By JOHN ANDERSON
There were two matches decided by two points, three last-minute pins and more excitement as the Wellsville Lions wrestling team defeated Avoca-Prattsburgh, 54-19 Tuesday night.
With several basketball players watching in the wings, the meet kicked off a big night for Wellsville sports as the boys and girls basketball teams also won later in the evening.
One of the more entertaining matches of the night featured Wellsville’s Cole Hadfield and Tristian Drake at 145. The score went back and forth for three periods before Hadfield was able to catch his opponent with a half and used a leg for back points and the pin.
“I was trying to learn my opponents movements to see how to wrestle. If he is gassed, I try to get close, but he was energetic and I had to keep my distance and let him shoot and let my defense become my offense,” Hadfield. “This was really nice and a lot of fun.”
The final match of the night was at 285 as Evin Rought had a pin in 27 seconds. The crowd favorite heard the cheers.
“I’m really good at snap downs, I thought I could snap him down, get him in a headlock, get that cement mixer and step over him,” said I’m just a fun guy and people get hyped when they see me. I’m just a big ole boy who likes to wrestle.
“It was so good to get a win on our home white mats. And as a team, we had a lot of wins and a lot of people wrestle, and maybe they didn’t win, but they didn’t give up six points tonight,” Rought added.
Another big pin was by Noah Black for Wellsville at 215, also in the first period.
Wellsville coach Tyler Carmen was pleased with his young wrestlers as Adam Iantorno, Anthony Stamer and Xander Outman kept the Lions close early allowing the pins to be the difference in the victory.
Photo by Chris Brooks, wellsvillesports.com
“That’s something we’ve been focusing on as we are a learning crew and focus on different things. You can change the outcome of a match by not winning, but not giving up six points with a pin,” Carmen said. “We had a couple matches that were good battles.
“At 152, that was a good match (a 13-11 victory by George Drake of Avoca-Prattsburgh), Xander Outman, an 8th-grader, wrestled hard. You can expect six good minutes from him. He gave up a late takedown at the end,” Carmen continued. “He staye din the match and that’s what we are looking for from the younger guys. Anthony Stamey also gave up a late takedown, but they gave 100% and that’s what we are looking for.”
Carmen was also pleased with the crowd support and atmosphere in the gym.
“Team wins are great, team wins are the best,” Carmen said. “Anytime you can put a group of people together in a gym and one guy is out there on the mat, it’s what you dream of. That’s what these guys work hard for. It’s why you do all the pushups and sit-ups and sprints for, to be able to perform in front of all of our fans. Team wins are the best and hopefully we have a few more coming before the end of the year.
Wellsville 54, A-P 19
110: Jayden Acker (W), win by FF, 6-0
118: Nate Young (AP), 16-4 maj. dec. Adam Iantorno (W), 6-4
126: Jack Cicrello (W), win by FF, 12-4
132: Brayden Riley (W), win by FF, 18-4
138: Noah Joslyn (W), win by FF, 24-4
145: Cole Hadfield (W), pin, 5:24, Tristian Davis (AP), 30-4
152: George Drake (AP) 13-11 Xander Outman (W), 30-7
160: Nevin Davis (AP), pin 5:17 Anthony Stamey (W), 30-13
172: Justin Palmer (AP) pin, 5:22 Blake Cranmer (W), 30-19
189: John Layfield (W), win by FF, 36-19
215: Noah Black (W), pin :26 Ryan Lemardt (AP), 42-19
285: Evan Rought (W), pin :27 James Stephens, 48-19
102: Blake Geffers (W), win by FF, 54-19
