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DISTRICT WRESTLING PREVIEW: CANTON WRESTLERS LOOK TO KEEP THEIR COMEBACK GOING (2021-02-18)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Canton won the North Section title, but it was a long road back when the program went on hiatus on January 25 due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

They had 10 days where they couldn’t be around each other. Then, when they returned to practice on February 4, they had little more than a week to get ready for the North Section Tournament.

“It was tough,” said Hayden Ward, who won the 138 pound title. “Trying to get back into shape the first couple of practices. The first couple of practices were harder, and we just needed to work on what we needed to work on.”

“Practice was really hard these last eight days,” added Riley Parker, the 160 pound champion. “Leading up to this everyone did their own stuff when we couldn’t practice, but it really paid off.”

It was easier for some, such as Isaac and Cohen Landis, who had their practice buddy at home.

“I was still working with my brother at home with our little mat,” explained Isaac Landis, who won the 120 pound class. “I never stopped the grind, and kept going.”

Then, the first few days were just like the few days of practice at the beginning of the season.

“We worked really hard getting back in shape,” said Isaac. “Pretty much just to get over everything as quick as we could, and get back in shape.”

It worked as they got eight wrestlers on to the District IV Tournament Saturday, most out of any team in the NTL.

That was impressive, considering a few of their wrestlers did have symptoms, and, whether it’s Covid-19, the flu or a cold, coming back from a sickness is never easy.

“Did we wrestle our best,” Coach Lyle Wesneski rhetorically asked. “No. But the kids battled.”

The ones who made it through get another week to get that much sharper, though they will need it going up against the best in the district.

It’s a testament to their mental toughness that they made it this far. If not for the outbreak they would have won their second straight NTL title this season.

Now, though, they’ve refocused on the individual season, and will be looking to earn a trip to Hershey.

“We’re proud of them staying the course,” said Wesneski. “Regrouping, mentally keeping it together. It’s been a grind. I’m proud of them.”

DISTRICT IV PREVIEW

106

Wyalusing freshman C.J. Carr will get Line Mountain’s Nolan Baumert in the quarter finals, but a win will pit him against top seed, Montoursville’s Branden Wentzel.

Canton’s Cohen Landis is in the pigtail, and will need to win to stay in the tournament.

Pigtail

Danville’s Blake Sassaman (17-2) vs Canton’s Cohen Landis (9-1)

Quarterfinals

Montoursville’s Branden Wentzel (18-2) vs Landis/Sassaman

Line Mountain’s Nolan Baumert (24-7) vs Wyalusing’s C.J. Carr (14-1)

Lewisburg’s Jace Gessner (14-3) vs Benton’s Chase Burke (17-4)

Jersey Shore’s Brock Weiss (24-1) vs Muncy’s Josh Hill (14-8)

113

Athens’ Gavin Bradley owns the top seed, and is the likely favorite to win the district, though second seed, Robert Gardner of South Williamsport, is also undefeated.

Troy’s Joseph Schwenk gets the South Section Champion, SCA’s Brady Feese, in the quarters.

Pigtail

Line Mountain’s Brody Long (19-14) vs Montgomery’s Blake Snyder (25-4)

Quarterfinals

Athens’ Gavin Bradley (30-0) vs Long/Snyder

Shamokin’s Wade Alleman (10-6) vs Warrior Run’s Kaden Milheim (11-1)

Southern Columbia’s Brady Feese (12-2) vs Troy’s Joseph Schwenk (13-8)

S. Williamsport’s Robert Gardner (29-0) vs Sullivan County’s Rocky Finnegan (11-5)

120

North Section Champion, Canton’s Isaac Landis, will face 1-loss Kaden Majcher of Warrior Run. Athens’ Mason Vanderpool is on the other side of the bracket, and will face Line Mountain’s Aidan Kritzer.

Williamson’s Carter Gontarz will need to win in the pigtail to stay in the tournament.

Pigtail

Williamson’s Carter Gontarz (9-4) vs Danville’s Andrew Johnson (18-3)

Quarterfinals

Benton’s Ethan Kolb (13-4) vs Gontarz/Johnson

Athens’ Mason Vanderpool (14-4) vs Line Mountain’s Aidan Kritzer (20-4)

Canton’s Isaac Landis (7-2) vs Warrior Run’s Kaden Majcher (12-1)

SCA’s Mason Barvitskie (11-0) vs Montgomery’s Caden Finck (25-4)

126

Troy’s Seth Seymour will face Muncy’s Scott Johnson in the first round while Wyalusing’s Hunter Manahan faces SCA’s Kole Biscoe. Athens’ Jacob Courtney is in the pigtail.

This looks to be a very competitive bracket as the top seven wrestlers have five losses or less.

Pigtail

Athens’ Jacob Courtney (14-9) vs Line Mountain’s Lane Schadel (27-6)

Quarterfinals

Benton’s Gable Strickland (23-0) vs Courtney/Schadel

Wyalusing’s Hunter Manahan (10-4) vs Southern Columbia’s Kole Biscoe (12-3)

Troy’s Seth Seymour (19-2) vs Muncy’s Scott Johnson (18-3)

Mifflinburg’s Gabe Gramly (23-2) vs Montgomery’s Hunter Leet (24-5)

132

Canton’s Bailey Ferguson will get Line Mountain’s Mason Leshock in the quarterfinals with NPL’s Patriot June in the play in match.

Pigtail

NPL’s Patriot June (8-4) vs Midd-West’s Conner Heckman (24-4)

Quarterfinals

Meadowbrook’s Cade Wirnsberger (20-5) vs June/Heckman

Canton’s Bailey Ferguson (8-1) vs Line Mountain’s Mason Leshock (26-6)

Jersey Shore’s Liam Goodrich (16-11) vs Muncy’s Bryce Vollman (18-3)

Lewisburg’s Kaiden Wagner (13-1) vs Benton’s Dylan Granahan (17-3)

138

Canton’s Hayden Ward is the top seed, and will face either Milton’s T.J. Walter or Hughesville’s Morgan Gavitt. Athens’ Kaden Setzer will face SCA’s Ian Yoder while Wyalusing’s Skyler Manahan takes on second seed Montgomery’s Conner Harer.

Pigtail

Milton’s T.J. Walter (13-4) vs Hughesville’s Morgan Gavitt (9-6)

Quarterfinals

Canton’s Hayden Ward (8-0) vs Walter/Gavitt

Lewisburg’s Logan Bartlett (14-3) vs C. Columbia’s Isaac Kester, 10-4

SCA’s Ian Yoder (11-3) vs Athens’ Kaden Setzer (23-5)

Montgomery’s Conner Harer (27-1) vs Wyalusing’s Skyler Manahan (13-3)

145

Sullivan County’s Nathan Higley is the second seed, and takes on Mifflinburg’s Troy Bingaman in the quarters. Canton’s Hudson Ward faces Montoursville’s Kayden Frame in the pigtail match.

Pigtail

Montoursville’s Kayden Frame (11-8) vs Canton’s Hudson Ward (10-1)

Quarterfinals

SCA’s Patrick Edmondson (13-0) vs Frame/Ward

Benton’s Remington Morrow (11-12) vs Jersey Shore’s Gabriel Andrus (19-6)

Loyalsock’s Kaden Rodarmel (13-7) vs Milton’s Kyler Crawford (17-5)

Sullivan County’s Nathan Higley (17-0) vs Mifflinburg’s Troy Bingaman (20-5)

152

Wyalusing’s Nick Woodruff got the third seed, and faces 1-loss Devon Deem of Montgomery in the quarterfinals. Canton’s Michael Davis is one of two freshmen in the field, and gets SCA’s Brandon Gedman in the quarters.

Athens’ Chris Bathgate is in the pigtail, where he faces Danville’s Weston Whapham.

Pigtail

Athens’ Chris Bathgate (25-7) vs Danville’s Weston Whapham (14-7

Quarterfinals

Montoursville’s Isaac Cory (19-3) vs Bathgate/Whapham

Canton’s Michael Davis (5-2) vs SCA’s Brandon Gedman (13-2)

Wyalusing’s Nick Woodruff (14-1) vs Montgomery’s Devon Deem (27-1)

Line Mountain’s Bryce Carl (32-0) vs C. Columbia’s Troy Johnson (13-2)

160

Canton’s Riley Parker is the third seed, and faces SCA’s Garrett Garcia in the quarters, while Athens’ Karter Rude is in the pigtails against Montgomery’s Kaide Drick.

Pigtail

Athens’ Karter Rude (24-8) vs Montgomery’s Kaide Drick (24-5)

Quarterfinals

Midd-West’s Avery Bassett (26-0) vs Rude/Drick

Jersey Shore’s Tyler Bauder (18-7) vs Muncy’s Ty Nixon (18-3)

Canton’s Riley Parker (9-0) vs SCA’s Garrett Garcia (13-2)

Benton’s Nolan Lear (21-1) vs Lewisburg’s Brady Cromley (10-2)

172

NPL’s Kohen Lehman is the third seed, getting Danville’s Caden Hagerman in the quarters. Athens’ Zach Stafursky gets Bloomsburg’ Stephen Roeder, while in the pigtails Troy’s Mason Woodward faces Montgomery’s Colby Springman.

Pigtail

Montgomery’s Colby Springman (23-6) vs Troy’s Mason Woodward (18-5)

Quarterfinals

SCA’s Gavin Garcia (14-1) vs Springman/Woodward

Athens’ Zach Stafursky (21-10) vs Bloomsburg’s Stephen Roeder (14-3)

NPL’s Kohen Lehman (11-2) vs Danville’s Caden Hagerman (15-5)

Muncy’s Ethan Gush (14-2) vs Milton’s Jason Vallares (13-8)

189

Wyalusing’s Zach Shaffer will face Line Mountain’s Jacob Feese in the quarterfinals with Canton’s Derek Atherton-Ely taking on Milton’s Aven Ayala in the pigtail match.

Pigtail

Milton’s Aven Ayala (17-6) vs Canton’s Derek Atherton-Ely (10-1)

Quarterfinals

Montoursville’s Cael Crebs (22-1) vs Ayala/Atherton-Ely

Wyalusing’s Zach Shaffer (11-4) vs Line Mountain’s Jacob Feese (23-2)

Jersey Shore’s Haydn Packer (22-4) vs Montgomery’s Ben Marino (22-4)

SCA’s Wesley Barnes (14-0) vs S. Williamsport’s Ryan Casella (17-8)

215

Towanda’s Clay Watkins nabbed the third seed and will face Benton’s Zach Poust in the quarterfinals. The two split at the Athens Tournament earlier in the season.

Williamson’s Mikey Sipps faces Milton’s Nathan Rauch in the quarters on the other side of the bracket.

Pigtail

Jersey Shore’s Dyllian Ross (15-10) vs Mifflinburg’s Quentin Doane (14-8)

Quarterfinals

Montoursville’s Dylan Bennett (20-1) vs Ross/Doane

Williamson’s Mikey Sipps (21-5) vs Milton’s Nathan Rauch (13-8)

Towanda’s Clay Watkins (13-4) vs Benton’s Zach Post (21-20

Mt. Carmel’s Damon Backes (20-0) vs Montgomery’s Brad Leon (22-7)

285

Williamson’s Kade Sottolano has the third seed, and gets Milton’s Nolan Loss in the quarterfinals.

Towanda’s Alex Perez will face Meadowbrook’s Gunner Triebley in the pigtail match.

Pigtail