PA Power’s Redemption Dual has local flavor
Four local wrestlers are competing in PA Power Wrestling’s Redemption Dual, which is Saturday at the C3 Sports Complex in State College.
Northampton’s Carson Wagner, Palisades’ Ben Haubert, Tamaqua’s Nate Wickersham and Faith Christian’s Eric Alderfer are part of the 15-match card.
Wagner faces Saegertown junior Hunter Robison at 114 pounds. Wagner was ranked first in the state in Class 3A most of the season at 106, but finished fifth at the PIAA Wrestling Championships. Robison was fifth in 2A.
Haubert was fifth in 2A at 172 pounds. He’ll face State College’s Lance Urbas at 177. Urbas, a senior, was fourth in the state’s 3A tournament.
Wickersham, a senior who was third in 2A at 215, takes on Wilson-West Lawn’s Josh Harkless at 220. Harkless was a 3A state runner-up at 215.
Alderfer, a junior who was fourth at 138 in 2A, faces Montgomery standout freshman Conner Harer at 143. Harer was fifth in 2A, also at 138.
The rest of the card:
133: Central Mountain’s Luke Simcox vs. Mifflinburg’s Gabe Gramly
143: Bellefonte’s Jude Swisher vs. Wyoming Seminary’s Dom Federici
118: Bald Eagle Area’s Coen Bainey vs. Delaware Valley’s Zach Jacaruso
157: Bishop McCort’s Erik Gibson vs. Hamburg’s Dalton Gimbor
185: Kiski’s Sammy Starr vs. Wyoming Seminary’s Cole Rees
110: Central Mountain’s Maddie Packer vs. Greenville’s Keira Kohler
285: Greensburg Salem’s Billy McChesney vs. Bishop McDevitt’s Riley Robell
152: Hempfield Area’s Ty Linsenbigler vs. Sullivan County’s Nathan Higley
165: Pine-Richland’s Cole Spencer vs. Hamburg’s Bailey Gimbor
103: Bishop McCort’s Bo Bassett vs. Wyoming Seminary’s Davis Motyka
125: Bishop McCort’s Mason Gibson vs. Wyoming Seminary’s Brennen Cernus
Gibson is ranked fifth nationally as a freshman after suffering his only loss of the season in the 2A state final when Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Brett Ungar pinned him in the third period.
Erik Gibson, Mason’s older brother, had to sit out the postseason because of PIAA transfer rules. The brothers transferred from Forest Hills following a December 2019 incident when a former Forest Hills teammate directed a racial slur at Erik Gibson and the subsequent fallout from that event.
Bassett is a highly decorated seventh grader who also transferred from Forest Hills to Bishop McCort.