ALTOONA — State College senior Asher Cunningham and Bald Eagle Area senior Caleb Close will be looking to make history this weekend at the District 6 Class 2A and 3A tournament, respectively, at the Altoona Fieldhouse.
Cunningham (25-3), a Penn State commit who won a state title last season, will be vying for his fourth District 6 Class 3A title. He’ll likely enter at 172 after wrestling as high as 215 this season. If he does capture his fourth, he’ll be only the third Little Lion to win four.
Pierson Manville became the second State College wrestler to win four last season and the first since Steve Bosak won four from 2005 to 2008.
Close, who is 33-1 this season and 160-23 in his career, is aiming for his third District 6 Class 2A title and second at 189.
He was named the District 6 Class 2A tournament Outstanding Wrestler last season after avenging a Laurel Highlands Conference tournament loss to Huntingdon’s eventual state champion Andrew McMonagle, 5-2, in his third district finals appearance.
BEA sophomore Tanner Guenot (37-7 at 121) and junior Caden Judice (30-5 at 133) are also returning district champions in Class 2A. Philipsburg-Osceola’s Caleb Hummel (31-6 at 114) is a returning district runner-up.
Sophomore James Whitbred (11-3) is a returning Class 3A champion. Bellefonte’s Noah Weaver, wrestling in 3A this season, was a Class 2A champ last year. State College sophomore teammate Noah Young (7-4) is a returning runner-up.
Bald Eagle Area, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola will wrestle in the Class 2A tournament set to start at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. Bellefonte, which wrestled in the Class 2A tournament last season, will join State College in the District 6 Class 3A tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15. Both classes will share the Fieldhouse on Saturday.
The final round of the tournament is set for between 6 and 7 p.m. Saturday, when there will be the championship finals and third-place bouts for both classes. The Hall of Fame ceremony and parade of champions are set for 5:45 p.m.
The top six at every weight in Class 2A qualify for the Southwest Regional, which will be held in two weeks at the Fieldhouse. The top three in Class 3A qualify for the inaugural Western Regional on Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 1, at Canon-McMillan High School.
RAMS FALL IN PIAA DUALS FIRST ROUND
District 6 Duals runner-up Penns Valley defeated Quaker Valley, 47-27, in the pigtail round off the PIAA Class 2A Duals on Tuesday, Feb. 4. But then the Rams lost to host Burrell, 39-27, in the first round on the same night.
The Rams amassed three pins against District 7 fourth-placer Quaker Valley, getting falls from Zachary Rummel (139), Landon Hess (285) and Erik Carlile (127). Conner Myers (121) racked up a technical fall. Penns Valley also picked up four forfeit wins.
The Rams fell behind District 7 champion Burrell, 36-3, after the first nine bouts. PV’s Evan Lisowski (107), Max Dinges (114), Myers (121) and Tripp Watson (133) closed the meet with falls.
Burrell’s only win in that run was Cameron Baker’s 9-8 win over Carlile (127). Rummel had the only other Penns Valley win, earning a 4-2 decision over Jacob Stewart in the first bout at 139.
Burrell went 0-2 in the final 8 off the PIAA Duals at the Altoona Fieldhouse. Eventual Class 2A champion Faith Christian Academy crushed Burrell, 65-4, in the quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 7. Cathedral Prep beat Burrell, 42-18, in the first round of consolations.
The Rams finished the regular season with a 14-4 record and began preparing for the District 6 Class 2A Tournament.
MOUNTIES GO 1-2
Philipsburg-Osceola went 1-2 in its final three road dual meets.
The Mounties beat West Branch, 34-24, on Tuesday, Feb. 4. They also lost at Huntingdon, 54-17, on Feb. 3 and at DuBois, 45-21, on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Hummel (121) and Ace Foster (133) had falls against West Branch. Averi Gable (127) and Hunter Kephart (145) recorded technical falls.
Hummel (121) and Foster (133) had the only P-O pins against Huntingdon, while Gable (127) won by technical fall.
Gable (127), Foster (133) and Connor Guenot (139) recorded falls against DuBois. Hummel dropped a 4-2 decision to Mateo Gallegos at 114.
The Mounties finished with a 13-9 record.
