Bald Eagle Area is state-ranked and is the top seed for the Class AAA Team Duals at Tyrone on Saturday. On Thursday night, BEA gave a preview for the Tyrone wrestlers and fans so there would be no question about why the Bald Eagles are so highly regarded, using seven pins to smash those other Eagles, the Tyrone Golden Eagles 68-6.
Undefeated Bald Eagle Area has had their way with Tyrone over the past few years. In fact, Tyrone has not beaten BEA since 1986 and trails in the series between the two schools 33-12-1.
Thursday night was no different. Brice Mertiff opened the dual meet for Tyrone with a pin and things looked good immediately. Mertiff (17-8) didn’t get a good start at 145, against Brandon Guenot. Guenot took Mertiff down twice and added two back points for a 6-1 lead early. Mertiff fought back however, getting his second escape, then notching a takedown of his own and putting Guenot on his back for the fall in 1:54 to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.
However, that was to be the sum total of matches won by Tyrone on this night. Helped by forfeits at 215, and 112, BEA triumphed in all of the next 13 weight classes to show their awesome strength all up and down their lineup.
At 152, J. D. Shaw opened the match against David Fisher with the first takedown, but Fisher reversed Shaw to his back for a pair of nearfall points and a 4-3 lead after one period had been wrestled. In the second period, Fisher came up with another reversal and pinned Shaw (8-13) at the 3:14 mark to even the team score at 6-6.
After a scoreless opening period, Brock Bickle escaped and took Chris Tremmel (5-11) down twice and added a nearfall, then traded an escape by Tremmel for another takedown and a 10-2 major decision.
Tyrone forfeited to Bald Eagle at 189 and moved Justin Clark up to 215. Travis Stem took Clark (5-15) down for a 2-0 first-period advantage, then widened that to 4-0 on a second-period reversal before turning Clark for the fall in 2:53.
In the 275-pound matchup, BEA senior Joel Yoder, who has over 60 career pins and is closing in on 100 wins had four takedowns in a 10-2 major decision that was Tyrone sophomore Terry Tate’s first loss in his last 10 matches. Tate (23-4) wasn’t able to do anything with the heavier Yoder.
At 103, Brad Clontz led Robert Waite (12-12) only 2-0 in the middle of the second period, when he was able to turn the Tyrone ninth grader for the fall at the 3:29 mark. The second forfeit for BEA came at 112.
Dane McCloskey (18-8) and Josh Shirk traded escapes during regulation to send the match at 119, into overtime. Each wrestler took a good shot, but Shirk was successful for the takedown and a 3-1 overtime win, that was the closest contest of the entire dual.
At 125, Thad Westley (25-6) notched a takedown and nearfall to lead 4-2, over Clint Shirk, after the opening period, but was unable to extend his lead or score for the remainder of the match. In the mean time, Shirk took over the lead with an escape and takedown of his own in the second period and neither wrestler scored in the final two minute period. This was Westley’s first dual meet loss (8-1), all of his other losses have come in tournaments.
Mark Fisher showed how to get a takedown on Brett Harris at 130, registering three in the first period, two in the second and one more in the third, until he got Harris (20-9) where he wanted him, working for the fall in 4:44. Along with Yoder, Fisher and Clint Shirk all also closing in on 100 career wins for BEA.
Scott Maney went out and quickly worked David Miller (22-8) over for a fall in 1:15, the quickest of the night for BEA.
In the final bout of the match, Eric Fisher took Adam Swayne down twice in the first period for a 4-1 advantage. When Swayne (10-12) scored a reversal to cut the deficit to 4-3, Fisher escaped, notched a takedown and applied the pin in 2:52.
“Coming in here to wrestle a team the quality of Bald Eagle Area 13 or 14 and 0, you know they will give you a fight,” said Coach Packer. “They have beaten teams like State College, Erie Prep, Cumberland Valley. You know you are going to have a tough time down here (at BEA) any time you come down. They have a tough team from top to bottom. We came in here and got a good experience. We wrestled hard and from what I saw was totally pleased. The only way I would be more pleased would be for us to win it or score more points.”
Tyrone will wrestle Mount Union at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in the semifinals of the Team Duals at Tyrone. Consolation finals will go at 5 p.m. and championship finals will follow at 6:30 p.m.
In a sort of day-night double header, the Tyrone-BEA junior high match took place earlier at BEA at four p.m.
The Tyrone junior high team took it on the chin as well with BEA defeating them 65-25. Heath Walk remained undefeated (20-0) with a pin at 165, and Jeff Miller (210) and T. J. Albright (100) added pins for the Little Eagles. Shayne Tate (95) won by major decision and James Updike by regular decision.
Bald Eagle Area 68 Tyrone 6
145 – Brice Mertiff (T) pinned Brandon Guenot 1:54
152 – David Fisher (BEA) pinned J. D. Shaw 3:14
160 – Brock Bickle (BEA) won by maj. dec. Chris Tremmel 10-2
171 – Seth Nyman (BEA) pinned Blake Cowfer 5:20
189 – Monte Rockey (BEA) won by forfeit
215 – Travis Stem (BEA) pinned Justin Clark 2:53
275 – Joel Yoder (BEA) won by maj. dec. Terry Tate 10-2
103 – Bryant Clontz (BEA) pinned Robert Waite 3:29
112 – Tyler Skripek (BEA) won by forfeit
119 – Josh Shirk (BEA) dec. Dane McCloskey 3-1 OT
125 – Clint Shirk (BEA) dec. Thad Westley 5-4
130 – Mark Fisher (BEA) pinned Brett Harris 4:44
135 – Scott Maney (BEA) pinned David Miller 1:15
140 – Eric Fisher (BEA) pinned Adam Swayne 2:52
Junior High
Bald Eagle Area 65 Tyrone 25
122 – Jared Soster (BEA) dec, Sam McCloskey 10-8
130 – James Updike (T) dec. Luke Showers 6-2
138 – Kyle Wallace (BEA) pinned Donnie Conrad 1”06
145 – Brian Kochik (BEA) 2:50
155 – Mike Cook (BEA) pinned Tyler Updike 2:04
165 – Heath Walk (T) pinned Kevin Struble 0:34
185 – Mike Davis (BEA) dec. Johnny Miller 5-2
210 – Jeffrey Miller (T) pinned Richie Barger 0:36
250 – Brandon Maynard (BEA) pinned Brandon Oswalt 2:14
75 – Cory Gates (BEA) won by forfeit
80 – Zane Gardner (BEA) pinned Anthony Romano 4:26
85 – Caleb Hoffman (BEA) pinned Chris Miller 0:42
90 – Jake Shirk (BEA) won by tech fall Shane Emigh 17-1, 3:25
95 – Shayner Tate (T) won by maj. dec. Jeff Shawley 11-0
100 – T. J. Albright (T) pinned Kyle Hoffman 0:32
105 – Ryan McNamara (BEA) dec Justin Schopp 6-1
110 – Shawn Sweitzer (BEA) won by maj. dec. Jacob Smerekar 11-1
115 – Randy Breon (BEA) won by tech fall J. P, Gaines 18-2, 3:52
