Ryder Davenport

CHAMBERSBURG — The lineups for both State College and Chambersburg had taken a beating this week prior to their Mid Penn Commonwealth wrestling matchup on Thursday night.

Each team had to make do without three starters, all out sick. That made coming out on top in the swing matches that much more important.

The Trojans won three of the four bouts that appeared to be tossups, and added big stick near the end of the meet to clinch a 42-24 victory over the Little Lions at the CASHS Auxiliary Gym.

“When you’re fighting with a few guys out, you need some kids to step up and win matches in big spots, and we did that tonight,” Chambersburg coach Matt Mentzer said.

He pointed out Zae Kirk at 170, Wyatt Hull at 285 and Karl Shindledecker at 120 — “Kirk had a big win with a late takedown, Hull wrestled very well and beat a really good kid, and Shindledecker did what he was supposed to do for us,” Mentzer said.

Kirk took a 4-2 win over Noah Prewitt-Koths with a spin behind takedown at 0:08. Hull used a takedown in each period to defeat Harrison Schoen 7-1, while Shindledecker hung on at the end to nip Jude Swisher, 6-4.

Even with those three victories, plus pins by Seth Runshaw at 152 and Luke Nichter at 182 and a decision at 160 by Carson Mello, Chambersburg’s 18-0 lead had evaporated by the time Shindledecker took the mat at 120 — it was 21-21.

But the Trojans won four of the final five bouts, including three by pin, to sew up the win.

The biggest of those clinched the match at 138. Chambersburg led 30-24 and State College’s Evan Courts was heavily favored over Trojan freshman Ryder Davenport. A headlock in the final 10 seconds of the first period gave Courts five points and a 9-3 lead.

But Courts pushed a little too hard to score a pin that would have tied the match, and he was reversed to his back by Davenport, who stuck him in 2:47.

“I was expecting him to really go for it,” Davenport said, “and I had to do the same thing. At first (when I got him over), I thought he might slip right out — I was scared I might get rolled. But then I could feel it get tight and I heard the slap.”

Had Courts managed to get a pin and tie the match up, Mentzer was still confident, because he had an ace in the hole.

“I was glad to have Tate Nichter finishing up for us, so even if Ryder hadn’t won, we’d have been in good shape,” Mentzer said.

Nichter polished off the win with a quick pin at 145.

NOTES: Cole Grove returned to the Trojan lineup and scored the second-fastest pin of the night, in 50 seconds, at 126 … Luke Nichter’s pin took just 24 seconds … Cole Urbas, ranked No. 1 in the state at 195, scored a pin for the Little Lions (5-4, 1-2 MPC).

Cumberland Valley was ambushed by Mifflin County, 45-20, on Thursday, putting four teams in the Commonwealth now with one loss each: Chambersburg, CV, Central Dauphin and Mifflin County … The Trojans have matches at Mifflin County and CV left.

Chambersburg 42, State College 24
152 — Seth Runshaw (C) p Julian Simmons, 2:27 (6-0)
160 — Carson Mello (C) d Tyler Price, 4-2 (9-0)
170 — Zae Kirk (C) d Noah Prewitt-Koths, 4-3 (12-0)
182 — Luke Nichter (C) p Nicholas Beebe, 0:24 (18-0)
195 — Tate McLaughlin (SC) d Guy Lozius, 9-5 (18-3)
220 — Cole Urbas (SC) p Joey Fuller, 1:48 (18-9)
285 — Wyatt Hull (C) d Harrison Schoen, 7-1 (21-9)
106 — Bailey Weaverling (SC) p April Rump, 1:45 (21-15)
113 — Ben Krick (SC) won by forfeit (21-21)
120 — Karl Shindledecker (C) d Jude Swisher, 6-4 (24-21)
126 — Cole Grove (C) p Owen Barr, 0:50 (30-21)
132 — Owen Woolcott (SC) d Kelby Mixell, 3-0 (30-24)
138 — Ryder Davenport (C) p Evan Courts, 2:47 (36-24)
145 — Tate Nichter (C) p Jason Dry, 1:28 (42-24)