How bumping up paid off in Bald Eagle Area wrestling’s win over Philipsburg-Osceola
It is not uncommon to see wrestlers bump up a weight or two in duals.
During Thursday’s dual, Bald Eagle Area bumped several wrestlers and it paid off with an Eagles’ 45-26 victory over Philipsburg-Osceola.
“I see a team that is becoming more confident in their ability,” said Eagles coach Ron Guenot, “and believing more in their training and how good they can be. I see a team that knows if they give a good effort that good things are going to happen.”
On a night that the program honored its 1998-1999 team — the most accomplished in program history, BEA raced out to a 30-point lead and never looked back.
The dual began with the Eagles bumping usual 160-pound starter Noah Foltz up to 182 pounds to take on the Mounties’ Cody Beauseigneur. The senior in Beauseigneur jumped out to a 4-1 lead after one period of wrestling.
Beauseigneur chose bottom to start the second period, and was probably a choice he regretted taking. Foltz threw in the boots and cranked on a half nelson. He turned Beauseigneur to his back and pinned him in 2:32.
“The 182 fall definitely played a part in the outcome of the match,” Guenot said. “They were ahead in the match and that was a big swing match. Noah came through like he has all year so far. (Bellefonte coach) Mike Maney said the other night momentum is so big in high school sports and that’s very true.”
After giving up a forfeit to P-O’s Parker Moore, the Eagles kept rolling.
Chandler Burns received a forfeit at 220. David Close hit the mat at 285 for BEA and pinned Chase Klinger in 1:43. Hunter Ishler received a forfeit at 106, and BEA’s lead was 24-6.
It came time for another bump in Coen Bainey taking the mat at 113 pounds against Nick Coudriet. Bainey, who is a freshman, is the usual 106-pound starter. He methodically picked up two takedowns and escaped from Coudriet late for a 5-0 victory. It was Bainey’s 20th win of the season, a mark that leads BEA.
A Cooper Gilham pin at 120 for the Eagles, brought another bump in Jeffre Pifer. The usual 113-pounder was up two weight classes.
Pifer trailed Nick Bryan 2-0 after one period, but was tied 2-2 to start the third after earning a takedown in the second period. In the third, Pifer took Bryan down and scored three near-fall points to earn a 7-2 victory. BEA’s lead was now 36-6.
“We feel confident in their ability and what they’ve shown for us this year,” Guenot said of Bainey and Pifer. “Those two have met our expectations of what we thought they could do. I’m proud of those two. It’s nice to have two guys down low like that, we know we can rely on.”
Pifer and Bainey’s effort even stuck out to P-O coach Brad Pataky.
“A great effort by Coen and Pifer and all those young guys down below,” he said. “They came out ready to wrestle, but they are really hard workers. I’ve seen them put the extra effort in to get the job done.”
Trailing by 30, Pataky’s squad didn’t give up.
Gabe Dunkelberger hit the mat at 132 pounds for the Mounties and went to work against Isaac Packer. Dunkelberger led 10-2 after two periods of wrestling, scoring eight points alone in the second period.
In the third period, Dunkelberger recorded the final takedown of the match and pinned Packer in 5:46.
“Gabe is a fighter. Every time he comes to the mat he gives his 110 percent effort,” Pataky said. “He’s got some big goals for himself. If he continues to focus on his effort and attitude the rest of the season, I think he’s going to accomplish those goals.”
Chase Chapman followed Dunkelberger’s fall with a fall of his own in 1:31. The win got the Mounties to within 36-18.
However, Gage McClenahan’s 28-second pin and a 7-2 win for Zander Ballock squashed the P-O comeback from happening.
“Bald Eagle came out ready to roll, great job to them,” Pataky said. “Bald Eagle has an exceptional program from the bottom to the top, from their youth program to their senior high program.”
The Mounties did finish the dual out by winning the final two bouts of the night by doing some bumping of their own.
Dominic Shaw, who was listed at 152 pounds, used a third-period reversal to edge BEA’s Camden Comly 2-1 at 160 pounds. Hunter Weitoish, who has been rolling out at 160 pounds, used a 10-point first period to claim a 17-2 technical fall in 3:14 at 170 pounds.
“Dom is a young leader by just his actions. He is one of those guys that will continue to fight throughout the match,” Pataky said of Shaw and Weitoish. “Hunter opened up a little bit more he’s ever used to, just switching up his offense. We got to work on a couple of technique things, but he wrestled really well tonight.
“Overall, the guys really fought hard. We just got to focus now on moving forward and prepare for the end of the year. We got to get back to the drawing board tomorrow.”
Bald Eagle Area 45, Philipsburg-Osceola 26
Thursday at Wingate
182: Noah Foltz, BEA, pinned Cody Beauseigneur, 2:32
195: Parker Moore, P-O, won by forfeit
220: Chandler Burns, BEA, won by forfeit
285: David Close, BEA, pinned Chase Klinger, 1:43
106: Hunter Ishler, BEA, won by forfeit
113: Coen Bainey, BEA, dec. Nick Coudriet, 5-0
120: Cooper Gilham, BEA, pinned Scott Frantz, 1:26
126: Jeffre Pifer, BEA, dec. Nick Bryan, 7-2
132: Gabe Dunkelberger, P-O, pinned Isaac Packer, 5:46
138: Chase Chapman, P-O, pinned Grace Stem, 1:31
145: Gage McClenahan, BEA, pinned Austin Foster, :28
152: Zander Ballock, BEA, dec. Luke Hughes, 7-2
160: Dominic Shaw, P-O, dec. Camden Comly, 2-1
170: Hunter Weitoish, P-O, tech. fall Matthew Knepp, 17-2 (3:14)
Takedowns: P-O 12, BEA 9
Records: P-O 6-4, BEA 8-2
Next match: Philipsburg-Osceola at Husky Team Dual, Mifflin County, Saturday, 9 a.m.; Bald Eagle Area at Tyrone, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 11:26 PM.
