Why State College wrestling’s coach, opponents believe a new era is on the rise for the Little Lions
Harrisburg wrestling coach Domineak Commodore joked about State College after his Cougars’ lost on Tuesday.
“Tradition never graduates, as they say, that is something here. They always have some great guys,” Commodore said with a laugh. “Cole Urbas graduated last year. Now, I see a little (Lance) Urbas in the lineup, I hope there are no more Urbases after this.”
Tuesday’s 66-12 win for the Little Lions seemed like the beginning of something special taking place this season.
Yes, it is still early, as State College has only wrestled two duals. However, the Little Lions have outscored their opponents 125-27, after topping Shikellamy 59-15 last week.
Coach Ryan Cummins agreed when asked if this seems like a new era is underway for his program.
“It could be. I wouldn’t mind it,” he said. “With the youth that we have, they (the team) are just really into it. They want to win. They want to fight. They have a whole lot of pride. It’s a welcoming improvement over the past couple of years.”
State College had only four seniors in its lineup against Harrisburg, so some might say it’s a young squad. However, those younger wrestlers are flourishing.
Three of the first four wrestlers to hit the mat for the Little Lions Tuesday were freshmen — Hayden Cunningham (106 pounds), Eric Weaver (120) and Carter Weaverling (126).
Those three all scored bonus points with a forfeit win for Cunningham and pins for Weaver and Weaverling. State College poured it on to start, racing out to a 34-0 lead.
“No, but it was good,” said Cummins when asked if he thought the night would start the way it did. “The guys did a nice job. We didn’t know if they had anyone or not at 106, starting out that way isn’t fun. The guys picked up steam right away, and kept rolling the whole way through. It was much different than last year.”
Bailey Weaverling (113 pounds) and Owen Woolcott (132) also collected falls. Add a 13-1 major decision for Clayton Leidy (138), and that’s how the Little Lions jumped out to that huge lead.
After Harrisburg picked up a fall at 152 pounds from Kaseim Greg, State College got a 15-0 technical fall from Jason Dry to lead 39-6 at intermission.
This year’s lineup looked solid in the first half of the dual. It continued into the second half. It’s a sight that Cummins, too, has noticed so far this year.
“In years past, we haven’t always had a tough lineup,” he said. “Now, you are running into some tough guys no matter where you start. It really helps with momentum in dual matches. Dual meets are tough if you start and get beat up in a few matches and you try to pull yourselves out of it.”
State College wasn’t digging itself out of a hole after intermission Tuesday night. Instead, the Little Lions kept burying the Cougars.
Braden Newby picked up a fall in 2:52 thanks to a cross-face cradle at 160 pounds. Lance Urbas (170) followed with a fall of his own in 1:57.
A 9-1 decision from Ty Price at 182 pounds broke up the pin parade for State College. Tate McLaughlin (195 pounds) and Josiah Lose (220) tacked together back-to-back falls. The Little Lions led 66-6 going into the final bout, which ultimately went to Harrisburg by way of fall.
“The coach is a great guy,” Commodore said about Cummins. “He encourages me in my young career to just keep working hard. I’m excited to see them do good in District 6.”
The Little Lions will now focus on taking on reigning District 6 Class 3A champions Mifflin County on Thursday. It is a test that Cummins is welcoming, as he knows it will tell him even more about what type of team he has this season.
One thing is for sure though, Cummins is really enjoying the feeling he is getting from this year’s squad so early in the year.
“The guys all work hard. There is definitely a lot of heart this year, more than in years past,” he said. “The guys are fighting for one another. It’s a different feel and atmosphere in the room. It definitely translates to a better product on the mat. There are little things we need to polish up, but for the most part, they looked pretty good.”
State College 66, Harrisburg 12
Tuesday at State College
106: Hayden Cunningham, SC, won by forfeit
113: Bailey Weaverling, SC, pinned Elijah Wallace, :28
120: Eric Weaver, SC, pinned Skyblu Brunelle, :25
126: Carter Weaverling, SC, pinned Eladio Perez, 1:05
132: Owen Woolcott, SC, pinned Tyrone Peck, 4:25
138: Clayton Leidy, SC, major dec. Devon Johnson, 13-1
145: Kaseim Greg, H, pinned Kyle Martin, :56
152: Jason Dry, SC, tech. fall Zyheir Green, 15-0 (4:56)
160: Braden Newby, SC, pinned Asayah Beatty, 2:52
170: Lance Urbas, SC, pinned Tyirek Jackson, 1:57
182: Ty Price, SC, dec. Xavier Evans, 9-1
195: Tate McLaughlin, SC, pinned Samir Wilkerson, 4:41
220: Josiah Lose, SC, pinned Sean Roebuck, 3:54
285: Jamear Henderson, H, pinned Harrison Schoen, 1:15
Takedowns: Harrisburg 3, State College 18
Records: Harrisburg 0-3, State College 2-0
Next match: Mifflin County at State College, 6 p.m. Thursday
This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 10:21 PM.
