Central Dauphin Rams Sports News

Alyssa Thomas leads CD to another PIAA victory Tuesday - (PN Photo)

SHILLINGTON - What a start for Central Dauphin Tuesday night. And the finish wasn't too shabby, either.

The Rams lit up Cardinal O’Hara in the first quarter, and that put the Lions in catchup mode at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School.

O’Hara fought back and closed to within a bucket entering the fourth quarter, but in crunch time the Lions didn’t have enough juice left in the tank to keep up and Central Dauphin pulled away for a 50-42 PIAA Class AAAA second-round victory.

“Any time in a state playoff game you can play well, and get a lead the way we did, that’s so important,” said CD coach Bill Wolf, whose club used a balanced attack to sprint to a 17-10 cushion after eight minutes.

“They were the ones in catchup mode.”

Central Dauphin (25-6) plays Cheltenham, a 61-52 winner over Nazareth, in Friday’s quarterfinal round.

Caitlyn Bassett had six points in the first quarter, Karyn Purcell chipped in five and Alyssa Thomas added four. The Rams had no trouble getting good looks, and almost everyone was knocking down shots.

“We knew it was important to come out with poise and attack them,” said Thomas, who had a game-high 27 points and 10 boards with her future coach at Maryland, Brenda Frese, looking on.

“Once we came out and took control, it was our type of game.”

When Thomas scored five quick points to start the second quarter, the Rams’ lead was a dozen.

“They played really well. And Thomas is really good. When she gets a jump shot, you’re not going to be able to guard her. We had trouble controlling her inside,” O’Hara coach Linus McGinty said.

“And [Bassett] was much harder to guard than we thought. They hit some jump shots early we hadn’t seen them take.”

The Lions (17-9) dug in defensively after falling behind 22-10 at the 5:35 mark of the second quarter and held CD without a point over the next seven minutes.

Only problem was that lengthy drought never came back to haunt the Rams.

“Early the game plan was to get the ball inside, and work inside out,” Wolf said. “In the middle two quarters we were getting away from the game plan a little. We were settling for the first shot, instead of the best shot.”

Clinging to a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Central Dauphin put the game in Thomas’ hands. And even with fellow Maryland recruit Natasha Cloud guarding her, Thomas delivered in the clutch.

The senior had 14 of her 27 points in the final eight minutes — including a 6-for-7 effort from the foul line.

“We definitely played the way we’re capable of playing in the fourth quarter,” Thomas said. “We moved the ball around and found the open player.”

Central Dauphin scored 12 of its 20 fourth-quarter points from the charity stripe, and missed only three free throws. The Rams finished 17-for-23 from the line. O’Hara made five of 10.

“You’ve got to be able to close teams out,” Wolf said. “It was nice in a big game like this, in the fourth quarter we picked it up. It was huge for us to execute down the stretch, and hit our free throws.”

Cloud, who had only four points through three quarter with Thomas on her most of the time, hit a slashing layup 30 seconds into the fourth that kept the Lions within a bucket.

Wolf immediately called timeout to rally the troops.

The Rams answered the bell to the tune of seven straight points — four by Thomas and three from Bassett — to regain control and a nine-point lead.

“You’ve got to give them credit for fighting back to get within two points,” Wolf said. “The most important thing was the early start, and when we took that timeout in the fourth quarter with a two-point lead.

“We came out and scored the next six or seven points. And that re-established our control.”

Marshall Peppelman of Central Dauphin will be remembered - (JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)

Walking out of Giant Center late Saturday night and into the bluster and drizzle, it was the perfect time to reflect on the events that occurred over the high school wrestling season.

At first, there was some anxiety taking over for longtime wrestling writer and colleague Rod Frisco, someone who has a limitless knowledge of the sport and has been a staple for 25 years.

But after a while, things settled down and I was able to get a grasp of what was going on. Along the way, the wrestling community was patient and provided great moments that won’t soon be forgotten, at least not from this side of the room.

My mind wondered to an epic dual meet between Central Mountain and Central Dauphin in the state semifinal dual that many experts rank above and beyond anything they have ever seen. That match alone sold me on team wrestling.

But by the time I reached down to open my car door, my thoughts shifted to what was witnessed on the floor of Giant Center over the last three days during the PIAA Wrestling Championships, where members of the 2009-2010 class of local wrestlers made memorable runs and solidified legacies.

It will be a long time before anyone forgets Central Dauphin’s Marshall Peppelman.

The 160-pound superstar displayed his power by standing West Allegheny’s Troy Reaghard straight up on his back like one of those buoys that bounced up and down in the ocean and pinned him in 3:02.

It was the perfect end to a career that included three straight individual state titles, six team titles, Powerade and Beast of the East championships and a district record 181 wins.

All were accomplished with a touch of class.

"I can’t name one moment out of all the success I had — the team titles, the individual titles — each is a moment all in itself," Peppelman said. "These are all memories that I can look back on that will last a lifetime."

Potential was also realized and completed in the Rams’ camp during this state tournament.

Kenny Courts came in as a highly touted freshman, got hurt and missed states and then came back to finish second last year as a sophomore. You could just sense at the beginning of this season, he was going to complete his mission.

He did, beating Cumberland Valley’s Tristan Warner in the final — not an easy task — to give the Rams back-to-back gold medals at 160 and 171.

"It’s been an amazing ride," the lightning-quick Courts said. "I’ve worked so hard since last year’s loss, especially on improving on the bottom, and it feels great to get something that I’ve worked so hard for."

And no one will forget CD’s Tyler Buckman and his unbelievable match against McDowell’s Steve Spearman in the 130-pound final. It was easily the best match of all the finals, Class AA or Class AAA.

Watching Buckman on the mat is fun any time. Whether he is leading or trailing, this guy can pull athletic moves that just captivate and wow a crowd.

"It’s been a pleasure coaching these kids," CD head coach Jeff Sweigard said. "They earned everything they got. Besides all the medals, they go out and work hard.

"They came up through the program together. They do the extra training, the extra lifting and they are all buddies and get a long."

But this season wasn’t just about Central Dauphin and its wrestlers. Not by a long shot.

How about Cumberland Valley’s Shawn Greevy? Was there a wrestler that showed more guts and moxie this season than this guy, coming back from an ugly knee injury in December to get a silver medal at 135?

No way.

The Eagles’ Warner should be commended for his efforts. He lived in Courts’ shadow most of the season and kept racking up impressive wins. He never wilted under pressure and if not for Courts, he would be the one celebrating a state championship.

A new star also stepped to the forefront this season in the form of East Pennsboro’s Zachary Nye.

Some speculated —- we took a wait-and-see attitude —- that he feasted on Capital Division competition and didn’t have the chops to hold up against the heavy hitters in Class AAA.

Wrong.

Fact is, Nye is legit. His speed and his tactical wrestling ability netted him a silver at states. One more offensive flurry or counter, and he beats Selinsgrove’s Spencer Myers for the gold.

"It was a goal, and is really everyone’s goal, to win a state title," Nye said. "But my expectations weren’t exactly to be a state runner-up.

"I’m proud of what I did this year. I’m disappointed with the end, but happy with the season."

Don’t worry, Zach, you will be in the hunt next season. And no doubt it will be fun to watch.

A special thanks also goes out to Boiling Springs’ Joe Spisak. This kid is classy and took some tough defeats in three seasons before reaching the top of the podium on Saturday afternoon at 130.

No one deserved it more.

The regular season was also dotted with great team matches. Big Spring and Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg and Chambersburg and Big Spring and Mechanicsburg again. See the trend here? That young Wildcats squad is going to be a handful during the 2010-2011 season.

Stay tuned.

Central Dauphin to Cumberland Valley, Middletown to Mechanicsburg and all the wrestlers in between, it was a great season.

And I can’t wait for the next one.

Kenny Courts of Central Dauphin celebrates his state title. - (JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)

1. RAM TOUGH: Central Dauphin's unbeaten stars, Marshall Peppelman and Kenny Courts, were as good as advertised in winning the 160 and 171 titles during the PIAA Class AAA wrestling tournament. Peppelman, a three-time champ, pinned West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard in 3:02 at 160, and Courts edged Cumberland Valley's Tristan Warner 6-4.

2. EMOTIONS BUBBLE OVER: At long last, Boiling Springs star Joe Spisak is a state champion. The fiery senior captured the PIAA Class AA 130-pound crown with a last-second 4-3 win over Shady Side Academy star Frank Martellotti. Spisak, a four-time placewinner, escaped with 5 seconds left to break a 3-3 tie.

3. KING OF THE (AA) MOUNTAIN: Schuylkill Valley senior Colin Shober scored five takedowns on Juniata's Seth Beitz to record an 11-4 win in the Class AA 140-pound final, earning his second gold.

4. HALFWAY THERE: Looking for Pennsylvania's next four-time state champ? Derry sophomore Jimmy Gulibon is a good bet after he won his second title, 12-5 over Blue Mountain's Corey Keener in the Class AAA 112 final.

5. YOUTH IS SERVED: Two freshmen were very impressive during the finals, both of them Class AA competitors. Line Mountain's Zain Retherford handled Bermudian Springs' Brad Farley 6-2 at 103, and a six-point second period propelled Charleroi's Cody Wiercioch to an 8-3 victory over Bethlehem Catholic's Kyle Dehaut at 152.

Boiling Springs' Joe Spisak stands atop the medal stand - (CHRIS KNIGHT, The Patriot-News)

Any good father knows that the toughest job on Earth is that of a mother.

And the mother of an athlete -- especially a wrestler -- has an even tougher task in her child's upbringing.

While the father of a successful athlete -- or any athlete, really -- can puff out his chest and proclaim, "That's my boy [or girl]," he knows the mother in many cases is the unsung hero.

The mother of a wrestler must monitor how her son eats, or doesn't eat, while attemping to make weight for his next match.

She counts the calories while she prepares meals.

She picks up -- usually very carefully -- and cleans the sweaty workout gear.

She nurses the cuts and scrapes and the moused eyes, and she ices the sprains and strains.

She's happy when her kid wins; she hurts for him when he doesn't.

And we're just talking high school here. Never mind that the kid probably has wrestled since first or second grade with all of the weekend tournaments and travel that was all part of a career.

All of the work doesn't have to be rewarded with a state title. In Pennsylvania, a state that enthusiasts proudly proclaim the best wrestling state in the country, just 28 kids walk away with a gold medal from two classes (AAA and AA) of competition.

But when that title comes, it's pretty sweet.

"I guess it was indescribably stressful," Kim Spisak said Saturday when asked how she felt while watching son Joe win the Class AA 130-pound title for Boiling Springs High School.

"I was never so nervous," Kim said. "I felt like willing my energy into his body; I couldn't believe it."

Kim Spisak is a veteran. Son Joe placed fifth last year, losing to the eventual champion. He was second in 2008, losing to the same Anthony Zanetta (now wrestling for Pitt) in the finals. And he was sixth in 2007 at 103 pounds.

Husband Steve used to coach at Boiling Springs, so wrestling has been a part of Kim's life. "It changes your whole family," she said. "The way you eat, the way you sleep ... everything.

"Now that the pressure is off Joe, I can get my son back."

Not for long, because Joe next fall is going to be a part of the program at the University of Virginia, his mother said.

The high school part of it is over, though, and she wonders where it went.

While on the Giant Center floor watching Joe receive his gold medal, Kim said she stood there thinking about the past.

"Joe used to sit on the knees of [Boiling Springs] wrestlers when Steve coached, and he'd say, 'When I win states, you can put me on your back and and carry me around the stadium,'" Kim said.

"I was watching that 3-year-old. I guess that's what I was thinking, 'Where did my little boy go?'"

As that boy grew, the town of Boiling Springs followed his accomplishments.

"Joe wanted it more for our town; he wanted it for them as much as himself," Kim said. "He's had hundreds of calls and texts and letters."

Shortly after he won Saturday, he had 39 text messages and 17 missed calls on his cell phone.

Obviously, wrestling didn't dial a wrong number when it called the Spisaks.

"It was worth it because it was worth it to Joe," Kim said. "The four years, the goal-setting, the 100 chin-ups every night. He truly gave it his all.

"It's not a mother-friendly sport, though, is it?"

Perhaps not, but it's been family-friendly for the Spisaks.

"I think what makes it the most fun is when your kid lets you come along on the journey," Steve Spisak said.

The journey of the Peppelman family at Central Dauphin has earned statewide recognition as well.

Mother Kathy and father Walter have watched sons Walter and Marshall win state titles in each of the last four years, Walter in 2007 and Marshall in 2008, 2009 and, well, Saturday at 160 pounds in Class AAA.

While it's been fun, it's not been easy on Kathy's nerves.

"I get very nervous," she said Saturday.

"I pray constantly. I pray and I take pictures. The pictures allow me to focus that God will lift up Marshall and help him in every way to wrestle to the best of his ability."

That ability is taking Marshall to Cornell on a wrestling scholarship to compete for the highly ranked Big Red program. Brother Walter is at Harvard.

"I'm so proud of Marshall," Kathy said. "I wanted him to go out with a bang. A pin in the finals is wonderful. A pin is a big exclamation point.

"I couldn't ask for anything better. He's a fabulous kid."

There were 28 mothers on Saturday who had to watch their son lose in the state finals.

Julie Nye was one of them. Her son, Zach, made an incredible run to the Class AAA 215-pound finals for East Pennsboro before being stopped by Selinsgrove High's Spencer Myers, who was a runner-up at that weight last year.

Julie Nye was all smiles and very gracious.

She, too, admitted to an "unbelievable amount of stress."

She also said she prays a lot. "It's something we've done since Zach was a little boy; it's a part of our routine.

"But it doesn't always get the butterflies out."

Zach Nye certainly will be one of the favorites at the state tournament next season. Julie Nye will be on tournament trail.

"I couldn't be more proud of Zach," Julie said. "An undefeated season until the state finals, getting his 100th win [Friday], second in the state.

"It doesn't get any better. Wrestling has made him a humble, good kid."

The sport -- and sports in general -- can do that to a lot of kids.

And if they're lucky, the bulk of them have a good mother behind them.

JIM CARLSON: jcarlson@patriot-news.com

Central Dauphin's Marshall Peppelman won his third straight PIAA title with a pin against West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard. - (JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)

Results and quick recaps from each match of the PIAA Class AAA championship finals.

103 POUNDS
In an ultimate tie breaker fourth overtime, Canon McMillan's Conner Schram burst out of the grasp of Hempfield's Austin Miller to win a, let's say, 'tentative' 103-pound final. The wrestlers exchanged escapes in the first and second periods and did little from their feet on their way to a four-overtime marathon.

112 POUNDS
Derry Area's Jimmy Gulibon won his second PIAA title in as many years, putting on a clinic from his feet in a 12-5 decision over Blue Mountain's Corey Keener. Gulibon struck twice in the first period and never trailed to finish his season with a 36-1 record and state gold.

119 POUNDS
Franklin Regional's Nico Megaludis out-lasted Liberty's Anthony Marino, using constant pressure in the final period to win an 8-4 decision. Megaludis, the state champ at 112 pounds last season, scored a late takedown to put the finishing touches on the victory.

125 POUNDS
Bellefonte's Mitchell Port and Nazareth's Zachary Horan went back and forth in a match jam-packed with action. Port got the better end of some wild flurries and came away with a 6-3 win.

130 POUNDS
A wild ride from start to finish, McDowell's Steve Spearman scored an emphatic late takedown to topple Central Dauphin's Tyler Buckman 7-6 in rideout time. Buckman escaped to take a 6-5 lead, but surrendered the winning takedown and just missed turning Spearman for back points in the final seconds.

135 POUNDS
Council Rock South's Josh Dziewa finished his dominant run through the 135 bracket, making short work of Cumberland Valley's Shawn Greevy with a first-period pin. Dziewa won two matches by fall and out-scored his other two opponents 7-0 in capturing the gold.

140 POUNDS
Blue Mountain's Josh Kindig led from start to finish, disposing of Pittsburgh Central Catholic's Lorenzo Thomas in an 8-3 victory in the finals. Kindig was the gold medal winner at 135 last season and repeated at 140 with two pins and two decisions.

145 POUNDS
Central Mountain's Andrew Alton won his second straight PIAA title with a 23-8 technicall fall over West Allegheny's Aaron McKinney. Alton tore through the 145 bracket with two pins and two technicall falls, in which he totaled 50 combined points.

152 POUNDS
Dylan Alton used a quick flurry to grab an early lead and cruise to an 11-4 victory over Lasalle's Shane Springer. Dylan Alton one-upped twin brother Andrew with his third straight PIAA gold medal.

160 POUNDS
Central Dauphin's Marshall Peppelman used his signature tilt to put West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard on his back, then sunk in a deep half nelson to flatten him out in a second-period pin. The win sent Peppelman to his third straight state title.

171 POUNDS
Familiar rivals squared off in the state finals as Central Dauphin's Kenny Courts won a third straight matchup against Cumberland Valley's Tristan Warner, this time for state gold. Courts took an early 4-0 lead when he dumped Warner to his back and held on for a 6-4 win.

189 POUNDS
A second caution stall against Council Rock North's Jamie Callender gave Springfield's Andre Petroski the tying point, and after taking a 5-4 lead on an escape, Petroski re-paid the favor with a couple of stalling calls in the final minute. Callender cashed in 33 seconds into overtime, wrapping up a clean double leg and securing a 7-5 win.

215 POUNDS
Selinsgrove's Spencer Myers controlled East Pennsboro's Zach Nye from the neutral position and handed Nye his first loss of the season, 5-3. Nye was aiming to become East Penn's first gold medalist since 1978.

285 POUNDS
Abington Heights' Evan Craig battered and bruised Central Mountain's Zack Corl on his way to defending his state title with a second-period pin. Craig led 4-0 when he cranked Corl to his back with an arm bar and finished the pin at the 2:45 mark.

Sarah Dowhower knocked down a wide open three pointer just before the final buzzer to vault Central Dauphin past North Penn 40-39 in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAAA Tournament Friday night at Lebanon.

Dowhower's shot hit the bottom of the net with :02 left and came off a dish by Alyssa Thomas, who finished iwth 18 points.

Central Dauphin, the District 3 champions, scored seven unanswered points in the final 98 seconds to claim a shocking victory.

Dara Nelson paced the Knights with 21 points, including five triples.

Kenny Courts of Central Dauphin pins Josh Popple of Coughlin in today's Class AAA quarterfinals. - (JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, The Patriot-News)

• Class AAA quarterfinals photo gallery

Over the past five seasons, everything has gone pretty well for the Cumberland Valley and Central Dauphin wrestling teams.
   
That changed a little bit over the past three months.
   
Graduation and injuries turned the normally dominant Eagles into a beatable team. That became more evident than when Wilson went into the CV Dome and bounced the Eagles out of team districts.
   
As for the Rams, their impenetrable armor was nicked a bit at districts when they only advanced four wrestlers to this weekend’s state tournament.
   
But now that the Class AAA portion of the PIAA Wrestling Championships is in high gear, the Eagles and Rams are back on top of their game, occupying five spots in tomorrow morning’s semifinal round, which begins at 8 a.m.
   
The Eagles Shawn Greevy led the Eagles contingent with a breath-taking 9-6 rally over Crestwood spunky senior Hunter McGraw in a match that the CV senior trailed 6-1 in the first period.
   
"This win really helped a lot with my confidence," Greevy said. "It showed that I can get down and have enough heart to come back. It shows that I can come back and score points and win the match."
   
Greevy’s epic Giant Center comeback started with an escape and takedown to close the first period, bringing the margin to 6-4. One minute later, the deficit was erased when the Eagles star escaped and hit another takedown to take a 7-6 lead heading to the third.
   
There, Greevy (22-2), who suffered a knee injury in December, put the finishing touches on the match with a textbook Russian that had many purists gleaming.
   
"I didn’t expect anything less than the state semifinals at the beginning of the season," Greevy said. "After I hurt my knee, I didn’t know how long I was going to be out. I was going to take one match at a time and hope everything fell into place.
   
"Now that I already have a medal, I’m not going to be anxious and just do what I have to do to win the match."
   
There was plenty of anxiety coming into this year’s championships for the Rams, who normally are the team doling out headaches.
   
But Tyler Buckman (36-4) squashed some of the uneasiness, when he mustered a 6-4 overtime decision over Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Tyler Zymroz, in one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far.
   
Buckman looked like a sure consolation candidate trailing 4-2 with nine seconds left, but the CD senior slipped a reverse to tie the match with one second left.
   
In the overtime period, Buckman was the aggressor and hit a double-leg takedown with 31 seconds showing on the clock to end it.
   
"Once I got to my feet and reached down and got one of his legs up, I looked at the clock and turned it into a double-leg to tie it," Buckman said. "I just kept the momentum and knew I had it in overtime.
   
"Me and Marshall [Peppelman] talked at the beginning year, and our goal was to win state titles, me getting my first and his third. We pushed each other and didn’t want to lose whether it was lifting or running."
   
Peppelman (160) and Kenny Courts (171) also advanced to the semifinals for the Rams.
   
Tristan Warner (37-2) avenged last year’s season-ending loss to Hazelton’s Jared Kay by beating Kay in the quarterfinals 1-0 to give the Eagles their second semifinalist.
   
This was a defensive struggle that saw Warner ride Kay out in the second period before escaping in the third for a 1-0 decision.
   
"I knew it was going to come down to who could ride who out; it was the same as last year," Warner said. "I was pretty confident that I could get out in the third period, but I wasn’t sure I could hold him down.
   
"This is huge for me. He beat me last year, and it is a great feeling to place at states. This takes the pressure off and now I can see how high on the podium I go."