Cox’s story
McMURRAY — Ask any wrestler what it’s like making your way through the consolation round of a wrestling tournament, and they will tell you it’s a long, singular and sometimes depressing journey.
Just ask Mason Beatty, a junior 106-pounder for Mount Union, how hard it is.
Beatty was deposited into the consolation round on Day 1 of the PIAA Class AA Southwest Region championships held this weekend at Peters Township High School.
Beatty made it past a couple landmines before reaching what wrestlers call, “The Blood Round.” That’s the round that determines whether you will be advancing to the next round or heading home for the offseason.
The terminology comes from college, where the winner is an All-American and the loser gets nothing but a “Thank You For Entering” pat on the back.
It’s usually the most heated bout of the tournament, leaving wrestlers bloodied and bowed. And those are the winners.
Beatty’s blood round came in the third round of consolations in a 3-2 victory over Colton Frazier of North Star. That win assured at least a sixth-place finish in a tournament where the top six wrestlers in each weight class advanced to the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Beatty wrestled Jack Darlington of Penns Valley for fifth place and took a 7-1 decision.
“Earlier in the year, I pinned him,” said Beatty of Frazier. “He came out a lot stronger than last time. I just had to hold out. It was really tough.”
Beatty isn’t satisfied with sixth place because he knows that doesn’t provide an easier wrestler in the first round of the state tournament.
“We’re going to try and jump it out and try to get the best seed possible,” Beatty said.
Beatty’s brother, Bryce, fell to Bentworth’s Chris Vargo in last year’s 113-pound finals.
“He pinned (Frazier) at the Penn Cambria (tournament),” said Mount Union head coach Chris Wertz.
“He wrestled a smart match against Frazier. He stayed in pretty decent position. The name of the game is to move on.”
AJ Chilcote, Beatty’s teammate, dropped into the 120-pound consolation round Friday. He came back and pinned Alex Gladfelter of Huntington in 3:55 before falling to Trevor Donaldson of Meyersdale by major decision, 13-4.
Caden Chilcote, the 126-pound brother of AJ, was pinned by Dylan Bruce of Elizabeth Forward, then was decisioned by Bryce Rodriguez of Carlynton, 4-3.
Jayce Reck suffered two losses Friday. The 160-pound senior was pinned in 5:28 by Elon Snider of Northern Bedford in the preliminary round then was decisioned 10-5 by Kyle Brookman of McGuffey in the first round of consolation.