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Montgomery’s Harer, Muncy’s Johnson named Sun-Gazette Co-Wrestlers of the Year

By Jon Gerardi 13 min read

One went undefeated without yielding a single offensive point to an opponent. The other proved dominant on the mat throughout the postseason. Both will be wrestling at the Division I level, both capped their career with gold medals and both were ranked nationally in the top-10 at their respective weights.

And now, both are Sun-Gazette Co-Wrestlers of the Year.

Montgomery’s Brandt Harer (139 pounds) and Muncy’s Austin Johnson (215) shared the top honors after their outstanding seasons this winter.

BRANDT HARER, MONTGOMERY

There was a time in late September when it looked like possibly Montgomery standout Brandt Harer’s season on the mat could have been affected.

He was in the hospital facing a bacterial infection known as mycoplasma pneumoniae which then resulted in a rare reaction from his body battling the infection known as Reactive Infectious Mucosal Eruption (RIME). Harer would be in the hospital with RIME as his body was covered in blisters.

For the first week of October, there Harer was in the hospital for eight long days battling RIME and an extremely high fever.

Harer recovered from that bout after those eight long days and improved, but a question was how would it affect Harer's wrestling? Would it affect his endurance or stamina?

If any doubts were there, they were put to rest as fast as Harer can land a takedown. In other words, very quickly.

The Red Raider started the season dominating and kept it up through March where he secured his second consecutive PIAA Class AA gold medal, doing so at 139 pounds. His outstanding run throughout the year en route to winning gold following his illness secured Harer as the Sun-Gazette Boys Co-Wrestler of the Year for 2024-25 alongside Muncy senior Austin Johnson.

Harer went undefeated for a second straight year, going 57-0, and rarely let an opponent get a chance to strike. He won 37 matches by tech fall as he continually racked up points as fast as humanly possible. He also had 14 pins.

In total, Harer had 54 contested bouts this year, and only three wrestlers were able to go a full six minutes against the future Rutgers wrestler.

As if his dominance wasn't on display enough, Harer didn't yield a single offensive point all season and had 55 bonus-point victories.

Harer cruised throughout the postseason, claiming gold at sectionals, districts, regionals and states.

Arguably, Harer's toughest bout this winter came in the state final on March 8 when he wrestled Bishop McDevitt's Camden Baum, a Purdue commit who went 48-5. Harer wrestled his style though and kept fighting, eventually securing a key point and held on to win a narrow match, 1-0, for state gold.

"It's not always about winning or losing, my dad preaches that, but winning comes with putting 100% effort in," Harer said after the Northeast Class AA Regional tournament. "That's exactly what I do every time. I know I just give it my all and that's what I do."

And giving his all is what led to another year of dominance by Harer and a second consecutive gold medal.

MUNCY’S AUSTIN JOHNSON

Shortly after Muncy's Austin Johnson received his 215-pound gold medal at the Central Sectional tournament, he was asked if it was cool he would be surpassing his brother for the second-most wins in program history.

Johnson thought for a second, and admitted that while it was kind of cool to have that record over his older brother, it ultimately wasn't what he was most concerned about.

Wins are nice, but ultimately what matters is medals, specifically at the state meet. Johnson was laser focused throughout the postseason and was eyeing a gold medal for the second time in his career and he did just that.

After months of hard work practicing and working out, Johnson culminated his career with his second-ever PIAA gold medal in Hershey.

Johnson's stellar season earned him Sun-Gazette Boys Co-Wrestler of the Year honors for 2024-25 alongside Montgomery standout Brandt Harer.

Johnson finished the season with a 45-1 record. The lone loss he suffered was in the finals of the brutal Powerade Tournament to Jude Correa of Wyoming Seminary, a multi-national prep champion.

"I can't really put it into words right now, but it's amazing," Johnson said after winning state gold. "I put so much work and so much thought into this state title. I wanted to win it my senior year and I was thinking about it so much. I'm really glad I was able to win it."

Johnson's senior year was one any kid would have loved to have.

He was the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 215 for the entire season and ended the year ranked No. 6 in the nation as well at his weight. He went 45-1 as noted and won 14 bouts by tech fall and 21 by pin as he dominated just about every opponent who stepped on the mat against him.

He also claimed a gold medal at each postseason tournament: Central Sectionals, District 4 championships, Northeast Class AA Regionals and of course, the state tournament. Four for four isn't a bad way to cap your senior year prior to heading to Oklahoma State to wrestle at the Division I level.

When the excitement settled at Hershey, Johnson walked away with 156 career wins, two state gold medals, two state silver medals, four regional gold medals, four sectional gold medals, three district gold medals and a silver district medal. He also is the only two-time state champion in Muncy history and the first four-time state finalist in Muncy program history.

Sixteen postseason medals which were all gold or silver? Not a bad career at all. Johnson set the bar at Muncy for what success on the mat looks like, and no doubt future Indians will be holding Johnson's career as the standard of what to strive for.

SUN-GAZETTE BOYS WRESTLING ALL-STAR TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

107 POUNDS

Branden Eisenhour, Montoursville

You couldn't ask for a better debut freshman season than the one that Eisenhour compiled this winter. Eisenhour claimed a Central Sectional gold medal, a District 4 bronze medal and picked up a silver medal at the Northeast Class AA Regional championships. He reached states and while he didn't medal, still had an outstanding season. Eisenhour went 37-15 this year, earning 15 wins by fall and 10 by tech fall as he ended his season ranked No. 12 in the state at 107 pounds.

114 POUNDS

Lyle Vermilya, Canton

The Warrior senior put together a great final campaign in a Canton singlet. Vermilya finished 32-18 and reached 115 wins for his career. He took bronze at the North Sectional tournament, took fourth at the District 4 championships and also was a fourth-place finisher at the Northeast Class AA Regional tournament. It propelled him to the state tournament for just the second time in his career. While Vermilya didn't medal at the state tournament, he did open states witha 14-0 major decision win against Clayton Ealy of McGuffey.

121 POUNDS

Teli Bobotas, Montoursville

Montoursville standout Teli Bobotas reached the state tournament for a third consecutive season in his junior year, but again walked out of Hershey without a state medal. But, while he didn't secure hardware, he was a key piece to the Warriors' overall success this year. He was one of seven state qualifiers, helped Montoursville win its first-ever District 4 Class AA Duals title and helped Montoursville claim the team title at sectionals, districts and regionals. Individually, Bobotas -- ranked No. 8 in Pennsylvania at 121 -- won sectional gold, district silver and regional silver en route to states. He won 43 matches this year with 18 falls and 10 takedowns and only lost eight bouts.

127 POUNDS

David Kennedy, Montoursville

Kennedy capped his career on a high note. He went out and secured his first-ever state medal by taking fifth at the PIAA Class AA championships and, while it wasn't gold that he perhaps was hoping for, it was still a great accomplishment. Kennedy reached 150 wins for his career and ended with 159 as he was ranked No. 6 in the state at 127. He won sectional and district gold before taking bronze at regionals. He also ended his career with 92 falls and became part of the first father/son duo to have 150 wins each in District 4 history as he joined his dad Dave.

133 POUNDS

Chase Shaner, Hughesville

Shaner, who will wrestle at Penn College, became the program's all-time wins leader this year for Hughesville with 139 for his career. It says a lot given some of the standouts who have wrestled for the Spartans. Shaner reached the state tournament this winter, but wasn't able to place in his third trip to Hershey. Still, however, Shaner had a great year by going 38-13 with a silver medal at sectionals, bronze at districts and a fourth-place finish at the Northeast Class AA Regional tournament.

139 POUNDS

Max Furman III, Montgomery

While Furman wrestled at 145 this year, the Red Raider was too talented to be excluded from the first team. Furman tore his ACL as a freshman and had an outstanding bounceback year as a sophomore. Furman went 42-18 and reached the state tournament this year after taking gold at sectionals, fifth at districts and fourth at regionals. He won 17 bouts by decision and 11 by fall. Furman worked hard to get back on the mat following his ACL injury and he proved that he's a standout wrestler. He'll only get better too.

145 POUNDS

Dalton Perry, Central Mountain

A second-place finisher at 145, Perry's season came to an end with a loss in the finals and while the Wildcat was hoping for another gold medal, Perry continued to wrestle well as he knew how. Ranked No. 1 in the state, Perry capped his senior season with a silver medal at the state tournament, his fourth career medal at states and all four have been bronze or better. Not a bad career for the Penn State commit. Perry won 42 matches this year, reaching 161 for his career, and won an outstanding 31 by fall. Only seven opponents all year managed to take Perry six minutes on the mat. Perry won gold at districts and another gold at regionals.

152 POUNDS

Keagan Smith, Hughesville

Smith put together a great senior season and was on a mission to make his first appearance in Hershey for the state tournament. While he didn't quite get to Hershey, coming shy in regionals, Smith still had a season he shouldn't hang his head about. The Spartan went 36-11 this year, surpassing 100 wins for his career. Smith earned his first career postseason gold medal this year at the Central Sectional tournament, took fourth at districts (his highest-ever finish) and qualified for regionals for just the second time in his outstanding career.

160 POUNDS

Reagan Milheim, Warrior Run

Milheim still has a year to compete with the Defenders, but he's already established himself as one of the Defenders' all-time greats. The American commit was ranked No. 2 in the state at 160 pounds and went 46-1 this year. The lone loss? In the state final against Bishop McCort's Melvin Miller by major decision. Milheim recorded his third consecutive season with 46 or more wins and is 143-9 heading into his senior year. Miller was the only wrestler in 47 matches this year who had an answer for Milheim, who dominated his opponents with 36 wins this year by fall (15) or tech (21). Milheim took sectional, district and regional gold medals home and his silver at states is his third straight state medal of silver or better (gold in 2024). Milheim is just five wins shy of tying Zack LeBarron for the all-time mark at Warrior Run of 148. It's safe to say Milheim will obliterate that mark by the end of 2026.

172 POUNDS

Gage Wentzel, Montoursville

Wentzel had a rough end to his season this year. The Montoursville standout, ranked No. 5 in Pennsylvania at 172, lost by decision 3-1 to Faith Christian Academy's Nick Singer in the 172-pound final at states to take silver. But, regardless of that outcome, the Warrior still had a great year no matter how you look at it. Wentzel was one of seven Montoursville wrestlers to qualify for states, but he was the only one to reach the first-place finals, which says a lot given how talented the roster is. Wentzel went 49-7 this year to reach 139 wins for his career and he's still got another season to go. His silver medal at states this year was his third consecutive year of taking home a state medal. Another 40-win season next year -- he's recorded three straight with 45 or more -- would put him at the top of the mountain in Montoursville wins history as Gavin Hoffman has the mark of 176.

189 POUNDS

Tyler Ulrich, Warrior Run

Ulrich had a solid junior season for the Defenders. The Defender, who committed to wrestle at Seton Hill University, was ranked No. 10 in the state at his weight and finished the year 44-8 with a .846 win percentage. Ulrich won 15 matches by tech fall and 16 by fall. He claimed a South Sectional gold medal, District 4 gold medal, Northeast Class AA Regional gold medal and culminated the year with a seventh-place medal.

215 POUNDS

Isaiah Betz, Warrior Run

The Defenders had a number of wrestling standouts this year, and Betz was among them. The senior Warrior Run wrestler had a great year as he reached 100 wins for his career (115) and went 36-13 with a .735 win percentage, his highest in a single season. Betz had his highest-ever finish at the Northeast Class AA Regional tournament as well as he took fifth, just his second-ever medal at regionals. While Betz didn't qualify for the state tournament -- coming just shy -- he did end with 36 wins, 13by tech fall and nine by fall. He also won six bouts by decision and four by major decision, showcasing that Betz could win by overwhelming his opponents or grinding out tough matches where points were hard to come by.

285 POUNDS

Landon Morehart Montoursville

Morehart had a great final season wearing a Montoursville singlet. The No. 11th-ranked wrestler in state at 285 pounds was one of seven Warriors to reach the state tournament and, while he didn't place, still had an outstanding season with 39 wins, a .780 win percentage and three postseason medals. He took gold at the Central Sectional tournament, silver at the District 4 championships and another silver medal at the Northeast Class AA Regional tournament. He ended his career with 99 victories, coming one shy of that 100-win milestone. He had 16 wins this year by fall, securing 53 career pins.

SECOND TEAM

107: Manny Stoltzfus, Montgomery

114: Gavin Heverely, Central Mountain

121: Gage Swank, Muncy

127: Colton Wade, Sullivan County

133: Chase Shaner, Hughesville

139: Louden Spotts, Jersey Shore

145: Kile Hartman, Hughesville

152: Landen Wagner, Lewisburg

160: Hayden Harvey, Montoursville

172: Max Wirnsberger, Warrior Run

189: Coy Bryson, Montgomery

215: Slate Sechrist, Jersey Shore

285: Luke Sottolano, Williamson

HONORABLE MENTION

(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Ryder Bowen, Wellsboro (189); Bryce Brungard, Central Mountain (189); Wyatt Gavitt, Hughesville (172); Noah Johnson, Warrior Run (285); Andrew Kapec, Sullivan County (114); Owen Kleinman, Montoursville (189); Aiden Kunes, Central Mountain (127); Landon Michaels, Lewisburg (127); Mason Mordan, Hughesville (160); Collin Nasdeo, Williamsport (127); Riley Oakes, NP-Liberty (152); Brayden Pequignot, NP-Liberty (127); Bryce Pequignot, NP-Liberty (114); Jordan Piselli, Williamsport (107); Liam Seeley, Montgomery (114); Karter Stone, Montoursville (139); Luke Stutzman, Hughesville (215); Patrick Tarantella, Central Mountain (139); Carden Wagner, Montgomery (127); Lauger Waldman, Williamsport (114); Chase Wenrich, Lewisburg (172); Zander Wilson, Williamson (107); Chase Wirnsberger, Warrior Run (114)

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