Watch Montgomery wrestle and you’re going to see a team, from top-to-bottom, looking to put points up on the board and end matches via the cradle. That was on display in a big way on Tuesday night, as the Red Raiders topped Warrior Run, 41-30.

“That’s what Montgomery is known for. We’re a leg riding and cradling team, and people know it,” Montgomery coach Denny Harer said.

There are plenty of philosophies on what pinning combinations to emphasize in the practice room. But Harer, who picked up his 350th dual meet victory, has found that teaching the cradle series works for his program.

“For our inexperienced kids, it’s a great way to pin your opponent, and it’s easy to teach. We’re pretty good at showing how to get into it and score with it, so it’s an easy way for our newer guys to learn how to score,” Harer said.

In the first half of Tuesday’ dual, the Red Raiders did plenty of scoring. Senior Manny Stoltzfus started the dual off with a tech fall at the first period horn. He used an early takedown and three sets of back points featuring the cradle to win, 15-0 at 107 pounds. Freshman star Gabe Oberheim pinned Warrior Run’s Tyler Walburn with an arm bar 38 seconds into the second period at 114, and Liam Seeley received a forfeit at 121 to put Montgomery up 17-0.

A first-period pin by Carter Finck over Emmett Ranck put the Red Raiders up 23-0.

A matchup of two state-ranked wrestlers in Warrior Run’s Chase Wirnsberger and Montgomery’s Carden Wagner lived up to the billing. Wagner got out to an early lead, using a high crotch and switching off to a double-leg to take down Wirnsberger 40 seconds into the match. Wagner used that takedown to build a 4-2 lead heading into the final period, but Wirnsberger came alive.

Wirnsberger scored a takedown near the midway mark of the period to take a 5-4 lead. Then after Wagner escaped to tie the match 5-5, Wirnsberger took advantage of a Wagner shot to counter for the winning takedown.

“I knew I just needed one takedown to tie it and get back in. And once I got that, I knew he was tired, so I just kept going,” Wirnsberger said. “I knew he was tired, and he kind of just dove in. So I knew he wasn’t fully there. So I just felt like I could hip into him, and I just went for it and got it.”

The sophomore, who was a District 4 runner-up and a state qualifier a year ago, has battled an elbow injury and taken some losses against tough competition in the early parts of the season. His record heading into Tuesday’s dual meet was just 5-5. But, he thinks this win will serve as a springboard for the rest of the season.

“This definitely does give me some motivation and stuff and helps me boost my confidence going for the rest of the season,” Wirnsberger said.

At 139, Montgomery’s AJ Kroft needed just 22 seconds to pin Samuel McCloskey Jr., and Brandt Harer received a forfeit as Montgomery took a 35-3 lead. Montgomery would get their final bout win of the evening when Trace Furman locked Blake Dion up in a cradle and got the fall at the 54-second mark of the first period.

At 160, Defender Reagan Milheim, who is looking to cap off his career with his second state title after winning it as a sophomore with runner-up finishes in his two other trips to Hershey, won via technical fall over Josh Knoebel in 1:39. At 172, Max Wirnsberger, who is looking for a state championship of his own this year, won by technical fall over Raiden Felix at the 4:13 mark.

At 189, returning state medalist Tyler Ulrich extended the Warrior Run winning streak to three with a first-period technical fall over promising freshman Gage Furman. At 215lb, Defender Blake Parker, giving up considerable weight, was able to throw and pin Montgomery’s Evan Hugar in the second period.

At 285, Noah Johnson — who is enjoying a breakout senior campaign after losing in the blood round at regionals last year — pinned Keigan Clark in 1:31 to bring the final score to 41-30.

Warrior Run will head to the PHAC Championships on Saturday at Bloomsburg University. Montgomery will head to one of Pennsylvania’s top tournaments, Mid-Winter Mayhem, held on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania this weekend.

“We go down there to get the best guys in the state. We’re gonna do it, and that’s what we go there for. We’re ready. We’re excited about it,” Harer said.

Montgomery 41, Warrior Run 30

107: Manny Stoltzfus (M) tech fall Kael Majcher, 15-0, 2:00. 114: Gabe Oberheim (M) pinned Tyler Walburn, 2:28. 121: Liam Seeley (M) by forfeit. 127: Carter Finck (M) pinned Emmett Ranck, 1:47. 133: Chase Wirnsberger (WR) dec. Carden Wagner, 8-6. 139: AJ Kroft (M) pinned Samuel McCloskey, 0:22. 145: Brandt Harer (M) by forfeit. 152: Trace Furman (M) pinned Blake Dion, 0:54. 160: Reagan Milheim (WR) tech fall Josh Knoebel, 20-4, 1:39. 172: Max Wirnsberger (WR) tech fall Raiden Felix, 21-5, 4:13. 189: Tyler Ulrich (WR) tech fall Gage Furman, 17-2, 1:58. 215: Blake Parker (WR) pinned Evan Hugar, 2:42. 285: Noah Johnson (WR) pinned Keigan Clark, 1:31.