Mike Felix set the tempo of his 170-pound bout Wednesday right from the whistle, scoring a takedown and two sets of near fall points in the first period.

        Felix, a senior on Upper Perkiomen's wrestling team, attempted to pin Owen J. Roberts' Micky Kohn by alternating a headlock and an arm bar throughout the entire match.

        "Mike is so strong and in such great shape," Indians head coach Sam Walters said. "I've never seen him get tired."

        Eventually, Felix notched three third-period takedowns in the third period to notch a 17-8 major decision victory. Walters described Kohn as an unusually flexible opponent.

        "(Kohn) was difficult to put on his back," Felix said.

        Consecutive victories by Jacob Folk (152), Mike Lockhoff (160), Felix and Mickey Hopkins (182) staked Upper Perkiomen to a nine-point lead.

        But the visiting Wildcats captured the final three bouts to secure a 40-34 win in the Pioneer Athletic Conference. Bill Scherfel's 13-second pin against Indians' sophomore Roberto Rosado at 285 pounds snapped a 34-34 tie and capped their comeback.

        Walters identified the outcomes of the bouts at 138 and 220 pounds as pivotal. DJ McIlvaine lost 8-3 to Stone Bissland at 138. Michael Modugno fell 6-3 to Conor Mitchell in the match's penultimate bout.

        "If we would have won one of those, we win the match," the coach said.

        A first-period pin by Xavier Ferizzi, a defending regional champion, against Billy Brower at 195 pounds pulled the Wildcats within 34-31.

        Mitchell's victory at 220 pounds forced a 34-34 tie. In the third period, Walters became quite animated. Standing near the edge of the mat, the coach waived his arms and shouted instructions to Modugno.

        "Mike really did not start wrestling until the final 47 seconds of the third period," Walters said. "Had he done that the entire match, he would have won. I can say as much as I want, but ultimately, there is nothing I can do."

        In the final bout, Rosado got to close to Scherfel and got caught in a headlock, according to Walters.

        The victory by Felix (19-6) helped the Indians overcome a 25-12 deficit. His win put them ahead 28-25. The coach called the wrestler their lead captain.

        "Mike is a silent leader," Walter said. "He does what we expect of him. He out runs and out works everybody."

        Felix has worked hard this season to improve his single leg takedowns. He said maintaining a versatile offensive attack is also a priority.

        "I think I'm getting better on my feet," Felix said. "I'm taking more shots. I'm also wrestling with more smarts."

        Folk's third-period fall at 152 pounds against Rick McCutchen triggered Upper Perkiomen's rally. Lockhoff followed with a second-period fall over Jason Zollers.

        After Felix's major decision, Hopkins delivered a second-period fall against Dave Gelansky at 182 pounds.

        "Mickey is wrestling very well," Walters said. "He's been pretty opportunistic. He's not making many mental errors, and he's got a lot of confidence."

        According to Felix, Hopkins has improved significantly since the beginning of the season.

        "Mickey is pretty strong," Felix said about one of his practice partners.