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It was Parents Night Thursday at Donegal, but it was Annville-Cleona that stepped up as the L-L League's Section Three Daddy.
The Little Dutchmen (4-0 league, 8-2 overall) defeated Donegal 38-26 in a key section showdown, gaining a measure of payback for a 36-27 loss last year.
That loss cost Annville the outright section championship, forcing a title tie with Elco.
In a match that began in the teeth of the Little Dutchmen lineup, Annville took a big bite out of the Tribe (2-1, 3-7), opening a 27-point lead - 26 to minus-1 - six bouts in.
A-C coach Mike Miller observed that 130 pounds was, "... a very good place for us to start. Wrestling's an individual sport. But, as a team, we did what we had to do at the places we had to do it."
"We started right where their toughest kids are," lamented Indians coach John Ambs.
Chris Shifflett (9-1) opened the run for Annville with a technical fall over Mason Spence at 130. Derek Kreiser-Shifflett (8-2) capped it, pinning Austin Theis in 1:13 at 160.
"It got us off going good," said Dylan Killian, who ran his record to 10-0, pinning Brandon Johnson (10-8) at 140.
In between Shifflett and Kreiser-Shifflett, the Indians lost two matches in the final seconds -- outcomes that, reversed, might have paved the way to another Tribe victory.
And Ambs knew it. "We didn't get the early breaks. Last year we made the moves and we got the close matches. This year it went the other way."
At 135, Adam Naqvi (5-12) surrendered a stalling point to Jake Eisenhauer (4-6) with three seconds left, forcing overtime. Eisenhauer then scored a takedown for an 8-6 sudden victory.
At 152, Bryan Knouse (3-1) yielded two penalty points plus a team point, and two points on bad starting positions and still led Aaron Hartman, 8-7, with under 15 seconds to wrestle.
But Hartman (5-5) plugged away, securing a takedown at the edge with ten seconds left for a 9-8 win.
"At times, when he's overmatched, he knows how to keep it close," said Miller of Hartman. "At the end, he's usually got a little juice left, and that's what happened there."
Donegal climbed off the deck with a tech fall from Mike Pelton (10-8) at 171. Arias Pappas (13-4) scored a major decision at 189 and Eric Boyer (11-6) pinned at 215.
Making his season debut, Sterling Goshea shrugged off a 79-pound weight disadvantage and pinned Zach Smith (7-3) in a minute at 285, drawing Donegal to within six points, 26-20, at the turn to 103.
But A-C's Phil Corle (9-1) scored a takedown with 26 seconds left, then added three back points to break open a tight match with Bryan Cesear (6-3) and post a 10-3 win.
With Tony Yohe uncontested at 112 - extending his record to 10-0 with the forfeit - Donegal's fate was sealed.
"We knew it, they knew it," said Ambs. "Once they won 103, it was over, no matter what."
Donegal's Caleb Osisek (10-6) clamped T.J. Renninger (7-3) at 119, but Seth Lehman (2-1), just rounding into action for the Dutchmen, stopped Terry Tirko (7-10), 10-5 at 125 to end the night.
But, end the race?
With Elco still ahead for both Annville and Donegal - straight ahead for the Dutchmen, who wrestle the Raiders Saturday - who's to say?
"We beat (Annville) last year, and didn't win (the section)," said Ambs. "I told my guys anything can happen."
"I'm happy with the way things worked out (tonight)," said Miller. "I'll worry about Elco two days from now."
