Ben Spires isn't used to being cast into the limelight and chances are good he's never been referred to as a hero, but he handled it all pretty well Friday night at Soddy Daisy's wrestling arena.

The senior 125-pounder didn't wrestle a single match last year after undergoing shoulder surgery, but he was present at every practice and did what he could on the sidelines to help the Cleveland Blue Raiders. Apparently, he learned as he watched.

His persistence paid off as his third-period pin provided the difference as the fifth-ranked Blue Raiders handed the host Trojans a 33-25 loss.

With Cleveland holding a slim 27-25 advantage going into the final match of the evening, Soddy Daisy sophomore Jake Gamble knew that if he won his match, his team would claim an important victory.

Gamble got a takedown and had Spires in trouble on his back when the first period ended, but the Cleveland senior must not have been fazed. Spires took the up position to start the second period and he responded with back points on two occasions for a 5-4 lead going into the final two-minute segment.

Gamble scored a takedown for a 6-5 lead, but Spires quickly scored a reverse, locked his opponent in a cradle and got the pin call with 56 seconds left in the match.

"All he had to do was win the match, but it shouldn't have come down to the last weight class. We had the kid in trouble, but he got some high-octane fuel in his tank and came back strong," said Soddy Daisy coach Steve Henry after his team dropped to 10-3.

"We had plenty of chances to win this match along the way, but we just didn't get the job done. I figured it would be a close match and I think we're better than we showed, but we're still trying to find ourselves.

"We lost a lot of experience from last year's team and we're thin in several places. I'm trying all the tricks I know, but they just haven't caught on yet. I was proud of my freshman Peyton Pelfrey at 112. He came through," Henry added.

Cleveland coach Heath Eslinger was probably the happiest man in the building when referee Scott Williams slapped the mat to signal that crucial last pin.

"Ben missed all of last year after shoulder surgery, but he didn't miss a single practice. He's worked hard all along and I couldn't be more proud of him. It seems like a different kid steps up every night. We aren't that good, but we're competitors. If we keep competing like we have been, we'll keep winning," Eslinger said after the Blue Raiders improved to 17-2.

"Soddy Daisy has such a rich wrestling tradition. For us to come up here and beat them on their mat makes me ecstatic. Some how, we keep finding ways to win," Eslinger added.

The match started at 130 pounds and Taylor Witt gave the Trojans a 6-0 lead with a third-period pin. Clay Bunch evened the score for Cleveland with a first-period pin at 135 before Soddy Daisy got a 4-3 decision from Mikey Fuller and an 8-0 major decision from Brandon Lane for a 13-6 lead after four matches.

Cleveland then won five of the next six matches and had a seemingly-comfortable 23-16 lead following Adam Peters' 4-1 decision at 285.

Soddy Daisy's Dustin Gardner narrowed the gap to 23-19 with a hard-fought 4-2 decision at 103 before Pelfrey put the Trojans ahead with his first-period pin at 112.

The lead then switched back to Cleveland on the strength of an 18-6 major decision from Josh Jadoboorsingh, giving the Blue Raiders a 27-25 edge with one match remaining.

That's when Spires stepped from the shadows into the spotlight and provided the margin of victory with his comeback win.

Both teams finished with two pins and three regular decisions. The difference was Cleveland claiming three matches by major decision while the Trojans only won one.

Bunch and Spires had the pins for Cleveland while Travis Leonard, Max Ofori and Peters had the regular decisions. Harold Gage, Matt Sharp and Jadoboorsingh had the three majors.

Pelfrey and Witt had the pins for the Trojans while Fuller, Ben Young and Gardner scored the regular decisions. Lane had the lone major decision.

Cleveland will have the remainder of December off, but returns to action with a crucial battle against long-time foe Bradley Central on Jan. 3 at Bradley. Soddy Daisy will hit the road next weekend for a trip to Florida where they will be competing in the Oviedo Duals on Dec. 28.

CLEVELAND 33, SODDY DAISY 25
130 - Taylor Witt (SD) pinned Jake Sewell, 4:32;
135 - Clay Bunch (C) pinned Alex Ford, 1:18;
140 - Mikey Fuller (SD) dec. Bailey Jones, 4-3;
145 - Brandon Lane (SD) major dec. Will Moreland, 8-0;
152 - Travis Leonard (C) dec. Tristan McCroskey, 8-4;
160 - Harold Gage (C) major dec. Colby Lewis, 13-4;
171 - Matt Sharp (C) major dec. Casey Jordan, 14-5;
189 - Ben Young (SD) dec. Chip Norwood, 5-4;
215 - Max Ofori (C) dec. Billy Zimmerman, 4-1;
285 - Adam Peters (C) dec. M.J. Richmond, 4-1;
103 - Dustin Gardner (SD) dec. Bryan Alvarado, 4-2;
112 - Sam Pelfrey (SD) pinned Taylor Spurlin, 1:42;
119 - Josh Jadoboorsingh (C) major dec. Justin Hammonds, 18-6;
125 - Ben Spires (C) pinned Jake Gamble, 5:04.