Northern Tier Sports ReportPowered by a strong, and deep, senior class, Towanda wrestling dominated the NTL in 2024-2025, while seeing Mason Higley, and Sawyer Robinson earn state medals in Hershey.
“We had a really solid season,” said Towanda coach Bill Sexton. “We had a really good dual meet year. We had one bad dual meet match, but as you move farther away from that, you know we’ve had a really nice season. It’s been a really nice four years with this group of kids, they’re going to be missed.”
The Black Knight senior class featured six of the team’s 13 starters, including Higley, and Robinson, along with 2-time state qualifier, Riley Vanderpool, with a total of 13 on the team.
“They’re the guys that brought the program back to where we want it to be,” Sexton said. “Hopefully, the younger kids that had success this year as part of the program, hopefully they step up, and take the leadership role, and run with them.”
During the pandemic season Towanda’s 30-plus year of winning dual meet seasons was broken, but this group quickly established a new one, finishing in the top six in all four years at district duals.
“We were lucky, these kids, most of them, have been together since they were five or six years old, wrestling together,” Sexton said. “We lost a few along the way, but the build of them are still here. Coach (Jeremy) Sluyter did a tremendous job with these guys early on, when they were in youth, and then continued on with them through, and our assistant coaches have really helped, and brought us to where we are now.”
Towanda opened the season with wins over Horseheads (44-22), and Williamson (58-11), before going 5-1 at their Dandy Duals, then falling to eventual district champions, Montoursville (39-28).
They went 5-1 at the Flynn Energy Duals to start January, then followed that up with with seven straight wins: NEB (57-12), Central Columbia (53-15), Wyalusing (60-10), Warrior Run (44-27), Wellsboro (69-6), Canton (58-13), and Athens (51-15), to clinch their second straight NTL title.
The District IV Duals Tournament ended up tough, as they fell to Montoursville in the semifinals, then lost to Mifflinburg in the consolations to come up short of a state berth.
They regrouped, rolling to another North Section title, then qualifying eight for the Northeast Regional championships - Robinson, Higley, Riley Vanderpool, Tanner Vanderpool, Gage Evans, Curtis Maynard, Reese Sluyter, Jace Gunther, and Zach Lantz.
From there Higley, Robinson, Riley Vanderpool, and Evans made it to states. Evans was nursing an injury, while Vanderpool lost in a tough blood round match.
Higley earned his first state medal in three tries, while Robinson scored his second straight podium spot.
There’s plenty left in the cupboard for next year, but they’ll have more holes to fill than most teams going into the 2025-2026 season.
“This year we had some strong younger kids that have really stepped up,” Sexton said. “Hopefully, they take the initiative, and continue to lead us forward.”
