HERSHEY – Matt Peters liked his chances.

And it showed.

The Northwestern senior opened the PIAA Wrestling Championships with a bang, picking up a 6-4 decision over Athens’ Chris Horton in a 132-pound preliminary match at the Giant Center.

“I believe I had a good draw, at least,” said Peters. “I knew that kid was gonna be tough coming out from the Northeast Regional. But overall, mostly I just had to stay focused. That’s the biggest thing. Nerves get you out here. A lot of people haven’t wrestled out here, and it’s nerve-racking. So you just gotta push those aside, and wrestle how you know how to wrestle.”

Peters, at states for the first time since he was a freshman, showed the poise of a veteran against Horton, scoring the first takedown and taking a 2-0 lead after the first period.

Peters got another takedown near the edge of the mat midway through the second period to push his advantage to 4-0.

“It was big, scoring early,” said Peters. “All these kids, no matter how in shape you are, all these kids are a little tired in the third period.

“So scoring early is important, because then you get a lead and sometimes it breaks kids. If you don’t have a good mindset, it breaks kids. You just gotta take it one match at a time, and be ready to go.”

With Peters leading 5-2 midway through the third period, Horton got a takedown that cut the deficit to 5-4. But Peters scored another escape, and held on for the final 45 seconds to secure the win.

“I really wanted to keep attacking there,” said Peters. “He got in on a couple shots. So I just had to defend, and know what I’m good at. So I just kept it where I’m good.

“I definitely could have got a takedown or two more. But I’ll try to do that in my next match and keep improving.”

Peters was the only Times News area wrestler to pick up a win in the preliminary round Thursday morning.

Peters’ teammate, Colin Rex, fell 14-4 to Berlin Brothersvalley. Tristan Pugh in a 138-pound preliminary bout.

“I think it was a good match overall. I had a good opponent,” said Rex. “I could have wrestled a little bit better on my feet, more movement, then I could have controlled the ties a little bit more.

“But he got the best of me with the takedowns there.”

Pugh built a 9-0 lead in the second period before Rex cut it to 9-4 with back points in the third. But the senior wasn’t able to keep Pugh down and secure a fall.

Panther Valley’s Hunter Kennedy and Derrick Beckham both suffered losses in the preliminary round. Kennedy lost a 3-2 (TB2) decision to McGuffey’s Christian Clutter in the 170-pound bracket, while Beckham was pinned by Coudersport’s Elijah Ayers in 1:38 in his 182-pound match.

“He got the first takedown,” Panthers head coach Tim Robb said of Kennedy, who led 2-0. “But you just gotta keep wrestling … he’s gotta be better on his feet.”

Tamaqua’s Bronson Strouse lost an 8-1 decision to Mount Union’s Jake Ryan in a 220-pound prelim.

“He took a couple shots in the first period,” Blue Raiders head coach Jim McCabe said of Strouse. “The kid (Ryan) was digging in to try to get over-unders, and Bronson was on the unfortunate side of getting hit with stalling.

“But the nervousness got to him today. It’s his first stint at the state tournament. He didn’t get pinned. We just have to recuperate and get in a better state of mind.”

NEXT … All wrestlers that lost in the preliminary round are still alive in the consolation bracket.

First round consolations are later today at 1:15 p.m. following first round matches.