Ring Side Ramblings

The L-L finishes out 2-for-3, 8-for-13 overall.

Six in tonight’s Class AAA finals. Two in Class AA.

Warwick’s Antonio Giorgio dispatches Governor Miflin pinner Louie Acampora in a fitting manner at 189, pinning him. Pinning him in a ridiculous 14 seconds! Single leg to cradle to fall. So simple!

Reducing the match to its simplest form, and mastering the art of doing nothing while making the other guy look bad, Cumberland Valley’s Travis Friend defeated Donegal’s Sterling Goshea 2-0 at 215, scoring on a second-period escape and stalling point.

And finally, at heavyweight, Conestoga Valley’s Cole Dillman turns Susquehannock’s Zach Freet twice in the second period, good for 5 backpoints and a ticket to the finals, 5-0.

The L-L’s semifinal tsunami has lost some momentum.

Manheim Central’s Tyler Griffith lost to Cumberland Valley’s returning champion, Shawn Grevey, 7-3 at 130.

West York’s Billy Randt keeps Cocalico’s Tyler Fittery at bay, 4-1, at 145.

Solanco’s Connor Moran battling from behind after surrendering a takedown in the final seconds of the first period at 152, gets even at 5-5 with a minute to go. But Mechanicsburg’s Zach Thomson immediately hits a takedown to prevail, 7-5.

A second-period reversal is the difference as Hempfield’s Ben Kramer drops a 3-2 decision to Spring Grove’s Logan Wisner at 160. Down 3-1, Kramer nearly pulls off the tying reversal with under 20 seconds, gets a stalemate instead and escapes off the restart.

Pequea Valley’s Mitch Ball advanced to the Class AA finals at 160 pounds, pinning Cody Breiner of Fleetwood in 3:41.

The outcome was never in doubt as Ball opened a 4-1 lead after two minutes, then reversed Breiner to his back, holding him there for better than a minute until he finally secured the fall.

Annville-Cleona’s Dylan Killian comes off the deck to advance to the finals.

Trailing Wyomissing’s Elisha Gaylor 1-0, Killian gets cradled in the third period, giving up 3 backpoints.

Somehow, he comes off his back, reverses Gaylor to his back and holds him there in a most unorthodox pinning combination for 40 seconds. Off a restart, he rides Gaylor the last :13, then collapses in exhaustion.

Penn Manor’s Bobby Rehm and Solanco’s Dan Neff make it 4-for-4 in the semis for the L-L.

Down 4-1 after a period, Rehm rallied, taking CD’s Kevin Gooding on his back for 5 points in the second period an holding on to win 8-7.

Neff performed takedown surgery on Kennard-Dales’ Victor Bracey, scoring six in a 12-6 victory.

By the way … CD wrestlers are falling like overripe fruit from a tree. Ram rasslers are 1-for-5 through 130 pounds.

Garden Spot’s Kyle Coblentz just delivered the most thorough butt-kicking a 6-1 score can provide, completely shutting down CD’s Nick Varndell.

Coblentz scored a pair of takedowns on shrugs, added an escape and a stalling point and ground Varndell’s breakfast for over 3 minutes with a tightwaist that was relentless.

Hempfield’s Austin Miller gets the morning off to a bright start, dropping Central Dauphin’s Tyson Dippery with 6 seconds left in regulation for a 3-1 win. In a flurry out of what appeared to be an aborted Merkle, Miller hits a snap-&-spin, Dippery stands and tries to step out. Miller drops to the mat and tackles DIppery’s ankles. Match.

Two L-L wrestlers advanced to Saturday’s Class AA semifinals. Annville-Cleona’s Dylan Killian and Pequea Valley’s Mitch Ball moved on at 140 and 160, respectively.

Seven wrestlers remain in the hunt for a medal as they negotiate the consolation wrestlebacks.

Columbia’s John Markley (130), Joey Ronca (135) and Jacob Sentz (285) lead the way with Pequea’s Ray Ball, Catholic’s Theron Mitchell (189) and Annville-Cleona’s Tony Yohe (112) and Chris Shifflett (125).

Made it through the snow and blow, which is more than I can say for the ten-plus cars that littered the median and shoulder [and beyond] along the 20-mile stretch of 283 that I traveled.

Not to mention the unfortuate soul I passed on 743 door-handle-deep in a drift off the shoulder who, I am informed, is a co-worker of the wife of my colleague, Rod Frisco. Small world.

Anyway, we’re underway and the L-L isn’t doing too bad here in the early AA going.

More later.

So, the best the L-L League has to offer just got beat, by 27 points, by, arguably, the 3rd-best squad in the Mid-Penn Conference.

Maybe Cedar Cliff is better than Cumberland Valley, maybe not. They didn’t, and won’t, meet this year [and what’s up with that? The MP really has to take a look at its scheduling when its “best” programs don’t face off in the regular season, or need to compete in Invitational Duals to get it done.], so the point is moot. The Cliff is still standing [at least for six more hours]. CV is not.

But what do we care here in the L-L, where the Mid-Penn has once again bullied our lunch money away from us?

Here’s why, and here’s why 45-18 isn’t always 45-18.

Join me now in a parallel universe where Solanco beats Cedar Cliff on Thursday night, earning a real shot at finishing third overall and going to the state duals.

Anybody who can read a won-loss record, or figure out matchups, knew Solanco was going to have to hustle to build a bulge big enough to withstand Cedar Cliff’s strength from 145-215, and take one or two of the bouts within that stretch.

With the year-long forfeit at 112, and the very real potential of one at 103, starting the night at 119 was the best thing that could happen for the Golden Mules.

With a break here, a break there, and some gritting of teeth, Solanco could’ve been right where it wanted to be.

It’s the fault of the Mules’ L-L brethern that Solanco wasn’t.

Explain?

Solanco has a well-deserved reputation for being physical and aggressive, embodied by 130-pounder Dan Neff who, okay, I’ll say it, got jobbed at the L-Ls. There are no skirts in wrestling, and it’s time everybody in the L-L acknowledges that.

As physical and aggressive as Solanco is, it was not enough against a Cedar Cliff squad that fought like a mother bear protecting her den.

Colt wrestlers seemed to say, “You call that a cradle? You call that an armbar? That pancake’s the best you got? No way you’re turning me!”

Any other opponent, Connor Moran gets the pin. Jesiah Deibler gets the pin. Cedar Cliff kids refused to give in to the inevitable. Which, I’m afraid, happens too often here in the L-L.

And without bad luck, Solanco had no luck at all Thursday.

Down 3-2 with :15 left, Hans Herr crowds his opponent at 125 into the go-ahead takedown. But the microsecond before, the referee saw a stalemate and made the call.

Unable to defeat his opponent on his feet, Jordan Hastings trails 8-6 at 135 with :14 left after getting a reversal. Needing a reckless-abandon move, he comes out front and locks up a cement-mixer, taking his opponent to his back with time short. Too late. No points.

In a million years Joe Welk will not throw a full nelson while working a power half, much less two.

Down 7-4 at 160 Cole Martin, who survived a pair of reverse-cradle attempts by his opponent in the second period, hits a headlock from the bottom with :15 left …

[noticing a pattern here? everything seems to be happening in the last seconds of  periods. little of it good for Solanco]

… Martin can’t quite finish however, gets no points and goes on to lose.

Now, let’s say: Herr gets the takedown; Hastings gets his CJ; Welk works his power half for 3 back points; Martin gets the 5-point reversal and Moran and Deibler get their falls.

Now, instead fo 45-18 Colts, it’s 39-27 Mules.

And, if my aunt had …

The point is, you have to be lucky, but you also have to be good. And the Mid-Penn teams push each other to be better than good.

CV, Cedar Cliff, Middletown, Lower Dauphin, hunger to be on the same plain as Central Dauphin. Mechanicsburg, Chambersburg, etc., strive to challenge as well.

Here in the L-L, what are we doing? Do we fight each other tooth-and-nail? Or, do we surrender to the inevitable? There’s a reason we revere the Alamo.

Want to know how far we’ve fallen in reputation? Go on PennLive and read how fans from the York-Adams Conference, [York! for crying out loud!], are dissing the L-L.

Gotta laugh to keep from crying.