He found a way in emphatic fashion.

Morehart executed a superb, violent mat return, taking Johnson straight to his back for three nearfall points as he beat Johnson by decision, 5-1, in a Montoursville 46-20 win over Warrior Run in PHAC wrestling action at Montoursville on Thursday night.

“When I saw him get up, the only thing I could really do was just try to grab a hold of a leg and just hold on for dear life. As soon as I got it, I got his leg right up near my shoulder. It took everything out of me that I have left, and I went with it,” Morehart said. 

Morehart’s win was one of a few standout performances for the Warriors on senior night in a great tune-up before next week’s District 4 Class AA Duals tournament. Seniors David Kennedy, Blaize Vogel Owen Kleinman, Landon Morehart, Ryan Aguirre and Steven Butler were honored before the match in front of a huge Montoursville crowd. 

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Gabriel Vanderwall tries to pin Warrior Run's Blake Parker in the 215 pound bout Thursday night.

“We brought this class up from elementary. To watch them grow through elementary, junior high and in high school and get to celebrate them tonight is great. This is a great, great group of seniors, a very well decorated group of seniors too. There’s a lot of talent,” Montoursville coach Matt Yonkin said. 

The other marquee match came at 172 in a matchup of former state place-winners in Montoursville’s Gage Wentzel and Warrior Run’s Max Wirnsberger. Wentzel avenged a 1-0 loss from earlier in the season on Thursday night, using a second-period takedown to win 4-2 in a matchup we may see a few more times this season. 

“They wrestled up at the King of the Mountain, and Wirnsberger got him up there in a close match. We learned from that match,” Yonkin said. “And in all honesty, Gage isn’t feeling 100% he’s been battling the sickness all week, but it was a great gut check win for him.” 
Senior Blaize Vogel got the dual started at 133 and recorded his 100th win in impressive fashion. He nearly had the fall on a nifty headlock, but settled for a 15-0 technical fall in 3 minutes, 10 seconds. 

“It felt really good, because I worked really hard to get 100 wins, and, you know, and to get it in a home environment, it just means a lot,” Vogel said. 

Montoursville’s Karter Stone secured a fall at 139, and Montoursville won by forfeit at 145 and 152 to open up a  23-0 lead. 

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Landon Morehart, upends Warrior Run's Noah Johnson for the win in the 6th period of the 285 pound bout Thursday night.

Defending state champion Reagan Milheim stopped the bleeding for Warrior run at 160 with a fall, before Wentzel took down Wirnsberger at 172. 

Tyler Ulrich was impressive for Warrior Run in a 20-3 technical fall win over Owen Kleinman, and the Defenders extended the winning streak to two when Blake Parker overcame a 7-0 deficit to beat Gabriel Vanderwall 11-7 at 215 before Morehart edged out Johnson.

The only contested match in the final four weight classes came at 121 as Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas earned a technical fall. 

The Warriors are off until next Wednesday’s District 4 Duals tournament preliminary round, which they will host. Despite the proud tradition of Montoursville wrestling, they’ve never won a District 4 Duals championship. That’s something they’re looking to change.

They will enter the tournament as the top seed. 

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Zane Butler is declared the winner over Max Wirnsberger in the 172 pound bout Thursday night.

“We’ve never won team districts, which is kind of amazing when you think of some of the teams we’ve had over the years and some of the great kids that have come through our program. We definitely have that marked,” Yonkin said.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Zane Butler wrestles Warrior Run's Max Wirnsberger in the 172 pound bout Thursday night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Gage Wentzel, left, grapples with Warrior Run's Max Wirnsberger in the 172 pound bout Thursday night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Reagan Milheim, goes for the pin on Montoursville's Zane Butler the 160 pound bout Thursday night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Reagan Milheim, left, wrestles Montoursville's Zane Butler the 160 pound bout Thursday night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Reagan Milheim, left, wrestles Montoursville's Zane Butler the 160 pound bout Thursday night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Karter Stone tries to roll Warrior Run's Brandon Bingaman in the 139 pound bout Thursday night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Blaize Vogel is declared the winner after pinning Warrior Run's Caden Snyder in the 133 pound bout Thursday night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Blaize Vogel tries to pin Warrior Run's Caden Snyder in the 133 pound bout Thursday night.