Exeter narrowly defeats Mifflin

By the slimmest of margins, Exeter kept alive its hopes of returning to the Berks Wrestling League playoffs.

After battling back and forth with Berks I rival Gov. Mifflin Thursday night in Reiffton, the Eagles emerged with a 41-40 victory on Criteria H, most first points scored.

Allen Cisnerios and Robbie Unruh forced the tie with first-period falls in the last two bouts for Exeter (2-1, 2-1).

Gov. Mifflin (2-1, 4-4) carried a 4028 lead into the last two bouts after Gabe Kitsch and Takoda McNeil scored falls at 182 and 195, respectively. Kitsch scored his fall with 11 seconds left before McNeil earned his fall with 30 seconds left.

Cisnerios and Unruh wasted no time in getting those points back for the Eagles. Cisnerios scored a fall in 1:10 at 220 before Unruh, a Berks County champion last season, took just 22 seconds to tie the match for the third time with his fall at 285.

The tie was broken by the most first points scored in each bout. Exeter won with seven takedowns for 14 points to six takedowns and an escape for the Mustangs for 13 points.

The victory puts Exeter in the driver’s seat to earn one of the three county playoff berths in Berks I. Exeter, which won three straight Berks County championships from 2016-18, missed the playoffs last season due mainly to a December loss to Gov. Mifflin.

With defending Berks champion Wilson and Daniel Boone expected to battle for the Berks I title, the third spot likely would go to the winner of Thursday’s match.

The loss puts Gov. Mifflin in jeopardy of having its streak of playoff appearances ended at 18, the current longest streak in Berks.