Line Mountain's Burns return to the mat

by Frank Dimon

Posted on December 6, 2008

WILLIAMSPORT -- For Ryan Burns it was a long, lonely span of some 21 months.


Burns wrestled his last high school match -- a loss that denied him a trip to the state tournament -- in the consolation finals of the Class AA Northeast Regional tournament near the end of the 2006 season.

Relegated to the sidelines by the PIAA after his controversial transfer from Shamokin to Line Mountain before the start of last season, Burns' sad saga was well-documented. What Burns saw as an effort to help his grandparents with the move south, the state deemed the relocation one motivated by athletic intent.

With his promising sophomore season with the Indians a distant memory, Burns -- at last, wearing an Eagles singlet -- finally stepped on the mat again at the season-opening Top Hat tournament in Williamsport.

Wrestling at 125, Burns opened the tournament with a fall in 3:23 over South Williamsport's D.J. Ashton in the first round. Burns got the first takedown early in the first period, added another takedown in the second period and picked three back points before turning Ashton for the fall.

Five other area westlers will join Burns in the semifinals.

"It was hard missing last season but I was able to drill with the team," Burns said. "I wrestled in tournaments whenever I could. I wasn't really nervous tonight any more than I normally would be. It really feels good to be back on the mat."

Burns followed the win with a 4-1 decision in the quarterfinals over Gage Smith of Indian Valley, getting a second period reversal and two back points to defeat the No. 4 seed.

"He has been waiting to get back for a long time," said Line Mountain coach Mike Martz. "He had a pretty tough opponent in the quarterfinals, a high-quality kid who is state caliber. He gritted out that win. Ryan was the better wrestler."

Burns will face the top seed, Simon Rice of Central Dauphin, in this morning's semifinals.

Travis Erdman, at 135, easily advanced to the semis with pair of win. He posted a 17-1 (4:52) technical fall over D.J. Foresman of Hughesville in the opening round and followed that with an easy 13-5 major decision over Garrett Chase of Eric Prep in the quarters.

Erdman will also face the top seed, Luke Walker of Cumberland Valley.

Ryan Klinger, the No. 14 seed at 160, upset No. 5 Adam Zellman of Elizabethtown to become a surprise semifinalist. Trailing 2-0 entering the third period, Klinger reversed Zellman and picked up three back points for a 5-2 win. Klinger edged South Western's J.R. Mummert, 3-2, in his first bout.

Klinger will face No. 1 seed, Kenny Courts of Central Dauphin, in the semis.

Jon Fausey, the top seed at 189, became the Eagles fourth semfinalist when he pinned Drew Sneeringer of Southh Western in 1:23 in the quarterfinals. Fausey, who opened with a first-period fall over Kyle Sallada of Canton, will face Shane Rosenbury of Elizabethtown in the semis.

Mifflinburg advanced two wrestlers to the semifinals. Chris Catherman, at 119, won a 14-4 major decision over Cumberland Valley's Ian Ritchie in the first round and then pinned Calvin Anderton of Elizabethtown in the quarterfinals in 5:13. Catherman will face Carl Seitzer of Central Dauphin in the semis.


Dave Snook, at 160, also advance to the semis with a pair of major decisions. Snook topped Wil Beauseigner of Clearfield, 11-3, and Keith Burns of Titusville, 12-2. Snook gets No. 2 seed Tristan Warner of Cumberland Valley in the semis.

The third round of consolations were still being wrestled late last night. No team scores were available.

Today's action begins at 10 a.m. with the semifinals. The consolation finals are slated to start at 4:30 with finals to begin at 5:30

Notes: Six wrestlers who would end the season by winning state championships, lost at last year's Top Hat tournament. Luke Frey (Montoursville) and Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin) both lost in the Saturday morning semis, while Tyler Erdman (Line Mountain), Dylan Alton (Central Mountain), Joey Napoli (Cumberland Valley), and Sean Owen (Clearfield) lost in the finals. Two other future champs, Brock Parker (Canton) and Walter Peppelman (Central Dauphin), claimed Top Hat titles. ... Last season, every Top Hat weight class produced at least one state medal winner except at 215 pounds. ... Last year's Top Hat winner of the Outstanding Wrestler Award, Central Dauphin's Kenny Courts, also earned the same award after winning at the Beast of the East tournament. Courts' season was cut short by a knee injury he suffered at that tournament.

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