By Kenny Varner

HERSHEY – The wrestling action was fast and furious in day 2 of the PIAA State Wrestling Championships.

Despite Friday being a tough day for some of the local grapplers at the championship in Hershey, three wrestlers advanced to wrestle for medals.

Led by Midd-West’s Matthew Smith who will battle for a third place medal. While Juniata freshman phenom 190-pounder Katelynn Krepps and 285-pound Mifflin County Huskies heavyweight Peyton Kearns will also battle for hardware.

The local field that are still alive for for Saturday action has dwindled.

Advancing to the final day to just three.

The Mifflin County wrestlers advanced only one.

Coming into the contest MIfflin County heavyweight Peyton Kearns was the only undefeated Husky.

His first opponent in the day was in the quarterfinals against Dean Bechtold of Owen J Roberts posting a 19-0 record coming into States.

Bechtold was able to takedown Kearns and pick up the pinfall at 1:06, sending Kearns into the consolation round.

In consolation, Kearns would do battle withConestoga Valley’s Tal Stoltzfus.

Kearns wasted no time disposing of Stoltzfus, pinning him in the first period at 0:48, keeping him alive and well.

In his final match of the night, Kearns went up against Phillup Rearick of Armstrong with a chance at battling for a fifth place medal.

Kearns notched an escape after a scoreless first period. He then was able to pick up the takedown leading 4-0 with a minute left in the second.

His speed and agility helped him hold on in the final minutes to notch the 4-0 victory.

Wrestling in the consolation round, 107-pounder Andrew Alexander got his day going on a positive note as he defeated Conestoga Valley’s Sean Morley, 7-0.

Four of his seven points came in the second via an escape followed by a takedown.

In the third, Alexander added a takedown to secure the win and land him into the third round on consolations.

Alexander lined up against Dom Powell of Upper Dublin.

The season quietly ended for Alexander as he fell 4-1 to end his successful freshman campaign.

Also wrestling in the consolation round was teammate 185-pounder Avery Aurand. Aurand started his day with a match against Garnet Valley’s Paxton Hunt.

The Husky senior was able to hold on and continue onto the next level winning 6-2.

Next up for Aurand was a match up with DuBois’ Kendahl Hoare (41-5).

The match would be a nail biter as it wouldn’t be decided until it the final seconds before Hoare would hit a takedown, ending Aurand’s season and his memorable high school career.

In Class AA, only the Mustangs’

145-pounder Smith advanced to Saturday as he will compete in the for third place, earning him at least a medal.

Smith went into the semi-finals match against Hudson Homan from Grove City with the chance to go to the championship.

But Hohman had the better showing on the night, winning 13-3.

Earlier Friday morning, Smith won his second bout over Josef Garshnick of United 5-4 in a thriller.

The win places him into the semis.

At 139, teammate Charley Paige advanced through the conseys topping Braden Durst of Berlin Brothersvalley 11-4.

He was back in action later in the day as he went up against Gideon Bracken of United.

Smith fell to Bracken by tech fall 19-3, to end his tough run through states.

At 215, Mount Union’s Josh Ryan fell in the second round of consolations as he fell to Jude Bremigen of Southern Columbia in heartbreaking fashion, falling 3-2 in sudden victory, also ending his season.

On the girls side, Juniata’s freshman Katelyn Krepps opened day two with a match up against Ashley Hoffman from Central Dauphin in the consolation round. The match would be a back-and-forth affair.

Hoffman picked up an early takedown in the first but Krepps was able to get a reversal on Hoffman cutting it to 3-2 after one.

As the second period ended,  the stanza mirrored the first, as Hoffman started with a takedown only to have Krepps retaliate.

Things became a scoring frenzy in the third as Krepps finally got the momentum, leading at one point in the period 13-6.

Hoffman tried her best to mount a comeback but Krepps refused to let her season end, outlasting her opponent while the score 15-14, Krepps finished things off with a pinfall at 4:11.

The freshman was back at it in the evening session as she went up against Maura Case from Easton

The match was a battle as it was a scoreless stalemate going into the third.

Krepps was able to get a reversal in the final stanza and pick up a takedown and take home the late pinfall at 3:38 to go into Saturday on a roll.

Final day action will begin 8 am Saturday morning back at the Giant Center.