GUYS MILLS — To borrow a line from Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Postseason tournaments are filled with paradoxes like these. It either feels like one of the best days of your life or one of the worst.

The Youngsville Little Eagles and Eisenhower Little Knights wrestlers experienced this once more as they looked to navigate the Area VIII state-qualifying tournament on Valentine’s Day weekend.

Each team had several entrants seeking to lay claim to one of the top three spots on the youth podium to earn a berth into the state tournament to be held in Harrisburg. The top four junior high place winners qualify for the junior high state tournament in Johnstown.

Submitted Photo Pictured, from left, are: Hunter Vanderhoof, Johnathan Sullivan and Evan Huck. Absent are: Ronnie Shellhouse and Brantley Coleson.

The Little Eagles and Little Knights combined for 12 state qualifiers on Saturday. Of those 12, four were crowned champions of their weight class: Grayson Kitchel (8U 45 pounds); Sam Hagg (10U 135 pounds); Kinsley Dean (Girls 12U 78 pounds); and Autumn Waite (Girls 12U 92 pounds).

Kitchel began his day with a 14-4 major decision over Northwestern’s Brentley Webber and capped it with a pin in the finals over Corry’s Clay Clabbatz.

Hagg started his day with a pin over Eisenhower’s Blake Genung. Hagg then finished his day in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 win in double overtime over Corry’s Parker Drake.

Waite’s finals opponent had pinned her earlier in the year. Waite exacted revenge, but this time on a bigger stage as she pinned Corry’s Kashlynn Williams in the finals.

Dean evidently scared away her potential competition as she was the only entrant in her weight class and was therefore crowned champion.

Submitted Photo Autumn Waite stands atop the podium after winning her weight class.

Wade Fithian, Kendall Mosher, Addie Sullivan and Westin Cope all finished in second place.

Fithian marched to the finals in a large field at 8U 60 pounds with a technical fall and two pins before losing to unbeaten Grayson Bish of Cathedral Prep.

In Girls 8U 63 pounds, Mosher pinned Edinboro’s Mackenzie Laufer in 1:17 to punch her ticket to the state tournament.

In Girls 8U 96 pounds, Sullivan dropped her finals match to Edinboro’s Kali Brown by fall.

Cope opened his tournament with a pin over Maplewood’s Rodney Burger in 2:43. He then lost his 8U 110-pound finals match to McDowell’s Everett Fezell.

Submitted Photo Grayson Kitchel smiles big after taking first in his weight class.

Finishing in third were Silas Howell (8U 90 pounds); Bryer King (10U 105 pounds); Blake Genung (10U 135 pounds); and Jack Lane (12U 160 pounds).

King and Lane each finished their tournament in emphatic fashion. King pinned Edinboro’s Kase Vannucci to punch his ticket and Lane pinned Erie’s Ayden Larkin to punch his.

Finishing agonizingly shy of qualifying, were Kole Renwick, Asher Olmstead, Evan Wilcox, Clayton Dyke and Zain Woodburn, who each placed fourth.

On Sunday, seven Knights descended on Maplewood High School in search of a berth into the state tournament.

Of the seven, five found enough success to qualify for the state tournament in Johnstown.

Submitted Photo Wade Fithian, left, placed second in his weight class for the Knights.

Johnathan Sullivan earned an Area VIII title for the second year in a row when he pinned Maplewood’s James Guthrie in 47 seconds.

Hunter Vanderhoof knocked off General McLane’s Maverick Fiscus 16-5 in the semis then fell to Harbor Creek’s Anthony Bly to finish in second place.

Finishing in fourth place were Ronnie Shellhouse, Evan Huck and Brantley Coleson. Shellhouse and Huck will be making their return to the state tournament, while Coleson will be making his first ever trip.

Falling just shy of qualifying were Owen Ash and Eric Woodin who finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

“Speaking for the junior high kids, it was great to get a group of kids qualified,” said coach Tim Suydan. “They’ve put a bunch of time in on the mat this season for these types of moments. Conversely, it really stinks to see Owen and Eric fall short. Owen’s been a leader on the mat and in the room all year. He just happened to be the odd man out in a group of four really talented wrestlers. Eric wrestled some of his best matches of the year too.”

Submitted Photo Bryer King, second from right, took third third place.

Adult bowling

The Daybreakers at Valley Bowling Center were led by Jed Kepple’s 223-640.

Cheri Wolfgang rolled a 226-541, followed by Cindy Reasbeck (191-507), Ginny Barrett (195-482), Sally Sitka (163-459) and Karen Abplanalp (165-459).

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Tom Traub spilled a 247-666, followed by Tommy Jukes (223-583) and Don Umpleby (202-562) in the Rusted Nutz Garage League at Valley Bowling Center.

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Cindy Reasbeck drilled a 199-218-219-636 to lead the Youngsville Ladies at Valley Bowling Center.

Cheri Wolfgang cracked a 170-503, followed by Sally Sitka (172-496) and Cindy Shafer (161-460).

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During the Youngsville City League, Bryan Olsen rolled a 255-679 and Cole Cressley had a 239-657.

Brian Cressley spilled a 257-624, followed by Chad Johnson (232-624), CJ Jones (215-613), Tommy Jukes (232-591), Adam Green (214-589), Jeff Albaugh (224-582), Al Kuzminski (199-561), Brian Stanko (196-560), Dale Johnson (212-559) and Al Cressley (191-552).

Trap leagues

The Penn-York Winter Trap League met Sunday at the Busti Trap Club with 61 shooters present.

There were two perfect scores shot this week by Pine Grove’s Jon Shelton and Cindy Cable.

High Sub Junior Male was Hunter Kestler with 43. High Sub Junior Female was Alainah Ginkel with 42. High Junior Male was Dominic Pangborn with 48. High Lady was Cable with 50. High Vets were Kirk Decker, Allen Henry, Kevin Nicklas and Paul Prentice with 48s. High Senior Vets were Tim Young, Greg Wassman and Bob Gray with 48s. High Super Senior Vets were Bruce Raymond and John P. Foster with 47s.

There is one more regular shoot next week at Celoron. Celoron and Pine Grove are in a tie for first place.

Celoron (336): Matt DeLong 49, Tim Young 48, Greg Wassman 48, Tim Wissman 48, Kevin Nicklas 48, Paul Prentice 48, Ron Seeley Jr. 47

Pine Grove (335): Jon Shelton 50, Cindy Cable 50, John Pearson 49, Bob Gray 48, Brandon Franklin 47, KC Johnson 46, John Morrison 45

Busti (331): Kirk Decker 48, Dominic Pangborn 48, Jim Kestler Jr. 47, Billy Kestler 47, Rick Espin 47, Randy Lineman 47, James Pangborn 47

Sugar Grove (318): CJ Jones 49, Allen Henry 48, John P Foster 47, Shawn Mitchell 46, Gary Casler 46, Zach Troyer 41, Scott Currie 41