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WILLIAMSPORT -- Holding that Hershey chocolate bar never gets old for Midd-West High School wrestler Matthew Smith.
The Mustangs' senior 152-pounder punched his ticket to this year's PIAA Class 2A Championships in Hershey by winning a North East Class 2A Regional title on Saturday at Williamsport High School.
Smith will be heading back to Chocolatetown and both he and Midd-West 139-pounder Charley Paige qualified at regionals. Paige finished fourth in his respective weight class.
Smith exacted some revenge in the championship final as he defeated Towanda's Riley Vanderpool, 3-2. Vanderpool had outscored Smith 9-7 at last weekend's District 4 Class 2A meet.
Smith got to the final by winning a 17-1 technical fall over Lackawanna Trail's Garet Fowler in 3:06 in the championship quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, Smith scored an 11-3 major decision over Honesdale's Landen Estus. That set up the rematch with Vanderpool, and the Mustang grappler would not be denied.
Paige dropped a 5-4 decision to Mifflinburg's Lane Kenamond in the third-place bout at regionals but will still move on. Paige's trek to Hershey started with a 19-3 tech fall over Hanover Area's Jeff Peck in 2:00 in the quarterfinals.
In the semis, Paige was blanked 4-0 by Mid Valley's Matthew Almedina. Paige bounced back in the consolation semis to edge Montoursville's Karter Stone, 5-4.
Three other Mustangs saw their seasons come to an end on Saturday. At 107 pounds, Midd-West's Mason Kerstetter lost both of his bouts, getting pinned by Northeast Bradford's Mason Alexander in 1:23 in the opening round of the championships and falling 4-0 to North Penn-Liberty's Bodhi Nickerson in the consy round.
At 114, the Mustangs' Lane Yount also lost his two bouts and was eliminated. Yount was pinned by Wyalusing's Isaiah Harvey in 1:39 in his opener and lost by forfeit to Canton's Lyle Vermilya.
At 172, Midd-West's Grant Yount split his four matches on the day. He pinned Sayre's Jordan Brown in 3:43 before falling into the consolations after a losing a 20-5 tech fall to Montoursville's Gage Wentzel in 3:14.
Yount rebounded for a 7-1 victory over Hughesville's Wyatt Gavitt before being pinned by Lake Lehman's James Mitkowski in 4:42.
In the team standings, Midd-West ended up 11th with 43 points. Montoursville was crowned the team champion with 158 points, with Warrior Run (116.5), Towanda (100), Mifflinburg (94) and Line Mountain (89.5) rounding out the top five.
The PIAA Championships start Thursday at Giant Center in Hershey.
North East Class 2A Regionals
at Williamsport HS
Team Standings
(1) Montoursville 158.0, (2) Warrior Run 116.5, (3) Towanda 100.0, (4) Mifflinburg 94.0, (5) Line Mountain 89.5, (6) Montgomery 84.0, (7) Honesdale 58.0, (8) Southern Columbia 56.5, (9) Muncy 45.0, (10) North Penn-Liberty 43.5, (11) Midd-West 43.0, (12) Lewisburg 42.0, (13) Mid Valley 38.5, (14) Sullivan County 37.5, (15) Canton 36.5, (16) Williamson 34.0, (17) Hughesville 30.0, (18) Hanover Area 29.5, (19) Lackawanna Trail 22.0, (20) Troy 19.0, (21) Wyalusing 18.5, (22) Shamokin 12.5, (23) Blue Ridge 12.0, (24) Lake Lehman 11.0, (24) Valley View 11.0, (26) Wellsboro 9.5, (27) Northeast Bradford 9.0, (28) Benton 8.0, (28) Berwick 8.0, (30) Wyoming Area 6.0, (31) Central Columbia 4.0, (32) Scranton Prep 2.0, (33) Dallas 0.0, (33) Sayre 0.0, (33) Sugar Valley Rural Charter 0.0, (33) Tunkhannock 0.0, (33) Western Wayne 0.0
Championship Round 1
107 – Mason Alexander (Northeast Bradford) pinned Mason Kerstetter, 1:23
114 – Isaiah Harvey (Wyalusing) pinned Lane Yount, 1:39
172 – Grant Yount pinned Jordan Brown (Sayre), 3:43
Championship Quarterfinals
139 – Charley Paige won by tech. fall over Jeff Peck (Hanover Area), 19-3 2:00
145 – Matthew Smith won by tech. fall over Garet Fowler (Lackawanna Trail), 17-1 3:06
172 – Gage Wentzel (Montoursville) won by tech. fall over Grant Yount, 20-5 3:14
Consolation Round 1
107 – Bodhi Nickerson (North Penn-Liberty) dec. Mason Kerstetter, 4-0
114 – Lyle Vermilya (Canton) won by forfeit over Lane Yount
172 – Grant Yount dec. Wyatt Gavitt (Hughesville), 7-1
Championship Semifinals
139 – Matthew Almedina (Mid Valley) dec. Charley Paige, 4-0
145 – Matthew Smith maj. dec. Landen Estus (Honesdale), 11-3
Consolation Round 2
172 – James Mitkowski (Lake Lehman) pinned Grant Yount, 4:42
Consolation Semifinals
139 – Charley Paige dec. Karter Stone (Montoursville), 5-4
Third Place
139 – Lane Kenamond (Mifflinburg) dec. Charley Paige, 5-4
Championship Finals
145 – Matthew Smith dec. Riley Vanderpool (Towanda), 3-2