After Dalton McDermott secured a momentous pin at 172, one which gave Central Mountain a 33-28 lead with one match to go, freshman Todd Caris would be tasked with sealing the team’s third straight District 6 Class AAA Duals title against a scrappy Altoona squad that had tested the team at every corner.

Until Saturday, Caris hadn’t competed in a high school dual, garnering most of his experience from practice and tournaments. But with his team’s state tournament prospects on the line and palpable tension coursing from the mat to the Central Mountain home crowd, the freshman wouldn’t let the pressure get to him.

Caris would fight through multiple close calls and steadily build up an 8-4 lead heading into the third period. Then, with a crucial adjustment midway through the third, he’d get on top of Altoona’s Ty’Kear Davis and push his shoulders to the mat, securing a pin which shook his home gym and granted the Wildcats a 39-28 victory.

The win marked his first career dual win with the team, one which couldn’t have come at a better time for the team. His emotions following it matched the weight of the moment, as he pumped his fist towards the boisterous crowd before jumping into the arms of his teammates.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain freshman Todd Caris jumps into his teammates' arms after pinning Altoona's Ty'Kear Davis at 189 to seal Central Mountain's 39-28 win in the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday.

“I was so excited. Looked at the crowd, looking at my gram. She’s always been there,” said Caris on the moment. “I’ll never forget this day. Really, really glad that we could win this.”

“Those are the memories that stick with you,” emphasized head coach Biff Walizer. “They’ve put in a lot of work so it’s fun to see them be able to celebrate the way they did in that last match.”

Caris had entered the bout against the Mountain Lions fresh off a tough loss in his dual debut through the team’s 44-18 semifinal win over No. 19 State College. Even with a five-point cushion, avoiding a pin proved to be easier said done initially, as the Wildcats found himself on the receiving in of a treacherous cradle from the start.

But he was able to fight his way out of it, proceeding to do so again and again as the pair traded pin opportunities that left both crowds on the edge of their seats. It was an exciting, tense brawl from start to finish, a bout that encapsulated the back-and-forth theme of the match well.

“I thought I really was going to get pinned but always got out,” said Caris on the initial cradle. “He tried to throw me on my back like six times, tried to headlock me like five times. I don’t even know how I got him on his back.”

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette The Central Mountain wrestling team poses with its championship trophy after winning its third straight District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday.

Not to be overshadowed, McDermott’s win in the prior match was equally impactful.

After seeing leads of 21-12 and 27-18 vanish through an onslaught of bonus point victories from the Mountain Lions, including pins at 139 and 160, the Wildcats desperately needed a spark with their most potent wrestlers off the board.

McDermott built up a 7-0 lead through the first, almost turning an early takedown into a sub-minute pin. And when his opponent, Altoona’s Caleb Darpino, fought back, narrowing the gap to two midways through the second, the junior remained patient, working to create an opening to bolster his lead back up with plenty of time remaining.

Out of neutral, he’d connect on a single-legged shot, rotating his hips to get himself in position to get on top of Darpino and driving him down to the mat when he tried to escape. With one last adjustment and Darpino continuing to try to work his way out, McDermott used that momentum to turn him on his back for the pin.

“I definitely had nerves, but Coach Biff (Walizer) told me that we needed states for the team, so I just had to go out there and do my job,” said McDermott on the bout. “It was crazy, coming back and hugging my team. That’s what I look for; it’s fun.”

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain junior Dalton McDermott works for a pin against Altoona's Caleb Darpino at 172 during the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday. The Wildcats won 39-28 to earn their third straight district title, also defeating State College 44-18 in the semifinals.

“Dalton McDermott and Todd Caris are two names that don’t always grab the highlights and headlines, and it was nice to see them go out and that the moment wasn’t too big for them. They came through for the team and that was a pretty exciting finish,” said Walizer on the pair. “You never know how young kids are going to handle that spotlight situation where it all comes down to you.”

It was a contest where every point mattered, with Central Mountain’s depth prospering throughout the afternoon.

Freshman Kai Fravel secured a monstrous, first-period pin to give the Wildcats a 9-0 lead early in the match. Senior Luke Ananea added a fall to cap the team’s competitive bouts in its 44-18 win over State College on a high note, and Luke Garman added an 8-5 decision to jumpstart a four-match win streak for the Wildcats within the semifinals that sealed the deal.

Senior Bryce Brungard, a typical 189-pounder who competed at 285 against State College and 215 against Altoona, kicked the match off with a tight, 10-5 decision win over Altoona’s Michael Coyle and sophomore Patrick Tarantella endured a similar challenge, defeating Phillip Sarbo 5-0. That pair would go 2-0 on the day alongside Walizer’s ‘usual suspects,’ securing tight decisions to play a role in both wins.

And No. 2 Dalton Perry, No. 4 Aiden Kunes and No. 11 Gavin Heverly continued to lead the charge, logging bonus points in all five of their collective wins.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain junior Dalton McDermott reacts after pinning Altoona's Caleb Darpino at 172 during the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday. The Wildcats won 39-28 to earn their third straight district title, also defeating State College 44-18 in the semifinals.

After going into the third period against Altoona’s Deklar Barr trailing 1-0, Kunes would rack up 11 points amidst the bout’s final stanza to secure a major decision, building on a second-period pin from his previous match. Heverly closed out his day with a second-period tech fall and first-period pin respectively, racking up six takedowns and four back points in the process. And Perry attributed a second-period pin against State College, with Altoona choosing to just endure the six-point loss with a forfeit.

“The usual suspects all went out and took care of business,” said Walizer on the trio. “Just happy with the effort from everybody that competed today.”

With the wins, Central Mountain (13-0) earned its third straight trip to the PIAA Team Championships. To kick off that tournament, it’s set to host Shikellamy on Tuesday, who still, at this point, has forced the Wildcats’ closest win of the season (35-30). In looking to keep its season alive, Central Mountain will prepare accordingly as it strives to keep building on this momentum.

DISTRICT 6 CLASS AAA DUAL FINALS

No. 14 Central Mountain 39, No. 16 Altoona 28

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain senior Bryce Brungard wrestles against Altoona's Michael Coyler at 215 during the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday. The Wildcats won 39-28 to earn their third straight district title, also defeating State College 44-18 in the semifinals.

215: Bryce Brungard (CM) dec. Michael Coyler (A), 10-5. 285: Kai Fravel (CM) pinned Julian Fringle (A), 1:15. 107: Dom Nardozza (A) pinned Cael Dorman (CM), 5:49. 114: No. 11 Gavin Heverly (CM) pinned Nick Irwin (A), 1:25. 121: No. 3 Braiden Weaver (A) pinned Collin Bauman (CM), 1:04. 127: No. 4 Aiden Kunes (CM) maj. dec. Deklar Barr (A), 11-2. 133: Patrick Tarantella (CM) dec. Phillip Sarbo (A), 5-0. 139: Reese Hite (A) pinned Hayes Donley (CM) 3:30. 145: No. 2 Dalton Perry (CM) won by forfeit. 152: No. 24 Gavin Ciampoli (A) maj. dec. Luke Ananea (CM), 10-1. 160: No. 2 Luke Sipes (A) pinned Dakota Packer (CM), :40. 172: Dalton McDermott (CM) pinned Caleb Darpino (A), 3:00. 189: Todd Caris (CM) pinned Ty’Kear Davis (A), 5:00.

DISTRICT 6 CLASS AAA DUAL SEMIFINALS

No. 14 Central Mountain 44, No. 19 State College 18

189: Alijah Al-Sulaimani (SC) dec. Todd Caris (CM), 7-4 SV. 215: No. 1 Asher Cunningham (SC) pinned Kai Fravel (CM), 0:47. 285: Bryce Brungard (CM) dec. Michael Troupe (SC, 4-1 SV. 107: Cael Dorman (CM) won by forfeit. 114: No. 11 Gavin Heverly (CM) tech fall Noah Young (SC), 19-3 (3:13). 121: Jon Whitbred (SC) dec. Collin Bauman (CM), 2-0. 127: Luke Garman (CM) dec. Mason Sanderson (SC), 8-5. 133: No. 4 Aiden Kunes (CM) pinned Johnathan Coates (SC), 2:57. 139: Patrick Tarantella (CM) dec. Nicholas Berrena (SC), 5-4. 145: Dalton Perry (CM) pinned Sam Davidson (SC), 3:17. 152: No. 8 James Whitbred (SC) won by forfeit. 160: Luke Ananea (CM) pinned Xavier Zeruth, 0:48. 172: Dalton McDermott (CM) won by forfeit.

No. 16 Altoona 41, Mifflin County 26

189: Reese Christine (MC) pinned Tykear Davis (A), 5:08. 215: Michael Colyer (A) pinned Jace Bender (MC), 1:22. 285: Peyton Kearns (MC) pinned Khamden Thompkins (A), 1:21. 107: Dom Nardozza (A) won by forfeit. 114: Andrew Alexander (MC) pinned Nick Irwin (A), 1:51. 121: Braiden Weaver (A) pinned Paxton Shawver (MC), 0:35. 127: Deklan Barr (A) tech fall Layten Bowersox, 17-0 (3:54). 133: Phillip Sarbo (A) dec. Jake Knable (MC), 6-2. 139: Kamden Everly (MC) tech fall Brayden Wible (A), 20-2 (5:03). 145: Reese Hite (A) maj. dec. Brian Albert (MC), 13-4.152: Colby Seiler (MC) dec. Gavin Ciampoli (A), 7-2. 160: Luke Sipes (A) pinned Dominique Siennick (MC), 1:23. 172: Caleb Darpino (A) tech fall Brayan Aurand (MC), 26-9 (5:55).

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain sophomore Gavin Heverly wrestles against Altoona's Nick Irwin at 114 during the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday. The Wildcats won 39-28 to earn their third straight district title, also defeating State College 44-18 in the semifinals.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain sophomore Aiden Kunes gets his hand raised after defeating Altoona's Deklar Barr by 11-2 major decision at 127 during the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday. The Wildcats won 39-28 to earn their third straight district title, also defeating State College 44-18 in the semifinals.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain junior Dalton McDermott reacts after pinning Altoona's Caleb Darpino at 172 during the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday. The Wildcats won 39-28 to earn their third straight district title, also defeating State College 44-18 in the semifinals.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain freshman Todd Caris wrestles against Altoona's Ty'Kear Davis at 189 during the District 6 Class AAA Team title at Central Mountain on Saturday. The Wildcats won 39-28 to earn their third straight district title, also defeating State College 44-18 in the semifinals.