Wheeling Jesuit Official Website
Wheeling Jesuit Wrestling Claims First Program Team Victory
November 23, 2013
WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Jesuit wrestling team recorded their first dual team victory in program history on Saturday, with a 42-9 victory over the visiting Ohio Valley University Fighting Scots.
The Cardinals also put some experience under their belts, taking on the #20 Mercyhurst Lakers in the Triangular dual, losing to the Lakers 3-41, but giving their young wrestlers a taste of what the competition is like at the top level.
“I think our first match today was exactly what this team needed,” said WJU head coach Sean Doyle. “We’ve had a really good start to the season, and guys have been told they’re doing a good job. Maybe there is a little false sense of success.
“In wrestling a team like Mercyhurst that is going to be one of the best in the country this year really allowed us to view some things we have to get better at if we’re going to get to that level. I’m actually more encouraged by that match than anything because it will help us get better,” Doyle added.
The first match of the day pitted the fledgling Cardinals against the powerhouse Lakers, and from the get go, it was clear their experience would be the difference. WJU’s lightweight wrestlers managed only six points in the first four bouts.
The Cardinals had their first opportunity of the day to secure a win in the 157lb class when Dominic Nania rolled through to score a takedown on his way to 9 points and a brief lead. Mercyhurst’s Dakota DesLauriers proved too strong however and pulled away with the 9-14 win.
In the 184lb class the Cardinal’s hard work would finally produce results when Nate Hupp scored a takedown on a throw in a match that was all hands, leading to the 11-6 win.
Maxwell Lacey also wrestled a tight match at 197 against Mercyhurst’s Anthony Confessore. Lacey kept strong in the first period, only having two points scored on him on a takedown. Lacey continued to wrestle strong, but eventually fell 1-8.
Coach Doyle reflected on the positives out of the loss. “We found out we have to get better in the bottom position, which is probably more important than anything at this level is to learn how to get off the bottom, and we didn’t. We got rode hard every match.”
Up next in the triangular, Mercyhurst took on Ohio Valley in a similar matchup where the Lakers’ experience again shone through, taking the match 42-3.
In the final bout of the day, the Cardinals earned their first ever team victory with a 42-9 dismantling of the Fighting Scotts.
Brad Kakos got the momentum for WJU taking a 5-3 lead over his opponent from an escape and a single leg takedown. Kakos scored on another takedown in the third period giving him the 9-7 win.
Skyler Terrell continued his impressive run this year at 141lbs with a big head and arm pin in the first 30 seconds of the match to put the momentum firmly in on the Cardinal side of the matt.
The bottom of the lineup heaped on the points that the top half built, with pins coming from Dominic Nania in overtime, Sawyer Leppla on a strong arm-bar, and Ryan Winslow.
The 42-9 victory is the first for the Cards as a team in their young program’s history. They will get their chance to repeat against Alderson Broaddus on December 12th.
Mercyhurst 41 WJU 3
125 Brad Kakos (WJ) Ryan Bohince 2-12 0-4
133 Damon Outward (WJ) Kody Young 2-10 0-10
141 Austin Short (WJ) Dylan D'Urso 0-16 0-15
149 John Gershom (WJ) Jeremy Landowski 2-3 0-18
157 Dominick Nania (WJ) Francis Mizia 9-14 0-21
165 TJ Smith (WJ) Clint Schaefer 0-10 0-27
174 Kale Rayner (WJ) August Mizia 2-17 0-32
184 Nate Hupp (WJ) Dakota DesLauriers 11-6 3-32
197 Maxwell Lacey (WJ) Anthony Confessore 1-8 3-35
285 Corey Siegfried (WJ) Andy Welton 0-8 3-41
WJU 42 Ohio Valley 9
125 Brad Kakos (WJ) Cory Parsons 9-7 3-0
133 Damon Outward (WJ) Forfeit - 9-0
141 Sklyer Terrell (WJ) Eli Stewart 2-0 15-0
149 John Gershom (WJ) Nicholoz Varazasherilli 6-7 15-3
157 Dominick Nania (WJ) Tyler Green 14-12 18-3
165 TJ Smith (WJ) Jabari Irons 2-12 18-9
174 Sawyer Leppla (WJ) Austin Anthill 4-1 24-9
184 Ryan Winslow (WJ) Ben Willard 2-2 30-9
197 Maxwell Lacey (WJ) Kobina Henriques 5-7 36-9
285 Logan Bowman/Corey Siegfried (WJ) Forfeit - 42-9
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