THE WRAP-UP CONTINUES WITH TITLES, GAMES WITH NO END, AND SPECIAL MOMENTS (2026-07-17)

Northern Tier Sports Report
The next section of this list features unique games, never-ending games, and plenty of running.

20. Wyalusing beats Athens in front of their student body - It was a day the Wyalusing players will never forget, the afternoon their entire student body watched them pull away from Athens, 41-26. Wyalusing decided to host what was essentially a pep rally game, and used a strong defensive effort to get the win. The big moments were a little louder, and the energy a little bit stronger every time Wyalusing made something happen. Emily Johns led the Rams with 16 points, while Alysha Botts scored 13 points. Wyalusing will return the favor when they head to Athens this coming year.

19. Troy-Towanda baseball going nine innings over two days - Fans who watched Troy's 14-13 win in nine innings this past year certainly got their money's worth. Troy led 3-1 after two innings, when Towanda took a 5-3 lead thanks to a 4-run top third. Troy rallied back with 7-runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 10-5. The Knights chipped away with two runs in the fourth and three in the sixth to knot things up at 10-all...then the fun really started. Towanda scored two in the top of the seventh, the second running coming with two outs. In the bottom half Towanda had two outs with no one on when Troy scored on a passed ball, then a single to send the game into extra innings. Towanda would push a run across with two outs in the top of the eighth, only to watch Troy do the same in the bottom half as they, once again, tied things up on a passed ball. In the top of the ninth Towanda had bases loaded with one out but Troy pitcher Reed Palmer got back to back strikeouts to end the threat. In the bottom half Troy's Mason Smith was hit by a pitch, then scored on a Brendan Gilliland double for the win. A total of seven pitchers were between both teams. Lucas Vincent went 4-for-6 with 4-RBI to lead Towanda as Boom Thompson (2-for-4) and Hudson Stevens (2-for-3) both scored three times. For the Trojans the bottom four batters accounted for nine of their runs as Pryor Teribury (3-for-3) scored twice, and drove in two out of the number nine spot. Smith scored three times and drove in three runs without recording a hit, while Gilliland (2-for-4) had two doubles. A once in a generation type game, for sure.

18. Towanda freshmen qualify for states in the 2-mile - Two difference type races, the same result. Towanda freshmen, Maris Cobb and Emmett Klees, both made states in the 3200 but out of profoundly different fields. For the girls the state's two top distance runners in Class AA were in Cobb's field, and those two, Lewisburg's Baylee Espinoza and Wellsboro's Lauren Kosek, set new district records as they went 1-2. For Cobb she ran her race, running a negative split - her second mile was eight seconds faster than her first - to get under the state standard with a personal best of 11:26.18. Her final lap of 1:17.09 was her fastest in the race. Klees was in a deep field, too, but it was anybody's race. He went out like it was his, with a first lap of time of 1:09.93. Heading into the seventh lap he thought he heard the bell, and made his move, and moved into second with his fastest lap of the night, 1:08.45. When he came around, though, he realized he had another 400 meters left. Undeterred, he hung on to take fifth and make states on time with a 9:35.27. It's quite a start to their running careers for the two freshmen.

17. Towanda Wrestling claims North Section title - In one of the most thrilling North Section team races in recent memory it was a undermanned Black Knight squad that came out victorious. Towanda (180.5) edged out their rivals Wyalusing (173.5) for the top spot with other contenders Canton (147.5) and Williamson (141.5) taking third and fourth. Towanda had two champions in Hagen Jones (139) and Gage Evans (145) along with runners-up in Braydon Fessenden (121) and Reese Sluyter (160). It was their work in the wrestle backs, though, that brought them home the title, led by Finn Brennan (215), who had three straight falls in the consolations to take third. Joey Montonya (152) stepped into the starting line-up to bring home a bronze, alongside senior Bryghton Yale (133). Newcomer Dominik Miller (285) took fourth, as Jaydon Stranger (127) also finished on the podium in fourth. They also got team points from Dillan Sbragia (189) and Mason Harbst (107). It was Brennan's win in the third place match that sealed the deal for Towanda, but every win from the start to finish was needed, a rarity for a tournament where the team champion is known before the final session. 

16. Quite the year for Canton's Lawrence Halbfoerster - Coming into his season senior Halbfoerster was looking for two things - a state medal, and a district title. By year's end he got both. In the Fall Halbfoerster went undefeated in NTL dual meets to be named the NTL Runner of the Year. He was runner-up at districts, then at states he ran 16:44 to take eighth overall. With the state medal box checked off he'd get the other one in the spring. At the District IV Track and Field Championships he would go from third to first on the final lap to win gold in the 3200 with a time of 9:23.98. He got a measure of revenge on Northwest's Michael Fritz (9:26.17), whom had beaten him back in the fall to win cross-country district gold. The two achievements go with two school records Halbfoerster got that spring, setting new standards in the 2-mile and 1600. He now leaves Canton with his name etched in Warrior history.