SHAMOKIN -- Even though Line Mountain crowned five champions to Mifflinburg's one in Saturday's District 4 Class AA South Sectional, the Wildcats still had the numbers and more than enough firepower to outlast the Eagles for the sectional team championship at Shamokin High School.
Mifflinburg, which lost its 14-match winning streak to the Eagles in the district team duals two weeks earlier, advanced 11 of its 13 wrestlers to next week's district tournament and outscored Line Mountain by 10 points (152.5 to 142.5).
"No way was I thinking it was locked up," Mifflinburg coach Dave Murray said. "But this was the first team I've ever been a part of where they all went out and laid it on the line. And that's all it takes."
He added that the team's mantra was to work as hard as they could with what they know.
Indeed, the Wildcats went on a rampage in the consolation finals, winning six of their eight bouts and that made the difference.
Murray's Line Mountain counterpart, Lon Balum, said, "We told the guys to do as well as they can because the higher you place at sectionals the better set-up you have at districts, so (we wanted to) take the pressure off them for the team title.
"But, the better they do, the better we would have a chance at getting the team title," he said. "But Mifflinburg just had too much for us. Credit to them. They had a really good tournament, and so did we. There's nothing wrong with eight guys going to districts."
Winning titles for the Eagles were Colton Zimmerman (103 pounds), Zain Retherford (112), Seth Lansberry (125), Travis Erdman (140) and Kenny Rothermel (189). Ty Walter claimed Mifflinburg's lone title at 160.
Third-place Shamokin crowned three champions: Brandon Pesarchick (130), Josh Lahr (135) and Wes Tillett (285). Danville and Midd-West took two titles each, Kody Getkin at 152 and Dylan Dailey at 215 for the Ironmen and Zach Heeter (119) and Aaron Shrawder (171) for the Mustangs. The other champion was Southern Columbia's Brian Watkins (145).
Zimmerman, after posting his second tough win of the season against fellow freshman Brenden Hicks of Mifflinburg in the semifinals, avenged an earlier loss with an 8-4 win over East Juniata senior Zach Tamanini.
"I didn't know how easy it was going to be to turn him. I just tried my best, stuck legs in and it came out good," Zimmerman said, noting that getting the first takedown meant a lot to him, boosting his confidence and alleviating his nerves.
He admitted he felt like an underdog. "I kind of felt like he had age on me and muscle, and experience," he said, but added he was not intimidated.
In their previous outing, Zimmerman was a one-count away from getting the tying two-point nearfall in a 2-0 loss.
Balum said, "We knew it was doable. Those close matches can go either way, and he came out on top, he went strong."
Returning state champion Retherford was just a tad too quick as he held off fellow returning state medalist David Sheesley of Mifflinburg before pinning him in 4:48.
Colton's brother, Mason, nearly had tying takedown against Heeter, but Heeter stuck a leg in and countered with a takedown of his own for a 7-3 final.
Balum said, "He had some opportunities early on, but the last chance was one of the better desperation attempts I've seen. He had ninth-tenths of a takedown, but the guy got that leg in there and didn't let it go."
Another tight battle saw Lahr prevail over Line Mountain's Adam Kritzer with a late escape for a 4-3 win. Kritzer had tied it with a third-period reversal.
"It was two good guys going at it and good for Adam to stay with a state place-winner. He knows he belongs and if that's an indication of things to come, that's fine," Balum said.
Erdman made up for missing last year's postseason with an injury getting a pin in 3:20.
Southern senior Watkins, always stuck in tough weight classes, got his first sectional title with a pin in 1:58 over Midd-West's Trae Manning in the 145 final. Manning, who came into the day with just five wins, knocked off the No. 2 seed en route to the finals.
Danville's Getkin used a six-point third period to beat Shamokin's Lee Supsic 11-7 in the final, after Supsic got a hard-fought career 100th win in the semis (8-4 in overtime over Line Mountain's Cody Rebuck).
Walter pulled out a 2-1 overtime win over Danville's Garret Llewellyn, his second win over the Ironman this season, although Llewellyn nearly had a reversal and back points in the second overtime period.
"That's good for Ty to hit that strong of a kid all the way through, it's good for both of them," Murray said.
Shrawder had the most thrilling finals victory of the night. He trailed Mount Carmel's Meyrick Lamb 5-0 after one period and was down 6-1 when he took Lamb down and pinned him in 3:29.
Also getting falls in the finals were Pesarchick with a cradle in 2:34 over East Juniata's Sean Heggs, Erdman in 3:20 over Mifflinburg's Alan Miller and Danville's Dailey, in 42 seconds over John Aumiller of Midd-West.
Murray said, "Every kid went after it tonight.
"I am so excited and so proud of these guys. I'm pumped. I'm really pumped."
Note: A moment of silence was observed before the start of the parade of champions for the recently deceased Tad Treaster, a Juniata High wrestler, who had also competed for East Juniata.
