped a 15-4 major decision to Portage 130-pounder John Pollock, before a pin by Ronnie Wilson got the Blue Devils on the scoreboard with the first of three straight pins. Wilson (7-14) recorded his third fall in the last four matches decking John Baker in 2:34 to cut the Blue Devils’ deficit to 10-6 after the 135-pound weight class.
Bellwood-Antis took a temporary 18-10 advantage when 140-pounder Josh Ervine (15-7) showed Pat Hegeman the lights at the 1:34 mark and Dustin Harris (7-16) beat the first-period buzzer by a second to pin Chuck Gouse in 1:59, in the match at 145.
Portage won the next four weight classes, including forfeits at 171, and 189, to blunt the Blue Devils scoring binge to jump into a 31-18 advantage.
Mike Hegeman decisioned Ron Colyer (6-16) 11-4 at 152, and Garett Wyland (1-5) was pinned by Ryan Fuller in 1:59 on the mat and Portage 171-pounder Bryan Rusnak and 189-pounder Matt Hershberger picked up six points the easy way with forfeits. Bellwood-Antis coach Ron Wilson moved regular 189-pounder Dwayne Cherry (12-5) up to 215 for this dual and Portage chose to forfeit to him rather than send a wrestler out
Jason Kopnicky received a forfeit at 275 and there was no match at 112.
B-A freshman Donnie Partner (5-16) picked up a 4-1 win over Wayne McMullen at 103, for Bellwood-Antis and Portage closed out the dual with a win at 119, where Chris Shoff decisioned Eli Colyer (14-6) 4-1.
“We wrestled fairly well, but we needed to get two more wins somewhere,” said coach Wilson. “ You can’t go out and give up 24 points. That just kills us.”
Bellwood-Antis (1-10) will travel to Moshannon Valley on Friday night to wrestle the Black Knights. Junior high action will begin at 6 p.m. and the varsity will follow at 7 p.m.
Portage 40 Bellwood-Antis 27
125 – Robby Roxby (P) won by forfeit
130 – John Pollock (P) maj. dec. Brandon Beech 15-4
135 – Ronnie Wilson (BA) pinned John Baker 2:34
140 – Josh Ervine (BA) pinned Pat Hegeman 1:34
145 – Dustin Harris (BA) pinned Chuck Gouse 1:59
152 – Mike Hegeman (P) dec. Ron Colyer 11-4
160 – Ryan Fuller (P) pinned Garett Wyland 1:59
171 – Bryan Rusnak (P) won by forfeit
189 – Matt Hershberger (P) won by forfeit
215 – Dwayne Cherry (BA) won by forfeit
275 – Jason Kopnecky (P) won by forfeit
103 – Donnie Partner (BA) dec. Wayne McMullen 4-1
112 – No match
119 – Chris Shoff (P) dec. Eli Colyer 4-2 OT.
