HERSHEY, Pa. — The Brookville Raiders wrestling team saw its hopes for a third straight state medal come to an end Friday at the PIAA Class AA Team Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.
(Photo by Alli Zacherl)
After a first-round, 39-28 win over Northern Lebanon Thursday, the Raiders gave District 4 champion Southern Columbia a battle before falling 29-22, Friday morning.
Friday afternoon, the Raiders lost an even closer match, 29-27, to District 7 champ Burrell. Brookville had beaten Burrell, 39-23, at its Ultimate Duals tournament January 20.
Winning matches in the Southern Columbia meet were Xavier Molnar, Tyler Cook, Caden Walter, Cabe Park, Kai Sorbin, Devin Constable and Caleb Hetrick.
Cook (12-4) and Constable (11-0) were Brookville’s two wrestlers to pick up bonus-point wins.
In the Burrell match, the Raiders held a 27-20 lead with just three matches left, but Burrell won all three by decision to secure the comeback win.
Brookville had a strong start, winning its first four matches, three by fall, to take a 21-0 lead.
Braden Macbeth opened with a 4-1 win at 170 pounds. Then, Molnar, Cook and Colby Whitehill each racked up first-period pins to take what seemed like a comfortable lead.
But Burrell closed the gap with five straight wins to make it 21-20.
Constable and Jake Cable each won decisions to make it 27-20 before Burrell rallied.
The Raiders return to the mat for one last dual meet, Tuesday, at Philipsburg-Osceola.
After that, the District 9 Class AA individual tournament will be held February 23-24 at Clearfield Area High School.
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