Bellefonte wrestling comes up just short in PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals loss to Williamsport
The Red Raiders wrestling team had a tremendous season even with all of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bellefonte finished the regular season undefeated, claimed a Big 7 tournament title, repeated as PIAA Northwest Regional champs, and earned its first District 6 team dual crown since 2007.
Everything was set up for the Red Raiders to have a magical postseason, but it all came to a screeching halt on Wednesday.
Even though Bellefonte (15-1) won 7 of the 13 bouts, it suffered a 33-32 loss to Williamsport (12-6) in the PIAA Class 3A team quarterfinals. It was the first home dual of the season for the Red Raiders, too.
“Right now, it’s a little disappointing for sure. The fact that we got a home match is nice,” Bellefonte coach Mike Maney said. “Down the road, they’ll be able to enjoy the successes they had. Credit to the guys that stayed committed. Some guys went different ways, but the guys that stayed committed, I give them all the credit in the world. They found a way to come to practice and make weight another month after their seasons ended.”
Bonus points were key Wednesday night, and Maney knew that was going to be the case. Even though both teams had the same amount of bonus-point wins with six, the Millionaires held a four-point advantage.
Williamsport had four pins, a technical fall and a major decision. Bellefonte ended up with two pins, three major decisions and a technical fall.
Back-to-back pins near the end secured the win for the Millionaires.
“I was counting on those pins from the very beginning,” Williamsport coach Brian Nasdeo said. “More importantly, some of the matches we didn’t give up bonus, is what swayed it. Some of my guys that are unsung heroes became heroes tonight in their own little way.”
The night started at 172 pounds with Williamsport’s Sebastian Robinson earning an 8-0 major-decision shutout of Stephen Ivicic. However, the Red Raiders rebounded to win the next three bouts.
Max Barrier got the call at 189 pounds. He took down Ryan Dunlap, cradled Dunlap up and earned a fall in 15 seconds.
Addison Shawley went out at 215 pounds. He put on a takedown display with six in a 13-4 major decision of Charlie Lundy.
Ethan Rossman hit the mat at 285 pounds. Rossman wrestled up two weight classes and still earned a 2-0 shutout of Charles Crews. It was a move that Nasdeo applauded.
“I loved that they bumped their (1)89-pounder up to heavyweight. People don’t know about my heavyweight,” Nasdeo said. “My heavyweight is good. He is just stuck behind one of — if not the best heavyweight in the country — and a really good kid out of Clearfield. That took guts, and I liked it. It was nice.”
Bellefonte led 13-4 after Rossman’s victory. Maney was proud of how his guys started the dual.
“It was a good start. We lost by a major there (at 172), so that’s an extra point. It was a match I thought we could win,” Maney said. “We got some things going there. I bumped Rossman up to heavyweight. Giving up weight, to his credit, he did what he had to do.”
After Cael Nasdeo, who is the 106-pound PIAA runner up, pinned Garrett Choates in 51 seconds, the Millionaires were within 13-10. Again, the Red Raiders responded.
Aidan O’Shea racked up a 15-0 technical fall in 5:27 over Luke Segraves at 113. O’Shea used four sets of near-fall points in the rout.
Lane Aikey came up a point shy of a technical fall in a 14-0 major decision of Devin Harris at 120 pounds. Bellefonte led 22-10.
Williamsport made a run of their own after Aikey’s victory.
Austin Stugart pinned Aaron McClusick in 57 seconds at 126 pounds. Braden Bower followed up with a 15-0 technical fall of Gage Long at 132 pounds, which got the Millionaires within 1, at 22-21.
The Red Raiders’ Jude Swisher gave his team some breathing room at 138 pounds. The third-place PIAA finisher used four takedowns to collect a 9-1 major decision. Bellefonte led 26-21, its last lead of the night.
“It’s a team effort, so you can’t point out any individual. We can’t give up pins,” Maney said. “We had an opportunity to score more points. If you didn’t get a pin, that’s where points were left on the board. You win as a team, you lose as a team.”
Williamsport picked up back-to-back falls at 145 and 152 pounds from Riley Bower and Roman Morrone to secure the dual with one bout to go. Bower earned his victory in 56 seconds. Morrone’s match took just 20 seconds to finish.
The Red Raiders’ Ethan Richner closed out the dual and his high school career with a fall in 38 seconds to set up the final score.
“We are excited and happy. I don’t think any of us are surprised, what we can do,” Nasdeo said. “They are a great team. They beat us at regionals by a couple of points. They have some really nice wrestlers on that team. They are fun to watch.”
Williamsport 33, Bellefonte 32
PIAA Class 3A Team Dual Quarterfinals
Wednesday at Bellefonte
172: Sebastian Robinson, W, major dec. Stephen Ivicic, 8-0
189: Max Barrier, B, pinned Ryan Dunlap, :15
215: Addison Shawley, B, major dec. Charlie Lundy, 13-4
285: Ethan Rossman, B, dec. Charles Crews, 2-0
106: Cael Nasdeo, W, pinned Garrett Choates, :51
113: Aidan O’Shea, B, tech. fall Luke Segraves, 15-0 (5:27)
120: Lane Aikey, B, major dec. Devin Harris, 14-0
126: Austin Stugart, W, pinned Aaron McClusick, :57
132: Braden Bower, W, tech. fall Gage Long, 15-0 (5:08)
138: Jude Swisher, B, major dec. Carter Weaver, 9-1
145: Riley Bower, W, pinned Grady Garrison, :56
152: Roman Morrone, W, pinned Andrew McChesney, :20
160: Ethan Richner, B, pinned Connor Hunsberger, :38
Takedowns: W 8, B 15
Records: Williamsport 12-6, Bellefonte 15-1
Next match: Williamsport vs. Waynesburg, PIAA Class 3A Semifinals at Cumberland Valley High School, Saturday, 4 p.m.; Bellefonte’s season complete
