L-L League wrestling: Manheim Central narrowly takes down Ephrata

In opera, as the saying goes, it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.

While Manheim Central’s Brodie Daugherty is definitely not fat, and most definitely is not a lady, his “song,” a 19-4 technical fall over Ephrata’s Dustin Hoover, coming in 5:02, signaled the end of an entertaining L-L Section Two battle and a 30-29 triumph for the Barons (3-0 league, 3-0 overall), Wednesday night in Ephrata. It kept the Barons one half game behind section pacesetter Donegal.

Ephrata had rallied from a 13-point deficit, taking a 29-25 lead on Quincy Myer’s major decision victory at 172. Myer, nominally the Mountaineers 152-pounder after the addition of the post-holiday two-pound weight allowance, bumped to 172, allowing the Mounts (2-2, 2-7) to cover what had been a season-long forfeit at 189. Covering it by bumping up Hoover.

Also in opera, the spear carriers are the chorus, supporting the narrative as the soprano and baritone drive it forward.

Yielding a 24-pound weight advantage to Daugherty, all Hoover, one of the Mounts’ spear carriers, had to do was keep from getting pinned or teched, and the Mounts would win on criteria.

’Twas not to be. Daugherty led 7-1 after a period on two takedowns and a cradle.

Three more takedowns and another cradle and it was 15-3 after two and the chorus was reaching a crescendo. Daugherty let Hoover out to start the third period, then scored his sixth takedown of the match. He secured one last cradle 48 seconds later, sealing Hoover’s fate as well as the Mountaineers.

“He looked crisp and clean,” Barons coach Quint Eno said of Daugherty. “Those are things we’ve been working on all week. “I think we were battling some adversity, both lineups were,” Eno said, “what we had we put out there.”

Noah Templin got the Barons off to a good start with a 6-2 victory over Sam McCracken at 215. Jason Dougherty, with only two weeks practice behind him, figuratively dropped his spear and soloed, pinning Dawson St. Victor at 285.

The teams traded forfeits the next two bouts, Ephrata’s Alec McCracken taking the walkover at 107, Manheim’s Jesse Miller at 114, and Blake Fasnacht bumped up to 121 for Manheim, scoring a 15-7 major decision over Wyatt Fritz.

Down 13-3 after 4 minutes, Fritz cut into that deficit with a reversal and two-point nearfall to start the third, shaving Fasnacht’s potential major decision. Fasnacht reversed with 1:13 left, putting the major back in play and held Fritz down to collect what turned out to be a pretty important bonus point.

“You continue to compete,” Eno noted, “the outcomes take care of themselves.”

Ephrata clawed back on Brady Thomas’ fall at 127, fell back as Henry Von Stetten, at 133, and Barrett Keiffer, at 139 scored decisions for Manheim Central. The Mounts got back to within seven as Mounts coach Sean Lees sent Jayce Stein out for his first varsity win, a forfeit at 145.

Bumping up to 152, Noah Tlumach majored Brayden Linden, 16-6, turning Linden with a power half with five seconds to go, not enough time for a fall.

“We were in some tight situations. We didn’t get it done where we had to get it done,” Lees said. “We had so many instances where we could’ve avoided bonus points, gotten bonus points. If we pin, and don’t get pinned, that’s it.”

Tlumach’s major made it a three-point match and Kaleb Sweigart tied it up, taking Cody Hess down in overtime for a 7-5 victory at 160. Sweigart could’ve saved himself the extra wrestling if he had scored back points on his third-period bar-and-half, but could only get two one-counts, and thus no back-points.

Myer cradled AJ Hondru three times, but couldn’t secure the fall, settling for a 13-5 major. Setting the stage for the final curtain.

“The section title’s probably out of reach,” said Lees, whose team lost to Donegal by three, 33-30, and now by one to Manheim. “Unless there’s some crazy stuff,” he added.

“Next week we have E-town and Cocalico,” Eno said, “and then finish up with Donegal. We have to continue showing up and competing.”