Northern Tier Sports ReportATHENS — Towanda led 30-22 with four bouts left but couldn’t hold the lead as they fell to Athens, 43-30, during NTL wrestling action Wednesday.
The Knights won five bouts while the Wildcats took eight.
“They had more than we did in the upper weights, and the kids came through for them,” Towanda coach Bill Sexton said. “I thought there were a couple pivotal matches we needed to go our way. Quite frankly, we needed to win the coin flip to being with, and that didn’t go our way. And then we got off to a good start at 107, but their kid came back off his back, and got the win there, so that was a crucial bout. I think 139 was a crucial bout for them, too. That was the one that we needed, and Persun was able to get it for them, so it went their way.”
Jayden Stranger (133), Hagen Jones (145), Gage Evans (152), and Reese Sluyter (160) all had falls for the Knights, as Brayden Fessenden (121) scored a forfeit.
Chace VanDyke (107), Connor Davidson (172), Brendan Cooke (189), and Brenden Comstock (285) all had falls for Athens.
Joshua Saxon (114), and Zaine Campbell (127) both scored forfeits, with Lucas Persun (139) getting a major decision, and Landon Layman (215) a regular decision.
At 107 Harbst led 7-0 early, and was leading 8-7 when he got put his back for the fall.
The two teams then traded forfeits with Athens taking an 18-6 lead.
Stranger came through with a fall over Wilson Kingsman in 1:07 to make it 18-12. Kingsman had the early takedown, but Stranger reversed him, and got the fall.
“He’s so long and lanky, with his legs getting away on him - it’s kind of like baby giraffe out there sometimes - and he gets all tangled up and taken down,” Sexton said. “But once he gets on the mat he regroups. He’s pretty tough on top, he’s a pretty good cradle guy.”
Then came Persun’s 14-6 win over Bryghton Yale. Yale got the opening takedown, but Persun got an escape, and takedown for a 4-3 lead after one.
Yale tied it up with an escape in the second, but Persun got a takedown for a 7-4 lead.
In the third Persun scored two takedowns to get the win, and a Wildcat lead 22-12.
That’s when Athens hit the strength of Towanda’s line-up as Jones pinned Wyatt Jones in 1:46, Evans pinned David Janiszeski in 1:34, and Sluyter pinned Ryan Howard in 2:57 as they took the 8-point lead.
Athens turned the tables at 172 with Davidson pinning Kolton McPeak in 1:14, followed by Cooke pinning Dylan Sbragia in 2:15.
Layman pulled out the 9-3 win over Finn Brennan, then Comstock finished it off with his 48 second fall over Dominik Miller.
ATHENS 43, TOWANDA 30
107: Chace VanDyke (A) fall Mason Harbst, 1:53
114: Joshua Saxon (A) fft
121: Brayden Fessenden (T) fft
127: Zaine Campbell (A) fft
133: Jayden Stranger (T) fall Wilson Kinsman, 1:07
139: Lucas Persun (A) maj. Bryghton Yale, 14-6
145: Hagen Jones (T) fall Wyatt Jones, 1:46
152: Gage Evans (T) fall David Janiszeski, 1:34
160: Reese Sluyter (T) fall Ryan Howard, 2:57
172: Connor Davidson (A) fall Kolton McPeak, 1:14
189: Brendan Cooke (A) fall Dylan Sbragia, 2:15
215: Landon Layman (A) dec. Finn Brennan, 9-3
285: Brenden Comstock (A) fall Dominik Miller, :48
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PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA KREYKENBOHM
