SUNBURY--After posting a sixth-place finish at the Manheim tournament and a perfect 3-0 start in dual meets, Shikellamy finally returned to its house for its initial home match of the season against Williamsport on Wednesday night.
The HAC-I match put Shikellamy's perfect record on the line against a hot Williamsport team which returned nine starters and six seniors from last season's squad and was also unbeaten in the league.
Shikellamy's (4-0, 3-0 HAC-I) shot at perfection wasn't even close to being challenged as it rolled over Williamsport (6-4, 2-1) 70-0 in blowout fashion.
"We have to be leery of complacency," Shikellamy coach Brett Michaels said. "We have some tough matches coming up this month. We have to keep the hammer down and keep pushing. We usually kick it up a notch in January before team duals."
Michaels felt like the Millionaires actually got a good draw with the dual starting at 215, pitting Williamsport's Tim Maeshack (7-8) against Nick Bennick (10-8).
"Starting at 215 was ideal for them," said Michaels. "They thought they had a real good shot at winning 215 I'm sure, It was a gritty performance because Bennick isn't feeling well. Bennick really gutted it out for us tonight."
Bennick's sickness showed in the first period after Maeshack scored four quick points to open the match. After Bennick was able to get a reversal, Maeshack took some momentum into the second period scoring a quick two points with 10 seconds left to take a 6-2 lead.
"There is always pressure to get the team on the right track to open," said Bennick of the match. "I wanted to do my best and take shots when I could. I wanted to do well on top."
Bennick turned his fortunes around in the second period scoring on a reversal and then getting a takedown to knot the score. Meashack again was able to score two points as the period ended to take a slim lead into the third.
Bennick finished his opponent off in the third when his opponent started to run out of steam toward the end of the match. Bennick scored seven points in the final period to take a 13-12 victory and get momentum on the Braves side to open the match.
"That match was huge because of momentum there," said Michaels. "This is one of the best teams they (Williamsport) have had in a while and the kids were aware of this."
Nolan Blackwell started slow in his 285-pound match, much like Bennick, and was forced to fight back to get a 4-3 decision.
Along with Bennick and Blackwell, Jake Witmer (103) and Landry Badman (112) also won their matches to get rid of Williamsport's top wrestlers early. Witmer scored a pin just three seconds into the final period of his bout and Badman won a 5-3 decision.
"Credit goes to the first four guys in the match," said Michaels. "Those were the best matchups for Williamsport and it was big for us to win those matches. Our heavyweight and 103-pounder have never beat those guys and I'm sure Williamsport was expecting to win those matches."
Following a forfeit at 119, the Braves scored two consecutive 15-2 major decisions at 125 and 130 to push their lead to 29-0.
The match took another dive for the Millionaires as Benton Ross (135), Mike Barnhart (140), Noah Nowell (145), Miles Wolfe (152), and Cody McCollum (160) all scored pins moving the match to blowout status at 59-0.
After another 21-6 technical fall at 171 by Eric Winters, Ron Schreffler (189) stamped an exclamation point on the victory with a pin 30 seconds into the second period.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Robert Inglis/The Daily Item
-
Robert Inglis
-
Robert Inglis
Discussion
Shikellamy wrestlers roll past Millionaires
- Sports
-
-
College Lacrosse: Bucknell men prepare to improve upon great season
LEWISBURG -- It started a handful of years ago, when the Bucknell men's lacrosse team put a big 'X' on the national map in Central Pennsylvania with an upset of No. 1 Maryland. From that point on Bison coach Frank Fedorjaka has had a difficult time getting big-time opponents on the schedule, even with Bucknell opting to travel under the worst of circumstances.
-
High school football: Pratt says Kutztown the right fit
SUNBURY -- When Shikellamy's Tyler Pratt joins the Kutztown University football team as a free safety next fall, he will already have a good feeling for what his position coach will expect from him. Pratt, who signed a national letter of intent this week to accept a scholarship offer to play for the Golden Bears, will be under the tutelage of his father's high school football coach.
-
Todd Stanford On high school boys basketball: Increasing the refs' workload
If two heads are better than one, does that mean six eyes are better than four? Not necessarily, according to some Heartland Athletic Conference officials. There is a move afoot in the HAC to cut the number of basketball referees from three to two for part of the season beginning next year.
-
High School Roundup: Greenwood boys complete perfect TVL season
Greenwood capped off an unbeaten 2011-12 Tri-Valley League season by crushing Halifax 61-38 on Thursday Night.
-
Shikellamy Braves pull away from Shamokin
SUNBURY — Tyler Pratt kept Shikellamy in the game in the third quarter Wednesday, scoring all seven of the Braves’ points. He then got some help in the fourth.
-
High School Roundup: Selinsgrove tops Jersey Shore
JERSEY SHORE — With the game tied at 32 at the half, the Selinsgrove boys basketball term went on a big run in the third quarter to open up the game and take a 65-56 Heartland Athletic Conference Division I win over Jersey Shore on Wednesday.
-
Shikellamy Braves rally to stay alive
SELINSGROVE — With 11 losses, the Shikellamy girls basketball team is teetering on the brink of elimination from the District 4 Class AAA playoffs. And on Wednesday night, it looked like the Braves were going to go quietly into the offseason when Selinsgrove built a 14-point lead early in the third quarter.
-
They learn to be tough young
It's difficult to recall exactly how the sequence unfolded because it happened so darn fast. Shikellamy made a couple baskets, and the crowd began to stir. It was still anybody's game, and the Braves had some momentum late in the third quarter of a recent run with Danville.
-
Motorsports: Selinsgrove, Lincoln speedways to host 360 sprint series
MECHANICSBURG -- Mach 1 Chassis of Mechanicsburg will be the title sponsor of the Mid-Atlantic 360 Sprint Car Championship Series, a $120,000 six-race tour that will include five shows at Selinsgrove Speedway and one event at Lincoln Speedway in 2012.
-
Girls basketball: Records fall, Red Tornadoes stay unbeaten
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT -- An overflow crowd zealously cheered Tierney Pfirman's pursuit of the South Williamsport scoring record throughout Tuesday's game, until their breathless faces matched the Mounties' royal blue.
- More Sports Headlines
-
