Northwestern, Lehighton, Panther Valley will all wrestle Saturday

Survive and advance.

It’s a phrase often heard during the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

But it’s also befitting of the District 11 Team Wrestling Championships.

In a tournament that offers equal parts promise and peril, simply moving on is key.

Three Times News area teams kept alive their hopes of a district title – and berth in the state tournament – Thursday night at Panther Valley.

Northwestern and Lehighton punched their tickets to Saturday’s semifinals with impressive quarterfinal victories in the Class 2A event. The host Panthers remained in the mix after picking up a first round victory before falling in the quarters.

“It’s District Duals, and it’s about advancing,” said Panther Valley head coach Tim Robb.

QUARTERFINALS

Northwestern-Panther Vy.

The Tigers seemed to pick up where they left off last Saturday after placing second as a team at the Coal Cracker Tournament at Panther Valley, rolling to a 61-9 victory over the Panthers.

“We kinda took momentum out of the Coal Cracker into leagues, and wrestled well against Saucon,” Northwestern head coach Jim Moll said of his team’s runner-up finish in the Colonial League Tournament earlier this week. “And we wrestled well tonight. Hopefully, we can keep that up and continue to wrestle hard on Saturday.”

The third-seeded Tigers won the first four matches and took eight of the 10 contested bouts.

Quin Moyer (220), Harrison Bernhard (126) and Donovan White (132) all had pins. Matt Peters (138) recorded a tech fall, while Williard Dellicker (152) and Caleb Clymer (170) won by major decision to get bonus points for Northwestern, which got four forfeits in the match.

Jackson Bernhard picked up a 3-1 decision in overtime over Tanner Kennedy at 160 pounds in the third bout of the match to push the Tigers lead to 10-0. Bernhard also had an overtime victory on Monday against Saucon Valley.

Bernhard credited improved fitness for helping him pull through in both matches.

“I actually helped start get our morning runs going, so we’ve been getting our conditioning up,” said Bernhard. “That definitely helped me out in my match, and my last match. I had two overtime matches. It’s good to have a little bit of energy in the tank when I’m going out there.”

Aaron Eidem had a pin at 285 for No. 6 seed Panther Valley, while Derrick Beckham picked up a decision at 182 pounds.

“We’re banged up a little bit, and we’re trying to get healthy,” said Robb. “I’d like a shot at them (Northwestern) with a full, healthy roster. They’re a good team, though.”

Palisades-Lehighton

Lehighton head coach Floyd Brown had to shuffle his lineup and knew he would need some matches to fall his team’s way.

They did, and the Indians got several big performances to down Palisades 51-29.

One of those matches came at 285. With Lehighton up 24-17 after seven bouts, Brett Gasker bumped up to heavyweight and picked up a critical 6-3 decision over Bryan McNally.

“We moved him up to 285, and he’s coming off being sick, so it’s his first match back where he’s almost at 100 percent,” Brown said of Gasker. “To win it in the third period, that was a nice win for him.

“That was the one we needed to almost seal it. We had to change-up our lineup a little bit in the lower weights, so we knew we needed heavyweight. I know he was giving up a lot of weight, which always makes it difficult. I think he was giving up like 30 pounds. But he gutted it out in the third period. He’s in pretty good shape, and I think that helped.”

The fourth-seeded Indians also got bonus points in several other key matches. Chris Whiteman (145), Christian Rodriguez (170), Jack Zimmerman (195) and Lucas Sangiuliano (126) all had pins for Lehighton, which got four forfeits from the No. 12 seed Pirates.

“I know they were giving up a couple forfeits, but they’re a good team. They knocked off No. 5 (Mahanoy Area) to get here,” Brown said of Palisades. “Most of our guys went out and got six when we needed it. So it worked out well.”

The last of those falls came from Sangiuliano, who put the Indians ahead 45-23 with two matches remaining.

First Round

Catasauqua-Panther Vy.

The Panthers advanced to the quarterfinals – and guaranteed themselves a spot in the second day of the tournament – with a dominant 53-30 win over No. 11 Catasauqua.

Panther Valley won the first nine bouts, getting pins in eight of them, to build a 53-0 lead. The Panthers forfeited the final five matches.

“I thought we were favored up top in every weight class, but you still gotta go out and do it, and they did,” said Robb.

“We bumped up until (1)95, and I thought we could win every match from (1)45 up, and that’s kinda how it worked out.”

Some of those falls came in short order, while others were more dramatic.

Trailing 18-10 in the opening match, Alex Candelerio pinned Benjamin Langsdorf with just nine seconds remaining to open things up for the Panthers.

Justin Ogozalek (145), Xander Kern (152), Noah Berk (160), Hunter Kennedy (182), Derrick Beckham (195), Chris Walkinshaw (220) and Aaron Eidem (285) also had pins, while Tanner Kennedy (170) won by technical fall to grab bonus points for Panther Valley.

WHAT’S NEXT … Northwestern will face No. 2 seed Wilson Saturday in the semifinals. Lehighton will take on defending champion and top seed Saucon Valley in the other semi. “We’ll hit some Saucon kids, who are loaded, on Saturday, so that’s kinda nice to get some of that competition. It’ll be fun,” said Brown. Panther Valley will face No. 10 seed Pen Argyl in a first round consolation match.

SCHEDULE … Action will begin Saturday at Freedom High School with first round consolation matches at 9 a.m. followed by championship semifinals at 10:45 a.m. The championship and consolation finals are schedule for 5:30 p.m. An if necessary true second-place match will take place at 7:30 p.m.

Northwestern 61, Panther Valley 9

145 – Colin Rex (NW) dec. Xander Kern, 6-1;152 – Williard Dellicker (NW) maj. dec. Noah Berk, 13-0; 160 – Jackson Bernhard (NW) dec. Tanner Kennedy, 3-1 (SV); 170 – Caleb Clymer (NW) maj. dec. Hunter Kennedy, 9-1; 182 – Derrick Beckham (PV) dec. Tyler Watson, 3-2; 195 – Isaac Bredbenner (NW) won by forfeit; 220 – Quin Moyer (NW) pinned Chris Walkinshaw in 4:51; 285 – Aaron Eidem (PV) pinned Hayden Bobbyn in 1:01; 106 – Jake Dellicker (NW) won by forfeit; 113 – Blake Brunner (NW) won by forfeit; 120 – Ben Griffith (NW) won by forfeit; 126 – Harrison Bernhard (NW) pinned Bryan Krapf in 1:32; 132 – Donovan White (NW) pinned Alex Candelerio in 2:50; 138 – Matt Peters (NW) tech. fall Justin Ogozalek, 17-1 (3:46).

Lehighton 51, Palisades 29

145 – Chris Whiteman (L) pinned Daniel Kelleher in 1:56; 152 – Nathan Haubert (Pal) pinned Tyler Schock in 3:08; 160 – Adam Marsh (Pal) tech. fall Richard Fronheiser, 21-6 (5:45); 170 – Christian Rodriguez (L) pinned Peter Kandel in 1:34; 182 – Cody Scherer (L) won by forfeit; 195 – Jack Zimmerman (L) pinned Dane Kreschollek in 3:10; 220 – Jack Donnelly (Pal) pinned Alex Hinkle in 0:52; 285 – Brett Gasker (L) dec. Bryan McNally, 6-3; 106 – Mason Ferguson (L) won by forfeit; 113 – Jagur Lynn (L) won by forfeit; 120 – Zach Wasser (Pal) pinned Steven Fritzinger in 0:45; 126 – Lucas Sangiuliano (L) pinned Jon DeNato in 1:01; 132 – Mason Smeland (Pal) pinned Cody Engle in 3:45; 138 – Logan Pagotto (L) won by forfeit.

Panther Valley 53, Catasauqua 30

138 – Alex Candelerio (PV) pinned Benjamin Langsdorf in 5:51; 145 – Justin Ogozalek (PV) pinned Sebastian Henry in 1:10; 152 – Xander Kern (PV) pinned Austin Gorr in 1:59; 160 – Noah Berk (PV) pinned Bradley Panto in 5:26; 170 – Tanner Kennedy (PV) tech. fall Jack Minogue, 19-1 (4:30); 182 – Hunter Kennedy (PV) pinned Jacob Latsch in 3:40; 195 – Derrick Beckham (PV) pinned Adam Reinhart in 3:42; 220 – Chris Walkinshaw (PV) pinned Douglas Scott in 0:35; 285 – Aaron Eidem (PV) pinned Lavonte Bouie in 3:33; 106 – Jacob Nye (Cat) won by forfeit; 113 – Austin Brett (Cat) won by forfeit; 120 – Tyler Melendez (Cat) won by forfeit; 126 – Oscar Gordon (Cat) won by forfeit;132 – Derrick Rodriguez (Cat) won by forfeit.