Bobotas, Kennedy overcome tough brackets, claim two of Montoursville’s four sectional titles

Montoursville sophomore Teli Bobotas entered the District 4 AA Central Sectional looking to remove a thorn from his side. Through three bouts with Benton's Seth Kolb up to that point, the Warrior hadn't been able to muster up a win.

With the state-ranked Kolb on the other side of the bracket, there was a good chance the two would meet in the championship finals as long as each handled business. And with first-round byes and semifinal pins, they'd make that possibility a reality.

In their past matches, Bobotas had struggled offensively. Prior to getting pinned by the junior at districts last year, he was shut out on two occasions as Kolb was able to effectively control each match. This time was different.

"I've been working on moving my feet and neutral," said Bobotas when discussing his improvements. "When I move my feet, I've been so fluid, and I've just felt it."

Those aspects were apparent throughout his bout with Kolb on Saturday, and he was able to take control early as a result. An early takedown in the first period gave him the lead and he never looked back from there.

Bobotas managed a takedown in each period and never gave his opponent much time to breathe. The best aspects of his game were on display throughout the match and his overall performance exuberated confidence, leading to a 7-2 win by decision and the first sectional title to his name.

"It just feels great. I'm improving, so that's all that matters, right?" said Bobotas on getting the win. "My confidence level has increased, my training was good, I was less nervous. I've been blessed with good kids all throughout the season and realized I can perform well against them."

Those improvements have become crystal clear, as the sophomore sits one win away from surpassing last year's win total (38) with eight less losses. He'll look to carry this momentum forward into districts, where he hopes to improve upon his third-place finish from last year.

Like Bobotas, David Kennedy had also come close to securing a sectional title or two in the past, but no cigar. Two sectional final appearances as a freshman and sophomore had come up empty and with the 127 bracket featuring a talented cast in 2024, it wasn't a given that'd he'd take one home here.

Well, it seems nobody told him that.

Despite facing a bracket that featured No. 17 Anthony Barra of Bloomsburg, perennially ranked Kayvan Shams of South Williamsport and 30-plus win Seth McClintock of Montgomery, Kennedy showed little signs of struggle on his way to his first sectional title.

He instead racked up a collective 30 points through two matches, defeating McClintock and Barra by major decision. Kennedy credited the run and ranked win to decision making and confidence.

"I came here with a lot of confidence," said Kennedy. "[Barra] is a good scrambler, so I figured I had to do perfect shots and not take too many. When I do take them, make sure they're good."

Both wrestlers have shown a lot of improvement throughout the year, reflected not just in their records but also in the quality of their wins. Head coach Matt Yonkin has considered it a pleasure to work with them and watch them improve.

"They are both fantastic. I've had the chance to be around some really good wrestlers in our program. Teli's probably wrestling as technically sound as any wrestler I've been around," said Yonkin. "He's always in the right place, always has a ton of energy."

"David is just dominant. He's wrestling really, really well. They're both primed for the postseason, and I'm excited for both of them."

Hayden Harvey and Gage Wentzel each garnered sectional titles as well, with Harvey doing so as a freshman and as a part of a relatively new weight class for him at 145. Those wins, coupled with a few silvers and bronzes were enough to help the team place second at the event.

"I'm just so blessed to do it," said Harvey after his win. "Thankful for the opportunity to come out here and wrestle with my friends and family, and just come out here and make everyone proud."