With the Wolverines trailing by two points entering the final bout at 133 pounds, junior Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) picked up a dominant 16-5 major decision over Shelton Mack to wrap up his team's late rally. Stevens built a significant advantage in the first, converting on a double leg and subsequent snap down before using a leg turk to add three late back points. He scored on three additional takedowns, including one at the final buzzer, and accumulated 3:04 in riding-time advantage.
Sophomore Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass./Blair Academy) put the Wolverines back into the driver's seat with an upset victory in the preceding match at 125 pounds, controlling 14th-ranked Anthony Zanetta from start to finish to claim an 8-5 decision. After taking the first lead on an illegal scissors around the head call, Boyle converted on a low single late in the opening frame and added a snatch single midway through the second to carry a 6-2 lead into the third. Zanetta cut the gap with a third-period single and was deep on another single for the final 25 seconds of the match, but Boyle neutralized the position along the edge to improve to 5-0 on the season.
The Wolverines claimed three of the opening four matches to build up a significant lead prior the intermission. Senior/junior captain Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) opened the dual with an 11-2 major decision over Mike Tully at 141 pounds, using two takedowns and a pair of reversals to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Fifth-year senior Aaron Hynes (Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) and sophomore/freshman Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS) earned back-to-back decisions in key swing matches at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Hynes battled back from an early deficit against Donnie Tasser, scoring on a second-period reversal and third-period high crotch to win, 5-3. Yates cruised past the Panthers' Adam Counterman 7-0 in his varsity debut, earning the bulk of his points on a first-period body lock that put Counterman right to his back. He added a third-period escape and 2:26 in time advantage but, despite a couple flurries, could not quite find the final point necessary for bonus.
Michigan's five losses were all decided by three points or less, while two required overtime. Sophomore/freshman Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) demonstrated his potential at 149 pounds, scoring on a body lock, a two-point tilt and a second-period reversal but gave up four takedowns, including a single leg midway through the sudden-victory period to provide Dane Johnson the 10-8 win. Grajales nearly had the Panther wrestler on his back after a headlock a minute into the match, but the situation produced no points.
Pittsburgh also won four straight matches at the upperweights to secure a five-point team lead after the heavyweight bout. Junior/sophomore Ben Apland (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) nearly pulled off the upset against No. 11-ranked Ryan Tomei in the heavyweight contest but gave up some late points to fall, 8-7. An Apland single leg late in the second period appeared to put the Wolverine wrestler in the driver's seat, but Tomei scrambled for a reversal with just one second remaining on the clock to take a one-point advantage into the third. Apland escaped to tie and remained on the offensive, but Tomei countered a careless shot, scoring on a double leg late in the final period.
The Wolverines will hit the road next Friday (Nov. 19) to continue non-conference dual competition against Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. The dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Grace Hall.
Results:
141 -- #5 Kellen Russell (U-M) major dec. Mike Tully, 11-2 U-M, 4-0
149 -- Dane Johnson (Pitt) dec. Eric Grajales, 10-8 SV U-M, 4-3
157 -- Aaron Hynes (U-M) dec. Donnie Tasser, 5-3 U-M, 7-3
165 -- Dan Yates (U-M) dec. Adam Counterman, 7-0 U-M, 10-3
174 -- Ethan Headlee (Pitt) dec. #16 Justin Zeerip, 3-1 SV3 U-M, 10-6
184 -- Max Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. Hunter Collins, 5-3 U-M, 10-9
197 -- #12 Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. #5 Anthony Biondo, 3-0 Pitt, 12-10
Hwt -- #11 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) dec. Ben Apland, 8-7 Pitt, 15-10
125 -- Sean Boyle (U-M) dec. #14 Anthony Zanetta, 8-5 Pitt, 15-13
133 -- Zac Stevens (U-M) major dec. Shelton Mack, 16-5 U-M, 17-15
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now