The Red Raiders weren’t worried or panicking, but simply knew they had to wrestle the way they knew how in contested bouts if they wanted to win at home.

So trailing by 16 points, Montgomery rattled off four consecutive pinfall victories in the next four contested bouts and took a lead it didn’t relinquish as Montgomery beat Williamsport, 36-27, at home on Thursday.

“We knew our head-to-head matchups that there were a couple of them that would be close and it could come down to the last couple of bouts with team points,” Montgomery coach Jodi Furman said. “So a couple of girls really showed up and got some falls for us that could have been toss-up matches.”

At 130 pounds, Briella Walk secured a pin in 42 seconds against Emma Schell to cut the deficit to 22-12. Then at 136, Zoe Furman — who’s ranked No. 1 in the state at her weight — pinned Sophia Rosato in 62 seconds to make it a four-point deficit, 22-18.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Brooke Knoebel wrestles Williamsport's Malaina Comfort at 100 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

After a double forfeit at 142, Montgomery’s Addison Gregor wrestled Williamsport’s Mah’ogny Bell-Smalls at 148. That bout helped shift the momentum for the Red Raiders. Bell-Smalls wrestled well early, but Gregor secured the fall in 69 seconds to give Montgomery a 24-22 lead and from there, Williamsport would never get back ahead.

“They’re a bunch of tough girls. A lot of inexperience, lot of nice freshman, so the future looks bright, but yeah they’re coming along and starting to pick it up,” Williamsport coach Kevin Werner said. “They meet adversity head on so I’m proud of them that way.”

Georgina Leet had a fall at 170 over Williamsport’s Selena Fontenot in 1:22 to extend the Red Raiders’ lead to 30-22. At 190, Williamsport’s Mia Davis won by tech fall, 16-0, but Montgomery’s Malayna Beattie nearly shifted that momentum away late in the second period. 

Davis had a headlock on Beattie and took her down for a fall attempt, but Beattie rolled and reversed it, got on top and nearly had a fall of her own. However Williamsport’s coaching staff successfully argued that points weren’t put on the scoreboard, and the bout was a tech fall instead of continuing.

“I’m glad my assistant picked up on that score. I was in the match and he came over and told me that, and I was like ‘go argue that,'” Werner said. “That’s what I see a lot in this sport is momentum. If it switches a little bit, you never know what the outcome’s going to be, so I was pleased to see that (tech fall win).”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Jenna Houseknecht wrestles Williamsport's Danica Bacorn at 106 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

While the reversal didn’t count, Furman was glad to see her wrestlers continuing to fight through bouts regardless of the score.

“Our motto is we score the next point. Whatever it ends up being, when we’re in these duals we continue to fight for each other and continue to think about what’s best for the team. Her thing was ‘OK, I just have to fight off my back’ and it ended up almost turning her way and being positive at the end,” Furman said. “She came out with a very strong mindset knowing she didn’t give up in that match.”

Davis wrestled well in that bout at 190 and kept piling up points. For Werner, that was something he’s happy to see and seeing the success Davis is having this year with 16 wins and counting.

“Mia hasn’t had the best year; there’s been a couple times she’s been out of position, kind of got into a little bit of trouble, but she’s an excellent wrestler,” Werner noted. “When she’s focused, she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. She’s definitely a good girl. I liked the way she controlled that mat out there, she was controlling the entire match on her feet and just kind of took it to her.”

Davis’s tech fall gave the Millionaires five points and made it a 30-27 deficit, but with no wrestler at 235 in the lineup, Montgomery won with a forfeit by sixth-ranked Adelyn Rine at 235.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Jenna Houseknecht wrestles Williamsport's Danica Bacorn at 106 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

The Millionaires opened the dual with a great win by sophomore Malaina Comfort at 100 in a battle of two state-ranked wrestlers. Comfort entered ranked No. 6 while Knoebel is No. 5 at 100. In the first period, Comfort had a takedown and got Knoebel on her back, but Knoebel was able to avoid a pin and escaped late as the bout ended with Comfort leading 6-2.

In the second period Comfort was on top and got a cradle on Knoebel and had a nearfall attempt to take a 9-3 lead. Comfort would then shoot low and get a hold of Comfort’s leg to get her down and take a 12-4 lead as the period expired.

“I think she’s a really strong wrestler and her defense is very good,” Comfort said about Knoebel.

The third period saw Comfort keep scoring and take a 14-5 lead to win via major decision as Comfort held off Knoebel in the final 30 seconds, preventing the fifth-ranked Red Raider from possibly getting a pin.

“I think being on offense, trying to score points (are my strengths). I don’t normally focus on winning and losing, just going out there, taking shots and scoring points. That seems to be working for me,” Comfort said of her match.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Jenna Houseknecht wrestles Williamsport's Danica Bacorn at 106 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

“She wanted this match because she ended up getting pinned by her earlier in the year on a defensive pin. And Brooke is excellent on the mat, she’s really impressive and very dangerous,” Werner said. “And we talked about that and she’s aware of that, but at this point, there’s a couple girls who are as equal to her on her feet, but I think we’re going to see a medal around her neck at the end of the year.”

Montgomery’s Jenna Houseknecht, ranked No. 8 at 106, secured a pin against Danica Bacorn in 2:34 which helped give the Red Raiders six points after starting down 4-0.

“We had a couple of leaders that are our go-tos and we need those team points and we need that momentum turn. They know that they can get it done in the moment,” Furman said. “I was a little bit concerned that Jenna would kind of go out of her comfort zone and try to press the pace, she wanted to turn the momentum and needed to get a fall for us. Hopefully as they continue to mature it might not come in the first 20 seconds of a match. I got to play the long game sometimes too and it ended up working well for her too.”

Montgomery 26, Williamsport 27

100: Malaina Comfort (W) maj. dec. Brooke Knoebel, 14-5. 106: Jenna Houseknecht (M) pinned Danica Bacorn, 2:34. 112: Bryleeann Slegle (W) by forfeit. 118: Camile Gehr (W) by forfeit. 124: Lyric Davis (W) by forfeit. 130: Briella Walk (M) pinned Emma Schell, 0:42. 136: Zoe Furman (M) pinned Sophia Rosato, 1:02. 142: Double forfeit. 148: Addison Greger (M) pinned Mah’ogny Bell-Smalls, 1:09. 155: Double forfeit. 170: Georgina Leet (M) pinned Selena Fontenot, 2:22. 190: Mia Davis (W) tech fall Malayna Beattie, 16-0, 3:43. 235: Adeline Rine (M) by forfeit.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Briella Walk wrestles Williamsport's Emma Schell at 130 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

Junior high result: Williamsport, 66-24

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Briella Walk wrestles Williamsport's Emma Schell at 130 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Zoe Furman wrestles Williamsport's Sophia Rosato at 136 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Addison Greger wrestles Williamsport's Mah'ogny Bell-Smalls at 148 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Addison Greger wrestles Williamsport's Mah'ogny Bell-Smalls at 148 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Georgina Leet wrestles Williamsport's Selena Fontenot at 170 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Malayna Beattie wrestles Williamsport's Mia Davis at 190 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Brooke Knoebel wrestles Williamsport's Malaina Comfort at 100 during a high school girls wrestling match at Montgomery on Thursday. Montgomery won 36-27.