Suffolk News-Herald

Ten Lakeland wrestlers won both their respective matches as the Cavalier matsters routed visiting Warwick 63-12 and Franklin 59-24 on Wednesday night. Andrew Pope, Thomas Harper, Aaron Darden, Joe Davis, T.J. Satchell, Camden Zemp, Mark Verschneider, Colt Eason, Tim Dugan, and Kyle Gilbertson took home two victories apiece in the victories. Only two of Lakeland’s matches went the distance, and the Cavaliers never trailed in either match.

Pope got things rolling (or, in this case, pinning) for Lakeland by holding down Warwick’s Aaron Hunt in the 189-pound class. Pope got Hunt down with a leg trip and near pin, and the wrestlers toppled out of bounds. Hunt started the action on top, but Pope flipped him over and held him down for a 47-second win.

Harper, at 215 pounds, showed why he was voted Lakeland’s Most Oustanding Wrestler at last weekend’s Granby Kickoff Classic in Norfolk (he went 3-0, pinning opponents from Granby, Atlee and Norfolk Academy), charging to an 11-2 lead over Kian Robinson before pinning him at the 3:38 mark.

Joey Wheeler (Heavyweight), Darden (103), Davis (112) and Satchell (119) won their respective matches by forfeit, and neither team fielded a competitor for the 125 match. Gasper Mazzola grabbed the Raiders’ first victory by pinning Kristi Hall at 130, but Zemp scored a 38-second win over Richard Page to up the Lakeland lead to 42-6.

Verschneider defeated Bobby Barber in 1:47, and Eason and Isaac Holloman had the most competitive match of the meet. Holloman scored a takedown, but Eason escaped to cut the lead to 2-1. A near-pin and takedown gave him an 8-4 advantage as the first period ended, an another takedown upped his lead to 10-4 early in the second. Holloman escaped and took Eason down to get to 10-7 as the second period ended, and scored a near-pin to tie the score at 10 with 1:24 to go.

Shouts of encouragement thundered from both benches as the wrestlers went head-to-head, grasping each other by the shoulders. Eason leaped forward with 50 seconds to go, and grasped Holloman around the waist. Holloman attempted to turn Eason over while Eason tried to maneuver Holloman onto his side. The clock ticked as the wrestlers grappled, and soon reached 10 seconds. The bellowing continued until, with five seconds to go, Eason managed to yank Holloman onto his stomach for the takedown, sending the crowd into hysterical cheers and high-fives. Eason let Holloman go for the escape, and Hollman charged forward at his opponent. As Eason stepped backward, the buzzer went off, allowing him to flee with a 12-11 victory.

&uot;I went for the quickest point,&uot; Eason said. &uot;I let him go because I still had the lead.&uot;

Dugan pinned Byron Carter in 49 seconds, and Brian Hunt nabbed Warwick’s second and final pin of the night, beating Brian Ehrenfried. Gilbertson scored a quick takedown on Brandon Wennigan and wrenched him into a near-pin for a 5-0 lead. Gilbertson slammed Wenningan back down on his back, but was unable to pin him for the remainder of the period. However, he scored another takedown to open the second phase and pinned his opponent in 49 seconds to end the match, and the meet.

Pope and Harper were forfeited their matches to open the Lakeland-Franklin battle, but Carlos DeJesus cut the lead to 12-6 by pinning Wheeler. Darden, Davis and Satchell also won by forfeit, and Dustin Ackins of Franklin was given the 125-pound match.

Steve Franken pinned Hall to get as close as 30-18, but Zemp dismantled Ride Edwards 18-3, and Verschnieder was forfeited the 140-pound match. Eason pinned Dominic Smallwood in 3:45, and Dugan took on Bert Williams at 152 pounds.

Each wrestler scored a takedown in the first period, and Dugan gained a near-pin for a 5-2 lead as the third segment began. He scored a quick takedown, but Williams grabbed two of his own to get within 7-6. He let Dugan go, but dove forward and scored another takedown to tie the score with :23 on the clock.

Dugan didn’t waste time, pinning Williams nine seconds later for the win. &uot;When I first started the match, I wanted to get him in the first period, but it didn’t play out that way,&uot; he said. &uot;We both had a lot of stamina, so we were able to keep going. When we were tied, I started going all out, because I was getting a little bit tired.&uot;

Lakeland forfeited the 160-pound match, and little went right for Gilbertson in the first period of his 171-pound mle with Daniel Childress. Though the Bronco was able to score only a single takedown, he continuously held Gilbertson on the mat, suplexing him onto his back and rear whenever the Cavalier tried to rise.

The second period started the same, with Childress holding the advantage for nearly the first minute. Then Gilbertson finally escaped with 65 seconds to go. Childress nearly took him down again, but Gilbertson launched him over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry and held him down for the pin with 48 seconds to go in the period.

&uot;He was a beast, but that didn’t get inside my head,&uot; Gilbertson said. &uot;I saw (the carry), hit it, and executed it. When I won, I felt like I was at the Olympics.&uot;

The Cavaliers will head to Maury on Tuesday.