NTL WRESTLING: TOWANDA GETS A BIG FALL FROM JONES IN WIN OVER NEB (January 6, 2026)

Northern Tier Sports Report
TOWANDA — The close league matches keep coming for Towanda, and they keep winning them, as they fought off a tough NEB team, 39-26, in NTL action Tuesday.

"This was, quite honestly, a match that could have gone either way,” Towanda head coach Bill Sexton said. “We have our strong points. They have theirs. We didn’t exactly match up strong points to strong points. It basically came down to what our kids could do and vice versa.”

The Knights got a big rally from Hagen Jones (145), who finished the first period down 12-1 to Alex Gomez, but turned around and got the fall in 3:20 during the second period.

"That match was pivotal,” Sexton said. “He got himself thrown on his back twice, just trying to salvage not giving up bonus points. Then he got the fall for us and got us back on track. We told him to just get yourself back into the match. He got thrown on his back twice. He learned from it, took over and got on top. Once he gets on top, he does a nice job.”

Two weights later Towanda was able to clinch it with four bouts left.

“There was a couple of swing matches that needed to go our way, and they didn’t go our way,” said NEB coach Curt Cole. 

NEB jostled some wrestlers around, with Mason Alexander, Kale Howland, Asher Kolesar, and Ben Ellis all bumping up. They combined for 23 of the team’s 26 points, but the Panthers didn’t get much elsewhere.

“That’s to be expected,” Cole said. “There’s nobody at 14 so (Mason) has to shift up. He did what he was supposed to do. Ben was a heavyweight last year, and he weighs like 205 pounds. He’s doing himself good with eating right, and getting healthy. Although sometimes he doesn’t to wrestle heavyweight, he does it for the team, and he doesn’t complain about it.”

The match opened with Towanda’s Mason Harbst (107) getting a forfeit for the Knights.

After a double forfeit at 114 Alexander pinned Towanda’s Brayden Fessenden in 3:23 to knot things up at 6-6.

At 127 NEB’s Hunter Comstock used a third period takedown to edge Jayden Stranger 3-1 for a 9-6 Panther lead.

That’s when they hit Towanda’s big guns, beginning with Bryghton Yale (133) getting a fall over Maddex Rooker in 59 seconds.

Tanner Vanderpool (139) followed with a 36 second pin over William Chappell.

After Jones pulled off his come from behind fall Knight Reese Sluyter (152) pinned Kelton Raymond in 1:08.

At 160 Gage Evans scored a 15-0 tech fall over Connor Eastabrook in 5:02 to make it 35-9 Towanda to clinch the win.

At 172 Towanda’s Kolton McPeak racked up a 15-2 major decision over Russell Martin.

The Panthers got a tech fall and two pins in the final three weights.

Howland (189) won 16-1 in 4:00 over Tommy Bowen, Kolesar pinned Hunter Williams in 1:00, and Ellis got a fall over Dom Miller in 2:52.

NEB (9-2) will have to gear up for another big match on Thursday when they host Williamson with a 6 p.m. varsity start.

Towanda (8-4) will host the Flynn Duals on Saturday with an 11 a.m. start.

"Duals are always a fun day,” Sexton said. “Two highlights of our home season really bring that kind of competition from all over the place. We got a couple of really solid teams coming in.”

— — 

TOWANDA 39, NEB 26
107: Mason Harbst (T) fft
114: Double Forfeit
121: Mason Alexander (N) fall Brayden Fessenden, 3:23
127: Hunter Comstock (N) dec. Jayden Stranger, 3-1
133: Bryghton Yale (T) fall Maddex Rooker, :59
139: Tanner Vanderpool (T) fall William Chappell, :36
145: Hagen Jones (T) fall Alex Gomez, 3:20
152: Reese Sluyter (T) fall Kelton Raymond, 1:08
160: Gage Evans (T) tech. Connor Eastabrook, 15-0, 5:02
172: Colton McPeak (T) maj. Russell Martin, 15-2
189: Kale Howland (N) tech. Tommy Bowen, 17-1, 4:00
215: Asher Kolesar (N) fall Hunter Williams, 1:00
285: Ben Ellis (N) fall Dominik Miller, 2:52

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