By BRIAN CARSON
MILL HALL—In the most anticipated matchup of the King of the Mountain tournament, State College’s Pierson Manville showcased his skill on top and mental toughness.
The Little Lion junior and PIAA champion squared off with Central Mountain state champ and Penn State commit Dalton Perry in the 139-pound finals on Saturday.
The match lived up to the hype.
Manville rode out Perry in the tiebreaker to come away with the 2-1 victory and the KOM title.
After a scoreless first period, Manville chose the bottom and escaped for the 1-0 lead. Perry took down in the third, escaping with nine seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Manville took down after the sudden victory overtime and escaped to make it 2-1. Perry failed to get out in 30 seconds, giving Manville the huge win.
Teammate Nick Pavlechko joined Manville at the top of the podium with a 4-0 victory over Ben Farabaugh of Strath Haven in the 285-pound finals. A takedown and two-point nearfall in the first period being the difference.
State College added second-place finishes from Hayden and Asher Cunningham and fourth place from Carter Weaverling to finish third in the team race with 138.5 points.
Hayden Cunningham dropped a 6-1 decision to Central Mountain’s Luke Simcox at 133, and Asher Cunningham forfeited to Griffin Walizer of Central Mountain in the 145-pound final. Weaverling lost 5-0 to Bald Eagle Area’s Caleb Close.
In addition to a third from Close, BEA got a second from Lucas Fye at 121 and a sixth from Coen Bainey at 127. The Eagles scored 91.5 points for eleventh place.
Former PIAA champ and Nittany Lion recruit Cael Nasdeo beat Fye by an 18-2 technical fall in 4:52. Bainey forfeited to Brookville’s Cole Householder.
Mifflin County didn’t have a finalist but placed six in the medal round. The Huskies finished with 83 points, good for 15th place.
Deakon Schaeffer (160) was third. Hunter Johnson came in sixth at 121, Parker Kearns (152) took seventh, while Blake Aumiller (133), Jacob Cunningham (145), and Avery Aurand (172) placed eighth.
Bellefonte’s lone medalist was Max Murray, who came in eighth at 160.
King of the Mount Results
Quarterfinals
121: #3 Hunter Johnson, MC dec. Dylan O’Brien, Hickory, 9-0.
121: #2 Lucas Fye, BEA pinned Julian Bertucci, Burrell, 3:25.
127: #2 Coen Bainey, BEA major dec. Kobi Burkett, Chestnut Ridge, 10-1.
133: Hayden Cunningham, SC dec. #3 Cooper Hornack, Burrell, 6-0.
139: #2 Pierson Manville, SC technical fall Mason Karkoska, Owen J. Roberts, 16-1 (3:28).
145: #4 Asher Cunningham, SC major dec. Nate Stone, Franklin Regional, 11-2.
145: #3 Calan Bollman, Chestnut Ridge dec. Jacob Cunningham, MC, 2-0.
152: #1 Cameron Milheim, Warrior Run dec. Parker Kearns, MC, 6-4.
160: #4 Wyatt Schmucker, Greater Latrobe dec. Deakon Schaeffer, MC, 3-2.
172: #3 Macon Myers, Central York pinned Carter Weaverling, SC, 4:43.
172: #2 Caleb Close, BEA pinned Avery Aurand, MC, 3:34.
285: #1 Nick Pavlechko, SC pinned Anthony Joppy, Cumberland Valley, 1:07.
Fourth Round Consolations (Blood Round)
107: Collin Nasdeo, Williamsport dec. Mason Sanderson, SC, 4-3.
121: Leo Joseph, Greater Latrobe dec. Ezra Swisher, Bellefonte, 8-1.
121: Julian Bertucci, Burrell dec. Jackson Long, Bellefonte, 3-0.
127: Tyler Chappell, Seneca Valley pinned Eric Weaver, SC, 3:58.
133: Blake Aumiller, MC dec. #3 Cooper Hornack, Burrell, 4-0
145: Jacob Cunningham, MC dec. Joel McClintock, Northern York, 12-6.
145: Wyatt Dillon, Central York dec. Gage Long, Bellefonte, 6-0.
152: Parker Kearns, MC dec. Carter Weaver, Williamsport, 5-3.
152: Sam Gautreau, Owen J. Roberts dec. Jeffre Pifer, BEA, 8-1.
160: Deakon Schaeffer, MC dec. Conner Leonard, Northern Lebanon, 7-3.
160: Max Murray Bellefonte dec. Chance Kimmy, General McLane, 4-2.
172: Avery Aurand, MC dec. Dayne Miller, Cumberland Valley, 4-2.
172: Carter Weaverling, SC pinned Cole Shupp, Warrior Run, 2:24.
189: Sam Milligan, Hempfield pinned Shawn Knepp, BEA, 2:00.
Semifinals
121: #2 Lucas Fye, BEA inj. def. #3 Hunter Johnson, MC, 2:16.
127: Andrew Binni, Canon-McMillan dec. #3 Coen Bainey, BEA, 8-3.
133: Hayden Cunningham, SC dec. #2 Scott Johnson. Muncy, 4-3.
139: #2 Pierson Manville, SC dec. #3 Maddox Shaw, Thomas Jefferson, 2-0.
145: #4 Asher Cunningham, SC dec. #1 Kaden Milheim, Warrior Run, 5-1 SV.
172: #3 Macon Myers, Central York dec. #2 Caleb Close, BEA, 4-3.
285: #1 Nick Pavlechko, SC vs. John Wargo, Philipsburg, NJ, 9-3.
Consolation Quarterfinals
133: Jacob Mitchell, Cumberland Valley dec. Blake Aumiller, 4-2 SV.
145: Wyatt Dillon, Central York dec. Jacob Cunningham, MC 7-1.
152: Bode Marlow, Thomas Jefferson major dec. Parker Kearns, MC, 8-0.
160: Deakon Schaeffer, MC dec. Nico Zanella, Burrell, 3-2.
160: Liam Packer, Philipsburg, NJ dec. Max Murray, Bellefonte, 4-3.
172: Carter Weaverling, SC med. forf. Avery Aurand, MC.
Consolation Semifinals
121: Leo Joseph, Greater Latrobe med. forf. Hunter Johnson, MC.
127: Tyler Chappell, Seneca Valley dc. Coen Bainey, BEA, 2-1 UTB.
160: Deakon Schaeffer, MC dec. Gino Serafini, Central Mountain, 3-2 UTB.
172: Caleb Close, BEA dec. Isaac Lacinski, Burrell, 6-2.
172: Carter Weaverling, SC DQ Hunter Cleaver, Philipsburg, NJ
Finals
121: Cael Nasdeo, Williamsport technical fall Lucas Fye, BEA, 18-2 (4:52).
133: Luke Simcox, Central Mountain dec. Hayden Cunningham, SC, 6-1.
139: Pierson Manville, SC dec. Dalton Perry, Central Mountain, 2-1 TB.
145: Griffin Walizer, Central Mountain forf. Asher Cunningham, SC.
285: Nick Pavlechko, SC dec. Ben Farabaugh, Strath Haven, 4-0.
Third Place
160: Deakon Schaeffer, MC dec. Liam Packer, Philipsburg, NJ, 3-2.
172: Caleb Close, BEA dec. Carter Weaverling, SC, 5-0.
Fifth Place
121: Brandon Dami, Canon-McMillan med. forf. Hunter Johnson, MC.
127: Cole Househoulder, Brookville med. forf. Coen Bainey, BEA.
Seventh Place
133: Elias Long, Central York dec. Blake Aumiller, MC, 6-4.
145: Nate Stone, Franklin Regional dec. Jacob Cunningham, MC, 1-0.
152: Parker Kearns, MC dec. Braylen Corter, Central Mountain, 4-2.
160: Nico Zanella, Burrell dec. Max Murray, Bellefonte, 3-2.
172: Jacob Weaver, Central Mountain forf. Avery Aurand, MC.
Team Scores
1Central Mountain 152.0
2Canon McMillan 142.5
3State College 138.5
4Philipsburg 128.5
5Greater Latrobe 123.0
6Warrior Run 109.5
7Burrell 104.5
8Franklin Regional 93.0
8Pottsville Area 93.0
10Cumberland Valley 92.0
11Bald Eagle Area 91.5
12Chestnut Ridge 89.5
13Central York 87.5
14Hempfield 86.5
15Mifflin County 83.0
15Northern Lebanon 83.0
17Brookville 80.5
18Owen J Roberts 80.0
19Williamsport 74.5
20Muncy 73.5
21Boyertown 70.0
22Thomas Jefferson 67.5
23Hickory 65.0
24General McLane 57.0
25Northern York 56.0
26Strath Haven 54.0
27Seneca Valley 52.0
28Bellefonte 51.0
29Line Mountain 30.5
30Centreville 27.0
31Chartiers Valley 0.0
31Souderton 0.0