NTL WRESTLING: CANTON EDGES WYALUSING ON FINAL BOUT (2025-01-15)
BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports ReportWYALUSING — It was a barn burner at Wyalusing on Tuesday, as the wrestling match between the Rams and Canton came down to the final weight, with Warrior Blane Wesneski getting the fall to propel his team to a 39-34 NTL victory.
“That was a wild one, back and forth,” said Canton coach Lyle Wesneski. “I knew it could possibly come down to the very last match, and I knew the way we matched up, if things didn’t go or we didn’t wrestle hard in some spots it could not come down to the last match, possibly, but I give the kids credit. They wrestled extremely hard all night. When the whistle blew, they were in their face and going, and that’s all we ask of you.”
It was a nice bounce back for Canton after a tough Mid-Winter Mayhem Tournament over the weekend where none of their varsity wrestlers were able to make the medal stand.
“I said, ‘listen, we go to all these tough tournaments for a reason,’” explained Wesneski. “Iron sharpens iron, and you might take some poundings, but it makes you better, and it makes you work harder.’”
Canton won seven of the 13 weight classes getting falls from Wesneski (172), Tommy Preston (145), Lyle Vermilya (127), and Levi Vermilya (107).
They got a forfeit from Henry Proseus (121), a tech fall out of Ethan Brasington (133), and a major decision from Leland Pepper (189).
For Wyalusing Brenden Wells (285), Isaiah Harvey (114), and Ayden Hunsinger (160) all had falls as Marshall Huston (139), and Jonathan Earle (152) both scored tech falls. Daniel Fox (215) added a forfeit.
“It was a good match,” Wesneski said. “Both teams scrapped. There were some young kids getting after it, and I like it. We’re both two young teams.”
Pepper started things off with a 15-5 win over Ethan Vanderpool, scoring five takedowns to get the major.
Wyalusing took the next two spots as Fox got his forfeit, followed by Brenden Wells getting a quick fall over Levi Landau in 20 seconds, putting the Rams up 12-4.
Levi Vermilya came back with a fall over Shane Keblitsch in 1:17 for a 12-10 score. Harvey would answer with a pin of his own over Carson Castle to make it 18-10.
The back and forth continued as Proseus got his forfeit for an 18-16 score.
Lyle Vermilya followed that up with a fall over Bostyn McMicken in 3:52 to put the Warriors up 22-18.
Brasington would score six takedowns in the first two periods to go up 18-6 on Jackson Fischer. In the third he added a reversal and four near fall points for the 24-6 tech in 4:15 as Canton extended their lead to 27-18.
Huston kept Wyalusing’s hopes alive, rallying from an early 6-1 deficit to get the win. He cut it to 6-5 after the first period, then scored 11 more points in the second to go up 16-8.
He added a reversal and two sets of back points in the third, though Canton’s Carson Tillotson refused to be pinned, giving Huston the 26-8 tech, and cutting the deficit to 27-23.
At 145 Preston was up just 3-0 after one, but used a takedown and some quick back points for a 9-0 lead after two.
In the third he got a takedown, then ran the bar for the fall over Reuben Kinney in 5:00 for a 33-23 Canton lead.
Earle would respond with a 15-0 technical fall in 3:07 over Manuel Halbfoerster, followed by Hunsinger pinning Lawrence Halbfoerster in 40 seconds to put Wyalusing up 34-33.
That set up the decider at 172, with Wyalusing’s Connor Earle putting Wesneski in trouble early with a takedown.
Wesneski was able to get the reversal, then nearly pinned Earle, putting him to his back for over a minute, though the freshman refused to lay flat.
Up 6-3 Wesneski got the reversal to start the second, and this time got the fall in 3:38 for the 39-34 final.
“He’s the master of getting in trouble,” coach Wesneski said about Blane Wesneski. “He gives me some gray hair. I just said, ‘listen, don’t do anything special. Go out and wrestle, just be you, alright, and just grind out a win, that’s all that matters. Don’t go out there, and try to do something out of the ordinary, and then get caught and stuck.’ He’s flexible, he’s dangerous, he comes out of some really weird positions, so hats off to him. He’s coming off being sick, just getting feeling better, so we’re happy for him.”
Wyalusing will host Horseheads on Thursday while Canton welcomes NEB.
“We’re proud of their effort,” coach Wesneski said. “We got back to work tomorrow night, work on the things we didn’t do well.”
CANTON 39, WYALUSING 34
189: Leland Pepper (C) maj. Ethan Vanderpool, 15-5
215: Daniel Fox (W) fft
285: Brenden Wells (W) fall Levi Landau, :20
107: Levi Vermilya (C) fall Shane Keblitsch, 1:17
114: Isaiah Harvey (W) fall Carson Castle, 1:19
121: Henry Proseus (C) fft
127: Lyle Vermilya (C) fall Bostyn McMicken, 3:52
133: Ethan Brasington (C) tech. Jackson Fischer, 24-6, 4:15
139: Marshall Huston (W) tech. Carson Tillotson, 26-8, 6:00
145: Tommy Preston (C) fall Reuben Kinney, 5:00
152: Jonathan Earle (W) tech. Manuel Halbfoerster, 15-0, 3:07
160: Ayden Hunsinger (W) fall Lawrence Halbfoerster, :40
172: Blane Wesneski (C) fall Connor Earle, 3:38
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
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