BETHLEHEM — Caleb Bordner and Hunter Harner have been chasing District 11 Class AA Wrestling Tournament gold for four years now.
They’ve been close every year, and every year they’ve come up short.
Until now.
The Tri-Valley seniors won their first elusive district championships, capturing two of the six titles Schuylkill League wrestlers earned Saturday at Freedom High School.
Tri-Valley freshman Dan Scheib won the 220-pound title; North Schuylkill senior Alek Hummel dominated at 195; Jim Thorpe junior Kevan Gentile cruised at 106; and Lehighton junior Connor Frey prevailed at 182.
“I finally got it done,’’ said Harner, a three-time district runner-up.
The Schuylkill League moved 12 wrestlers to the finals, though six of them had to settle for silver: Williams Valley’s Willy Girard (113) and Ian Minnich (220); Tri-Valley’s Sammy Hepler (126) and Chase Schaeffer (145); and North Schuylkill’s C.J. Steinhilber (182) and Nate Gadinski (285).
Like Tri-Valley, Northern Lehigh crowned three champions, and that enabled the Bulldogs to capture the team title with 167 points. Tri-Valley finished second with 154.5, with Saucon Valley (145), North Schuylkill (133) and Northwestern Lehigh (127.5) rounding out the top five.
The district used a random draw for the finals, and as luck would have it, Harner got to bat leadoff at 160.
The top-seeded Harner (37-4) ruled his bracket with three falls and an 8-1 decision. In the finals, he dominated Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Michael Reif, scoring three takedowns and three back points with a power half for a 9-2 lead after two periods.
Reif chose down for the third period and never got to his feet. Harner punched through another power half nelson with legs and flattened Reif for the fall at 4:46.
“I’m pumped up. That’s for sure,’’ Harner said.
At 120, Bordner had a much tougher time securing his first district gold, but he fought to the finish to get it done.
Scoreless after one period, Bordner rode Northwestern Lehigh’s Quentin Berhnard for the entire second period, barely maintaining control with legs in the final seconds.
In the third, Bordner escaped for a 1-0 lead, but Bernhard finished a takedown with 36 seconds left to go up 2-1.
Needing to score to stay alive, Bordner had his first few attempts to stand snuffed out by Bernhard. With about 10 seconds left, Bordner got into another scramble. This time, he gained leverage and scored the reversal for a 3-2 decision.
“I knew in my mind I had to keep working and get that last (reversal) so I could get to where I always wanted to be,’’ Bordner said. “And that’s on top as a district champ.’’
With his four wins at districts, Bordner raised his season record to 36-3 and his career mark to 149-38. In the process, he passed Sam Scheib (147) as the school’s all-time wins leader.
Dan Scheib, their freshman teammate and Sam’s younger brother, jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead and turned back Minnich 15-5 in an all-Schuylkill final. An early takedown and three back points set the tone.
“Amazing. I’ve wanted it since I was probably this big,’’ Scheib said, holding out his hand waist high. “This was one of my first goals.’’
Just being around the other standouts in Tri-Valley’s practice room has lifted Scheib’s game.
“My technique, my will to win,’’ he said.
Like the three Bulldogs, Hummel (38-1) lived up to his No. 1 seed. He hit a headlock and clamped Northwestern Lehigh’s Alexander Russo in 1:29.
“It feels great. I was close last year (second) but didn’t come out on top,’’ Hummel said. “This year is a different story.’’
The area’s other top-seeded champions had little trouble earning gold.
Gentile (37-1) scored early and often against Palisades’ Zack Wasser, racking up a 15-0 technical fall in 4:29.
Frey (32-3) met Steinhilber in another all-Schuylkill final and used his takedown attack to post an 8-1 victory.
The top five placewinners in each weight class advance to the Southeast Regional Class AA Tournament, set for Friday and Saturday at Wilson High School, West Lawn.
District 11 Class AA Wrestling Tournament
At Freedom H.S., Bethlehem
Saturday’s results
KEY: Allentown Central Catholic (ACC), Catasauqua (Cat), Jim Thorpe (JT), Lehighton (Leh), Mahanoy Area (MA), North Schuylkill (NS), Northern Lehigh (NL), Northwestern Lehigh (NW), Notre Dame-Green Pond (ND), Palisades (Pali), Palmerton (Palm), Panther Valley (PV), Pen Argyl (PA), Pine Grove (PG), Pius X (PX), Salisbury (S), Saucon Valley (SV), Schuylkill Haven (SH), Tamaqua (Tam), Tri-Valley (TV), Williams Valley (WV), Wilson (Wil)
Second-round consolations
106 — Consorti (Wil) dec. Fronheiser (NL), 3-1; McGuire (ND) dec. Buskirk (PA), 10-3; Boyer (NS) pinned Howerton (PG), 4:36; N. Kemmerer (Leh) pinned Mader (Tam), 3:46
113 — Lazar (PV) pinned Lorenzo (Leh), 2:03; Wehr (NW) dec. Reto (PX), 6-4; Stephen (TV) dec. Newhall (JT), 7-1; Corriere (Wil) pinned Meyers (PA), 2:27
120 — Melendez (Cat) pinned Engle (SH), 1:28; Adams (Sal) pinned Dickinson (WV), 1:45; T. Kennedy (PV) dec. Mahaffy (SV), 3-2; Neff (NL) tech. fall Zaharick (NS), 15-0, 3:22
126 — Raho (WV) pinned Fleck (Wil), 1:36; Drukenmiller (SV) dec. Cordon (Cat), 9-2; Goida (PV) maj. dec. Griffin (NS), 13-4; Gordon (ND) dec. Harris (NL), 6-0
132 — Zito (PA) dec. Scherer (Leh), 4-3; Russo (Palm) dec. H. Kennedy (PV), 2-0; R. Greene (Cat) dec. Vinciguerra (Pali), 5-0; Webster (NW) forfeit over LeVan (PG)
138 — Klinger (PA) pinned Hemingway (NL), :45; Schneider (SV) pinned Chamberlain (WV), 3:30; Capobianco (PV) dec. Kassab (PG), 5-2; Lesher (Wil) dec. Smalls (JT), 12-6
145 — D. Greene (Cat) dec. Torok (ACC), 7-5; Scarcia (Sal) maj. dec. Hafer (SH), 10-0; Kelleher (Pali) dec. Alexander (NS), 2-1; Russell (Wil) forfeit over Davidyock (PV)
152 — Shutta (Cat) pinned Goodwin (ACC), 3:11; Rittenbaugh (PG) dec. Koons (Leh), 10-4; Simononis (Sal) dec. Fessler (SH), 4-2; Kern (PV) pinned Rufe (PA), 2:47
160 — Batz (SH) pinned Fischer (Wil), 2:04; Cann (Leh) pinned Holden (PA), 1:21; Hirshbeck (SV) pinned Lewandowski (MA), 1:57; Miller (WV) maj. dec. Lorkowski (PV), 12-0
170 — Sorensen (NW) dec. Phillippy (PG), 5-2; Schwalm (TV) pinned Geisinger (JT), 1:30; Arnold (NL) pinned Roberti (Wil), :30; Dy. Rabuck (WV) maj. dec. Houck (SH), 9-1
182 — Kehs (SV) pinned Cederberg (NL), :21; Mooney (Palm) tech. fall Schantzenbach (SH), 24-8, 4:24; Nosal (Cat) pinned Calkins (Tam), 4:19; Rossi (Pali) pinned De. Rabuck (WV), 3:29
195 — Shubeck (PV) maj. dec. A. Ney (PG), 11-3; Shoop (WV) pinned Counterman (JT), 2:48; Connelly (ACC) maj. dec. VanVliet (SV), 14-3; Iles (Palm) pinned Caravella (MA), 4:24
220 — Clements (Leh) dec. Donnelly (Pali), 7-5; Nelson (Palm) dec. Forte (MA), 9-3; Tarantelli (NS) dec. Schaffer (NL), 5-1; Hower (SH) pinned Scheetz (SV), 2:18
285 — Blume (MA) pinned Zimpfer (Cat), 1:16; Kates (NL) pinned Fox (PA), 1:18; Smith (Leh) pinned Cox (WV), 2:34; Werner (PG) dec. Murray (NW), 10-4
Championship semifinals
106 — Gentile (JT) pinned Peters (NW), 2:17; Wasser (Pali) pinned Miller (SV), 4:23
113 — Girard (WV) maj. dec. Hill (SV), 12-4; Rex (NL) dec. Madden-Edwards (NS), 4-2
120 — Bordner (TV) tech. fall Yanders (ACC), 18-1, 4:00; Bernhard (NW) pinned Z. Kemmerer (Leh), 3:55
126 — Hepler (TV) dec. White (NW), 4-2; Anklam (PA) dec. McHugh (Tam), 3-1 SV
132 — Jones (SV) tech. fall Gehring (SH), 17-2, 2:59; Schmall (NL) dec. Wetzel (NS), 4-0
138 — Clymer (NW) dec. Rynkiewicz (Tam), 4-2; Marsh (Pali) dec. Durishin (Leh), 5-4
145 — Schaeffer (TV) dec. Yonney (SV), 5-3; R. Farber (NL) dec. Cornish (ND), 3-2
152 — Comunale (PX) dec. Harka (SV), 6-2; Young (NL) dec. Snyder (TV), 5-4
160 — Harner (TV) dec. N. Farber (NL), 8-1; Reif (ND) dec. Gretzinger (Pali), 5-2 TB
170 — Lynch (SV) tech. fall Mickatavage (NS), 17-1, 3:53; Graver (Palm) dec. Moyer (PV), 9-5
182 — Frey (Leh) tech. fall Oliver (PA), 15-0, 2:27; Steinhilber (NS) dec. White (MA), 8-4
195 — Hummel (NS) maj. dec. Black (PA), 15-1; Russo (NW) dec. Bord (Pali), 8-5
220 — Scheib (TV) dec. Stauffer (Cat), 7-3; Minnich (WV) pinned Wismer (ND), 2:17
285 — Gadinski (NS) pinned Motko (SH), 3:32; Greggo (PX) dec. Nicholas (Sal), 3-2 UTB
Third-round consolations
106 — Consorti (Wil) dec. McGuire (ND), 9-2; N. Kemmerer (Leh) dec. Boyer (NS), 8-4
113 — Wehr (NW) maj. dec. Lazar (PV), 12-3; Stephen (TV) dec. Corriere (Wil), 6-2 SV
120 — Adams (Sal) dec. Melendez (Cat), 5-2; T. Kennedy (PV) dec. Neff (NL), 1-0
126 — Raho (WV) pinned Drukenmiller (SV), 2:01; Goida (PV) dec. Gordon (ND), 6-1
132 — Zito (PA) pinned Russo (Palm), 2:18; R. Greene (Cat) dec. Webster (NW), 4-2
138 — Klinger (PA) tech. fall Schneider (SV), 17-2, 3:33; Capobianco (PV) pinned Lesher (Wil), :38
145 — Scarcia (Sal) dec. D. Greene (Cat), 1-0; Kelleher (Pali) pinned Russell (Wil), 1:33
152 — Shutta (Cat) dec. Rittenbaugh (PG), 11-7; Kern (PV) dec. Simononis (Sal), 9-2
160 — Cann (Leh) pinned Batz (SH), :53; Miller (WV) dec. Hirshbeck (SV), 9-6
170 — Sorensen (NW) dec. Schwalm (TV), 6-4; Arnold (NL) dec. Dy. Rabuck (WV), 5-3
182 — Mooney (Palm) pinned Kehs (SV), 2:31; Nosal (Cat) pinned Rossi (Pali), 4:03
195 — Shubeck (PV) dec. Shoop (WV), 8-2; Connelly (ACC) pinned Iles (Palm), 1:51
220 — Nelson (Palm) dec. Clements (Leh), 6-5 UTB; Tarantelli (NS) dec. Hower (SH), 2-0
285 — Kates (NL) dec. Blume (MA), 9-2; Werner (PG) pinned Smith (Leh), 4:00
Fourth-round consolations
106 — Consorti (Wil) dec. Peters (NW), 1-0; Miller (SV) pinned N. Kemmerer (Leh), 4:30
113 — Hill (SV) maj. dec. Wehr (NW), 11-3; Madden-Edwards (NS) dec. Stephen (TV), 4-1
120 — Yanders (ACC) dec. Adams (Sal), 3-0; Z. Kemmerer (Leh) dec. T. Kennedy (PV), 4-3
126 — White (NW) tech. fall Raho (WV), 17-0, 4:51; McHugh (Tam) dec. Goida (PV), 3-2
132 — Zito (PA) pinned Gehring (SH), 3:57; R. Greene (Cat) dec. Wetzel (NS), 1-0
138 — Rynkiewicz (Tam) pinned Klinger (PA), 2:54; Durishin (Leh) dec. Capobianco (PV), 10-5
145 — Yonney (SV) pinned Scarcia (Sal), 3:26; Kelleher (Pali) dec. Cornish (ND), 13-8
152 — Harka (SV) dec. Shutta (Cat), 5-3; Snyder (TV) pinned Kern (PV), 4:29
160 — N. Farber (NL) dec. Cann (Leh), 4-1; Miller (WV) pinned Gretzinger (Pali), :19
170 — Mickatavage (NS) pinned Sorensen (NW), :55; Arnold (NL) dec. Moyer (PV), 3-2
182 — Oliver (PA) pinned Mooney (Palm), 2:51; White (MA) dec. Nosal (Cat), 11-5
195 — Shubeck (PV) dec. Black (PA), 4-3; Bord (Pali) dec. Connelly (ACC), 6-2
220 — Stauffer (Cat) dec. Nelson (Palm), 3-2; Wismer (ND) dec. Tarantelli (NS), 7-0
285 — Kates (NL) dec. Motko (SH), 7-2; Nicholas (Sal) pinned Werner (PG), 2:01
Fifth-place bouts
106 — Peters (NW) dec. N. Kemmerer (Leh), 6-0
113 — Wehr (NW) dec. Stephen (TV), 2-0
120 — T. Kennedy (PV) dec. Adams (Sal), 4-2
126 — Goida (PV) dec. Raho (WV), 5-3 SV
132 — Wetzel (NS) dec. Gehring (SH), 3-2
138 — Capobianco (PV) dec. Klinger (PA), 4-0
145 — Scarcia (Sal) dec. Cornish (ND), 8-3
152 — Shutta (Cat) pinned Kern (PV), 3:03
160 — Cann (Leh) dec. Gretzinger (Pali), 3-1
170 — Moyer (PV) dec. Sorensen (NW), 8-3
182 — Mooney (Palm) tech. fall Nosal (Cat), 16-0, TNA
195 — Black (PA) dec. Connelly (ACC), 5-4 UTB
220 — Nelson (Palm) dec. Tarantelli (NS), 3-2
285 — Werner (PG) pinned Motko (SH), 1:55
Third-place bouts
106 — Consorti (Wil) dec. Miller (SV), 1-0
113 — Madden-Edwards (NS) inj. def. Hill (SV), 3:24
120 — Z. Kemmerer (Leh) dec. Yanders (ACC), 7-2
126 — White (NW) dec. McHugh (Tam), 2-0
132 — R. Greene (Cat) dec. Zito (PA), 8-4
138 — Rynkiewicz (Tam) dec. Durishin (Leh), 6-2
145 — Yonney (SV) dec. Kelleher (Pail), 10-3
152 — Snyder (TV) dec. Harka (SV), 5-2
160 — N. Farber (NL) dec. Miller (WV), 7-4
170 — Arnold (NL) forfeit over Mickatavage (NS)
182 — Oliver (PA) pinned White (MA), :47
195 — Shubeck (PV) pinned Bord (Pali), 3:45
220 — Wismer (ND) pinned Stauffer (Cat), 2:30
285 — Kates (NL) dec. Nicholas (Sal), 3-2
Championship finals
106 — Gentile (JT) tech. fall Wasser (Pali), 15-0, 4:29
113 — Rex (NL) dec. Girard (WV), 6-4 SV
120 — Bordner (TV) dec. Bernhard (NW), 3-2
126 — Anklam (PA) dec. Hepler (TV), 3-2
132 — Schmall (NL) dec. Jones (SV), 5-2
138 — Clymer (NW) pinned Marsh (Pali), 2:43
145 — Farber (NL) dec. Schaeffer (TV), 3-1
152 — Comunale (PX) pinned Young (NL), :32
160 — Harner (TV) pinned Reif (ND), 4:46
170 — Lynch (SV) dec. Graver (Palm), 5-2
182 — Frey (Leh) dec. Steinhilber (NS), 8-1
195 — Hummel (NS) pinned Russo (NW), 1:29
220 — Scheib (TV) maj. dec. Minnich (WV), 15-5
285 — Greggo (PX) dec. Gadinski (NS), 2-1 TB
Top 10 teams: 1. Northern Lehigh 167, 2. Tri-Valley 154.5, 3. Saucon Valley 145, 4. North Schuylkill 133, 5. Northwestern Lehigh 127.5, 6. Lehighton 100, 7. Pen Argyl 98, 8. Williams Valley 94, 9. Palisades 92.5, 10. Panther Valley 84.5
Outstanding Wrestler: Michael Comunale, Pius X