ATHENS — Fueled by its full-court pressure, Athens used a 28-2 run in a 12-minute span that extended from the first to the third quarters on its way to a 63-25 win over North Penn-Mansfield here Wednesday night in NTL Large School Division boys basketball action.

“We came out in our 1-3-1 just to get the boys warmed up,” said Athens coach Jim Lister. “We switched to the full-court press, and played some of our best defense of the season.

“We forced turnovers, and turned them into a boatload of points in transition,” noted Lister.

Lister was especially pleased with his team’s performance considering it had been off since Jan. 29.

“This was a group of kids who have been cooped up for 11 days, and they were able to release a lot of frustrations tonight,” said Lister.

“And, I’ve been saying since Day 1 that our second five could start for a lot of teams in the area,” noted Lister. “I think it helped us to beat up on each other for the last 11 days.

“I was very pleased with our intensity tonight,” added Lister. “The boys played extremely hard, and our defense was outstanding.”

Karson Dominick knocked down a 3-pointer to give NP-M a 5-2 lead then added a pair of buckets in the paint to make it 9-6 with 4:40 remaining in the first quarter.

After a lay-up by senior J.J. Babcock of an in-bounds play cut the deficit to 9-8, Dominick, who scored nine points in the stanza, made a pair of free throws to give the Tigers an 11-8 with 3:11 remaining in the first quarter.

On the Wildcats’ next possession, they hit the offensive boards. On their fourth shot of the possession, Lister canned a 3-pointer from the win with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter to tie the game at 11-11.

With 1:30 remaining, Lister scored in transition to make it 13-11. Moments later, Athens forced a turnover with its press, and Babcock knocked down an 18-foot jumper to make it 15-11.

Senior Nalen Carling drained a runner with 1 second remaining to give the Wildcats a 17-11 lead after the first eight minutes.

The second quarter was all Athens. Its pressure defense resulted in 14 NP-M turnovers in the stanza, including in each of its final 10 possessions of the half. The Tigers did not get a shot off in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the second quarter.

After a blocked shot by Babcock, Lister scored in transition to make it 19-11 with 7:30 remaining in the first half.

Dominick scored off an in-bounds play with 6:45 left in the half to close the gap to 19-13, but that was NP-M’s only bucket in Athens’ 19-2 seconds-quarter run.

After Carling scored on a putback, Brown scooped up a loose ball and found Babcock for a dunk to make it 23-13 with 5:28 remaining in the half.

Lister knocked down another 3-pointer with 3:32 remaining in the half to make it 26-13. Moments later, after another NP-M turnover, Lister dropped a behind-his-back pass to Babcock for an emphatic dunk with 3:10 remaining to extend the lead to 28-13.

A driving lay-up by senior Tucker Brown with 9 seconds remaining gave the Wildcats a 34-13 lead at the half.

Senior Troy Pritchard capped the 26-2 run with a drive down the lane with 6:50 left in the third quarter to make it 36-13.

After a putback by Dominick closed the gap to 36-15 with 6:40 remaining, the Wildcats went on a 15-0 blitz to take a 51-15 lead with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter. Lister scored six points in the run, and Brown added five points, including an old-fashioned three-point play.

Lister led Athens with 18 points, while Babcock scored 12 points, Brown had 11 points, Carling had eight points, sophomore Carson Smith added six points, and freshman Kolsen Keathley chipped in with four points.

Dominick led NP-M with 14 points, and Brody Burleigh added seven.

Lister was not only pleased with his team’s performance, but also by the support from the student section.

“The student section was out in force,” he said. “They were awesome, they were loud, and I hope to see them Friday and Saturday night.”

Athens, now 13-5, returns to action Friday when it hosts Wellsboro. The Wildcats travel to Troy Saturday.

ATHENS — Athens shook off a slow start, then pulled away for a 56-29 win over Wyalusing here Tuesday night in NTL Large School Division girls basketball action.

Olivia Spencer scored four points, Brin Zionkowski canned a 3-pointer, and Olivia Leichliter converted an old-fashioned three-point play to help the Lady Rams to a 10-6 lead after the first eight minutes, but the Lady Wildcats dominated the final three quarters.

Senior Caydence Macik, who moved past Janet Gabriel and Kayleigh Miller into fifth all-time on the program’s scoring list, pumped in 14 points in the second quarter after being shutout in the first half, while junior Karlee Bartlow canned a 3-pointer and added five points to fuel a 19-8 run that gave the Lady Wildcats a 25-18 lead at the half.

Junior Natalee Watson scored six points, while junior Emma Bronson and Macik added four points apiece in a 17-6 run that extended the Athens lead to 42-24 heading into the final eight minutes.

Bronson scored six points in the fourth quarter, and senior Olivia Bartlow added four points as Athens sealed its victory with a 14-5 game-closing run.

Macik, who now has 1,202 career points, led Athens with 20 points, eight rebounds, seven steals, two assists, and two blocked shots, while Karlee Bartlow had 12 points, four assists, and three rebounds, and Bronson scored 12 points.

Watson added six points in the win, while Olivia Bartlow chipped in with four points, three boards, and one blocked shot, freshman Addy Wheeler had four rebounds, four assists, and four steals, and sophomore Mya Thompson chipped in with three rebounds, three assists, and two blocked shots.

Zionkowski led Wyalusing with 17 points and five 3-pointers, while Leichliter added five points, and Spencer chipped in with four points.

Athens, now 13-5, hosts Troy Thursday.

WELLSBORO — Thanks in part to a switch back to full-court pressure with five minutes remaining, Athens closed the game with a 16-2 run in a 52-37 win over Wellsboro here Monday night in NTL Large School Division girls basketball action.

After Wellsboro’s Ella Posada scored with 6:02 remaining to trim the Athens lead to one point, at 36-35, the Wildcats had three offensive rebounds in a row in an attempt to push the lead back to three points, but turned the ball over before it could get off its fourth shot of the possession.

Athens coach Brian Miller then called a time out, and put his team back into a full-court press.

“We wanted to pressure them the whole game, but we got into a little bit of foul trouble, so we had to take it off, which hurt our scoring opportunities,” he said.

“We wanted to turn up the pressure after the time out to create some more scoring opportunities, which we did,” added Miller. “And once (Emma) Coolidge fouled out, we dialed it up a little bit more.”

Wellsboro turned the ball over on its first possession after the time out when freshman Addy Wheeler came up with a steal and full-court pass to junior Emma Bronson for a lay-up to make it 38-35 with 4:09 remaining.

After a steal in the press, Macik scored in the low post off a nice entry pass from Wheeler, then added a free throw to complete the old-fashioned three-point play to make it 41-35 with 3:43 left in the game.

After another turnover, Bronson knocked down two free throws to make it 43-35 with 3:17 remaining, prompting a Wellsboro timeout.

Wellsboro quickly beat the Athens press on its next possession with Maddy Mascho’s lay-up closing the gap to 43-37 with 3:06 left in the contest.

After an Athens timeout, the Lady Wildcats began to milk the clock, and made 4 of 6 free throws to take a 47-37 lead with 1:20 remaining.

Following a Wellsboro turnover, Bronson connected with Macik on a “TD pass” off the in-bounds pass for a lay-up to make it 49-37 with 1:01 left in the game.

“Emma Bronson had a nice fourth quarter, and went 3-for-4 from the foul line,” said Miller,  “And, Caydence (Macik) was dominant in the second half.

“Aside from scoring, Addy (Wheeler) had the most solid game from start to finish — pressuring the basketball, getting the ball to girls in areas they can score, and not turning the ball over,” noted Miller.

“As a coach, I appreciate what she does,” added Miller. “It’s not all about scoring. She played a great floor game.”

Junior Karlee Bartlow made a free throw and a 3-pointer in the opening 70 seconds of the game to give the Lady Wildcats a 4-0 lead, and they never trailed.

On several occasions, Athens built their lead to six or seven points, only to have Wellsboro close the gap to one or two points.

“That’s a credit to them and their coach,” said Miller. “They are a good team, and coach Davis is an outstanding coach, who has been doing it for years.

“He knows how to keep the game close with his game plan, and give his team a chance to win.

“Every time we got the lead to a point where I thought we’d be in control, all the sudden here comes Wellsboro — they’re executing and we’re not,” added Miller. “Fortunately, we finished the game strong on a nice run.”

A bucket by Thompson pushed the Athens lead to 9-4 with 1:50 left in the first quarter.

After a bucket by Emma Coolidge trimmed the deficit to 9-6, junior Natalee Watson scored off a feed from Bronson, and sophomore Mya Thompson, off an assist from Wheeler, scored her third bucket of the opening stanza to make it 13-6 with just 10 seconds remaining.

The teams traded buckets until a pair of free throws by Coolidge with 1:53 remaining in the half, and a 3-pointer by Chloe Brandenburg with 20 seconds left closed the gap to 21-19 at the half.

Macik made 3 of 4 free throws in the opening 80 seconds of the second half to give Athens a 24-19 lead.

With 4:50 left in the third quarter, Brandenburg knocked down another 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 26-24, but senior Olivia Bartlow, off an assist from Wheeler, and a Wheeler lay-up following a steal and coast-to-coast drive extended the lead to 30-24 with 3:45 left.

Wellsboro closed the gap to 34-33 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter on a pair of free throws by Coolidge, but Thompson scored on the break to make it 36-33, and Posada scored to set the stage for Athens’ game-closing blitz.

Macik led Athens with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Karlee Bartlow had 10 points and five boards, and Thompson had six points and one blocked shot.

Wheeler contributed seven assists, five rebounds, seven steals, and two blocked shots, while Bronson added five points, three rebounds, and three assists, and Watson chipped in with four points.

Coolidge led Wellsboro with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandenburg added eight points.

With the win, the Wildcats keep their hopes alive for a second-place finish in the Large School Division, and a berth in the NTL Showdown.

“We have four games left and they will dictate whether we make the Showdown or not,” said Miller. “Hopefully, we beat Wyalusing, and the next game means something.”

Miller says his team is approaching every game as a playoff game, and he believes it will beneficial once the postseason rolls around.

“Playing games that count down the stretch to make your league final four is going to give us the pressure we need when it comes to the Showdown, or District play, where every possession determines whether we game to play another game or not,” he said.

Athens hosts Wyalusing Tuesday, with the varsity game at 6 p.m., and the JV game to follow.

LAPORTE, Pa. — Athens scored the first 21 points of the game, and cruised to a 51-19 win over Sullivan County Saturday afternoon in non-league girls basketball action.

Junior Karlee Bartlow knocked down a 3-pointer and scored five points in the first quarter, and Caydence Macik an and junior Natalee Watson scored four points apiece as the Lady Wildcats raced out to a 17-0 lead after the first eight minutes.

Freshman Addy Wheeler, sophomore Mya Thompson, and Karlee Bartlow scored four points apiece in the second quarter in an 18-7 run that stretch the Lady Wildcat lead to 35-7 at the halftime intermission.

Macik scored five points, including an old-fashioned three-point play, and Karlee Bartlow connected on a 3-pointer as Athens used a 10-5 spurt to extend its advantage to 45-12 heading into the final eight minutes.

Karlee Bartlow led Athens with 12 points and five assists, while Macik had 11 points and six rebounds,and Wheeler had six points and three steals.

Thompson had six points, five rebounds, and three blocked shots in the win, while Watson had six points and one blocked shot, and junior Emma Bronson and sophomore Sara Bronson added four points apiece.

Athens, now 12-5, returns to action Monday at Wellsboro.

ATHENS — Athens lost the pre-match coin flip, a couple of “toss-up” matches, and eventually a 39-28 decision to South Williamsport here Wednesday night in the opening round of the District 4 Wrestling Duals.

Losing the coin toss, which determines who dictates the match-ups throughout the match, was a critical blow, said Athens coach Shawn Bradley.

“It was huge,” said Bradley. “Unfortunately, we have a team where it comes down to the flip.”

Losing the toss, led to a domino effect for the Wildcats

“(South Williamsport) gets to control the match-ups, so we have to wrestle Bobby Gardner, which is normally great,” said Bradley. “Any other time that’s a match you want, but with our team we need to control the match-ups.

“If we control the match-ups, I think we get two more falls, but it didn’t work out,” he added.

The match started with Athens senior Kaden Setzer, who entered the night at 26-3, squaring off against South’s Bobby Gardner, 24-2 and ranked No. 1 in the state at 126 pounds.

After a scoreless first period, Setzer was on top to start the second period, and twice returned Gardner to the mat directly to his back for two sets of swipes and a 5-0 lead.

Gardner registered an escape with 19 seconds remaining, then scored a takedown with 7 seconds left to close the gap to 5-3.

Gardner cut Setzer loose to start the third, extending the lead to 6-3, but the South standout scored three takedowns, including one with 8 seconds remaining to pull out a 9-8 decision to give the Mounties an early 3-0 lead.

“It wouldn’t have made difference in the match if (Setzer) pulls that out,” said Bradley. “Kaden gets the match-up with the No. 1 kid in the state at 126 … he’s controlling the match, he has to step up and win that damn match.

“If he wants to be a state medalist, he has to win that match,” added Bradley. “Hopefully, he learns from that match, and he gets the state medal.”

After a Wildcat forfeit at 138, junior Jake Courtney put Athens on the board with a third-period pin of Gabe Harvey.

After a scoreless first period, Harvey cut Courtney loose to start the second period. Courtney scored a pair of takedowns in the middle two minutes, and led 5-1 entering the final two minutes.

In the third period, Courtney scored a quick escape, and hit a double-leg for a 10-1 lead. He feigned cutting Harvey loose, then locked in a cradle, and scored the fall at 5:13 to close the gap to 9-6.

At 152 pounds, after a scoreless first period, Athens senior Lucas Forbes scored a pair of takedown to take a 4-1 lead with 53 seconds remaining in the second period, but Landyn Gephart tied the bout with an escape and a takedown in the closing moments.

Gerhart started on top in the third period, and stopped Forbes’ attempt at a Granby Roll for three near-fall points to secure a 7-4 decision to give South a 12-6 lead.

At 160, Athens senior Karter Rude turned a single-leg into a standing cradle and a 37-second fall over Garrett Cooley to tie the match at 12-12.

At 172 pounds, South’s Jonah White hit a four-point move with 22 seconds remaining in the second period, and held on to top senior Cameron Whitmarsh, 4-1.

Bradley said the matches at 152 and 172 were pivotal.

“No excuses,” said Bradley. “We are seniors there, we have to have heart and win those matches. It has to mean more to us than their kids, and it didn’t.”

South’s Landon Lorson and Ryan Casella followed with first-period pins at 189 and 215 pounds, respectively, to extend the Mounties’ lead to 27-12.

After a forfeit to sophomore Josh Nittinger at 285 pounds closed the gap to 27-18, South’s Kaden Shay locked up the win for the Mounties with a first-period pin at 106.

After the teams exchanged forfeits at 113 and 120 to make it 39-24, Athens sophomore Mason Vanderpool forged a 14-2 major decision over Jackson Swinehart at 126 pounds to close out the match.

Vanderpool scored a takedown and two sets of near-fall points for a 7-0 lead after the first period. He ran an arm bar for three near-fall points to take a 10-0 lead into the final two minutes.

After Swinehart recorded a takedown early in the third period, Vanderpool reversed Swinehart to his back for two near-fall points and a 14-2 major decision.

Athens finishes the dual season at 8-4, and returns to action Feb. 19 when it hosts the North Section Championships.

——————

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT 39, ATHENS 28
132: Bobby Gardner (SW) dec. Kaden Setzer (A), 9-8;
138: Sam Persun (SW) by forfeit;
145: Jacob  Courtney (A) by fall over Gabe Harvey (SW), 5:12;
152: Landyn Gephart (SW) dec. Lucas Forbes (A), 7-4;
160: Karter Rude (A) by fall over Garrett Cooley (SW), 0:37;
172: Jonah White (SW) dec. Cameron Whitmarsh (A), 4-1;
189: Landon Lorson (SW) by fall over Colin Rosh (A), 0:42;
215: Ryan Casella (SW) by fall over Caleb Nason (A), 1:30;
285: Joshua Nittinger (A) by forfeit;
106: Kaden Shay (SW) by fall over Keaton Sinsabaugh (A). 1:42;
113: Gavin Bradley (A) by forfeit;
120: Kayvan Shams (SW) by forfeit;
126: Mason Vanderpool (A) major dec. Jackson Swinehart (SW), 14-2.

DIMOCK, Pa. — Junior Ethan Denlinger and freshman Ethan Hicks were triple-winners to lead Athens to a  101-59 win over Elk Lake here Tuesday afternoon in non-league swimming action, while the Lady Wildcats dropped a 102-83 decision.

Junior Chris DeForest, and freshmen Ronel Ankam and Carter Lewis were double-winners for the Wildcats, who are 4-1 on the season.

Hicks won the 200-yard IM in a time of 2:26.86, and junior Travis Webster was third in 3:03.11.

Hicks also won the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:03.4, and freshman Pierce Oldroyd was third in 1:58.88.

Denlinger won the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:42.85.

Hicks, Denlinger, Ankam, and Lewis won the 400-yard freestyle relay in a time of 3:57.59.

Denlinger, DeForest, Ankam, and Gorman teamed to win the 200-yard freestyle relay in a time of 1:42.36.

Webster and Lewis, teamed with freshmen Josh Leonard and Treyvon Simpson to win the 200-yard medley relay in a time of 2:23.7.

DeForest won the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 58.47 seconds, and Leonard was third in 1:14.88

Denlinger was second in the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 2:01.66, and junior Joe Blood was third in 3:31.71.

DeForest finished second in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.67 seconds, and Ankam was third in 25.64 seconds

Lewis was second in the 1-meter diving completion with 112.2 points, and Simpson was third with 102.15.

Gorman (59.83 seconds) and freshman Aiden Oldroyd (1:12.77) finished second and third, respectively, in the 100-yard freestyle.

Gorman finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:23.43, and Webster was third in 1:29.16.

GIRLS
Elk Lake 102, Athens 83
Junior Taegan Williams and Taylar Fisher, and senior Brooke Kopatz won four events apiece, but Elk Lake used superior depth to pull out a 102-83 decision.

Williams won the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 2:08.56, and sophomore Grace Cobb was third in 2:26.46. Williams also won the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 59.59 seconds.

Kopatz won the 200-yard IM in a time of 2:35.63. Kopatz also won the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:16.66.

Fisher won the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 1:10.17. Fisher also won the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:11.82.

Fisher, Kpoatz, and Williams teamed with sophomore Emily Marshall to win the 200-yard freestyle relay in a time of 1:55.41. The same foursome won the 400-yard freestyle really in a time of 4:17.94.

Senior Hannah Walker finished third in the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 31.23 seconds, and
Cobb finished third in the 500-yard freestyle in 6:37.77

Freshman Abby Panek was third in the 1-meter diving competition with 166.5 points

Athens closes out the dual season next week against Towanda.

ATHENS — Missed opportunities haunted Athens on Monday as their defense kept them in the game against the league unbeaten Towanda, but they didn’t hit the shots they needed to to get the win, falling, 43-32. to the Knights in NTL Large School girls basketball action.

“First of all, I thought we played much better defense this time than last time,” Athens coach Brian Miller said, referencing his team’s 52-25 loss at Towanda four days ago.

“To be honest with you, it was a blow out last time, they smoked us down at their place,” noted Miller. “Today, we came in and we wanted to prove ourselves that we were better than that team that played down there, and I think we did.

“The foul shots, and not just open lay-ups, open shots, you play against a team like Towanda you’ve got to make big shots when you’re open, and we just didn’t. We wanted to keep that game in the 40s, and, win that game, but we just couldn’t get to the 40s offensively,” said Miller.

In the fourth quarter, it was a 10-point game for nearly two minutes when the Wildcats came up empty in three straight possessions. They created some turnovers to cut it to 36-29 with just over two minutes to play, but two more empty trips on the offensive end followed.

Towanda’s Eliza Fowler then hit an open 3-ball with 1:12 left on the clock, and that pretty much sealed it.

“We got it to six, and then one of their role players made that big three at the top of the key,” said Miller. “We need girls like that to step up and make big shots in certain situations, and we just didn’t tonight.

“But, kudos to Towanda, they’re the best team in the NTL, they’re a very good team in District IV, so, we proved we could play with them for a lot of minutes,” noted Miller. “We just needed to make some shots, make some foul shots, and limits their easy baskets.”

Karlee Bartlow had 12 points to lead Athens, including two 3-balls, while Caydence Macik added nine. Addy Wheeler finished with five, Olivia Bartlow had four, and Natalee Watson rounded out their scorers with two.

The Wildcats finished 8-for-14 from the charity stripe, while also seeing a few uncontested lay-ups rim out.

Paige Manchester and Porschia Bennett had 15 points apiece to lead Towanda, with Gracie Schoonover netting six. Bella Hurley scoring four, and Fowler hitting the dagger three.

The Knights opened an 8-0 lead in the first half of the first quarter. Manchester opened with a 3-ball, followed by a Hurley jumper off a Manchester pass. Bennett then went 1-of-2 from the line, followed by a coast-to-coast driving lay-up.

Macik got the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a free throw, sparking a 5-0 run as that was followed by buckets from Olivia Bartlow and Wheeler, cutting git to 8-5.

In the final minute, though, Bennett had the final say, netting a lay-up, and going 1-of-2 from the free throw line to put Towanda up 11-5 at the first horn.

She finished with six in the quarter, then opened the second with a lay-up to make it 13-5. Athens would counter with two free throws, but a Schoonover jumper off an Aziza Ismailova assist began a 5-0 run for the Knights. Manchester followed with a lay-up, while Bennett went 1-of-2 from the line to make it 18-7.

Athens, though, didn’t let them get too far ahead, going on a 6-0 spurt, as Karlee Bartlow began it with a free throw, and ended it with a 3-ball, closing the gap to 18-13.

Schoonover had the final bucket for Towanda, bagging a jumper to make it 20-13 at the half.

The Knights opened the third quarter with a 4-0 run as Schoonover had a putback, followed by a Manchester steal and lay-up, making it 24-13.

Macik ended the run with a bucket. Then came some free throws — Hurley went 1 of 2, Macik went 2-for-2 - followed by a Manchester 3-ball to put the Knights up 28-17 midway through the third quarter.

Towanda went to some high-low action as Schoonover found Bennett for a lay-up, followed by Hurley getting another free throw, and it looked like the Knights would run away again, gong up 31-17.

Karlee Bartlow, though, got a steal and lay-up for the final score of the quarter to cut it to 31-19 heading into the final eight minutes.

A Macik jumper to start the fourth made it a 10-point game again. Manchester came back with a 3-ball, but a Watson lay-up off a Macik assist kept Athens within in shouting distance, at 34-23.

Manchester would get a put back, ballooning the lead to 13 points, but that’s as big as it would get.

On the other end, Karlee Bartlow banked in a 3-pointer, cutting it to 36-26, with 4:21 left to start a 6-0 Wildcat run.

After scoring three points off two steals they cut it to 36-19 with just over two minutes left to play, but that’s when Fowler hit the dagger.

Athens didn’t go away, though, at one point cutting it to nine points on an Olivia Bartlow lay-up with 50 seconds to play.

However, it was Towanda getting the final bucket — a Manchester lay-up off a Hurley pass — to end the game.

Going forward Athens will try and lock up the second spot in the division to make the NTL Showdown. They’re a game behind Troy, but get them at their place next week.

“We have six games left, so we’re going to try to win those six games,” said Miller. “Hopefully, try to make the showdown, and probably go to Northeast and play, which will get us ready for districts,

“Who knows, we could win at Northeast, and get another good game, then try to get ready for districts, and focus on that,” added Miller.

Regardless, he was glad to see the fight in his team on its home floor.

“I told them, ‘be proud of the way you played tonight,’” he said. “If we could have taken care of some little things, it could have been a different game down the stretch.”

Athens, now 11-5, travels to Wellsboro Thursday.

BEDFORD, Pa. — Unbeaten senior Gavin Bradley bumped up a weight class this weekend, and still ran the table to win the 120-pound crown at the annual Thomas Chevrolet Tournament, while five of his teammates also placed to help the Wildcats to a third-place finish in the team standings.

Senior Karter Rude and junior Jake Courtney each brought home second-place medals, while senior Kaden Setzer placed third in his weight class, sophomore Josh Nittinger was sixth, and freshman Caleb Nason was seventh.

PIAA powerhouse ran away with the team title with 268 points, including five first-place finishes, while Burrell was second with 146 points, and Athens tallied 143.5 points. Beth-Center finished fourth with 138.5, and Northern Garrett was fifth with 118.5 points.

Bradley, the state’s top-ranked 113-pounder, won via default over Chestnut Ridge’s Ryan Dull in the 120-pound semifinals.

In the finals, Bradley, the second seed, squared off with top-seeded Cooper Hornack of Burrell, and forged a 9-1 major decision.

Bradley hit a five-point move with 29 seconds remaining in the fist period, and led 5-0 after the first two minutes.

Bradley sealed the 120-pound title with a pair of takedowns in the second period.

At 138 pounds, Courtney, the second seed, gave up a first-period takedown to third-seeded Chad Weist of Tussey Mountain, and trailed 2-0 at the end of the first two minutes.

Courtney started on the top in the second period, and rode Weist until turning him for a fall at 3:35.

In the finals, top-seeded Jacob Brenneman  of Northern Garrett used a big second period in a 7-1 decision over Courtney.

Brenneman recorded a takedown late in the first period and rode out the final 36 seconds to take a 2-0 lead into the second period, while he added an escape off the whistle, and two takedowns.

Brenneman rode out the final two minutes to preserve the win.

At 152 pounds, Rude, the third seed, upended second-seeded Jack Moyer of Chestnut Ridge in the semifinals.

Rude registered a pair of takedowns in the first period and led 4-1, but Moyer closed the gap to 4-2 with a quick takedown to start the second period.

Rude countered with an escape to start the third period, but Moyer closed the gap to 5-4 with a takedown with 24 seconds remaining.

After being cut loose, Rude scored a takedown with 13 seconds remaining to seal the 8-4 decision.

In the finals, top-seeded Tyler Berish of Beth-Center pulled out a hard-fought, 3-0, recision to win the 152-pound crown.

After a scoreless first period, Berish scored an escape just eight seconds into the second period, then added a takedown with 21 seconds left.

Bearish rode top for the entire third period to  preserve the win.

At 132 pounds, Setzer, the third seed, opened his day with a 5-3 overtime loss to second-seeded Kyle McCollum of Beth-Center.

After a scoreless first period, McCollum took a 1-0 lead with an escape midway through the second period. Setzer registered a takedown with 29 seconds remaining, but McCollum reversed him 10 seconds later to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.

Setzer tied it up midway through the third period, and the two grapplers spent the final 47 seconds on their feet.

McCollum’s sudden-victory takedown came with 1 seconds remaining in the extra session.

In the consolation semifinals, Setzer build an 8-2 lead before pinning Somerset’s Logan Baker in 2:50.

Setzer scored a takedown and led 2-1 after the first period, then hit a five-point move midway through the second period to take a 7-0 lead.

After a Baker escape, Setzer hit another big move, this time finishing off the fall with just 10 seconds remaining in the second period.

In the third-place match, Setzer fought off his back to pin fourth-seeded Jaxon Matthews of Central in 3:25.

After a scoreless first period, Matthews scored an escape with 1:33 remaining, then hit a five-point move, and had Setzer on his back at the buzzer.

Setzer took Matthews directly to his back, and finished off the fall just 25 seconds into the third period.

At 285 pounds, Nittinger, who was 3-1 Friday, scored a 4-1 decision over Milton’s Paul Rohland in the “blood round,” then lost via fall to sixth-seeded Cooper Lingenfelter in 3:42.

In the sixth-place match, NIttinger, the 13th seed, gave up a takedown with 12 seconds remaining in overtime in a 2-0 loss to fifth-seeded Karter Quick of Central Cambria.

At 215 pounds, Nason, the ninth seed, forged an 11-2 major decision over Chestnut Ridge’s Alex Crist in the “blood round,”  then lost via second-round fall to fifth-seeded Braxton Schwartz of Tri-Valley in the consolation quarterfinals.

In the seventh-place match, Nason fought off his back at the end of the second period, and scored a five-point move at the end of the third period for a 9-7 win over Southern Huntingdon’s Mitchell Hart.

At 189 pounds, senior Collin Rosh gave up a five-point move in the final nine seconds in an 8-5 setback against Chestnut Ridge’s Nick Presnell in the “blood round.”

ATHENS — Athens led by five points after the first quarter, but walked into the halftime locker room down by 21 in a 69-38 loss to Dallas here Saturday evening in non-league boys basketball action.

“Believe it or not, these are the type of non-league games I want,” said Athens coach Jim Lister. “This game will make us better, and we will be ready for the final two weeks of our season.”

Senior Nalen Carling knocked down a 3-pointer and scored five points in the first quarter, and juniors Mason Lister and Chris Mitchell added four points apiece to lead Athens to a 17-12 lead after the first eight minutes.

The next eight minutes was all Dallas.

Nick Nocito canned four 3-pointers for 12 points in the stanza, while Austin Finarelli pumped in 10 points, and Michael Cumbo canned a pair of 3-pointers to fuel a 32-point outburst that gave Dallas a 44-23 lead at the halftime intermission.

Nocito scored seven more points in the third quarter, including his fifth 3-pointer of the game, and Finarelli added four points in a 19-7 run that extended the lead to 63-30 heading into the final eight minutes.

Nocito led the Mountaineers with 21 points and five 3-pointers, while Finarelli added 17, and Cumbo chipped in with 11, including a trio of 3-pointers.

Mitchell led Athens with 10 points and three rebounds, while Carling scored seven points, Lister added six points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and senior J.J. Babcock chipped in with seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocked shots.

Athens, now 12-5, returns to action Wednesday at Towanda.

BEDFORD, Pa. — Athens advanced four wrestlers to the semifinals, has three alive in wrestlebacks, and sits in fourth place after Day 1 at the rugged Thomas Chevrolet Tournament.

Powerhouse Chestnut Ridge leads the 31-team field with 132 points, well ahead of runner-up Bethlehem-Center, which has 82 points, and third-place Burrell, which has 81. Athens has 79.5 points, while Greenville is in fifth with 78.5 points, Northern Garrett is in sixth with 76.5 points, Penn Cambria is in seventh with 76, and Huntingdon is in eighth place with 75.5 points.

Seniors Gavin Bradley, Karter Rude, and Kaden Setzer, along with junior Jake Courtney are in the semifinals, while sophomore Josh NIttinger, freshman Caleb Nason, and senior Collin Rosh are alive in the consolation bracket.

Bradley, who is ranked No. 1 in the state at 113 pounds, is the second seed in the 120-pound bracket.

Bradley opened Friday with a 44-second fall over Greenville’s Liam Richardson, then, after building a 10-1 lead, decked Aaron Ickes of Chestnut Ridge in 2:00.

He will face third-seeded Ross Dull of Chestnut Ridge in the semifinals. Dull narrowly escaped the quarterfinals with a 6-4 overtime win over sixth-seeded Davis Stepp of Bethlehem-Center.

At 132 pounds, Setzer, the third seed, opened with a pin of North Star’s Braden Livingston in 2:37.

In the quarterfinals, Setzer scored a pair of third-period takedown to break a 2-2 tie in a 6-4 win over sixth-seeded Niko Ferra of Burrell.

Setzer will face second-seeded Kyle McCollum of Beth-Center in the semifinals.

At 138 pounds, Courtney, the second seed, opened with a 19-2 technical fall of Bedford’s Camryn Steinbuch in the pigtail round, then forged an 11-1 major decision, thanks in large part to a third-period takedown and two sets of swipes, over Chestnut Ridge’s Mason Weyant in the round-of-16.

In the quarterfinals, Courtney scored a takedown of 10th-seeded Ayden Sprague of Williamson in the middle of the first period, and turned him for a fall at 1:25.

Courtney will face third-seeded Chad Weist of Tussey Mountain in the semifinals.

At 152 pounds, Rude, the third seed, decked Milton’s Aidan Keiser in 25 seconds in the round-of-16.

In the quarterfinals, Rude scored a takedown of sixth-seeded Tanner Trybus of Cambria Heights in the first 30 seconds, then turned him three times to build a 10-0 lead after the first two minutes. Rude scored a quick takedown in the second period, and turned Trybus for a fall at 2:17.

Rude will face second-seeded Jack Moyer of Chestnut Ridge in the semifinals.

At 189 pounds, Rosh, the 11th seed, decked Trey Looney of Northern Garrett in 56 seconds in the pigtail round, but lost via second-period fall to sixth-seeded Austin Wagner of Penn Cambria in the round-of-16.

In the consolation bracket, Rosh pinned Southern Huntingdon’s Noah Rice in 2:47, then he scored an escape midway through the third period to take a 7-6 lead on West Greene’s Johnny Lampe, and finished off the 11-7 win with two takedowns in the final 54 seconds.

Rosh will face eighth-seeded Nick Presell of Chestnut Ridge in the “blood round.”

At 215 pounds, Nason, the ninth seed, scored a reversal midway through the first period, and turned into a fall in 1:17 against eighth-seeded Mason Raymond of Penn Cambria.

In the quarterfinals, top-seeded Mikey Sipps of Williamson scored a 15-0 technical fall of Nason in 4:00.

In the consolation bracket, Nason will face Chestnut Ridge’s Alex Crist in the “blood round.”

At 285 pounds, Nittinger, the 13th seed, decked Southern Huntingdon’s Jeremiah Barron in 60 seconds in the pigtail round, then lost via third-period fall to fourth-seeded Gunner Singleton of Huntingdon in the quarterfinals.

Nittinger bounced back in wrestlebacks with a pin of Chestnut Ridge’s Matt Davis in 2:18. He followed that up with a 6-1 decision of Beth-Center’s Josh Deems.

Nittinger will face Milton’s Paul Rohland in the “blood round.”

At 172 pounds, senior Cameron Whitmarsh went 2-2 on the day.

Whitmarsh won his pigtail-round match by fall in 18 seconds over Northeast Bradford’s Dominic Clark, but lost via first-period fall to second-seeded Aaron Bowers of Northern Bedford in the round-of-16.

In his first wrestleback bout, Whitmarsh scored takedowns late in the first and second periods to build a 4-0 lead of Central’s John Pulcine. Whitmarsh took Pulcine down again midway through the third period, then turned him for a fall at 4:48.

Whitmarsh’s day came to an end when Greenville’s Bennett Hayne took him directly to his back for a fall at 1:47.

At 145 pounds, freshman Keegan Congdon went 1-2 on the day. After losing by first-period fall in the pigtail round, Congdon decked Southern Huntingdon’s Aiden Hollibaugh in 2:03. He was eliminated via second-period fall in his next bout.

Also at 145 pounds, senior Lucas Forbes lost via fall in the pigtail round, then issued a medial forfeit in his first wrestleback bout.

Action begins Saturday at 10 a.m.

ATHENS — Athens kept Cowanesque Valley off the board in the first quarter, and built a quick double-digit lead en route to a 47-12 win here Friday night in NTL girls basketball action.

Freshman Addy Wheeler knocked down a 3-pointer and scored five points, and senior Caydence Macik added four points as the Wildcats opened the game with a 16-0 blitz.

The Indians scored in the opening moments of the second quarter, and the teams played even the rest of the quarter, and Athens took a 26-8 lead into the halftime locker room.

Macik and junior Emma Bronson scored seven points apiece in the third quarter, and junior Karlee Bartlow drained a 3-pointer to fuel a 19-2 blitz that extended the lead to 45-10 heading into the final eight minutes.

Macik led Athens with 14 points, while Wheeler scored 11 points, and Karlee Bartlow had eight points, and Bronson added seven points.

Athens, now 11-4, hosts Towanda Monday in a rematch of its 52-25 loss at Towanda Thursday.

TOWANDA — Athens dug itself a big hole early, and Paige Manchester and Porscia Bennett made sure the Lady Wildcats wouldn’t get out of it, leading Towanda to a lopsided 52-25 win here Thursday night in a key NTL Large School girls basketball match-up.

“(Towanda) came ready to play, and we didn’t,” said Athens coach Brian Miller. “Porscia (Bennett) and Paige (Manchester) had 18 of their 26 points in the first half … they stepped up in the big game and did a great job — kudos to them.

“We got in a hole, and against two good players like that, it’s tough to get out of that hole,” he added.

Miller made no excuses after the loss.

“(Towanda) outplayed us,” he said. “Their game plan was to pressure the ball to get some turnovers, and it worked.

“Their plan was to focus on Caydence (Macik), and make other girls hit some shots, and, unfortunately, we didn’t hit those open shots,” Miller noted.

“When Caydence Macik only gets six shots, that is not a good thing for us,” he continued. “They were focused on her, and Bennett did a good job on her …  she used her quickness and athleticism to make things difficult.

“We had our opportunities. We made 1 of 10 free throws in the first half … and we missed some open shots, but their role players made some key 3s.

“Kudos to Coach (Rob) Gentile and his girls.,” added Miller. “They played good, and we did not.”

Bennett scored seven points in the first quarter, while Manchester added four, and Destiny Brennan canned a 3-pointer to help Towanda to a 16-4 lead after the first eight minutes.

Manchester scored four points in the second quarter, and Aziza Ismailova drained a 3-pointer in a 10-5 spurt that gave the Knights a 26-9 lead at the break.

Bennett scored from close range, and Manchester drained a 3-pointer and made 1 of 2 free throws to give Towanda a 32-9 lead with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Junior Karlee Bartlow led Athens with eight points and four rebounds, while senior Caydence Macik had seven points, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots, and freshman Addy Wheeler added five points and four rebonds.

Senior Olivia Bartlow had five boards and one blocked shot for the Wildcats, and junior Natalee Watson grabbed three rebounds.

Manchester led Towanda with 20 points, and Bennett added 19.

Athens, now 10-4, hosts Cowanesque Valley Friday night.

WESTFIELD — Athens used a 9-0 run early in the first quarter, and a 16-2 blitz that bridged the first two quarters to build a 26-point halftime lead in a 62-40 win over Cowanesque Valley here Thursday night in NTL boys basketball action.

With the scored tied at 2-2, senior Troy Pritchard, off a feed from senior J.J. Babcock, scored to give Athens the lead for good, at 4-2.

Moments later, Babcock scored back-to-back buckets, and senior Tucker Brown, off a feed from senior Nalen Carling, capped the nine-point run that left Athens up 11-2 midway through the opening stanza.

After a pair of free throws by McGwire Painter trimmed Athens’ lead to 14-6, Babcock scored back-to-back buckets, then assisted junior Mason Lister on a bucket in transition to make it 20-6 at end of the first eight minutes.

Painter scored a bucket in the opening moments of the second quarter, but Athens scored 10 straight points, including six by junior Chris Mitchell, to take a 30-8 lead.

Gage Tilton stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer to make it 30-11, but the Wildcats closed the first half with a 9-2 spurt, thanks in large part to a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by sophomore Korey Miller, to make it 39-13 at the half.

Athens kept it rolling in the third quarter as Lister scored a pair of buckets to spark a 10-2 spurt that gave the Wildcats its biggest lead of the game — at 49-15 — with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter.

Cowanesque Valley closed the gap to 19, at 58-39, in the final minute.

Babcock led Athens with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocked shots, while Mitchell had 10 points and four rebounds, and Lister had nine points, three assists, and one blocked shot.

Brown had six points, four rebounds, and four assists in the win, while Pritchard had six points and five rebounds, Carling added five points, three assists, and three steals, and Miller chipped in with five points.

Painter led CV with 17 points, and Tilton added nine — all on 3-pointers.

Athens, now 12-4, hosts powerhouse Dallas Saturday in a non-league contest.

TOWANDA — Sara Bronson pumped in 22 points to lead Athens to a 32-11 win over Towanda here Thursday evening in NTL Large School junior varsity girls basketball action.

Bronson scored four points in the first quarter as Athens took an 8-2 lead, then scored 10 points in a 10-2 run in the second quarter that pushed the junior Wildcat lead to 18-4 at the half.

Bronson scored eight more points in the second half as Athens continued to add to its lead.

Bronson had four rebounds to go along with her 22 points, while Izzy Davis had four points and seven rebounds, Mya Thompson added two rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocked shots, Ella Coyle had three rebounds, six steals, and one blocked shot, and Ravyn Glisson chipped in with three steals and two assists.

Athens returns to action Friday when it hosts Cowanesque Valley.

WESTFIELD — Athens used a big second-quarter run to take total control of the game on its way to a 62-40 win over Cowanesque Valley Thursday evening in NTL junior varsity boys basketball action.

Korey Miller scored six points in the first quarter, and Jase Babcock canned a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to help Athens to a 20-11 lead.

Miller scored seven more points, including a 3-pointer, in the second quarter, and Connor Mosher added five points, including a 3-ball, to fuel a 21-5 blitz that put the Wildcats up 41-16 at the half.

Xavier Watson scored four points in the third quarter, and Mat Aquilio knocked down his second 3-pointer of the game in a 15-11 spurt that extended the lead to 56-27 heading into the final seven minutes.

The Wildcats saw 11 of the 12 players on their roster put their name in the scoring column.

Miller led Athens with 15 points, three assists, and three steals, while Mosher had seven points and four assists, and Watson had six points, three rebounds, and two blocked shots.

Peter Jones and Aquilio scored six points apiece in the win, while Kolsen Keathley added five points, five boards, three steals, and one blocked shot, and Troy Rosenblpom chipped in with four points and three rebounds.

Athens returns to action Saturday when it hosts Dallas.