HERSHEY – Matt Peters was fine wrestling six minutes.

Or more.

The Northwestern senior rallied to top Mount Pleasant’s Alex Miscovich 6-3 in overtime to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals at the PIAA Championships on Thursday.

“I just wanted to wrestle hard and be in positions where I’m good,” said Peters. “He got the takedown early, which I was looking to get a takedown.

“But it’s six minutes plus overtime. So you never just stop because of one takedown. You just gotta keep wrestling. Just keep pushing the pace as much as you can.”

Peters was confident that if the match got to overtime, he could finish the job.

“Yeah, I believe I’m conditioned well to go a full seven minutes plus the rideout,” Peters said. “Just staying focused is the biggest thing out here. The nerves really get to some kids. You just gotta push them out and wrestle how you know how to wrestle. It’s just another match out here.”

That mindset helped Peters seal the deal in overtime.

“I just tried to stay focused, knowing that it was going to go into overtime,” said Peters. “I just kept my head and kept my compusure, and knew that if I needed to get back points in the last criteria I could.”

Miscovich entered the tournament with a record of 40-8 and fresh of a title at the Southwest Regional tournament.

Peters, who was sixth at the Southeast Regional tournament over the weekend after forfeiting out of the event, didn’t mind not being the favorite.

“Oh yeah. I’m OK with every role,” Peters said of being the underdog. “I like being the underdog. Everybody’s coming out, putting bets on the other guy, who’s gonna beat me. But I know in my head I’m just as good as anybody in this tournament. I just gotta wrestle my match, and if I wrestle a hard six minutes, or six minutes plus, I don’t’ know if I’m gonna come out with the win or not, but it’s gonna be a dog fight out there.”

Peters gets another shot at Notre Dame Green Pond’s Ryan McGuire in the quarterfinals. Peters edged McGuire 1-0 at the Coal Cracker Tournament earlier this year, but McGuire won the rematch two weeks ago in the district final.

Joining Peters in the quarters are teammates Jackson Bernhard and Caleb Clymer.

Bernhard pinned Canton’s Timmy Ward in 5:48 to advance to the 152-pound quarterfinals. The senior will wrestle Burrell’s Corey Christie in the quarters.

“It means a lot,” said Bernhard. “It does a lot for my mental game. It makes me feel a lot better, like maybe I do belong out here at states.

“If I can dominate a kid like that, it definitely helps with my nerves a lot and it’s a good start to the tournament for me.”

Clymer posted an equally impressive victory, shutting out Shamokin’s Jacob Carpenter 5-0 in their 160-pound first round match. Clymer will wrestle Cole Sossong of Portage Area in the quarters.

“It felt really good,” Clymer said afterward. “It’s definitely important. The first match is always the biggest for me. You really blow out your lungs when you get that first match in; all the jitters are gone.

“And to shut a kid out, 5-0, definitely feels good and helps.”

Clymer was happy with the win. But even more pleased with the way he executed.

“That’s always my goal, I want my defense to be one of the best,” Clymer said. “I was talking to my brothers Scotty and Ben right before my match, and one of my goals is to score points. He (Carpenter) kept going on his feet, which I was all right with, because it gave me more opportunities to move my feet and score.

“So to be able to put up five points out here at states is decent, and to shut a kid out is big.”

Palmerton’s Lucas Christman executed his game plan to advance to the quarterfinals with a 6-1 decision over Hanover’s D.J. Erickson in their 145-pound first round match.

“I’m extremely proud,” said Palmerton head coach Justin Petersen. “When I started coaching, he was, I think, in sixth grade, so I’ve seen him all the way through. He works extremely hard. He’s obviously very gifted and has a lot of talent.

“And he’s very coachable. We made a game plan with this kid (Erickson). He wrestled him previously and got pinned by him (earlier this season at the Coal Cracker Tournament). We knew what he liked to do, and he (Christman) performed the game plan perfectly.”

Having a game plan is one thing. Executing it is another.

“It’s impressive,” said Petersen. “This is his first time being out here. He’s been out here before watching and stuff but it’s totally different when you’re out here wrestling.

“He’s very humble. Always focused. Even after a win he’s always focused on what he can get better at. That type of stuff, you don’t see too much with newcomers to this type of stage. I’m very proud of him.”

Christman was ready for the rematch with Erickson.

“I was definitely more prepared,” said Christman. “I think he expected to just come in and do the same thing he did the last match, and I knew what he was gonna do, so I didn’t let him.”

With his first round win, Christman continues the momentum he’s carried through the postseason – and earns him a match against Caleb Hetrick (Brookville) in the quarters.

“It’s huge. Huge,” said Christman. “If I don’t get that first win, it’s always hard for me to get back going again. I always like to get that first win right away.”

STILL ALIVE … Northwestern’s Colin Rex stayed alive with an 8-4 decision over Wyalusing’s Luke O’Connor in a first round consolation match. Rex will Juniata’s Tyler Feltman in the second round of consolation matches. Panther Valley’s Tanner Kennedy also kept his tournament going with a 7-4 decision against Penn Cambria’s Jarred Stoy in his first round consolation bout. Kennedy will wrestle Harbor Creek’s Jason Bratt in the second round of consolations.

ELIMINATED … Four area wrestlers were eliminated on Thursday after the first round of consolation matches. Panther Valley’s Hunter Kennedy lost a 4-3 (TB2) decision against Harbor Creek’s Shane Watkins in a 170-pound match. The Panthers’ Derrick Beckham also lost a close match the first round of consolations, dropping an 11-8 decision to Quaker Valley’s Geoff Magin in his 182-pound bout. Tamaqua’s Bronson Strouse lost a 3-2 (UTB) decision to Wilson’s Kolby Flank in a 220-pound contest. Jim Thorpe’s Ethan Mordaunt saw his season come to an end with a 9-0 major decision loss to Jarod Miller of Reynolds in a 195-pound contest.

UP NEXT … Quarterfinals and second round consolations are set for 9 a.m. on Friday.