SPRING GROVE — Other than one bad break at the end of a long day Friday, Chambersburg had a lot to be happy for at the District 3 Wrestling Championships.

Avery Kuhns

The Trojans took seven wrestlers to the event at Spring Grove and placed four in Saturday’s semifinals, and have two more still alive in the wrestlebacks. Chambersburg sits in second place in the team standings, behind only Manheim Township.

“All the kids wrestled great today,” Chambersburg coach Matt Mentzer said, “from top to bottom.”

The only bad note came at 215 in the second round of consolations, when Zack Evans, holding a 3-0 lead over Malik Miller of Carlisle, had to default.

“He had hit his head in the previous match trying a throw late,” Mentzer said. “They cleared him to wrestle again, but midway through, he said he just didn’t feel right, so we pulled him off. That’s a tough break, but it was the right thing for him to do.”

The Trojans’ four semifinalists, who went 2-0 for the day, included Rylan Carter (113), Karl Shindledecker (126), Aiden Hight (189) and Avery Kuhns (285). The team was 13-4 for the day with six pins and three other bouts with bonus points.

Kuhns may have been the biggest surprise. But he rolled to an 11-4 decision over Mason Musser of Garden Spot in the opener and pinned Michael Hershey of Spring Grove in the quarterfinals, despite falling behind, 5-0.

Mentzer said, “He’s worked hard all year and he’s kept improving. He’d lost to the kid (Hershey) before and he got taken down and put on his back. But he rolled through, put a headlock on and caught him.”

Carter barely got through his first match, using a first-period takedown to slip past Central Dauphin’s C.J. Ferree, 2-1, then looked better in an 11-3 major decision over Jayden Rooney of Waynesboro in the quarters. Carter took a 7-2 lead after one period.

“That was the fourth time he’d wrestled Rooney this year (Carter is 3-1) and it was pretty similar,” Mentzer said.

Shindledecker, the favorite at 126, looked the part. He rode Elias Long of Central York for at least four minutes in an 8-0 major decision, then stuck Hempfield’s Seamus Mack in 1:17 in the quarterfinals.

“He got him in a tight position and finished him off,” Mentzer said.

Hight scored a pin in his opener, going up 7-0 and then decking James Lopez of Red Lion in 4:38. In the quarters, against James Ellis of Ephrata, it was 2-2 after one period. In the second, Hight fell behind 5-2, then scored three takedowns and back points to lead 13-9. In the third, Hight escaped, then took Ellis to his back for a pin in 4:46.

“That Ephrata kid was funky and they were throwing points around everywhere,” Mentzer said. “Aiden wrestled well and finally got him in a Greco body lock and pinned him.”

Zach Sherman (106) and Luke Mentzer (120) both won in the first round, lost in the second and came back to win again in the consolations. Sherman trailed late vs. Eli Leiphart of Dover, but got a reversal and back points to win 7-3. Mentzer blanked Mark Paradine of Cedar Cliff, 3-0.

The other area semifinalist is Shippensburg’s Dominic Frontino at 152. After taking a 14-0 major in the first round over Wade Adams of Solanco, Frontino secured a 6-3 verdict over tough Griffin Gonzales of Lebanon. Frontino produced an early takedown, then a nearfall with 0:13 left to lead 4-0 after the first, then rode Gonzales the whole second period.

The Greyhounds’ Diesel Koser had a pin in the first round, lost a decision in the quarters, but came back with another fall in the consolations.

The Waynesboro brother duo of Bodie Rouzer (132) and Kaden Rouzer (145) both went 2-1 and will be in the wrestlebacks on Saturday.

District 3 Class 3A Championships
FIRST ROUND
106 — Zach Sherman (Chambersburg) tf Trenton Habecker (Cocalico), 18-3, 5:48
113 — Rylan Carter (Chbg) d C.J. Ferree (Central Dauphin), 2-1
113 — Jayden Rooney (Waynesboro) d Timothy Porter (Cocalico), 6-0
120 — Luke Mentzer (Chbg) p Riley Bonholtzer (Lampeter-Strasburg), 3:09
126 — Karl Shindledecker (Chbg) md Elias Long (Central York), 8-0
132 — Bodie Rouzer (Waynesboro) md Nolan Brown (Daniel Boone), 12-2
145 — Aiden Swann (Cocalico) d Kaden Rouzer (Way), 5-2
152 — Dominic Frontino (Shippensburg) md Wade Adams (Solanco), 14-0
160 — Nick Nettleton (Exeter) p Colby Bittorie (Way), 5:00
172 — Tucker Hogan (Daniel Boone) p Titus Mong (Way), 1:18
172 — Kevin Olavarria (Manheim Twp.) tf John Gleason (Ship), 16-1, 3:14
189 — Diesel Koser (Ship) p Michael Klinger (Dallastown), 3:26
189 — Aiden Hight (Chbg) p James Lopez (Red Lion), 4:38
215 — Zach Evans (Chbg) p Jacob Humphrey (Cocalico), 1:12
285 — Avery Kuhns (Chbg) d Mason Musser (Garden Spot), 11-4
QUARTERFINALS
106 — Louis Malave (Manheim Twp.) p Sherman (Chbg), 0:19
113 — Carter (Chbg) md Rooney (Way), 11-3
120 — Gavin Richard (Daniel Boone) d Mentzer (Chbg), 3-2
126 — Shindledecker (Chbg) p Seamus Mack (Hempfield), 1:17
132 — Aidan Bachman (Cedar Cliff) d B.Rouzer (Way), 3-2
152 — Frontino (Ship) d Griffin Gonzales (Lebanon), 6-3
189 — Dylan Bard (Hempfield) d Koser (Ship), 7-4
189 — Hight (Chbg) p James Ellis (Ephrata), 4:46
215 — Samuel Rodriguez (Gettysburg) p Evans (Chbg), 5:53
285 — Kuhns (Chbg) p Michael Hershey (Spring Grove), 0:58
1ST ROUND CONSOLATIONS
145 — K.Rouser (Way) p Arthur Ruud (Central Dauphin), 4:35
160 — Anthony DeAngelo (Car) p Bittorie (Way), 3:49
172 — Mong (Way) d Blaine Plastino (Solanco), 5-4
172 — Gleason (Ship) d Blake Weaver (Garden Spot), 3-1
2ND ROUND CONSOLATIONS
106 — Sherman (Chbg) d Eli Leiphart (Dover), 7-3
113 — Alex Tennis (Cumb. Valley) d Rooney (Way), 6-4
120 — Mentzer (Chbg) d Mark Paradine (Cedar Cliff), 3-0
132 — B.Rouzer (Way) d Logan Schmidt (Big Spring), 5-2
145 — K.Rouzer (Way) md Ruben Mumper (Donegal), 13-1
172 — Cole Lang (Gov. Mifflin) p Mong (Way), 3:18
172 — Isaiah Feeney (Dallastown) p Gleason (Ship), 4:38
189 — Koser (Ship) p Robert Castagna (Solanco), 4:51
215 — Malik Miller (Carlisle) default over Evans (Chbg), 3:00