By Todd Irwin

sports@altoonamirror.com

The fourth bout between Tyrone’s Kyle Scott and Bald Eagle Area’s Caleb Close in the Southwest Regional Class 2A Tournament finals had actually become more dominant for Close than in the previous three tournament encounters.

Close had built a 14-1 lead after two periods of the 189-pound bout and was up 14-2 when Scott pulled a big move out of his toolbox.

Scott, ranked third by PA Power Wrestling, threw the second-ranked Close to his back with 38 seconds left in the bout for a takedown and got four nearfall points.

But Close worked his way off his back with 31 seconds left and Scott rode him the rest of the way to set the final at 14-9 on Saturday night at the Altoona Fieldhouse.

“That’s fresh out of Quentin Wright’s cookbook. He teaches that a lot,” Scott said laughing. “Down 14-1, you’ve got to go for something, so I went for it and I got it. That was probably a one in a million chance right there. But I couldn’t get (the win) done, and that’s all that matters.”

“That’s the only thing we could do left,” Wright said. “It was in the moment and Kyle went for it and got him to his back.”

It was the second year in a row Scott, a junior, was the regional runner-up. He earned his third medal in the tournament.

Scott (39-4) was one of five wrestlers from the Mirror coverage area who placed within the top seven of their weight classes to qualify for the PIAA Championships, which begins Thursday in Hershey. The other four wrestlers qualified for their first state tournaments.

Central Cambria has two state qualifiers in sophomore Burke Niebauer (127), who was fourth, and senior Jake Wilson (145), who took fifth. Both qualified in their second regional appearances.

“I feel great,” Central Cambria coach Matt Niebauer said. “I thought we showed up and did what we needed to do.”

Northern Bedford senior Wyatt Clouse (127) finished fifth in his third regional tournament. Clouse placed eighth place last season. Cambria Heights senior Marshall Eckenrode (160) placed sixth in his second regional tournament.

Northern Bedford senior Aiden Replogle (114) came up one place of short of making it to Hershey by placing eighth.

Scott had a gutcheck in the semifinals against win against Derry Area’s fourth-ranked Brady Brown. Scott had to ride Brown out in the second tiebreaker period to earn a 2-1 win.

“Brady’s tough,” Scott said. “He’s one of my good friends. We train together sometimes. It just came down to being tough on top again, so I had to ride him out. I was riding him in the third period, and I could feel him starting to break.”

“We didn’t get takedowns. We weren’t getting takedowns,” Wright said. “That was just a tough, gritty match sometimes you just have to wrestle.”

Close (41-1) took Scott down three times and put him on his back for four points in the second period. Close released Scott in the third period as he hunted a technical fall, but Scott spoiled that plan with his big move.

“He’s so strong,” Scott said. “It’s hard to deal with stuff like that. He’s a really good hand fighter and overall a great wrestler. It seems like (Close has gotten better). Every match keeps getting worse and worse until I threw him, but that could have gotten ugly.

“I’m a freestyle and Greco guy, and I’m pretty good at that stuff. It was just the right place at the right time.”

“Kyle wrestled as good as he could wrestle here,” Wright said. “We learned a few more things. We’re getting a little bit better in different positions. We had an exciting moment with a kid (Close) who has been crushing us all year. We were able to figure a way to score points against him.”

Niebauer, who finished seventh last season but came up one place shy of qualifying, went 4-2 with two decisions and two pins in the regional.

Both of his losses were high-scoring bouts – 17-11 to Penns Valley’s eventual champ Erik Carlile in the quarterfinals and 16-12 to Bishop McCort’s Austin Carfley in the third-place bout.

“I think he figured some things out this weekend,” Niebauer said of his son. “I think his mindset was on point. Being coach and dad, I’ve seen glimpses of it in the practice room at times. This might have been the first time he’s put a whole weekend together.”

Clouse was pinned by Carlile in the semifinals and Carfley in the consolation semifinals before earning a 7-1 win over Marion Center’s Griffin Tinsman in the fifth-place bout and finishing 3-2.

“He rebounded very well,” Northern Bedford coach Brian Dutchcot said. “I knew Carlile was tough. We ran into Carfley from Bishop McCort, another tough wrestler. He bounced back to beat Tinsman for fifth, and it was great to see that.”

Wilson lost in the first round before going 4-2 with two decisions, a technical fall and a forfeit win for fifth place.

“First match jitters, first match whatever, I don’t know what it was,” Coach Niebauer said. “He wasn’t himself in that first match. But I thought Jake put his head down, refocused and came out and did what he had to do the second day.”

A four-year starter, Eckenrode went 3-3 with a pin and two decisions to qualify for the state tournament.

“It’s really special,” Eckenrode said. “I wrestled a lot better today than I did at districts I think and beat one kid who beat me at districts (Penns Valley’s Brayden Lisowski). I’ve learned so much more and gotten so much stronger since last year. That makes all the difference.”

“I feel amazing for him,” Heights coach Adam Terza said. “He’s put in a lot of work over the years since he was a little kid, especially this year getting up before school and doing little workouts in his basement.”

“As a dad, it feels awesome,” his dad and two-time state qualifier Lance Eckenrode said. “It’s a great thing for him to punch his ticket to states.”

Ridge’s Deputy loses

Chestnut Ridge’s two-time state runner-up Dominic Deputy was denied his third regional title when Bald Eagle Area’s District 6 Outstanding Wrestler Tanner Guenot took him down late to win, 3-2, at 121 pounds.

“It happens,” said Ridge coach Josh Deputy, who has five state qualifiers. “Tanner’s a good kid. Dom has won two times and hasn’t won a state title. Maybe this is what he’s needed.”

Tussey Mountain’s Dakota Santamaria was beaten by Bishop McCort’s Keegan Bassett, 10-2, in the 107-pound finals.

McCort sets records

Bishop McCort set regional tournament records for points (314), champions (seven) and state qualifiers (12) in the tournament. The Crimson Crushers won the team title by 205.5 points over second-place Derry (108.5).

TEAM KEY

A–Avella; AVON–Avonworth; BEA–Bald Eagle Area; BED–Bedford; BENT–Bentworth; BB–Berlin Brothersvalley; BC–Beth-Center; BURG–Burgettstown; BURR–Burrell; CH–Cambria Heights; CAR–Carlynton; C–Central; CC–Central Cambria; CV–Central Valley; CHART–Chartiers Houston; CR–Chestnut Ridge; CK–Claysburg-Kimmel; CT–Conemaugh Township; DA–Derry Area; EF–Elizabeth Forward; E–Everett; EC–Elwood City; FC–Fort Cherry; FH–Forest Hills; FRA–Frazier; FA–Freedom Area; G–Glendale; HIGH–Highlands; H–Huntingdon; JM–Jefferson Morgan; J–Juniata; KO–Keystone Oaks; K–Knoch; L–Laurel; MC–Marion Center; MCG–McGuffey; M–Meyersdale; MV–Moshannon Valley; MP–Mount Pleasant; MU–Mount Union; NA–Neighborhood Academy; NB–Northern Bedford; NS–North Star; PC–Penn Cambria; PO–Philipsburg-Osceola; PV–Penns Valley; QV–Quaker Valley; RV–River Valley; S–Somerset; SOUTH–Southmoreland; SP–South Park; SA–Summit Academy; TM–Tussey Mountain; T–Tyrone; U–United; V–Valley; W–Washington; WG–West Greene; WH–Westmont Hilltop

TOP 20 TEAM STANDINGS

1. Bishop McCort 314; 2. Derry Area 108.5; 3. Chestnut Ridge 99; 4. Bald Eagle Area 98.5; 5. Burrell 90.5; 6. Penns Valley 75; 7. McGuffey 65.5; 8. Frazier 58; 9. Somerset 56; 10. Huntingdon and United 53.5; 12. Bentworth 51; 13. Elizabeth Forward 44.5; 14. Laurel 39; 15. Tussey Mountain 36.5; 16. Northern Bedford 31; 17. Central Cambria and Quaker Valley 30.5; 19. Moshannon Valley, Richland and Freedom 29.

SEMIFINALS

107–Santamaria, TM, tech fall Sholly, H, 19-1, 2:51; K. Bassett, BM, tech fall Weyandt, CR, 18-3, 2:29; 114–Dinges, PV, dec. Mull, CR, 10-8; E. Herring, BM, dec. Bubash, EF, 7-2; 121–Deputy, CR, pinned Thomas, BURR, 1:07; Guenot, BEA, pinned Kosanovic, AVON, 1:19; 127–Carlile, PV, pinned Clouse, NB, 2:28; Ant. Boni, CV, maj. dec. Tinsman, MC, 8-0; 133–Forrest, BM, tech fall McClure, BENT, 19-4, 2:26; Judice, BEA, dec. Mucci, DA, 7-5; 139–Bracken, U, tech fall Lomison, BEA, 20-5, 4:09; S. Herring, BM, tech fall Bertucci, BURR, 17-2, 2:23; 145–B. Bassett, BM, tech fall Ickes, CR, 19-4, 1:14; Boyer, EF, dec. Garshnick, U, 2-0

152–Magro, BM, tech fall Erdely, FRA, 17-2, 2:36; Horwat, DA, tech fall Zanella, BURR, 21-6, 1:32; 160–Miller, BM, tech fall Celaschi, FRA, 23-8, 3:12; Ivcic, BENT, dec. Olsonn, DA, 6-4; 172–O’Farrill, BM, pinned Angelo, FRA, 5:24; Lacinski, BURR, dec. Masood, M, 10-3; 189–Close, BEA, pinned Williams, FA, 1:22; Scott, , dec. Brown, DA, 2-1 TB; 215–Welsh, FC, pinned Ryan, MU, :30; Erdman, H, pinned Hagans, S, 3:25; 285–Holmes, S, dec. Rodriguez, BM, 2-1; Whyte, WG, dec. McCoy, WH, 11-4.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

107–K. Bassett, BM, maj. dec. Santamaria, M, 10-2; 114–Dinges, PV, dec. E. Herring, BM, 8-3; 121–Guenot, BEA, dec. Deputy, C, 3-2; 127–Carlile, PV, dec. Ant. Boni, CV, 11-4; 133–Forrest, BM, tech fall Judice, BEA, 23-4, 2:21; 139–S. Herring, BM, maj. dec. Bracken, U, 13-2; 145–B. Bassett, BM, tech fall Boyer, EF, 21-6, 1:25

152–Magro, BM, dec. Horwat, DA, 4-0; 160–Miller, BM, pinned Ivcic, BENT, 1:27; 172–O’Farrill, BM, dec. Lacinski, BURR, 8-6; 189–Close, BEA, dec. Scott, T, 14-9; 215–Welsh, FC, dec. Erdman, H, 4-2; 285–Holmes, S, dec. Whyte, WG, 7-0.

THIRD PLACE

107–Chambers, HIGH, tech fall Weyandt, CR, 15-0, 4:14; 114–Mull, CR, dec. Bubash, EF, 8-5; 121–Silfies, BM, dec. Main, MCG, 4-2; 127–Carfley, BM, dec. Niebauer, CC, 16-12; 133–Mucci, DA, dec. McClure, BENT, 4-1; 139–Lomison, BEA, maj. dec. Bertucci, BURR, 12-4; 145–Garshnick, U, maj. dec. Ickes, CR, 8-0

152–Erdely, FRA, dec. Zanella, BURR, 5-0; 160–Celaschi, FRA, dec. Olson, DA, 4-2; 172–Angelo, FRA, maj. dec. Reifer, MV, 12-2; 189–Pensiero, BM, pinned Brown, DA, 4:08; 215–Ryan, MU, pinned Hagans, S, 1:27; 285–McCoy, WH, dec. Rodriguez, BM, 4-1.

FIFTH PLACE

107–Sholly, H, dec. Simmons, BURG, 10-5; 114–Ealy, MCG, dec. Hummel, PO, 5-4 OT; 121–Thomas, BURR, won by forfeit over Kosanovic, AVON; 127–Clouse, NB, dec. Tinsman, MC, 7-1; 133–Wolfe, MCG, maj. dec. Wright, BC, 9-0; 139–Barr, MCG, dec. Danna, QV, 4-2; 145–Wilson, CC, won by forfeit over Shaffer, BB

152–McCray, FA, pinned Noyes, BURG, 1:28; 160–Lilly, EC, dec. Eckenrode, CH, 4-1; 172–Delara, SOUTH, dec. Masood, TM, 7-2; 189–Mahla, R, dec. Williams, FA, 6-4; 215–Lobb, MV, dec. Sudor, CAR, 1-0; 285–Wilson, L, dec. Brambley, E, 2-1 TB.

SEVENTH PLACE

107–Christ, CT, maj. dec. Wolestagle, EF, 9-0; 114–Anderchak, QV, dec. Replogle, NB, 5-1; 121–Bateman, DA, pinned Myers, PV, 1:43; 127–Beatrice, DA, won by forfeit over Gable, PO; 133–Kostick, R, maj. dec. Valentine, S, 11-0; 139–B. Durst, BB, tech fall Klim, DA, 15-0, 4:45; 145–Patton, W, dec. Perkins, V, 2-0

152–Carr, L, dec. Newman, MCG, 5-3; 160–Catullo, BURR, won by forfeit over B. Lisowski, PV; 172–Clark, H, dec. Richey, QV, 7-5; 189–Imler, CR, pinned Peruso, H, 4:04; 215–Carlson, L, pinned Yatsky, FH, 2:54; 285–Barbisch, CAR, pinned Rusilko, BENT, 2:29.