NTL WRESTLING: TOWANDA BOYS LOOKING TO RELOAD AS THEY WORK TO DEFEND TITLES (December 1, 2025)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
It will be a changing of the guard for Towanda wrestling in 2025-2026, though one still with a full cupboard as they return a state qualifier, and several regional qualifiers from last year’s squad.

“It’s an interesting year,” said Towanda coach Bill Sexton. “People will look at us and say, ‘well, they had 13 seniors that graduated, and there’s nobody there.’ In reality, there’s a lot of people that are back. We have nine returning lettermen back this year, we have a state qualifier, three section champions are back. We’ve got six full time starters. We did lose a lot, but we got a lot back.”

The four core wrestlers returning are Gage Evans, Reese Sluyter, Curtis Maynard, and Tanner Vanderpool.

“We have people that have two or three years left in their careers,” Sexton said. “They’re still on the upswing. Hopefully, their best years are still ahead of them.”

In his freshman year Evans went 39-12, claiming a North Section title, a fourth place finish at districts, and a bronze at regionals before going 0-2 at states.

An injury kept Evans out all of football season, so he’s chomping at the bit to see some action on the wrestling match.

“I’m hoping to do the same thing this year, and go further than I did last year,” Evans said. “It’s a lot different than my younger years. A lot of great kids, I’ve got to work harder than those kids to do better.”

The sophomore wants to be better on his feet this year.

“I got taken down in stupid ways that I shouldn’t have,” remarked Evans. “Letting kids get to my legs too easily, so I’ve been working on my feet, and definitely on top. Last year I basically did the same moves, I want to try to learn new moves this year, and put it all together.”

He’ll be moving up to 145 this year after wrestling in the 130’s a year ago.

“I won’t have to suck as much as I did last year, so I will definitely have a lot more strength and energy this year,” Evans said.

Maynard went 41-24 a year ago, just missing out on states. He claims da sectional title at 121, then was fourth at districts, and fifth at regionals.

An injury likely kept Sluyter from states as he went 26-9 as a freshman. He claimed a sectional title at 139, then took sixth at districts.

The lone senior Vanderpool is no stranger to injuries. He went 21-12 a year ago, taking third at sectionals, then seventh at districts to qualify for regionals at 127 pounds.

“When he’s healthy he’s a real force,” Sexton said about Vanderpool. 

One wrestler looking to step up this year is senior Mason Harbst. He was an undersized 106-pounder a year ago, but after adding some weight he should be wrestling most of the season on even footing.

“His biggest opponent has always been his size,” said Sexton. “He had a nice finish through last season - he was able to place at sectionals even though he’s seven pounds under weight. This year he’s actually in the weight class.”

Harbst has been doing a little bit of everything to get ready for the year.

“I’ve been working a bit more on shots, and a little more on defense,” he said.

Harbst is ready to wrestle anybody, big or small.

“It can be a disadvantage, but it can also be an advantage,” he said about size. “You can be a lot more quicker if you’re smaller.”

One wrestler looking to break into the line-up again is Bryghton Yale. He’s been in and out of the line-up, but is ready if he’s called upon this year.

“It’s a big step up from last year because we have a lot of younger guys, and there isn’t a lot of older guys who have been on the team for a long time,” Yale said. “There’s a lot of people that need to step up. It’s going to be a commitment from a lot of people, because last year people who weren’t in the line-up, or people who didn’t have as much time as others, need to step in.”

He’ll be looking to wrestle in the 130’s, but is willing to go wherever his team needs him.

“It’s going to be a battle of hammers to see who gets the spots,” Yale said. “I believe that we will spread out as the season goes on, and fill out more spots than just the 130’s.”

As for him, he’s looking to improve his offense.

“I’ve done a lot of wrestling on my feet,” said Yale. “I needed better takedowns, better maneuvers, and better set-ups.”

Sexton expects a big season out of Yale.

“He’s had to wait his time again,” he said. “He’s a very strong technical wrestler, and he’s a kid who works really hard.”

Kolton McPeak and Hagen Jones are two others that could be ones to watch this year. Wrestling fans outside of Towanda may not know them because they were stuck behind some big guns last year, but Sexton could see them having breakout years this season.

“The cupboard is definitely not bare,” he said.

That’s good because they’re going to have a target on their backs in the NTL and beyond after what they’ve done the past couple of seasons.

“I want all these teams to send their best kids at us,” said Evans. “Give us good competition.”

They have every intention to defend their NTL title this year, and several teams - Williamson, Athens, Wyalusing, Canton to name a few - have every intention to take it from them.

“We talked about that the first day,” Sexton said. “We’re the 2-time defending league champions and 2-time defending North Section champions. We’ve been District IV Duals place winners as a team. Our goal basically is to defend what is ours, and to take everything else. We’ve made our mark over the last four years, and, primarily, those people have all graduated. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, everybody knows who we are, and everybody’s going to point to us on the local level. And we didn’t do anything to reduce our schedule, our non-league schedule is still very formidable.”

They have D4 duals champions Montoursville on the schedule, along with Warrior Run, Montgomery, and others beyond District IV.

“We hope to be competitive again with all of those teams, plus the teams in our own league,” Sexton said. “I expect a really tough year. All around the league you have good coaches and kids who work hard, hopefully we keep all of our pieces intact.”

ROSTER (Grade) 
Mason Harbst (12)
Gabe Tenny (12)
Tanner Vanderpool (12)
Bryghton Yale (12)
Tommy Bowen (11)
Jazick Brown (11)
Jevan Gunther (11)
Curtis Maynard (11)
Kolton McPeak (11)
Dillon Sbragia (11)
Jaydon Stranger (11)
Lydian Bailey (10)
Finn Brennan (10)
Gage Evans (10)
Hagen Jones (10)
Brayden Fessenden (10)
Dominick Miller (10)
Colin Parker (10)
Reese Sluyter (10)
Jason Thetga (10)
Hunter Williams (10)
Joey Montonya (9)

SCHEDULE
Dec. 10 at Horseheads, 7 p.m.
Dec. 11 vs Williamson, 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 hosts Dandy Duals, 11 a.m.
Dec. 15 vs Wellsboro, 7 p.m.
Dec. 17 at Montoursville, 7 p.m.
Dec. 23 vs Central Columbia, 5 p.m.
Dec. 29 at Windsor Tournament, 10 a.m.
Dec. 30 at Windsor Tournament, 10 a.m.
Jan. 6 vs NEB, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 hosts Flynn Duals, 11 a.m.
Jan. 13 vs Warrior Run, 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Wyalusing, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17 at Canton, 7 p.m.
Jan. 21 at Athens, 7 p.m.
Jan. 23 at Ultimate Warrior
Jan. 24 at Ultimate Warrior

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