FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - It’s a song Kool and the Gang made famous in the early 1980s.

And on Tuesday night, Lehighton’s wrestling team embodied the title.

“Celebration” is exactly what the Indians were able to do after pulling out a 35-34 victory over North Schuylkill that clinched the Schuylkill League Division 1 championship.

Much like the band and its only No. 1 hit, the Tribe’s title was their first and only in the league as Lehighton will be joining the Colonial League next season. Nonetheless, the Indians long bus ride after a triumphant evening was music to the ears of their wrestlers.

“We knew this was going to be a tight match,” said Indian head coach Floyd Brown.

Indeed, it was.

After Lehighton opened the match with a 12-0 lead, the margin never reached double digits again as both teams battled back and forth.

And in the end, it came down to the final match at 121 pounds.

With the Indians nursing a 35-30 lead after Aidan Gruber’s pin at 114, teammate Connor Dugan needed to avoid a pin or technical fall at 121 to give Lehighton the team win and the championship.

Kaden Casey did his best to pull out the match for the Spartans. The senior racked up points against Dugan, but it wasn’t quite enough as a 16-4 score resulted in only a major decision.

“Kudos to Connor Dugan for hanging in there,” said Brown. “He knew what his job was … he went out there, he kept wrestling and kept battling. And he was able to secure (the win) for us.”

Perhaps the biggest victory for the Tribe came at 189 pounds, where Lehighton’s Asher Traylor fell behind only to register a key pin.

Traylor faced deficits of 5-0, 8-2 and 10-2. And when it seemed like North Schuylkill may be getting not only a win but a bonus point as well, the Indian freshman leveled Jaden Meyer at the 3:22 mark.

“That was huge,” said Brown. “He was down, and turned it around with the pin ... That was the big turnaround match.”

That fall was one of five on the night for the winners, who also received a forfeit at 133.

The first came in the opening bout at 127, as Lehighton’s Jacob Hall took command against Stanley Padakowski with a 5-0 start. The lead swelled to 10-0 before Hall showed Padakowski the lights at 3:22.

After the forfeit at 133 put the Indians ahead 12-0, North Schuylkill followed with three straight wins to go ahead 15-12. The Spartans’ Nathan Sterner edged Evan Wentz in a close match at 139 before back-to-back pins gave the home team the advantage.

The lead flipped right back to Lehighton at 160 when Jacob Ferguson decked Bradlee Smith in the first period, but a fall from North Schuylkill’s Ricky Halford at 172 put his team back on top 21-18.

That’s when Traylor came through. Meyer looked dominant in racing to an eight-point lead, but the Joe Cesari-Lafay Hope Gymnasium was quickly quieted when Traylor stunned everyone with his fall. The stunning turn of events resulted in the Lehighton wrestler rising to his feet in ecstasy.

While the win was big for the Indians, there were still five weight classes to go.

Caden McGraw recorded a decision for North Schuylkill at 215, but Lehighton’s Reese Balk posted a fast 25-second pin at 285. That gave the Indians a 29-24 lead on the scoreboard.

North Schuylkill’s Gaige Mentusky (107) and the Tribe’s Gruber traded falls to set up the deciding bout at 121.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Brown said. “We came here to win in a tough environment, and it was a long ride for our kids. Our guys came through and did the job.”

Which ended up being sweet music - and a Celebration - for the Indians.

REMEMBER WHEN … It was a few decades back, but North Schuylkill’s wrestling program was highly vaunted. It ruled the roost so much it made the front cover of Sports Illustrated under the Cesari regime. Corey Fetterolf, a one-time standout for his alma mater, has North Schuylkill headed in the right direction.

DISTRICTS … Lehighton is now 10-3 overall (5-0 in the league) and will be competing in the District 11 team championships. The Indians are currently seeded fifth in Class 2A and look destined to face Pen Argyl. The two teams met back on Dec. 15, with the Green Knights posting a 36-30 win. The Spartans are currently 11-2 (3-1 league) and seeded second.

Lehighton 35, N. Schuylkill 34

127 - Jacob Hall (L) pinned Stanley Padakowski in 3:39; 133 - Blake Muffley (L) won by forfeit; 139 - Nathan Sterner (NS) dec. Evan Wentz, 4-2; 145 - James Weikel (NS) pinned Carter Hontz in 3:17; 152 - Bradlee Smith (NS) pinned Zoltan Bedocs in :55; 160 - Jacob Ferguson (L) pinned Ben Carr in 1:17; 172 - Ricky Halford (NS) pinned Brok Solt in 3:30; 189 - Asher Traylor (L) pinned Jaden Meyer in 3:29; 215 - Caden McGraw (NS) dec. Wyatt Sherer, 8-4; 285 - Reese Balk (L) pinned Sander Stokes in :25; 107 - Gaige Mentusky (NS) pinned Michael D’Amico in 5:00; 114 - Aidan Gruber (L) pinned Alex Deritis in :51; 121

- Kaden Casey (NS) major dec. Connor Dugan, 16-4.

NOTE: Lehighton lost a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct.