Early on in the season, wrestling teams are still figuring things out and developing into what could eventually be something good down the road.

Tamaqua head coach Jim McCabe sees the potential for some great things in his young roster of grapplers, and after two duel meets, remains optimistic about the future.

Against Pine Grove on Wednesday night, the more experienced Cardinals used some early pins to build an insurmountable lead, and eventually hold off Tamaqua, 40-24.

Starting with the 160-pound bout, the winners began with a major decision and three straight pins to go up 22-0.

At 220, Bronson Strouse halted that early slide for the Blue Raiders with a pin of his own over Austen Ney to disrupt the momentum. However, Travis Anderson’s decision at 106 followed a Raider forfeit to make the score 31-6 in favor of the Cardinals.

“As a team, when you go down 31-6, it becomes a difficult mindset for the kids that are coming up to wrestle,” Raiders’ head coach Jim McCabe said. “When the other team is essentially snowballing with momentum, it’s hard for our younger kids to get over it.

“But our kids came through and it’s a credit to them.”

The Raiders showed the promise of potential at that point in the match, as the ailing Randolph Steigerwalt began the swing of momentum with a pin at 113 over Ashton Rhode. Aaron Coccio’s mat-slapper followed, Pierce Demetriades 2-0 decision over Tyrese Armstead happened next, and Brandon Mader nabbed a 4-0 decision after that to make things interesting.

“Bronson started us out tonight with his pin, and then Randy came out, and being as sick as he is, he got that fall, and then some of the older kids that have experience from last year came up big with some points,” McCabe said. “Coccio came through with his pin. It was a total team effort out there to overcome that huge deficit.”

With Pine Grove leading 31-24 with two matches remaining, it was Gavin Harris and Dustin Carlin who came through in the clutch for the winners. Harris pulled out a 4-0 decision at 145, while Carlin pinned Kahlid Holland in the night’s final bout.

With their second loss of the young season, coach McCabe remains steadfast in his optimism, saying, “I think tonight, we worked solidly, from top to bottom. When we were faced with tough situations, we stayed calm and didn’t make mistakes.

“We’re going to keep improving and chipping away at it. We want them to keep getting better, little by little, and in the long run, we’ll be alright.”

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS ... Tamaqua will now be on a short break, before returning to action in the 40-team Chambersurg Holiday Invitational near the end of the month.

PIERCE PRESSURE ... In one of the highest intensity matches of the night, Demetriades managed a second period reversal, and had to hold on to the slight lead for the decision.

Pine Grove 40, Tamaqua 24

160 - Dillon Kintzel (PG) maj. dec. Nate Wickersham, 11-2

170 - Dalton Kintzel (PG) pinned Brandon Eberts in 2:42

182 - Braxton Boyer (PG) pinned Tyler George in 1:11

195 - Peyton Nuske (PG) pinned Alex Ziegler in 3:45

220 - Bronson Strouse (T) pinned Austen Ney in 3:57

285 - Vincent LePre (PG) won by forfeit

106 - Travis Anderson (PG) dec. Michael Shlanta, 7-0

113 - Randolph Steigerwalt (T) pinned Ashton Rhode in 3:10

120 - double forfeit

126 - Aaron Coccio (T) pinned Noah Venszi in 3:41

132 - Pierce Demetriades (T) dec. Tyrese Armstead, 2-0

138 - Brandon Mader (T) dec. Ayden Ney, 4-0

145 - Gavin Harris (PG) dec. Reese Szabo, 4-0

152 - Dustin Carlin (PG) pin ned Kahlid Holland in 1:24