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Warrior Run wrestling falls in final postseason tune-up

TURBOTVILLE – Jeremy Betz paused and chose his words very carefully. The Warrior Run wrestling coach wanted to express his discontent with having to wrestle a meaningless dual Tuesday against Mount Carmel just four days before the postseason is set to begin. But he didn’t want to express those feelings in an inflammatory manner.

So he pointed out the absurdities around the Red Tornadoes’ 45-27 win over the Defenders last night. Neither district held school Tuesday because of a morning snow storm. Normally, the cancellation of school means calling off all extracurricular activities for the day. But the two schools were also required to wrestle the dual instead of cancelling because of the Heartland Athletic Conference’s by-laws which state all league matches or games, regardless of sport, must be completed.

Warrior Run already has to wrestle a meaningless dual next Tuesday against Bloomsburg in the days between the sectional and district tournaments. Postponing Tuesday’s dual meant it would probably be moved to next week, something neither coach wanted. So despite neither district holding classes, the teams met to wrestle.

Six of the 13 bouts ended in forfeits. One bout ended with an injury. It was clear nobody particularly wanted to be wrestling, but they did anyway.

“It puts us in a difficult circumstance, especially with (Mount Carmel) coming off quarantine,” Betz said. “We gave our kids the option and some of them didn’t feel comfortable potentially risking their postseason. When you put a match this late with the situation like it is, it’s going to have a different feel.”

Oh yeah, was it mentioned how Mount Carmel is only a few days removed from quarantine? The Red Tornadoes went 10 days between competitions before returning last Friday to host a tri-meet.

While all the athletes were cleared to participate, Betz said the Defenders are going to workout in separate groups in the coming days just to avoid the whole team being together should a COVID-19 situation arise within the team. It all added up to the weird fallout of an even weirder season which has been nothing like anyone has ever seen amid a global pandemic.

Betz expressed his concern about Mount Carmel traveling the nearly 80 miles round trip through the hilly country roads to get to Warrior Run and back home. He expressed the concern for potential injury, which the Red Tornadoes’ Gavin Lasko suffered during his 160-pound bout which he was unable to finish, in a match which didn’t mean much at all. Neither team was in contention for the PHAC-III championship which Southern Columbia again ran away with. Neither Mount Carmel nor Warrior Run is in contention for a District 4 Duals championship.

There was little to be gained from Tuesday’s match, but plenty to be lost.

“In a week like this, I can’t imagine they wanted to compete (Tuesday). I can guarantee you we didn’t want to wrestle (Tuesday),” Betz said. “I think the league needs to error on the side of common sense and say we have it the college try, but it didn’t happen.”

The one thing Betz did get to do Tuesday was use some wrestlers who haven’t gotten a ton of mat time this year. With the Defenders being limited to single-opponent only competitions, last night’s dual was just their 10th this year.

Sophomore Colton Kirkner earned his first victory this year for Warrior Run at 138 pounds by grinding through a match which he trailed early by five points. Kirkner, who entered 0-4 and had wrestled a full six minutes just once this year, displayed an energy which carried him to the win despite trailing Mount Carmel’s Jonny Slovick, 5-0, late in the first period. After a let first-period reversal, Kirkner earned two takedowns in the second period to get the bout tied 6-6 after two periods.

A third takedown and a stalling point gave Kirkner the 9-6 win, his first varsity victory.

“We say that when he graduates, he’ll be undefeated in getting back to the center of the mat first,” Betz said. “He’s going to give you a ton of energy and he’s going to give you everything he has every match. It was a grind-out win. It’s great to see him get that win.”

Not much else went right for Warrior Run on Tuesday. Ethan Litchard earned the Defenders’ only other win in a contested bout, getting a second-period fall at 189 pounds.

Following Kirkner’s win, Mount Carmel won five of the next six contested bouts to take a 33-15 lead before consecutive forfeits sealed the dual for the Red Tornadoes. All four state-ranked wrestlers in the dual took forfeits.

Warrior Run and Mount Carmel now have three days to prepare for Saturday’s District 4 sectional tournaments. Warrior Run will compete in the Central Section at Montgomery, and Mount Carmel will compete in the Southern Section at Southern Columbia.

“To be able to put the kids in a position to wrestle in the postseason, it’s almost like Christmas morning,” Betz said. “But like Christmas morning, you’re cautiously optimistic that the present you want is under the tree. There’s so much this year that is outside of our control and outside of the kids’ control that could end a season. It’s scary to think about. It keeps us focused on the here and now.”

Mount Carmel 45, Warrior Run 27

126: No. 9 Kaden Majcher, WR, won by forfeit.

132: No. 13 Trevor McDonald, MC, won by forfeit.

138: Colton Kirkner, WR, dec. Jonny Slovick, 9-6.

145: Kody Figard, MC, pinned Landan Kurtz, 1:24.

152: Maddox Reed, MC, pinned Hunter Rovenolt, 3:27.

160: Gavin Lasko, MC, won by disqualification Tanner Confair, 3:28.

172: Thomas Davitt, MC, dec. Taylor Wise, 15-11.

189: Ethan Litchard, WR, pinned Justin Weidner, 2:28.

215: Ryan Weidner, MC, pinned Ryan Foura, :46.

285: No. 11 Damon Backes, MC, won by forfeit.

106: Kris Kalbarchick, MC, won by forfeit.

113: No. 9 Kaden Milheim, WR, won by forfeit.

120: Anson Rouch, WR, won by forfeit.

Takedowns: Mount Carmel 9, Warrior Run 8.

Records: Warrior Run (4-6); Mount Carmel (6-13).

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