Chambersburg’s Karl Shindledecker puts Keito Shaw of Upper Darby on his back for three points during a 14-2 major decision in the preliminary round of the PIAA Championships on Thursday.

HERSHEY — Chambersburg’s wrestling team had a pair of surprises Thursday at the first day of the PIAA Championships — one positive and one not so good.

The Trojans pushed two into Friday afternoon’s quarterfinals. One, Tate Nichter at 145, was not a surprise. The other, freshman Karl Shindledecker at 113, was a pleasant surprise.

But Chambersburg also suffered a tough loss at 170 when Luke Nichter, a returning runner-up, was edged 7-6 by Angel Garcia of Mariana Bracetti.

In addition to the two quarterfinalists, three other county wrestlers are alive in the consolation rounds — Jeffrey Russell of Shippensburg at 120, Cole Grove of Chambersburg at 126 and Luke Nichter.

Shindledecker actually had to win two matches to reach the quarterfinals. He started with a 14-2 pummeling of Keito Shaw of Upper Darby in the preliminary round.

“I think it was an advantage to already have one match in (before the next round),” Shindledecker said.

He was not favored in his next bout, against Maximino Mendez of Council Rock South, a SE Regional champ. And Mendez went ahead 2-0 with a slideby takedown in the first. Shindledecker tied it 2-2 early in the second on two escapes, then scored a takedown on an opposite side single-leg attack for a 4-2 lead.

In the third, Shindledecker fended off several Mendez shots before using the same move for the clinching takedown at 0:06 in a 6-2 victory.

“I had the underhook in and I felt like he wasn’t getting any shots from that,” Shindledecker said. “I kept scooting my arm up higher and set that shot up. Same thing at the end.”

Trojan coach Matt Mentzer didn’t want Shindledecker to be passive with a stall warning, so he told him to shoot and that resulted in the final points.

“I was happy he went for that last takedown and took the risk,” Mentzer said. “I thought the escape he got right at the end of the first and the one he got in the second were big keys.”

Tate Nichter had a drama-free 6-1 win over Dalton Woodrow of DuBois in his first-round bout. Nichter took down Woodrow early in the first and rode him with bars.

He reversed out of legs quickly in the second and rode him with bars. In the third, he secured another takedown and rode the bars again until the final seconds for a 6-1 win.

“When you get to states, a win is a win,” Nichter said. “That kid was strong and I had to wrestle smart. I was just fine riding him for four or five minutes. I didn’t want to push the bars too far.”

Mentzer said, “Tate didn’t put himself in any danger. He had the bar, but couldn’t get it where he wanted it to turn him.”

In the quarterfinals, Shindledecker (21-10) will face Matt Mayer of Bethlehem Catholic (22-7), and Nichter (32-4) will take on Nick Barnhart of Avon Grove (37-4).

Luke Nichter knew he was in for a tougher-than-normal first round match. He had wrestled Garcia in the final of the Escape the Rock Tournament and rallied late for a 7-4 win.

Thursday, Nichter opened strong, with a takedown midway through the first and a 2-0 lead after one. But Garcia came out of a scramble for a reverse after Nichter nearly got back points with a cradle, then turned Nichter with a tilt for three crucial points and a 5-2 lead.

It was the first time Nichter was put on his back this year.

Nichter worked himself back to 5-5 with two escapes and a penalty point for stalling and there was still 1:40 left. But Garcia got the winning takedown with a simple snap and spin at the edge with 0:14 left and won 7-6.

“Luke just got outhustled at the edge, and that’s very unusual for him,” Mentzer said. “He’s disappointed about it, too. That kid is just a tough matchup for him.”

Shippensburg’s Jeffrey Russell, top, tries to fend off a takedown shot by Cole Homet of Waynesboro in the preliminary round of the PIAA Championships Thursday. Homet won by pin.

In the preliminary round, Shippensburg’s Russell was pinned in 5:26 by Cole Homet of Waynesburg, and the Trojans’ Seth Runshaw fell 5-2 to Coltin Jezioro of Peters Township.

In the first round, Chambersburg’s Grove was nipped 3-2 by Braden Ricchini of Council Rock South and Matt McCann of Waynesboro was stuck in 5:25 by Devon Britton of Northampton.

In the first consolation round, Russell picked up an impressive 7-3 win over Cole Wilson of Northeastern, breaking a 3-3 tie in the second with a takedown at 0:18.

Grove rolled to a 6-1 lead before pinning Josh Groff of Garden Spot in 2:25 and McCann lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Brooks Gable of Dallastown when a whizzer by Gable held off a deep shot.

Runshaw was tied 3-3 with Jeremiah Oakes of Scranton, but an Oakes takedown with 0:52 left gave him a 5-3 win, and Luke Nichter pinned Tanner Schaller of Central York in 2:36.

Mentzer said, “Cole just needed to shoot more often in his loss. Seth lost two close matches to really good kids — I was happy with how he competed.”

NOTES: McCann was the first Waynesboro wrestler to reach states since John Lisko in 2004 … Chambersburg had more kids qualify for states (5) than any other District 3 team … The five area wrestlers alive Friday will need to win one match to guarantee a medal … Runshaw finished his career with 99 victories.

PIAA Championships
Thursday’s Results
PRELIMINARY ROUND
113 — Karl Shindledecker (Chbg) md Keito Shaw (Upper Darby), 14-2
120 — Cole Homet (Waynesboro) p Jeffrey Russell (Ship), 5:26
152 — Coltin Jezioro (Peters Twp.) d Seth RUnshaw (Chbg), 5-2
FIRST ROUND
113 — Shindledecker (Chbg) d Maximino Mendez (Council Rock South), 6-2
126 — Braden Ricchini (Council Rock South) d Cole Grove (Chbg), 3-2
138 — Devon Britton (Northampton) p Matt McCann (Way), 5:25
145 — Tate Nichter (Chbg) d Dalton Woodrow (DuBois), 6-1
170 — Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti) d Luke Nichter (Chbg), 7-6
CONSOLATIONS
First Round
120 — Russell (Ship) d Cole Wilson (Northeastern), 7-3
126 — Grove (Chbg) p Josh Groff (Garden Spot), 2:25
138 — Brooks Gable (Dallastown) d McCann (Way), 4-3
152 — Jeremiah Oakes (Scranton) d Runshaw (Chbg), 5-3
170 — L.Nichter (Chbg) p Tanner Schaller (Central York), 2:36