TOWER CITY - Last season, the Schuylkill Haven wrestling team collected just one victory.
After a pair of victories Saturday, the Hurricanes are on the verge of finishing with a winning record for the first time in a long, long time.
Kross Houck and Thaddeus Schantzenbach were the heroes Saturday, each notching key victories as Schuylkill Haven defeated Newport 42-36 and Williams Valley 43-33. The two wins improve the Hurricanes to 8-8 overall, with one dual meet against Mahanoy Area on Feb. 5 remaining.
Houck (170) and Schantzenbach (182) closed the match against Newport with pins, helping the Hurricanes overcome a late deficit. Houck also had a key overtime decision in the victory over Williams Valley, which avenged a 42-30 loss Jan. 8 to the Vikings.
Shay Mattern (132) and Jack Hower (195) racked up a pair of pins for Schuylkill Haven, while Preston Gehring (120/126), Wolfgang Hafer (145), Trevyn Fessler (160) and Max Motko (285) each notched two wins.
Williams Valley downed Newport 45-33 to complete the tri-meet, as Kailin Hoffman (170), Daymian Shoup (182) and Noah Crisswell (195) recorded consecutive falls in the final three bouts to give the Vikes the comeback win.
Ian Minnich (220), Willy Girard (106) and Zach Ulsh (126) added pins for Williams Valley (6-10).
Williams Valley 45, Newport 33
220 - Minnich (WV) pinned Collins, :54; 285 - Reinhart (N) pinned Cox, 1:31; 106 - Girard (WV) pinned D. O'Toole, 1:36; 113 - Frey (N) dec. Dickinson, 5-2; 120 - Raho (WV) won by forfeit; 126 - Ulsh (WV) pinned Ritzman, 4:14; 132 - P. O'Toole (N) pinned Ragland, 1:33; 138 - Klinger (N) won by forfeit; 145 - Arbogast (N) won by forfeit; 152 - M. Miller (WV) dec. Stroup, 2-1; 160 - Clinton (N) pinned Martin, 4:25; 170 - Hoffman (WV) pinned Brown, :53; 182 - Shoup (WV) pinned Gehr, 3:10; 195 - Crisswell (WV) pinned Matter, 1:52.
Schuylkill Haven 43, Williams Valley 33
285 - Motko (SH) pinned Cox, 2:18; 106 - Girard (WV) won by forfeit; 113 - Dickinson (WV) won by forfeit; 120 - Raho (WV) won by forfeit; 126 - Gehring (SH) won by forfeit; 132 - Mattern (SH) pinned Ulsh, 1:11; 138 - Batz (SH) pinned Ragland, :39; 145 - Hafer (SH) won by forfeit; 152 - M. Miller (WV) won by forfeit; 160 - Fessler (SH) pinned Martin, 3:16; 170 - Houck (SH) dec. Hoffman, 10-8 OT; 182 - Shoup (WV) dec. Schantzenbach, 7-0; 195 - J. Hower (SH) pinned Crisswell, 3:48; 220 - Minnich (WV) won by forfeit.
Schuylkill Haven 42, Newport 36
195 - J. Hower (SH) pinned Snyder, 2:50; 220 - Collins (N) won by forfeit; 285 - Motko (SH) dec. Bower, 12-8; 106 - Frey (N) won by forfeit; 113 - D. O'Toole (N) won by forfeit; 120 - Gehring (SH) pinned Ritzman, :32; 126 - P. O'Toole (N) won by forfeit; 132 - Mattern (SH) pinned Paden, 3:09; 138 - Klinger (N) pinned Batz, 3:12; 145 - Hafer (SH) won by forfeit; 152 - Stroup (N) won by forfeit; 160 - Fessler (SH) dec. Clinton, 9-6; 170 - Houck (SH) pinned Brown, 3:01; 182 - Schantzenbach (SH) pinned Gehr, 4:41.
Schuylkill Valley 48 Tri-Valley 26
HEGINS - Chase Schaeffer (138) and Hunter Harner (145) earned major decision victories for the Bulldogs as they dropped a non-league meet to the Spartans.
113 - Hepler (TV) won by forfeit; 120 - Shuman (SV) dec. Stephen 3-0; 126 - Bordner (TV) won by forfeit; 132 - White (SV) pinned Houser, 1:59; 138 - Schaeffer (TV) maj. dec. Horst 15-4; 145 - Harner (TV) maj. dec. Zimmerman, 9-1; 152 - Ramich (SV) pinned A. Snyder, 3:28; 160 - Lisa (SV) won by forfeit; 170 - Bailey (SV) won by forfeit; 182 - Geisinger (SV) won by forfeit; 195 - Kindle (SV) dec. White 2-0; 220 - Johnson (SV) won by forfeit; 285 - Shuttleworth (SV) pinned Devin Schwalm, 2:32; 106 - Newswanger (TV) won by forfeit
Shamokin 36 Mahanoy Area 33
COAL TOWNSHIP - Zach Biddiscombe (220) had a fall during a five-bout win streak that lifted the Indians to a non-league win over the Bears.
Bill Leon (126) and Brett Rebuck (160) added pins for Shamokin (2-15), which trailed 18-9 after five weight classes before scoring 21 unanswered points.
Mahanoy Area won the final four weight classes. Alex Clark (132), Andre Wilson (138), Corbin White (170) and Nolan Fegley (182) pinned for the Golden Bears (0-12).
152 - Miller (S) dec. Witiszin, 6-3; 160 - Rebuck (S) pinned Baker, 1:55; 170 - White (MA) pinned Fisher, 3:46; 182 - Fegley (MA) pinned Pawelczyk, 2:50; 195 - Strollis (MA) won by forfeit; 220 - Biddiscombe (S) pinned A. Forte, 1:28; 285 - Miller (S) dec. B. Forte, 1-0; 106 - No bout; 113 - Brittain (S) won by forfeit; 120 - Elliot (S) won by forfeit; 126 - Leon (S) pinned Bahrey, 1:08; 132 - Clark (MA) pinned Long, 5:16; 138 - Wilson (MA) pinned Allmond, 1:39; 145 - Friel (MA) dec. Erdman, 12-5
Girls' Swimming Southern Lehigh 136 Pottsville 47
Sarah Corse-Campion's victory in the 100 fly was the only win for the Crimson Tide (2-8) in a non-league loss to the Spartans at the Ned Hampford Natatorium.
200 medley relay - Southern Lehigh (Rh. Rodriguez, Ra. Rodriguez, Glemser, Geis) 1:58.61; 200 freestyle - Amann (SL) 2:06.67; 200 IM - Glemser (SL) 2:23.06; 50 freestyle - Rh. Rodriguez (SL) 27.40; Diving - Marshall (SL) 179.35; 100 butterfly - Corse-Campion (P) 1:08.32; 100 freestyle - Amann (SL) 57.79; 500 freestyle - Griffin (SL) 5:45.25; 200 freestyle relay - Southern Lehigh (Forrester, Ra. Rodriguez, Amann, Rh. Rodriguez) 1:49.07; 100 backstroke - Forrester (SL) 1:07.09; 100 breaststroke - Ra. Rodriguez (SL) 1:13.65; 400 freestyle relay - Southern Lehigh (Forrester, Amann, Geis, Griffin) 4:01.42.
Boys' Swimming Southern Lehigh 109 Pottsville 74
Kyle Brennan (diving) and Charlie Botto (100 back) captured individual victories as the Crimson Tide (7-3) suffered a non-league loss to the Spartans at the Ned Hampford Natatorium.
200 medley relay - Southern Lehigh (Amann, D. Schell, C. Schell, Stayer) 1:52.19; 200 freestyle - Kreider (SL) 1:57.57; 200 IM - Gunkle (SL) 2:18.73; 50 freestyle - Decastro (SL) 24.00; Diving - Brennan (P) 151.40; 100 butterfly - C. Schell (SL) 58.85; 100 freestyle - Stayer (SL) 52.86; 500 freestyle - Kreider (SL) 5:20.59; 200 freestyle relay - Southern Lehigh (Decastro, C. Schell, Gunkle, Kreider) 1:36.23; 100 backstroke - Botto (P) 1:03.09; 100 breaststroke - Stayer (SL) 1:11.56; 400 freestyle relay - Southern Lehigh (Kreider, Gunkle, Peoples, Stayer) 3:43.75.