Valley Sports ReportMILTON — Top-seeded Athens rolled over Williamsport in the semifinals, but second-seed Shikellamy got off to a fast start on its way to a 43-20 win over the Wildcats in the championship match of the District 4, Class AAA Duals here Saturday afternoon.
"We got beat by a better team. Good luck to them going forward," said Athens coach Shawn Bradley.
"We have some work to do," he noted. "It's always a little different coming to (Class) Triple-A, they try to bully you a little bit, so you need to fight back and the kids need to stand up for themselves.
"And, this is small compared to what's going to happen at Bethlehem (site of Class AAA regionals), they're going to get bullied all over the mat, if they don't fight back," he added. "We better buck-up, or it's going to be a long postseason."
Semifinals
ATHENS 45, WILLIAMSPORT 17
Athens won the first four bouts, and the last four bouts en route to a 45-17 win over Williamsport in the Class AAA semifinals.
After freshman Treyton Barrett received a forfeit at 145 pounds to start the match, junior Sean Peters pulled out a hard-fought 8-7 decision over Jack Burger at 152 pounds to give the Wildcats a 9-0 lead.
Bradley pointed to Peters' win as a key moment in the match.
"(Williamsport) had a plan, they knew the only way they were going to win was to bump some kids around.
"Sean (Peters) loses that one, and it's a whole different match," said Bradley.
Sophomore Brendan Cooke scored a 59-second fall at 160 pounds, and sophomore Connor Davidson followed with a fall in 2:36 to up the Athens lead to 21-0.
"Brendan (Cooke) is wrestling well. He's ready for wrestling season to be over so he can play baseball though," laughed Bradley.
"The sky is the limit for that kid if he wants it to be," added Bradley. "Hopefully, he picks it up the next three weeks, and wrestles hard. I'd love to see what he could do if he put his mind to it."
Senior Caleb Nason scored a 56-second fall at 285 pounds, but Williamsport wins at 215, 107, and 114 closed the gap to 27-17.
Sophomore Zaine Campbell got the Wildcats back on track with a 15-0 technical fall at 121 pounds to make it 33-17, and sophomore Lucas Persun locked up the win with a 7-1 win over Hunter Neuhard.
"Zaine (Campbell) wrestled well in both matches, but he beat a real good kid for Williamsport," noted Bradley.
Sophomore Wyatt Clink added to the Wildcat lead with a 12-2 major decision at 133 pounds, the junior Karson Sipley provided the final margin with a forfeit.
Championship
SHIKELLAMY 43, ATHENS 20
Shikellamy won six of the first seven weight class to build a 25-point lead on its way to a 43-20 win over Athens in the Class AAA finals.
"The guys who won all wrestled well, but even some of the kids who got beat wrestled well," said Bradley.
"Sean (Peters) wrestled well, that may have been his match of the entire season.
"It's something to build on," added Bradley.
Peters dropped a 6-4 decision to A.J. Benedict to give the Millionaires a quick 3-0 lead.
Cooke scored a fall in 1:28 at 160 pounds to give the Wildcats a 6-3 lead, but Shikellamy won the next five weight classes to take a 31-6 lead.
Campbell stopped the Athens skid with a 19-3 technical fall at 121, but Braylon Chestnut clinched the D4 title for the Braves with fall at 127 pounds to push the lead to 37-11 with just three bouts remaining.
Shik picked up a fall at 133 pounds to make it 43-11, but the Wildcats won the final two bouts.
Sipley, in what may have been the "Match of the Day," won a wild 17-11 decision over Keaton Lattimore at 139 pounds, and freshman Treyton Barrett finished off the scoring with a second-period pin at 145 pounds.
Athens returns to action Thursday at Warrior Run.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens junior Karson Sipley. IN TOP PHOTO: Athens sophomore Zaine Campbell. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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Semifinals
ATHENS 45, WILLIAMSPORT 17
145: Treyton Barrett (A) won by forfeit;
152: Sean Peters (A) dec. Jahki Burget (W), 8-7;
160: Brendan Cooke (A) over Austin Dunlap (W) (Fall 0:59);
172: Connor Davidson (A) over Malon Lee (W) (Fall 2:36);
189: No Match;
215: Jackson Raker (W) tech. fall Judah Nason (A), 15-0;
285: Caleb Nason (A) over Salahuddin Walker (W) (Fall 0:56);
107: Jordan Piselli (W) won by forfeit;;
114: Lauger Waldman (W) over Connor Garrison (A) (Fall 1:45);
121: Zaine Campbell (A) tech. Fall Collin Nasdeo (W), 15-0;
127: Lucas Persun (A) dec. Hunter Neuhard (W), 7-1;
133: Wyatt Clink (A) major dec. Steven Bott (W), 12-2;
139: Karson Sipley (A) won by forfeit.
Championship Match
SHIKELLAMY 43, ATHENS 20
152: AJ Benedict (S) dec. Sean Peters (A), 6-4);
160: Brendan Cooke (A) over Ned Drumheller (S) (Fall 1:28);
172: Connor Wetzel (S) tech. fall Connor Davidson (A), 15-0;
189: Christian Boetsch (S) over Judah Nason (A) (Fall 0:41);
215: No Match;
285: Brody Rebuck (S) tech. Fall Caleb Nason (A), 15-0;
107: Jacob Hendricks (S) won by forfeit;
114: Max Hallman (S) over Connor Garrison (A) (Fall 3:52);
121: Zaine Campbell (A) tech. fall Ryder Borich (S), 19-3;
127: Braylon Chestnut (S) over Lucas Persun (A) (Fall 4:01);
133: Eben Kisner (S) over Wyatt Clink (A) (Fall 3:55);
139: Karson Sipley (A) dec. Keatin Lattimore (S), 17-11;
145: Treyton Barrett (A) over Gavin Keefer (S) (Fall 2:57).
