Falcons have little trouble with LH
Seven and 10 were lucky numbers for Connellsville Wednesday night. The Falcons strung seven wins to start the competition, six of them with falls, and wound up with 10 pins overall, on the way to a 72-6 win over host Laurel Highlands in Section 2-AAA wrestling.
It was the fourth win in a row for Connellsville, and pushed the Falc ons section mark to 2-0.
The only Mustang win was by Nick Sible, at 135 pounds, with Connellsville sweeping out after that, including four more falls.
Coach Tommy Dolde said the victory was well planned, noting “I have four other coaches on the staff and when we have meetings they all have good ideas. They are all very innovative, and we changed a few things in practice this week to get ready for this match.
“I felt coming in that we could win, although I really didn’t know a whole lot about LH as a team. I remember some of their wrestlers from last year. Jason Doppelheuer and Josh Martin met two of their better wrestlers and had good bouts. Despite the score they had some good wrestlers and that’s what we needed for we have three duals and two big tournaments coming up the rest of this month.”
Overall, the Falcons counted 10 pins, a technical fall, a major decision, and a regular decision.
Mustang Coach Chris Pegg added “we told our guys to go out and wrestle, let Connellsville know they were in a match. They (CAHS) have things going in the right direction and we are trying to build and get going in the same direction.
“We have to learn from matches like this, and I’m pleased overall with the way they tried. I was especially pleased with Sible’s match. This was his first bout of the year. He had surgery on his wrist, but he was here every day working, and he did well in his first test.”
The evening got off to less than a spectacular start. The official originally assigned to the match didn’t show, going instead to another school, and efforts had to be made to find a replacement. Paul Dunham was located, and arrived about 8 p.m., an hour after the originally listed start.
But once action got under way, the Falcons ran off five pins. The draw for starting bouts had Brent Wilson (215) leading off and he posted the second fastest fall of the night, getting Blake Faust in a spreadeagle in 40-seconds. Steve Hughes (275) led 1-0 and had the up position to start the third, rolling Robert Urban over and down in 4:13. P.J. Holden (103) led 14-0 into the third and was down to start, reversing and wrapping up Chris Belch in 4:38. Steve Bell (112) followed with a 1:32 cradling of Greg Hogan, and Ashtin Primus (119) completed the string with the fastest win of the match, taking Kevin Morris down and planking him in :39.
Adam Bucci (125) followed with a major 11-1 decision over George Belch, starting with a takedown and back points in the first and going from there. Belch was down to start the second and escaped for his lone point. Josh Martin (130) led 2-0 into the second over Moore, with an opening takedown, then escaped to start the second, got two takedowns around an escape, and locked a near-side cradle with one second left in the second period.
Sible snapped the Falcon run and prevented a shutout by pinning Adam Knepper.
Sible took him down to start, Knepper escaped, then Sible put him down again, and finally got him over and chested down for the count at 1:55 of the first.
Kyle Martin (140) got what proved to be the clinching points for the Falcons when he stacked Jarret Bond in :57, then Corey Fox (145) had four takedowns around three escapes before locking up Buster Langeri at 1:56 of the first.
Jarrod King (152) made it three pins in a row and scored 16 points in the first period on seven takedowns and back points, around seven escapes by Del Simpson. King was up to start the second, and rolled Simpson over for the pin at 2:44.
Chad McBurney (C) and Levi Harris had a real close battle at 160, with a comeback by Harris falling short at the wire. McBurney led 2-0 with a first period takedown and held that all the way to the third where he reversed off the bottom to start, and that proved to be the final edge. Harris escaped, then with :22 to go, got a takedown. They went off the mat at :07, and resumed at center mat, where McBurney held off the final efforts by Harris to get him over for backs.
Doppelheuer led 7-2 into the third, then scored 13 points around three escapes, to get a technical fall at the final buzzer. Jim Tony (189) pinned Mike Capan at 5:50 to wind up the card.
The Mustangs will be at home Saturday afternoon with Hempfield.
Dolde noted, “We really have a tough three weeks ahead, meeting Kiski, Ringgold, and Latrobe in duals, plus the Beast of the East and Powerade Tournaments.”
Looks like a few meetings ahead for the Board of Directors.