ATHENS — Despite the absence of three starters, Athens finished third at the Wildcat Duals here Wednesday afternoon.

"It is what it is," said Athens coach Shawn Bradley. "Jake (Courtney) is still banged up, and Mason (Vanderpool) is sick ... the kids wrestled well.

"We had some kids step up, kids maybe we weren't expecting to," he noted. "(Freshman) Keaton (Sinsabaugh) in the Williamson match - that's a big win, (Chelsea Hungerford) is pretty good. He wrestled his butt off, hit some nice techniques, and did a nice job.

"And another freshman, Caleb Nason, is wrestling a kid (Mikey Sipps), who is probably Top 10 in the state," continued Bradley. "It was a 2-point match after the first period ... he did great.

"It always stinks to lose, but we wrestled better today than we did yesterday," added Bradley. "It's a good way to end the first half of the season. Now, we take a little break, and come back for a really difficult second half."

Athens was also without its 132-pounder, who recently left the team.

The Wildcats opened the day with a 58-6 win over Wellsboro, which doubled as the NTL dual for the two league rivals, then dropped a 39-36 decision to Scranton in the semifinals.

Athens topped Williamson, 35-31, in the third-place match, while Scranton dropped a 39-30 decision to Western Wayne in the championship match.

ATHENS 60, Wellsboro 6
The Wildcats registered 10 falls, including six first-period pins, in a 60-6 win over Wellsboro in the opening round of the Wildcat duals.

Senior Kaden Setzer had the quickest fall of the day, just 13 seconds at 138 pounds, while senior Karter Rude needed just 23 seconds in his 160-pound bout..

Senior Gavin Bradley (43 seconds at 126), sophomore Josh Nittinger (49 seconds at 285), and senior Lucas Forbes (53 seconds at 152) all needed less than one minute to put six points on the board. Senior Gavin McGrath had the sixth first-period pin, scoring the fall in 1:21 at 145 pounds.

Freshman Keaton Sinsabaugh decked Alex Magil in 2:53 at 113 pounds for his first varsity victory, while seniors Cameron Whitmarsh (172), and Collin Rosh (189), and freshman Caleb Nason (215) also recorded pins.

Semifinals
SCRANTON 39, ATHENS 36
Athens won five of the nine contested weight classes, but Scranton capitalized on a 12-point advantage in forfeits to pull out a 39-36 decision over Athens in the semifinals.

Following an Athens forfeit at 132, Setzer decked Scranton's Yovan Aroche in 1:45 at 138 pounds to tie the match at 6-6.

Following a Scranton fall at 145, Forbes and Rude scored first-period pins to give the Wildcats an 18-12 lead.

A Scranton pin at 172 tied the match, but a forfeit to Rosh at 189, and a pin by Nason at 215 put the Wildcats up 30-18, but Scranton heavyweight Jason James forged a 12-6 decision at 285 pounds to stop the Athens run.

An Athens forfeit at 106, and a pin at 113 gave the Knights a brief 33-30 lead, that Bradley quickly erased with a 23-second pin to put the Wildcats on top 36-33.

However, Scranton picked up a forfeit at 126 to close out thematic and earn the win.

Third-Place Match
Athens 35, Williamson 31
Sinsabaugh scored a third-period fall to effectively clinch a 35-31 win over Williamson in the third-place match.
 
With Athens trailing 25-23, Sinsabaugh built a lead against Chelsea Hungerford in their 113-pound bout, then turned her to her back with just 48 seconds remaining in the third period for the fall to put the Wildcats ahead, 29-25.

Bradley received a forfeit at 120, and Athens issued six free points at 126 to provide the final matching.

Setzer opened the match with a 16-1 technical fall of Ayden Sprague, scoring the bout-ending takedown with just 1 second remaining in the third period.

Williamson answered with a fall at 145 to take a 6-5 lead, but Forbes decked Skyler Hughes in 3:00 at 152, and Rude received a forfeit at 160 to five Athens a 17-6 lead.

Joe Hultz put the Warriors on the board again with a hard-fought, 7-4, decision over Whitmarsh to trim the deficit to 17-9.

Rosh won a physical battle with Tim Freeman at 189 pounds, turning the Williamson freshman to his back at 5:47 for the fall, and a 23-9 Athens lead.

Williamson's big boys Mikey Sipps and Kade Sottolano put 10 points on the board for the Warriors.

Sipps forged a 16-2 manor decision over Nason, but Bradley was impressed with his freshman's efforts.

Sottolano followed with a 69-second pin of Nittinger to trim the deficit to 23-19, and Williamson took a forfeit at 106 to take a 25-23 lead, and set up Sinsabaugh's heroics.

——————

Athens 60, Wellsboro 6
106: No Match;
113: Keaton Sinsabaugh (A) by fall over Alec Magil (W), 2:53;

ATHENS — It wasn't the prettiest win, but Athens used five first-period falls, and two close decisions to pull out a 36-33 victory over Troy in NTL wrestling action here Tuesday.

"We knew coming in it was going to be close," Athens coach Shawn Bradley said. "And Troy's wrestled well in the couple dual meets they've wrestled, but we didn't wrestle well.

"I mean, I can honestly say that, a lot of those matches we were out-conditioned, which is terrible to say, but it's true," noted Bradley. "I've got to give (Troy coach) Brandon (Spiak) credit, his guys came to wrestle, and they came after it and pulled out a couple close ones."

Neither team had their full line-up, with Athens giving up three forfeits on the day, while Troy had to bump guys around to fill their line-up.

"They were without one of their studs, and we were without one of ours, so, hopefully, that's a wash there," remarked Bradley. "But, again, we left some points on the board, that we should have scored, but hats off to them."

Gavin Bradley (126), Kaden Setzer (138), Lucas Forbes (152), Karter Rude (160), and Josh Nittinger (285) all had falls for Athens, while Jacob Courtney (145) and Cameron Whitmarsh (172) earned two decisions.

"Lucas Forbes, that's a big win, he stepped up," said Bradley. "And Cameron Whitmarsh, he hadn't wrestled for a couple years, he stepped up. So those are big wins, you don't get those, you lose the match."

Courtney's victory decided the match, though it was just the fourth bout. He built a 7-4 lead through the middle of the second period, but it was Troy's Jacob Hinman who scored six straight points to go up 10-7 into the third.

In the final period, Courtney caught Hinman in a cradle, and once again used a five-point swing to go up 12-10, then hung on for the 14-11 win.

Despite pulling out the match, Bradley felt Courtney should have ended it in the first period when he had Hinman cradled up the first time, and nearly pinned him.

"If he's going to wrestle heavier kids, he can't mess around," Bradley said. "That kid is strong, he's a good athlete, and a good wrestler. He's got to score points. So he got that kid on his back, and should have had the pin in the first period."

Athens won six of the first seven bouts to go up 30-6, beginning with Gavin Bradley (126) pinning Kenyon Slater in 34 seconds.

Troy tied it up at 6-6 off a Seth Seymour (132) forfeit.

The Wildcats then rattled off five straight wins, beginning with Kaden Setzer (138) getting a 40-second pin over Peyton Bellows at 138.

Then came the Jacob Courtney (145) over Jacob Hinman match to push Athens' lead to 15-6.

Lucas Forbes (152) scored a fall over Eli Randall in 1:33, followed by Karter Rude (160) getting a fall in 1:25 over Rylan Breidt to push the lead to 27-6.

At 172, Cameron Whitmarsh was able to get four takedowns on William Steele for the 9-3 win to extend the lead to 30-6.

Troy's Josh Isbell was able to stop the run with a 9-7 decision over Colin Rosh, holding off a Rosh shot late to secure the win.

Then at 215, Trojan Mason Woodward got a fall over Caleb Nason in 4:15 to cut it to 30-15.

Athens would seal the victory at 285 with Josh Nittinger's fall over Daniel Samuels in 20 seconds.

Troy won the final three bouts: Kannon Renzo (106) by forfeit, Konner Kerr (113) with a 48 second fall over Keaton Sinsabaugh, and Caleb Schwenk (120) with a forfeit.

There is no rest for Athens as they have three more matches on Wednesday when they host the Athens Duals, then get a short break before things heat up in January.

"It's a good starting point, Troy's a good team, but if were going to stay in the match against teams like Canton, though, we're going to have to wrestle a lot better than that," said Bradley.

——————

MILL HALL, Pa. - Junior Layla Bennett pinned her way to a title, and senior Raven McCarthy-Gardner finished second at the Queen of the Mountain tournament Sunday here at Central Mountain High School.

Bennett finished the 4-0 to win the round-robin 117-120-pound bracket,while McCarthy-Gardner was 3-1 in the 158-175-pound bracket. Braelynn Wood (131-136 pounds), Lily Galasso (135-140) and Halei Schlosser (151-164) all went 0-4 on the day.

Athens finished 11th in the 23-team field.

Bennett opened the day with a 30-second fall of Brooklyn Southwick of Crawford, and followed it up with a pin of eventual second-place finisher Anna Krieider of Annville-Cleaona in 3:37.

After a bye in Round 3, Bennett decked Sky Kophazy of Crawford in 30 seconds, and finished off her perfect day with a pin of Chloe Hills of Parkland in 3:11.

McCarthy-Gardner opened with a 30-second fall of Selinsgrove's Emily Genet, then pinned Sarah Lynn of Big Spring in 2:33.

McCarthy lost via first-period fall to eventual champ Natalie Rush of Canon-McMillan in Round 3. She bounced back with a pin of third-place finisher Kylee Dean of North Allegheny in 23 seconds.

Athens will wrestle Western Wayne Wednesday at the Athens Duals.

ATHENS — The Athens varsity wrestling team had nine members earn District 4 All-Academic team honors, including six to make the first team, which requires a 3.8 or higher grade-point average.

Senior Zach Stafursky, juniors Gavin Bradley and Karter Rude, and sophomore Chris Bathgate each had 4.0 GPAs, while sophomore Jake Courtney registered a 3.9 GPA, and junior Kaden Setzer carried a 3.8 GPA to earn first-team honors.

Senior Kyler Setzer qualified for second-team honors with a 3.6 GPA, and freshmen Josh Courtney (3.1 GPA) and Mason Vanderpool (3.0) earned honorable mention recognition.

Athens junior Gavin Bradley racked up a 40-2 record, was a PIAA runner-up at 113 pounds this season, and has earned the distinction of NTL “Wrestler of the Year” in recent voting by the league’s coaches.

Bradley was the lone Wildcat named to the first team, but five of his teammates — freshman Mason Vanderpool, sophomore Jake Courtney, juniors Kaden Setzer and Karter Rude, and senior Zach Stafursky — were named to the second team.

On his way to a state silver medal, Bradley won the North Section, District 4, and Northeast Regional titles. He was runner-up at the PIAA East Super Regional.

Vanderpool had a 14-6 record in his first varsity season. He finished second at the North Section Championships to qualify for the District 4 Championships.

Courtney was 16-11 this season. He finished third at North Sections, and was sixth at Districts.

Setzer was 26-9 on the season. He finished second at North Sections, and fifth at Districts to qualify for the Northeast Regionals.

Rude was 24-9 on the season. He finished third at the North Sections to qualify for Districts.

Stafursky capped his career with a 21-12 season. He finished second at North Sections to qualify for Districts.

HERSHEY — Athens junior Gavin Bradley was unable to create the up-tempo match he wanted in his PIAA Class AA 113-pound championship bout with Wyoming Area sophomore Jaden Pepe, and dropped a 3-2 decision here Friday evening at the Giant Center.

Bradley, now a three-time PIAA medalist, finishes the season at 40-2 — both losses to Pepe — with his silver-medal performance. Pepe finishes the season at 19-1 — his only loss to Bradley.

“Gavin had a great season,” said Athens coach Shawn Bradley. “He wrestled his butt off the entire season, and he works his tail off all the time.

“He deserved to win that much, he just didn’t do quite enough to win,” noted Bradley. “This one is going to hurt him for a little bit. He can use that as a driving force next year.”

Bradley pressured Pepe the entire first period, but it was Pepe who scored a takedown on a low double-leg with 15 seconds remaining to take a 2-0 lead into the second period.

Bradley deferred, and Pepe chose bottom to start the second period, but Bradley elected to start neutral, giving Pepe a 3-0 lead.

Bradley pressed the issue for nearly the entire second period, but it was Bradley that was warned for stalling with 24 seconds remaining. The duo remained on their feet for the entire two minutes.

Bradley scored a quick escape at the outset of the third period to trim the deficit to 3-1.

After two stalemates, and four whistles for going out-of-bounds, Pepe was penalized for stalling with 17 seconds remaining to make it 3-2.

Bradley got in on a leg twice late in the match, but couldn’t finish either one off.

“(Gavin) has to have a little better mat sense,” said Shawn Bradley. “He had two shots on the edge … he just has to score there.”

Neither Bradley was pleased with the pace of the match.

“I’m not going to make excuses,” said Shawn Bradley. “(Pepe) won the match, he wrestled within the rules and won the match.

“Pulling our elbows, staying still, and doing nothing the whole match, though, it’s hard to somebody who’s not wrestling back,” he added.

“I pushed the pace the whole match,” said Gavin Bradley. “I tried my best to get to my stuff, but it didn’t turn out to be the match I wanted.

“He was always moving backward,” he added. “It’s hard to wrestle someone like that … I mean, we’re in the state finals, I think we should wrestle.”

Gavin Bradley, who finished sixth at States as a freshman and seventh last year, said he still has one more goal to accomplish, and will continue working hard.

“Knowing him, he’ll probably be at practice Monday, but I need a break,” laughed Shawn Bradley.

“I never take breaks,” said Gavin Bradley. “Sooner or later, I’m going to get what I want, and when I do, it will all be worth it.”

HERSHEY — Athens junior Gavin Bradley will wrestle for state gold here this evening at the PIAA Class AA wrestling championships at the Giant Center, and he’ll be wrestling a very familiar foe.

Bradley, now 40-1, will square off with Wyoming Area’s Jaden Pepe (18-1) in the 113-pound finals shortly after 5 p.m.

Athens coach Shawn Bradley said Gavin Bradley is not content with an appearance in the finals.

“I asked Gavin if he was done, he said, ‘Nope.’   We’re here to get one more,” said Shawn Bradley. “Hopefully, it erases that hurt he had last weekend.”

Gavin Bradley opened his action Friday morning with a 6-4 win over Bentworth freshman Chris Vargo in the quarterfinals, then dispatched of Western Super Regional champion Coen Bainey of Bald Eagle Area with a 10-7 decision in the semifinals.

“(Vargo and Bainey) are both really good kids,” said Shawn Bradley. “It’s hard to wrestle Gavin the first time through because of his pace and his strength — he keeps such a fast pace, and he’s really strong.”

Gavin Bradley scored a takedown just seven seconds into his quarter-final match-up with Vargo, who entered the bout with a 17-1 record. After riding top for 40 seconds, Bradley was whistled for potentially-dangerous actions as he worked a power-half.

Bradley cut Vargo loose, then needed just nine seconds for another takedown and a 4-1 lead with 59 seconds remaining.

About 40 seconds later, Bradley was whistled again and penalized a point for potentially-dangerous action on his power-half. Fargo scored an escape in the closing seconds, cutting Bradley’s advantage to 4-3 after the first two minutes.

Shawn Bradley took the blame for the “potentially-dangerous” calls.

“That’s more my fault than anything,” he said. “As you can tell, we spend 90 percent of our time on our feet. We probably need to spend a little more time on the mat, but you make your money on your feet.

“Gavin can turn anybody because it’s tighter than heck up there,” noted Bradley. “He just has to attack that arm, be a little more aggressive, instead of being nice with it.”

Gavin Bradley chose neutral to start the second period, and scored a takedown midway through for a 6-3 lead. Fargo escaped about 30 seconds later to trim the deficit to 6-4, and the duo remained on their feet for the final 42 seconds of the second period.

Vargo chose bottom to start the third period, but Bradley was able to ride him the entire two minutes to preserve the win

“Gavin did a nice job on top in the third period,”said Shawn Bradley.

In the semifinals, Bradley scored a takedown 14 seconds into the bout to take a 2-0 lead, but Bainey recorded an escape 15 seconds later to make it 2-1. The duo remained on their feet for the final 91 seconds of the first period.

Bradley chose neutral to start the second period, and scored a takedown with 1:26 remaining. He cut Bainey loose 14 seconds later to make it 4-2. Bradley added a little cushion to his lead with another takedown with 15 seconds remaining, upping his lead to 6-2 entering the final two minutes.

Bainey, who entered the match with a 23-1 record, scored a switch off the third-period whistle to trim the deficit to 6-4, but Bradley quickly escaped to take a 7-4 lead.

Midway through the period, Bainey scored a takedown and momentarily had Bradley in a cradle, but the Athens wrestler quickly broke the hold and escaped to take an 8-6 lead with 46 seconds left.

Just eleven seconds later, Bradey got in on a single-leg, and finished it off for a 10-6 lead. Bainey escaped with 14 seconds remaining, but Bradley fought off his takedown attempts to preserve the win.

“That match was a lot closer than it probably should have been,” said Shawn Bradley. “(Gavin) gave him five escapes, and gave up one reversal — the kids scored two points, we gave him five.”

Bradley and Pepe, who is now 18-1, have met in the finals each of the last two weeks. Bradley won a 5-3 decision at the Northeast Regionals, while Pepe scored a 9-6 decision at the Eastern Super Regionals.

“(Pepe) did a great job last week making a couple adjustments,” said Shawn Bradley. “Hopefully, it’s our turn to make a couple adjustments.

“We said last week, it we’re going to lose to him that was the time,” noted Bradley. “Hopefully this week, we can clean some stuff up.

“Of course, if (Gavin) doesn’t get dropped on his head last week that match might have been different,” he added.

Shawn Bradley said the key will be for Gavin Bradley to keep the pressure on Pepe.

“Gavin just has to wrestle, keep the pace high and make (Pepe) wrestle six minutes. We just need to make it a track meet.”

LEWISBURG — Despite trailing, Athens junior Gavin Bradley seemed to have momentum on his side in a battle of the top-two ranked 113-pounders in the state, until an illegal mat return nearly brought the PIAA Eastern Super Regional championship match to a premature conclusion here Saturday afternoon at Martz Hall.

Bradley, the state’s top-ranked 113-pounder, trailed Wyoming Area’s Jaden Pepe, 7-4, after two periods, and chose bottom to start the third. He immediately got to his feet, but Pepe lifted Bradley, while pinning his left arm to his side, and returned him to the mat.

The official immediately stopped the match after Bradley’s left shoulder and head were the first things to hit the mat. After a seven-minute stoppage, Bradley, who was awarded a penalty point for the illegal return, was allowed to continue.

Bradley scored a quick escape to trim the deficit to 7-6, but couldn’t dent Pepe’s defenses, ultimately giving up a takedown with 21 seconds remaining to seal Pepe’s 9-6 win.

“We had (Pepe) broke until we got slammed,” said Athens coach Shawn Bradley. “(Pepe) got a seven-minute break after the slam, or that’s a different match. He was gassed.

“It was a tough one. (Gavin) could have won that match three different ways, but he didn’t, so that’s something to work on,” noted Shawn Bradley. “It is what it is. We have to work on that and come back next week.

“Kudos to Gavin for getting up and wrestling again,” added Shawn Bradley. “Honestly, the trainers didn’t want him wrestling.”

The loss is the first of the season for Bradley, who is now 38-1. Bradley owns a 5-3 victory over Pepe in the finals of the Northeast Regionals.

“Hopefully, it motivates him, that’s the bottom line,” said Shawn Bradley. “This match didn’t really mean anything. Next week is the one that matters.”

Pepe started fast with a takedown just 8 seconds into the bout. He was able to ride top for 43 seconds until Bradley scored an escape to trim the deficit to 2-1. The duo spent the final 69 seconds of the period on their feet.

Pepe scored a reversal just 10 seconds into the second period for a 4-1 lead. Bradley escaped wth 1:18 remaining, and 25 seconds later collected a takedown to tie the bout at 4-4.

Pepe escaped moments later to take a 5-4 lead, then, in a wild scramble, ended up with a takedown with 17 seconds remaining in the second period.

“Gavin should have had a takedown there, and he gave up a takedown, and almost back points,” said Shawn Bradley. “He had to score there, that was a big one.”

“Gavin should have been in control at the end of the second period, going into the third period; that was a big takedown,” added Bradley.

Bradley returns to action Friday in Hershey at the PIAA, Class AA Championships.

LEWISBURG — Athens junior Gavin Bradley, the state’s top-ranked 113-pounder, guaranteed himself a PIAA medal — his third — Saturday morning with a 16-3 major decision win over South Williamsport’s Robert Gardner in the semifinals of the Eastern Super Regionals here at Martz Hall.

With the PIAA field at Hershey pared to eight in each weight class — four from the Eastern Super Regional and four from its counterpart in the West, Bradley is guaranteed of advancing, as well as winning another PIAA medal.

“Goal one, (Gavin) got his state medal. Now, we move forward,” said Athens coach Shawn Bradley.

Bradley pushed the pace from the outset against Gardner, who is ranked third in the State, and scored a takedown midway through the first period. He rode top before turning a turk into three near-fall points at the buzzer for a 5-0 lead.

Bradley, who beat Gardner 7-1 in the District 4 finals two weeks ago, maintained constant forward pressure for six minutes.

“He kept his motion going … he kept his feet going, he kept his hands moving,” said Shawn Bradley. “If he wrestles that pace, he’s hard to wrestle with.”

Bradley chose down to start the second period, but Gardner elected to cut him loose, and the duo started on their feet with the Athens wrestler leading 6-0.

Gardner threatened to score during a couple of scrambles, but Bradley eventually came out on top with a takedown midway through the period for an 8-0 lead heading into the final two minutes.

“Gavin got into a couple spots, but worked his way out of it,” said Shawn Bradley. “(Gardner) is tough, he’s not ranked third in the State for nothing.”

Bradley scored three takedowns in the third period for a 14-3 lead with 47 seconds remaining. He scored the final takedown with 2 seconds left to provide the final margin.

“Gavin kept wrestling and kept scoring, even in the end when I didn’t want him to,” said Shawn Bradley. “I just wanted him to get a wrist, and stay away from the big move … he got another takedown.”

Shawn Bradley said Gavin’s constant motion and pressure wears on his opponents physically and mentally.

“Gavin works hard, and it pays off. He has great partners number one,” he said. “Jake Courtney and Kaden Setzer have busted their butts this year, and the last couple weeks helping him.

“Gavin wrestles that pace for two hours every night, so seeing it for six minutes is not surprising to me.

“Kids know that when they go out there, and some of them are thinking ‘I don’t want to do this,’” added Shawn Bradley. “If a kid comes on the mat and has any doubt about being there, that’s a big advantage to Gavin.”

Gavin Bradley will have a chance to add a title no one else in Athens’ storied wrestling history can claim — Eastern Super Regional champ, but it won’t be easy as he’ll face Wyoming Area’s Jaden Pepe, who is ranked second in the state. Bradley beat Pepe, 5-3, in last weekend’s Northeast Regional final.

“We have another tough one in the finals,” said Shawn Bradley. “Gavin didn’t wrestle great last weekend, so we’re going to make some adjustments to try and capitalize on what we can do well, instead of worrying about what (Pepe) does.”

The finals are set to begin at 12:30 p.m.

LEWISBURG — One down, one to go.

After a second-period fall in his quarter-final match here Saturday morning at the PIAA Eastern Super Regionals, Athens junior Gavin Bradley is just one win away from his third trip to Hershey, and better yet, his third PIAA medal.

“(Gavin) doesn’t even know it right now, but he only needs one win and he places at States,” said Athens coach Shawn Bradley.

“If he goes out and wrestles like that, there’s no one in the State that can beat him, but that’s up to him,” added Bradley.

Gavin Bradley scored a single-leg takedown just seven seconds into his 113-pound bout with Boiling Springs junior Raif Barber to take a 2-0 lead.

After riding top for more than a minute, Bradley cut Barber loose with 44 seconds remaining, then scored a takedown four seconds later to take a 4-1 lead.

Bradley mercilessly worked on top, and turned Barber with a turk for three near-fall points with 7 seconds remaining to take a 7-1 lead into the second period.

Bradley chose neutral and scored a go-behind takedown just 7 seconds into the second period, then quickly cut Barber loose to make it 9-2.

Bradley scored another takedown with 1:23 remaining, and 21 seconds later finished off another turk for a fall at 2:58.

Coach Bradley said they had watched some tape on Barber this week.

“Honestly, you see everything on the Internet now.

“I watched (Barber) wrestle, and he has techniques that worried me a little bit,” said Bradley. “Gavin (Bradley) did what he had to do to stay away from those.

“And, he just kept the pace super-high,” Bradley added.

Coach Bradley said the win takes the edge off for the younger Bradley.

“It’s a new atmosphere, so it kind of relaxes him a little bit,” said Coach Bradley. “He was a little nervous earlier, but this (win) helps.

Gavin Bradley, now 37-0, won’t need to watch tape on his next opponent, South Williamsport’s sixth-seeded Robert Gardner, who improved to 35-2 on the season with an 8-5 win over third-seeded Adam Schweitzer of Notre Dame Green Pond in the quarterfinals. Bradley beat Gardner, 7-1, in the District 4 finals.

“Gavin just needs to keep the same approach he’s had all year, so nothing changes,” said Shawn Bradley. “If we can keep it so he doesn’t feel tension, and he can just wrestle, he can beat anybody.

“If we let something get to him, then it puts him in a spot where he has to overcome that, too,” he added.

TROY — Athens wracked up bonus points in all eight of its victories, which included six falls, in a 50-13 win over Troy here Tuesday night in NTL wrestling action here at the Commons Building.

Unbeaten junior Gavin Bradley, now 28-0, got the Wildcats off to a fast start with a 30-second fall over Kenyon Slater at 113 pounds.

At 120 pounds, freshman Mason Vanderpool built an 8-2 lead early in the second period, then put Joseph Schwenk on his back for a fall at 2:45 to give Athens a 12-0 lead.

Seth Seymour put the Trojans on the board with an 8-0 major decision over sophomore Josh Courtney at 126 pounds.

Seymour scored a takedown midway through the first period, and an escape early in the second period to take a 3-0 lead into the third period.

Seymour scored another takedown early in the third period, and turned Courtney to his back late to secure the major decision.

Freshman Emiliano Mallare got the Wildcats back on the winning track with a 13-4 major decision win over ben Randall at 132 pounds.

Mallare scored a takedown midway through the second period to break a 2-2 tie, then turned Randall to his back to increase his lead to 7-2 entering the final two minutes.

A takedown and two near-fall points upped Mallare’s lead to 11-2 midway through the third period.

Randall scored an escape, and Mallare was penalized for locked hands to trim the deficit to 11-4, but Mallare scored another takedown at the buzzer for the 13-4 major decision.

At 138 pounds, Kaden Setzer scored a pair of quick takedowns, then turned Peyton Bellows to his back for a fall at 36 seconds to give Athens a 22-4 lead.

Junior Lucas Forbes kept it rolling for the Wildcats with a 10-2 major decision over Lacey Hitman at 145 pounds.

Forbes scored five takedowns in the match as his win increased the lead to 26-4.

Sophomore Chris Bathgate registered four first-period takedown, and added three near-fall points in the final seconds to take a 13-4 lead into the second period of this 152-pound match-up with Eli Randall.

Bathgate scored another takedown early in the second period, and finished off the pin at 2:31 to give the Wildcats a 32-4 lead.

At 160 pounds, junior Karter Rude locked a cradle in one Jayden Renzo for a 46-second fall to extend the lead to 38-4.

Senior Zach Stafursky made it six wins in a row for the Wildcats with a fall over Mason Woodward in 3:01 to make it 44-4.

After a scoreless first period, Stafursky scored a takedown and quickly locked in a cradle for the fall.

Josh Isbell stopped the bleeding for the Trojans with a 10-3 win in their 189-pound bout.

Isbell scored a takedown midway through the first period, and added two sets of near-fall points for an 8-0 lead after the first two minutes.

Isabel led 10-2 deep into the third period, but was banged for stalling in the final seconds to take away the major decision.

Athens freshman Josh Nittinger received a forfeit at 285 pounds, and Troy’s Caleb Schwenk received a forfeit at 106 pounds to end the night.

Athens, which finishes off the dual season with a 17-10 record, returns to action Saturday when it hosts the North Section Tournament.

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ATHENS 50, TROY 13
113: Gavin Bradley (A) by fall over Kenyon Slater (T), 0:30;
120: Mason Vanderpool (A) by fall over Joseph Schwenk (T), 2:45;
126: Seth Seymour (T) major dec. Jacob  Courtney (A), 8-0;
132: Emiliano Mallare (A) major dec. Ben Randall (T), 13-4;
138: Kaden Setzer (A) by fall over Peyton Bellows (T), 0:36;
145: Lucas Forbes (A) major dec. Lacey Hinman (T),10-2;
152: Christopher Bathgate (A) by fall over Eli Randall (T), 2:31;
160: Karter Rude (A) by fall over Jayden Renzo (T), 0:46;
172: Zachary Stafursky (A) by fall over Mason Woodward (T), 3:01;
189: Josh Isbell (T) dec. Colin Rosh (A), 10-3;
215: No Match;
285: Joshua Nittinger (A) won by forfeit;
106: Caleb Schwenk (T) won by forfeit.

HERNDON, Pa. — Athens went 1-4 here Saturday at the Line Mountain Duals, but junior Gavin Bradley went 5-0, including his 100th career victory.

Senior Zach Stafursky and sophomore Chris Bathgate each went 4-1 for the Wildcats, while senior Kaden Setzer and Karter Rude were both 3-2. Sophomore Jake Courtney, and freshmen Josh Courtney and Mason Vanderpool each won two matches.

Benton 46, Athens 30
Benton won the final four weight classes, including on by fall and two via forfeit, to rally for a 46-30 win over Athens in the first match of the day.

Bradley and freshman Mason Vanderpool picked up forfeits at 113 and 120 pounds to give the Wildcats a quick 12-0 lead, but the Tigers registered back-to-back falls at 126 and 132 to tie it at 12-12.

Kaden Setzer put Athens back ahead with a pin of Remington Morrow in 1:24 at 138 pounds, but a Benton pin at 145 tied it at 18-18.

Bathgate put the Wildcats ahead 24-18 with a pin of Nick Stevens in 63 seconds at 152, but Benton standout Nolan Lear answered with a pin at 160 to tie the match at 24-24.

Stafursky gave Athens its final lead of the match with a pin of Mason Michael in 5:28 at 172 pounds, but Benton pins at 189 and 285, alternating with forfeits at 215 and 106 put away the win.

West Perry 52, Athens 22
Once-beaten West Perry won five straight bouts late in the match to pull away for a 52-22 win over Athens.

After sophomore Jake Courtney tied the match at 6-6, with a pin of Adam Rea in 4:36 at 126 pounds, West Perry scored back-to-back-to-back falls at 132, 138 and 145 to take an 24-6 lead.

Bathgate stopped the bleeding with a pin of Joe Saylor in 1:56 at 152 pounds, and Rude followed with a pin of Dayton Seidel in 3:20 at 160 pounds to cut the deficit to 24-18.

West Perry logged a major decision at 172, pins and 189 and 285, and forfeits at 215 and 106 to take an insurmountable to 52-18 lead.

At 113, Bradley closed out the match with a 16-8 major decision over previously-unbeaten Deven Jackson.

Line Mountain 45, Athens 19
Line Mountain won the first five weight classes to take a 24-0 lead en route to a 45-19 win over Athens.

Junior Karter Rude put the Wildcats on the board with a pin of Chandon Maurer in 1:46 at 160 pounds, and Stafursky followed it up with a 4-3 win over Cale King at 172 pounds to cut the Athens deficit to 24-9.

Line Mountain won four of the next five weight classes, including two forfeits and a fall, to stretch its lead to to 45-13. Freshman Josh Nittinger picked up a forfeit at 285 pounds for Athens’ only win in that stretch.

Bradley, stepping up a weight class, closed out the match with a 12-3 major decision of Aidan Kritzer, who entered the day at 15-2.

Athens 45, Mifflinburg 24
Athens won six of the first seven weight classes to race out to a big lead en route to a 45-24 win over Mifflinburg.

Jake Courtney got the Wildcats off to a fast start with a pin of Jeremy Page in 1:26 at 132 pounds, then Kaden Setzer had his hand raised at 138 pounds — the first of four forfeits Athens would receive — to make it 12-0.

After Mifflinburg standout Troy Bingamann registered a fall at 145 pounds, Bathgate and Rude were awarded forfeits at 152 and 160 pounds, respectively, to make it 24-6.

Stafursky ended his 172-pound bout in 52 seconds with a fall over Jon Melendez, and junior Colin Rosh received a forfeit at 189 pounds to extend the lead to 36-6.

Mifflinburg piked up a forfeit at 215 and a fall at 285 ti cut the deficit to 36-12, but Josh Courtney forged a 9-0 major decision over Dylan Starr at 113 pounds to make it 40-12.

Bradley provided Athens’ final points of the bout with a 16-0 technical fall of Brady Struble at 120 pounds.

Jersey Shore 35, Athens 33
Athens only won one bout on the mat, but five forfeits kept them in the match until the final weight class in a 35-33 loss to Jersey Shore.

The Wildcats’ only win was at 172 pounds, where senior Zach Stafursky forged a 7-2 decision over Jon Smith.

Athens also picked up forfeits at 138 (senior Kaden Setzer), 152 (sophomore Chris Bathgate), 113 (junior Gavin Bradley), 120 (freshman Josh Courtney), and 126 (freshman Mason Vanderpool), and led 33-30 going into the final weight class.

In that final match, Jersey Shore’s Liam Goodrich pounded out a 16-1 technical fall win to secure the victory for the Bulldogs.

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IN PHOTO: Athens junior Gavin Bradley. … PHOTO PROVIDED.

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Benton 46, Athens 30
113: Gavin Bradley (A) won by forfeit;
120: Mason Vanderpool (A) won by forfeit;
126: Gable Strickland (B) by fall over Jacob Courtney (A), 2:54;
132: Caden Temple (B) by fall over Gavin McGrath (A), 1:23;
138: Kaden Setzer (A) by fall over Remington Morrow (B), 1:24;
145: Mason Smith (B) by fall over Lucas Forbes (A), 2:32;
152: Christopher Bathgate (A) by fall over Nicholas Stevens (B), 1:03;
160: Nolan Lear (B) by fall over Karter Rude (A), 1:51;
172: Zachary Stafursky (A) by fall over Mason Michael (B), 5:28;
189: Jacob Bobersky (B) by fall over Colin Rosh (A), 2:25;
215: Zach Poust (B) won by forfeit;
285: Andrew Wolfe (B) major dec. Joshua Nittinger (A), 11-2;
106: Chase Burke (B) won by forfeit.

West Perry 52, Athens 22
120: Blain Puchalsky (WP) by fall over Mason Vanderpool (A), 4:32;
126: Jacob Courtney (A) by fall over Adam Rea (WP), 4:36;
132: Nolen Zeigler (WP) by fall over Gavin McGrath (A), 2:47;
138: Justice Hockenberry-Folk (WP) by fall over Kaden Setzer (A), 3:15;
145: Carter Nace (WP) by fall over Lucas Forbes (A), 0:55;
152: Christopher Bathgate (A) by fall over Joe Saylor (WP), 1:56;
160: Karter Rude (A) by fall over Dayton Seidel (WP), 3:20;
172: Tyler Wonders (WP) major de. Zachary Stafursky (A), 10-0;
189: Brad Morrison (WP) by fall over Colin Rosh (A), 0:19;
215: Kaleb Cordell (WP) won by forfeit;
285: Josh Trostle (WP) by fall over Joshua Nittinger (A), 0:56;
106: Ashtyn Leigh (WP) won by forfeit;
113: Gavin Bradley (A) major dec. Deven Jackson (WP), 16-8.

Line Mountain 45, Athens 19
126: Lane Schadel (LM) tech. fall Jacob Courtney (A), 15-0 @ 5:56;
132: Max Bingaman (LM) by fall over Gavin McGrath (A), 1:50;
138: Mason Leshock (LM) major dec. Kaden Setzer (A), 18-6;
145: Ian Coller (LM) by fall over Lucas Forbes (A), 0:59;
152: Bryce Carl (LM) dec. Christopher Bathgate (A), 9-3;
160: Karter Rude (A) by fall over Chandon Maurer (LM), 1:46;
172: Zachary Stafursky (A) dec. Cale King (LM), 4-3;
189: Jacob Feese (LM) by fall over Colin Rosh (A), 0:29;
215: Dominick Bridi (LM) won by forfeit;
285: Joshua Nittinger (A) won by forfeit;
106: Nolan Baumert (LM) won by forfeit;
113: Brody Long (LM) dec. Joshua Courtney (A), 13-6;

ATHENS —  Athens picked up a forfeit-filled 57-9 victory over North Penn-Liberty here Thursday night in NTL wrestling action, then used a flurry of falls to pin down a 45-30 win over Williamson.

Athens 57, North Penn-Liberty 9
The Wildcats rode nine forfeits to a 57-9 win over North Penn-Liberty in their first match of the night.

Rude gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead with an 8-1 decision over Gavin Sexauer at 160 pounds, but NP-L’s Kohen Lehman topped Stafursky, 7-2, at 172 pounds to tie the match at 3-3.

Rosh received a forfeit at 189 to give Athens a 9-3 lead, and after neither team sent a wrestler to the mat at 215, Wildcat freshman Josh Nittinger had his hand received for six free points to make it 15-3.

NP-L received a forfeit at 106, but the Wildcats took forfeits in the final seven weight classes — Bradley (113), Kyler Setzer (120), Courtney (126), Gavin McGrath (132), Kaden Setzer (138), Fornes (145), and Bathgate (152) — to provide the final margin.

Athens 45, Williamson 30
Athens won six bouts in a row, including five by fall, to take a commanding lead early en route to a 45-30 win over Williamson for its second win of the night.

After the Warriors notched a fall at 132 pounds, Athens junior Kaden Setzer started a Wildcat pin parade with a 17-second fall of Aidric Passerallo to tie the match at 6-6.

Junior Lucas Forbes and sophomore Chris Bathgate followed it up with back-to-back pins in 55 seconds, at 145 and 152 pounds, respectively, to give Athens an 18-6 lead.

After a forfeit to junior Karter Rude, senior Zach Stafursky registered a fall over Jacob Puffer in 50 seconds at 172 pounds, and junior Colin Rosh decked Ian Bump in 1:25 at 189 pounds to make it 36-6.

The Warriors won the next three weight classes, with a pair of forfeits sandwiched around 285-pound standout Kade Sottolano’s first-period fall, to trim the Athens lead to 36-24.

Junior Gavin Bradley, now 20-0, sealed the Athens win with a 14-second pin of Chelsea Hungerford at 113 pounds to make it 42-24.

After a Williamson pin at 120 pounds, sophomore Jake Courtney closed out the match with a 12-6 decision of Ayden Sprague at 126 pounds.

Athens, now 12-6, returns to action Saturday at the Line Mountain Duals.

MONTGOMERY — Athens dropped its first three matches here Saturday at the “Matness at the MAAC Duals,” but bounced back to win its final two.

The Wildcats opened the day with a 43-24 loss to Class AAA Selinsgrove, then were thumped 66-6 by Montgomery, and 53-24 by Muncy. They closed the day with wins of 65-6 over Wellsboro, and 39-30 over Sullivan County.

Junior Gavin Bradley, who is now 19-0 on the season, was 5-0, and logged just 18 seconds on the mats. He received four forfeits, then registered an 18-second fall in Athens’ win over Sullivan County.

Senior Kyler Setzer, in his first action of the season, junior Karter Rude, and sophomore Chris Bathgate were each 3-2, and senior Zach Stafursky, junior Lucas Forbes, and freshmen Josh Courtney, Josh Nittinger, and Emiliano Mallare were all 2-3.

Selinsgrove 43, Athens 24
Selinsgrove won five of the final six bouts to break open a tie match en route to a 43-24 win over Athens.

After the teams exchanged forfeits to open the match, Kyler Setzer decked Anna Kalcich in 36 seconds at 120 pounds to give the Wildcats a 12-6 lead.

After the Seals scored falls at 126 and 132 to take an 18-12 lead, junior Kaden Setzer registered a third-period fall at 138 pounds to tie the match.

Rude’s second-period fall over Derek Holtzapple at 160 pounds was the only other win the Wildcats would muster.

Montgomery 66, Athens 6
Montgomery, now 18-1, won all nine contested weight classes, and picked up three forfeits in a 66-6 win over Athens.

All seven of the Red Raiders’ falls were recorded in the first period.

In the only matches to go a full six minutes, Rude dropped a 5-1 decision to Montgomery standout Kaide Drick at 160 pounds, and Stafursky dropped a 6-1 decision to Colby Springman at 172 pounds.

Bradley received a forfeit at 113 pounds for Athens’ only points.

Muncy 53, Athens 24
Muncy raced out to a 23-0 lead after the first four weight classes, and cruised to a 53-24 win over Athens.

Forbes received a forfeit at 145 pounds to put the Wildcats on the board, and Bathgate followed with a pin of Kobe Fowler in 34 seconds at 152 pounds to cut the deficit to 23-12, but that was as close as it would get as the Indians won the next four bouts, including three by fall, to take an insurmountable 47-12 lead.

Nittinger broke the Muncy win streak with a pin of Braydon Bergey in 34 seconds at 285 pounds to make it 47-18.

The teams traded forfeits to end the match.

Athens 65, Wellsboro 6
Athens won all seven contested weight classes — six by fall, and one by technical fall — in a 65-6 win over Wellsboro.

After forfeits to Kyler Setzer (126) and Gavin McGrath (132) gave the Wildcats a 12-0 lead, Mallare registered his first varsity win with a pin of Jordan Costley in 1:28 at 138 pounds to make it 18-0.

The Wildcats would add three more consecutive pins to make it 42-0.

Forbes pinned Tylar Wright in 5:06 at 145 pounds, then Bathgate decked Nicholas Smith in 1:13 at 152, and Rude flattened Dillon Boye in 62 seconds at 160.

Stafursky kept it rolling with a 16-1 technical fall of Coleman Brown at 172 pounds, and junior Collin Rosh followed with a pin of Anthony Romania in 76 seconds at 189 pounds.

Wellsboro’s Joe Smith received a forfeit at 215 to put the Green Hornets on the board.

Nittinger logged the final win on the mat for the Wildcats, pinning Wyatt Gastric in 1:32 at 285 pounds.

Courtney and Bradley received forfeits at 113 and 120, respectively, to close out the match.

Athens 39, Sullivan County 30
Athens won the final three matches, picking up forfeits in the final two, to rally for a 39-30 win over Sullivan County in the final match of the day.

The teams traded pins in the fourth four weight classes.

Mallare decked Bryan Hope in 14 seconds at 138 pounds to tie the match at 6-6. Bathgate tied the match at 12-12 with a 64-second fall over Alex Doran at 152 pounds.

Rude broke the pattern, following Bathgate’s win with a 19-second pin of Mason Pankhurst at 160 pounds to give the Wildcats an 18-12 lead.

At 172 pounds, Stafursky forged a hard-fought, 6-3, decision over Colton Pretti to make 21-12.

However, the Griffins picked up pins at 189 and 285, and received a forfeit at 106 to take a 30-21 lead.

Bradley earned a win in the final contested bout of the match, pinning Cruz McCusker in 38 seconds at 113 pounds to trim the deficit to 30-27.

Courtney and Kyler Setzer received forfeits at 120 and 126 pounds, respectively, to seal the victory.

Athens is 9-6 on the season.

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Selinsgrove 43, Athens 24
106: Kassidy Ressler (S) won by forfeit;
113: Gavin Bradley (A) won by forfeit;
120: Kyler Setzer (A) by fall over Anna Kalcich (S), 0:36;
126: Trent Turner (S) by fall over Gavin McGrath (A), 2:35;
132: Aiden Gaugler (S) by fall over Emiliano Mallare (A), 1:03;
138: Kaden Setzer (A) by fall over Sylvan Martin (S), 4:19;
145: Garrett  Paradis (S) by fall over Lucas Forbes (A), 1:32;
152: Tucker Teats (S) dec. Christopher Bathgate (A), 9-8;
160: Karter Rude (A) by fall over Derek Holtzapple (S), 2:38;
172: Coy Bastian (S) by fall over Zachary Stafursky (A), 3:46;
189: Steven Miller (S) tech. fall Colin Rosh (A), 18-1. 4:51;
215: No match;
285: Nate Son (S) tech. fall Joshua Nittinger (A), 16-0 1:51;

Montgomery 66, Athens 6
113: Blake Snyder (M) by fall over Joshua Courtney (A), 1:21;
120: Gavin Bradley (A) won by forfeit;
126: Caden Finck (M) by fall over Gavin McGrath (A), 0:51;
132: Nevin Beachel (M) by fall over Emiliano Mallare (A), 0:51;
138: Hunter Leet (M) won by forfeit;
145: Conner Harer (M) by fall over Lucas Forbes (A), 0:37;
152: Devon Deem (M) by fall over Christopher Bathgate (A), 0:31;
160: Kaide Drick (M) dec. Karter Rude (A), 5-1;
172: Colby Springman (M) dec. Zachary Stafursky (A), 6-1;
189: Ben Marino (M) by fall over Colin Rosh (A), 0:58;
215: Weston Pick (M) won by forfeit;
285: Bradley Leon (M) by fall over Joshua Nittinger (A), 1:29;
106: Breannan Emery (M) won by forfeit.

Muncy 53, Athens 24
120: Phil McCormick (Mu) tech. fall Joshua Courtney (A), 16-0 4:00;
126: Alex Maiorana (Mu) by fall over Kyler Setzer (A), 5:35;
132: Scott Johnson (Mu) by fall over Gavin McGrath (A), 0:34;
138: Bryce Vollman (Mu) by fall over Emiliano Mallare (A), 0:26;
145: Lucas Forbes (A) won by forfeit;
152: Christopher Bathgate (A) by fall over Kobe Fowler (Mu), 0:34;
160: Ty Nixon (Mu) by fall over Karter Rude (A), 1:46;
172: Ethan Gush (Mu) won by forfeit;
189: Tristen Ditzler (Mu) by fall over Zachary Stafursky (A), 5:11;
215: Jason Shuda (Mu) by fall over Colin Rosh (A), 0:51;
285: Joshua Nittinger (A) by fall over Braydon Bergey (Mu), 0:34;
106: Joshua Hill (Mu) won by forfeit;
113: Gavin Bradley (A) won by forfeit.

Athens 65, Wellsboro 6
126: Kyler Setzer (A) won by forfeit;
132: Gavin McGrath (A) won by forfeit;
138: Emiliano Mallare (A) by fall over Jordan Costley (W), 1:28;
145: Lucas Forbes (A) by fall over Tylar Wright (W), 5:06;
152: Christopher Bathgate (A) by fall over Nicholas Smith (W), 1:13;
160: Karter Rude (A) by fall over Dillon Boyce (W), 1:02;
172: Zachary Stafursky (A) tech. fall Coleman Brown (W), 16-1 3:00;
189: Colin Rosh (A) by fall over Anthony Romania (W), 1:16;
215: Joseph Brown (W) won by forfeit;
285: Joshua Nittinger (A) by fall over Wyatt Gastrock (W), 1:32;
106: No match;
113: Joshua Courtney (A) won by forfeit;
120: Gavin Bradley (A) won by forfeit.

Athens 39, Sullivan 30
132: Evan  Cummings (SC) by fall over Gavin McGrath (A), 1:00;
138: Emiliano Mallare (A) by fall over Bryan Hope (SC), 0:14;
145: Nathan Higley (SC) by fall over Lucas Forbes (A), 1:05;
152: Christopher Bathgate (A) by fall over Alexander Doran (SC), 1:04;
160: Karter Rude (A) by fall over Mason Parkhurst (SC), 0:19;
172: Zachary Stafursky (A) dec. Colton Pretti (SC), 6-3;
189: Tre Powell (SC) by fall over Colin Rosh (A), 1:10;
215: No match;
285: Joseph Malkemes (SC) over Joshua Nittinger (A), 2:28;
106: Rocky Finnegan (SC) won by forfeit;
113: Gavin Bradley (A) over Kruz McCusker (SC), 0:38;
120: Joshua Courtney (A) won by forfeit;
126: Kyler Setzer (A) won by forfeit.

TOWANDA — Athens won 10 of 13 matches to defeat Towanda 54-18 in NTL wrestling action Wednesday.

The Wildcats received five forfeits and three falls, but also picked up two close wins as junior Lucas Forbes (145) used a third-period cradle to beat Garrett Chapman, 8-4, and junior Colin Rosh (189) won 3-2 over Spencer Jennings.

Athens coach Shawn Bradley was pleased with how his kids performed in the rivalry match Wednesday.

“Some of the kids are just starting to come around,” said Bradley.  “We reversed the one decision from Saturday at 189. Colin (Rosh) wrestled a good match. Lucas wrestled that boy on Saturday and Garrett actually wrestled better today than he did there, so hat’s off to him, but Lucas found a way to win.”

Overall, the Wildcats won five of the six matches wrestled on the mat.

“A good team effort,” said Bradley. “I wish everybody else had a chance to wrestle, but we’re just happy to get a chance to wrestle.”

Athens jumped out to a 24-0 lead on four forfeits: Joshua Courtney (113), Gavin Bradley (120), Mason Vanderpool (126) and Landon McGrath (132).

At 138 pounds, Athens junior Kaden Setzer got a second-period fall over Dillon Gallagher. Setzer used two takedowns and three sets of back points to build a 12-1 lead in the first period.

In the second, they started neutral with Setzer quickly getting his third takedown and using it to get the pin in 2:28.

The 145-pound match was closer, with Chapman being the aggressor, getting in on two single-leg shots in the first period. Forbes got out-of-bounds on the first and time ran out on the second, keeping it a 0-0 score.

In the second period, it was Forbes getting the first takedown to go up 2-0, but a Chapman reversal tied things up at 2-all. Forbes scored an escape, but Chapman finally got the takedown he was looking for late in the period to take a 4-3 lead into the third.

In the final period, Forbes scored a reversal, then turned Chapman for three back-points to get the decision.

Sophomore Chris Bathgate (152) and junior Karter Rude (160) got quick falls for Athens; Bathgate pinned Zayne McPeak in 1:04, while Rude pinned Brandon Lantz in 29 seconds.

Senior Zach Stafursky scored a forfeit at 172 to make it a 51-0 lead.

Rosh’s match against Spencer Jennings was close at 189 pounds. The two tied up for much of the first period. In the second, Jennings got the takedown to go up 2-0 ,with Rosh scoring an escape point.

Rosh started down in the third period, and tied things up with an escape. Then, late in the third period, Spencer was called for a penalty as he grabbed Rosh’s headgear, giving the Wildcat the 3-2 win.

Clay Watkins got Towanda on the scoreboard with a forfeit at 215.

Then at 285, Towanda’s Alex Perez scored two first period takedowns to go up 4-1. Both were on the edge of the mat.

In the second Athens freshman Josh Nittinger rolled out for an escape to make it 4-2 after four minutes.

Perez took down in the third and was able to get Nittinger’s leg. He stood up, lifted Nittinger’s leg up and then took him straight to his back for the fall in 4:24.

Towanda’s John Parker (106) scored a forfeit in the final bout.

Athens, now 7-3, returns to action Saturday at the Montgomery Duals.

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