Dallastown hopes balance and team chemistry leads to a District 3-AAA team title

DALLASTOWN, Pa.: It’s been roughly 18 years since the Dallastown wrestling team competed for a District 3-AAA Team Championship.

The Wildcats won the title in 1998 and 2000 and finished second to Boyertown in the 2001 tournament. A year ago, they made it back to the semifinals, losing by criteria to eventual champion Cedar Cliff.

Head coach Dave Gable’s crew entered this year’s 16-team scrum as the No. 1 seed. But, numbers don’t matter … In the mind of the Wildcats, they are still chasing undefeated Cedar Cliff, the No. 3 seed.

To earn such a rematch, the Wildcats had to get through No. 8-seed Cumberland Valley in the quarterfinals Wednesday night. They outlasted the Eagles … Barely … in a tight 33-31 match that came down to the last bout.

Now, the Cats (18-0) face No. 5-seed Central Dauphin in Thursday’s semifinal round at Spring Grove High School. If they get past the Rams, they will likely see the Colts, who will square off against No. 2-seed Chambersburg in the other semifinal match.

“The numbers in front of teams are pretty irrelevant, at this point,” Gable said. “Truthfully, I think Cumberland Valley is as good as any team in the tournament. They beat Central Dauphin and have wrestled a really good schedule.

“We knew they would be really prepared and that it would be a tough bout tonight. It lived up to it, I thought.”

Continued Gable, “You might say, ‘Wow, that’s a really tough second-round bout.’ But in some ways, it’s a good thing. You get to wrestle a real quality opponent, and hopefully, you come out on top. It gives you a little bit of a mental edge and boost.”

Cedar Cliff (14-0) has been the highest ranked team in District 3 all season, checking in at No. 8 in the state in the most recent rankings by PA Power Wrestling. It’s warranted, considering the depth, balance, and mat prowess in the Colts’ lineup.

But the Wildcats aren’t too shabby, either. They only have one state qualifier and two ranked wrestlers, but like the Colts, they are balanced and have a team chemistry that can’t be matched by most squads in the region.

“We, definitely, have a lot of team chemistry,” said senior 220-pounder Jamal Brandon. “It’s something we’ve worked on, because we have been together for ages, and it just keeps getting stronger and stronger.”

Said Gable, “I think when you have a group of people who fight for each other and care about each other, you don’t want to disappoint your friends or your teammates. That’s where we are.

“They care about each other and wrestle as a team even if they are overmatched like a couple of matches tonight. We have guys who weren’t even close to having a winning record wrestling guys who are District champs or ranked guys. They fight hard.”

That was evident.

While Cedar Cliff outscored its opponents 111-21 and Central Dauphin and Chambersburg made things look easy in their pods, the Wildcats needed every point in every match to get past the Eagles.

Jarrett Feeney (195) and Brandon (220), the two ranked wrestlers in the lineup, did their part with a fall and major decision. John Ligon (160) also had a fall, and 106-pounder Caden Dobbins added a decisive tech fall.

But there were also key swing matches. Hunter Sweitzer (152) defeated Ben Belgo by a 1-0 count, and Franklin Klinger (170) topped Matthew Barrick by a 4-1 margin in another toss-up.

Even the losses played a winning role in this one. Jacob McKenzie dropped a sudden-victory decision in the match opener at 138, and Cael Turnbull (132) held Mason Viehman to a 4-0 decision in the last bout to preserve the win.

It was a typical close match for the Wildcats, similar to the showings against Gettysburg, Central Mountain, and others. And those close shaves and pressure situations paid dividends against the Eagles.

It was team wrestling. The type that is required to compete against top-flight competition and win a championship.

“It puts a lot of pressure on us, but it helps us see how we will react under pressure,” Brandon said. “It’s who wants it more.

“It’s how are you going to react? Are your shots going to be clean? Are you going to make smart decision on the fly? Are you not going to give up back points? Every decision in magnified by 10, and I’m happy with the way we’ve been responding.”

No doubt dealing with pressure and performing in close matches will be critical against a Central Dauphin squad that isn’t as potent as past seasons but has proven to be a tough out.

If the Wildcats can outlast the scrappy Rams, they could see the Colts in a measuring-stick match for the District 3-AAA title.

“Any given day, there are teams in this tournament we can lose to,” Gable said. “We can win our fair share, but we know there are teams we need to wrestle very well against to beat. That No. 1 seed is irrelevant, especially now.

“Our team has good chemistry, and they work really hard. I just want the best for them to finish up the season as a team. I just get excited to see them compete and have something to cherish as a memory when it’s all over.

“Regardless of what happens, for me, my memories with them are good. So, I’m enjoying the ride.”