By The Daily Item
BETHLEHEM — It is another win, another medal.
But it is just another step toward the ultimate prize for Selinsgrove senior Spencer Myers.
The 215-pounder defended his Northeast Region Class AAA title with a 9-0 major decision over previously unbeaten Taray Carey of Whitehall on Saturday night at Freedom High School.
Myers, a state runner-up, is more than ready to get rid of that label. He’ll get that chance, along with Shikellamy’s Miles Wolfe, at the PIAA championships next weekend in Hershey.
Wolfe finished second at 152 pounds, while Selinsgrove’s Cody Zechman fell one win short at 135. The top three placewinners in each weight class qualified for next weekend’s state tournament in Hershey.
“I came out this weekend and wasn’t really focused, wasn’t really sharp,” Myers said. “This isn’t as sweet as states.”
Myers put together a nifty move in the final seconds of the first period and finished with a cradle that only the buzzer saved Carey.
Myers takes a 40-0 record (145-18 career) into the state tournament.
“I’ve got to lose that attitude and get back on track,” Myers said. “I’m 100 percent. But I was 100 percent going into the final and got hurt, so I’ve got to work hard and be ready to go.”
Myers exacted a bit of revenge Friday night when he decked Wallenpaupack’s Taylor Newcomer in the quarters. Newcomer picked up the first takedown Myers had allowed since back in the Selinsgrove holiday tournament. Myers said he has been focused on a return trip to the state finals since being injured and losing 5-4 a year ago.
“I’ve even got the same shoes. I wear them every match,” he said.
Shikellamy finished seventh in the team standings with 55 points. Selinsgrove was 14th with 36.
Shikellamy’s Wolfe made it to the 152-pound final after a 4-0 win over Parkland’s Andy Moore, but ran into Northampton senior Austin Sommer.
The District 11 champion, ranked second in the state with a 121-28 career record, scored a takedown with five seconds left in the first period and never was threatened en route to an 8-2 win.
Wolfe takes a 24-12 record to states.
“This is arguably the toughest region in the country,” Shikellamy coach Brett Michaels said. “For Miles to beat a two-time Georgia state champ and wrestle solid on his feet for a 4-0 win in the semis, that took a lot of pressure off.”
Michaels was happy to see 10 Braves finish in the top eight, including six in the top six.
“Obviously, we’re built for the dual-meet season,” he said. “To have that many kids within a point or two of the third-place finish, that’s a pretty good sign. And five of the six in the top six are underclassmen.
“It’s been a while since we had as good of a (team) finish as we had. I thought the kids wrestled with a lot of heart. We don’t have anybody who came in here with a 35-0 record. We don’t have an individual horse, so we just try to get each one to max out their ceiling individually.”
Selinsgrove’s Cody Zechman lost a 4-2 tie-breaker to Pleasant Valley’s Jacob Chamberlain in the 135-pound third-place match. Down 2-0, Zechman forced overtime with a reversal with 29 seconds left in the third period. Neither wrestler scored in the first 60-second OT period. Chamberlain, ranked 10th in the latest Pennsylvania Wrestling rankings, then reversed Zechman in the first 30-second rideout period.
Zechman couldn’t work out during the second rideout session.
Earlier Saturday, Zechman (33-7) won three matches in the consolation bracket to get within a win of states.
Shikellamy’s Nolan Blackwell (29-11) opted for neutral to start the third in the 285-pound consolation semifinals against Whitehall’s Tony Bourizk, but couldn’t score the takedown and was eliminated, 1-0.
Fellow Brave Taiten Valiquette (171) won twice in the consolation round before bowing 9-3 to Emmaus’ Tate Klidonas in the semis. Valiquette finishes at 20-18.
Dominick Wolfe had a similar fate at 189, winning twice in the consolation bracket before falling to Liberty’s Chris Pintado in the semis, 5-0.
Nick Bennick likewise was one step short of the consolation final, losing 5-1 to Blue Mountain’s Brook Gosch. Bennick trailed just 3-1, but couldn’t come up with a takedown against Gosch, who had a stalling warning in the third.
And Shik’s Jake Witmer lost in the 103-pound consolation semis, 8-4 to Wyoming Valley West’s Kyle Krasavage. Trailing 4-3, Krasavage caught Witmer with a five-point move with a minute left in the third.
Winning a bout before getting knocked out in the second round were: Shikellamy’s Landry Badman (112), Joey Zoda (119), Mike Barnhart (140) and Colby Slonaker (160), along with Selinsgrove’s Trent Blair (152).
Bowing out in the first round of consolations Saturday morning were: Shikellamy’s Jake Teisher (130), Matt Neff (135), Tony Waltz (145), and Selinsgrove’s Max Beach (140), Mike Ede (160) and Ian Frost (189).
