Brian Hagberg
EDINBORO, Pa. – Sheffield wrestlers got a taste of how stiff the competition will be at the Northwest Regional Tournament when they competed in a quad meet at General McLane Saturday.
(Photo courtesy Jena Albaugh.)
The Wolverines went 1-2 on the day, falling to the host Lancers (54-18) and Corry (58-15) while coming away with a victory over Northwestern (54-15).
CORRY 58, SHEFFIELD 15
After falling behind 6-0 due to a forfeit at 126, the Beavers rattled off three straight pins to jump ahead 18-6. A major decision at 152 put Corry on top 22-6, then the Beavers scored two more pins and picked up a forfeit to give them a 40-6 lead after the 189-pound weight class.
The 215-pound bout featured an early-season marquee matchup as Corry’s Hayden Linkerhof squared off against Sheffield’s Ethan Finch. Linkerhof was a 40-match winner last year and finished third in District 10 and fifth at regionals. Finch came into the match ranked 11th nationally, following a junior campaign that saw him win a state medal and a successful summer season that was capped off with his commitment to Pitt.
Finch scored the only takedown in the first period and held a 2-0 lead heading to the second. Linkerhof chose to start the period on bottom and scored a reversal. Finch was able to hit a reversal of his own and picked up a near fall to give him a 7-2 edge. Finch couldn’t escape after starting the third period on bottom, but Linkerhof was unable to turn him for a near fall either as Finch came away with the decision.
Corry picked up three more pins before Sheffield closed the match with a forfeit victory at 120.
GENERAL MCLANE 54, SHEFFIELD 18
General McLane won six of the first seven matches by pinfall, and the seventh via forfeit, on its way to a 54-18 win over Sheffield.
The Lancers earned pins at 132, 138, 145, 152, 160 and 170 and got a forfeit at 189 to jump out to a 42-0 advantage.
Finch got the Wolverines on the board with a pinfall of his own at 215. The Sheffield senior needed just 21 seconds to dispatch his opponent.
McLane picked up another pinfall victory at 285 to stretch the lead to 48-6.
Chase Kyler got his first win of the year at 106. Christian Gillet got a first period takedown and held a 2-0 lead going into the second. Kyler opened the period with an escape, then scored a takedown and near fall to grab a 6-2 lead going into the third. Kyler turned Gillet to his back and picked up the pinfall 34 seconds into the third period.
Collin Brown made his first period takedown and near fall stand up as he came away with a 5-2 decision for the Wolverines at 113 over Ben Watkins.
AJ Barnes scored a pair of takedowns and a reversal on his way to a 7-2 win over Ethan Brest at 120 to close the gap to 48-18.
McLane closed out the match with its eighth pinfall for the 54-18 final.
SHEFFIELD 54, NORTHWESTERN 15
The Wolverines closed the meet on a high note.
Trenton Mead got things started with a first period pin over Brady Fish.
Sheffield won the next three weights via forfeit to take a 24-0 lead. Ben Campbell got the Wildcats on the board when he pinned Landon Mead in the second period of their 189-pound match.
Finch got those points right back when he decked Nathan Ransom in the first period at 215, and Danah Campbell followed with a first period pin of his own over Greg Guda at 285.
The Wolverines picked up two more forfeit wins at 106 and 113 to go up 48-6.
Kolton Sutte pinned Brown at 120 and Alex Cottrell earned a 6-2 decision over Barnes at 126 before Sheffield closed out the match with a forfeit win at 132.
Sheffield will be back on the mat Tuesday when the Wolverines travel to Brockway.
