Despite conceding four bouts via forfeit, Panther Valley head coach Tim Robb had no trouble getting his team ready to face perennial Schuylkill League powerhouse Tri-Valley last night.

With the Bulldogs coming off a second place finish in the 19-team Top Hat Tournament and sporting a lineup that features multiple PIAA state qualifiers from a year ago, Robb knew that if his squad could hang around, and maybe even steal a match, the evening would be a success.While the Panthers did come up short in the end, the positives gained from the 42-24 loss were far greater than what the final outcome showed."I wish we would have seen them with a full lineup because I think we can wrestle with them and beat them," Robb said. "But there's nothing you can do about that. You go with what you have and that's what I told the kids in the locker room."So what if we're missing a few guys? Let's go out and wrestle. Make it feel like a tournament. If you're losing, don't try to get a two point loss (for the team score); go for the win. Go for something to try and win and don't worry about team points because we can't control that."What was arguably the marquee matchup in the contest came at 132 pounds, as Tri-Valley's Sammy Hepler, a state medalist a year ago, squared off against Darren Goida, who finished last season 22-14 and recently claimed an individual title at the Penn Manor Tournament.Hepler controlled the contest from the opening whistle and never let Goida settle in. The sophomore was relentless in his attack, opening up a 15-4 lead before pinning Goida with less than 30 seconds to go in the match.Tri-Valley head coach David Boltz credited Hepler's performance to how the team trains each day, something he feels sets the Bulldogs apart under difficult circumstances."We just like to wrestle on our feet, and I think that sometimes mentally breaks down the other wrestler when you let them up after you take them down and you continue to let them up," he said. "I think that can break a wrestler down and that's what we like to do."The Panthers were impressive in the matches where they did come out on top, claiming all four wins by fall.Gary Goodhile (113) and Dylan Moyer (195) each recorded first period pins, while Zachary Glassic (138) and Ali Capobanco (160) ended their matches just before the end of the second."With Dylan (Moyer) and Zach (Glassic), those were two weights (138 and 195) that we knew we should get," Robb noted. "But with Gary (Goodhile) at 113 pounds, that was a tossup match and we ended up getting a pin there, which was nice."In a perfect world, where we have our whole team here, that would have made it a real close match."Disappointment aside, Robb likes what he's seen from his young team up to this point in the season and the hopes that the best is yet to come."We knew we were short-handed and I thought it was a good night to see what we had," the coach said. "When you're wrestling a team with five or six state qualifiers, you're going out there thinking they should pin all six of our kids."I'm throwing freshman and kids that didn't get out of districts out there. So I thought we wrestled okay."Tri-Valley 42, Panther Vy. 24106 - Double Forfeit113 - Gary Goodhile (PV) pinned Dawson Boltz in 1:33.120 - Kyle Stephen (TV) dec. Tanner Kennedy, 6-0.126 - Caleb Bordner (TV) maj. dec. Hunter Kennedy, 16-4.132 - Sammy Hepler (TV) pinned Darren Goida in 4:34.138 - Zachary Glassic (PV) pinned Wesley Yutko in 2:57.145 - Chase Schaeffer (TV) dec. Hunter Davidyock, 8-5.152 - Anthony Snyder (TV) pinned Grant Lorkowski in 2:54.160 - Ali Capobianco (PV) pinned Shykir Bethea in 2:35.170 - Hunter Harner (TV won by forfeit.182 - Cole Smeltz (TV) dec. Hunter Kerestes, 8-5.195 - Dylan Moyer (PV) pinned Josh Chacon in 1:14.*220 - Dan Scheib (TV) won by forfeit.285 - Alan Renninger (TV) won by forfeit.* - Match started at 220 pounds.