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West Perry repeats as county wrestling champs

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This time, there was no late-match drama, no what-ifs (well, maybe a couple) and, ultimately, no doubt.

West Perry is the class of Perry County wrestling.

On Jan. 23 on their home mats, the Mustangs dispatched, first, Susquenita 47-21 then, in the finale, Newport 47-23 to claim the 31st edition of the county wrestling championship.

For West Perry, it was a second title in a row and 11th overall. Susquenita has an event-best 12 overall, but none since 2012.

“Going in, I knew Newport would be motivated (to take back the traveling trophy). They have really good, seasoned wrestlers,” said Mustang coach Craig May, whose team has opened the year with seven straight wins. “We had to wrestle really well, and we did. I can’t ask for any more than what the kids gave us.”

West Perry opened the tournament by taking eight of 13 weights from the undermanned Blackhawks, who had two starters unavailable and were forced to give up two forfeits.

“It’s a tough situation right now, giving up 12 points every match,” said Blackhawk coach Jim Yinger, whose team is 1-4. “Having those two (unavailable wrestlers) would have made a difference.”

The Mustangs packaged those two forfeits with pins by Blain Puchalsky (120), Joe Saylor (152), Tyler Wonders (172) and Josh Trostle (285) with Justice Hockenberry-Folk’s tech fall at 138 and decisions by Deven Jackson (113) and Carter Nace (145) to nail down the win.

Newport took on the Blackhawks in the second match, needing a win to have a chance at regaining the title.

Like the Mustangs, the Buffaloes enjoyed an 8-5 split of weight classes, rolling to a 42-27 win that included pins by Calvin Sarver (120), Ganon Smith (152) and Will Finkenbinder (189). Andrew Degiglio (138) added a tech fall. Mason Messick (126) and Will Davis (160) posted major decisions.

That set up a rematch with West Perry for the championship which was decided on the penultimate bout of last year’s tournament, a 3-1 decision for Mustang Jonathan Lentvorsky.

The Buffaloes got off to a quick start when Will Davis, who had lost that decisive decision a year ago, needed just 25 seconds to win by fall at 160.

The Mustangs then forfeited to Buffalo senior Mason Huggins in the 172-pound match.

May agonized over the decision to forfeit — he had Wonders, one of his top wrestlers at that weight.

“I hate forfeiting,” May said. “It took (Mustang assistants) Zach (Kell) and Chaz (Sheaffer) a half hour to convince me that it would be huge for team points.”

Buffalo coach Mike Capozzoli immediately grasped the implications.

“When they bumped Wonders and (Brad) Morrison up a weight, I knew we were in trouble,” Capozzoli said. “We thought we had a chance to split the four weights from 172 to 285.”

The Buffaloes got one — Huggins’ forfeit.

Worse, Wonders, Morrison and Trostle each recorded a pin. The three-weight explosion rocketed West Perry into an 18-12 lead.

May had yet another card to play — at 106. Knowing the Buffaloes had no 106-pounder, he sent out Brady Sokoloski to accept the forfeit and bumped Ashtyn Leigh and Deven Jackson up a weight.

He was rewarded when Leigh pinned and Jackson carved out a steady 6-1 win over Sarver.

“Calvin wrestled Jackson really well,” Capozzoli said. “Deven’s just too strong. If he can grab hold of you, he pulls you down.”

“Cap is solid from 120 to 172,” May explained. “Being able to bump Ashtyn and Deven really helped. Ashtyn’s pin was huge.”

Now up 33-12, with just five bouts remaining, the Mustangs had the title clearly in their sights.

A stunning 5-4 win in overtime — on a stalling penalty — by Messick, who tied the match with a takedown with 4.2 seconds left, kept the Buffaloes’ hopes alive. So, too, did Danny Capozzoli’s gritty 4-2 win over Nolen Zeigler, which brought Newport to within 33-18.

Those hopes ended emphatically just under four minutes later on Hockenberry-Folk’s win by fall. Carter Nace’s 8-6 decision at 145 bumped West Perry’s lead to 42-18, making Smith’s powerful 16-0 tech fall immaterial.

“Ganon and Will had really good tournaments. They’re both 70-80 match winners. They’re good at what they do. You expect them to go out there and get it done,” Capozzoli said. “Mason Messick is fun to watch. There, at the end of regulation, he picked the kid’s ankle, hooked it with his leg and got the takedown.

“That was a nice move for a freshman.”

Mustang notes

West Perry had six of the 11 wrestlers who picked up two wins.

Wonders and Trostle were the only wrestlers with two wins by fall.

They joined Morrison (pin and a forfeit) and Huggins (two forfeits) with tourney-best 12 dual-meet points.

Smith and Hockenberry-Folk each contributed 11 dual-meet points.

Nace and Jackson also had two wins.

Wonders finished his tournament run with a 4-0 record, each coming by fall.

Morrison and Smith are 6-0 with one more year to go.

Morrison has five pins and a forfeit for the maximum 36 team points.

Hockenberry-Folk, a sophomore, is 4-0 with 19 points, including 10 for a pair of tech falls.

Jackson (71 career wins) and Morrison (68) have opened the year with seven straight wins.

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