NTL WRESTLING: ATHENS RALLIES LATE TO TOP TOWANDA, 43-30 (20 PHOTOS) (January 22, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Athens closed out the match with four straight wins to rally for a 43-30 win over Towanda here Wednesday night in NTL wrestling action.

Freshman Chace VanDyke gave the Wildcats an early 6-0 lead with a buzzer-beating pin of Mason Harbst in 1:59 at 107 pounds.

Forfeits to freshman Joshua Saxon at 114 and junior Zaine Campbell at 127 pounds, sandwiched around an Athens forfeit at 121 pounds gave the Wildcats an 18-6 lead, but Towanda answered with four pins in the next five weight classes to take a 30-22 lead.

Athens' only win in the Towanda run was junior Lucas Persun's 14-6 major decision of Bryghton Yale at 139 pounds.

The Wildcat rally began at 172 pounds with Connor Davidson's pin of Kolton McPeak in 2:15 to close the gap to 30-28

Junior Brendan Cooke put Athens in front for good at 189 pound with a pin of Dillan Sbragia in 2:57 to make it 34-30, and junior Landon Layman clinched the win with a 9-3 decision over Finn Brennan at 215 pounds.

Senior Brenden Comstock put the finishing touches on the Wildcat victory with the quickest fall of the night, decking Dominik Miller in 45 seconds in their 285-pound match-up.

Athens returns to action this weekend at the rugged Coal Cracker Invite.

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IN PHOTO 1: Athens junior Landon Layman. IN TOP PHOTO: Athens junior Connor Davidson. ... PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA KREYKENBOHM.

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ATHENS 43, TOWANDA 30
107: Chace VanDyke (A) by fall over Mason Harbst (T), 1:59;
114: Joshua Saxon (A) won by forfeit;
121: Braydon Fessenden (T) won by forfeit;
127: Zaine Campbell (A) won by forfeit;
133: Jaydon Stranger (T) by fall over  Wilson Kinsman (A), 1:07;
139: Lucas Persun (A) major dec. Bryghton Yale (T),14-6;
145: Hagen Jones (T) by fall over Wyatt Clink (A), 1:46;
152: Gage Evans (T) by fall over David Janiszeski (A), 1:34;
160: Reese Sluyter (T) by fall over Ryan Howard (A), 2:57;
172: Connor Davidson (A) by fall over Kolton Mcpeak (T), 2:15;
189: Brendan Cooke (A) by fall over Dillan Sbragia (T), 2:57;
215: Landon Layman (A) dec. Finn Brennan (T), 9-3;
285: Brenden Comstock (A) by fall over Dominik Miller (T), 0:45.

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