Top-Ranked Bradley Uses Fast Start To Beat Baylor

Bears Get Five Pins In 43-30 Victory Over Red Raiders On The Road

  • Wednesday, December 7, 2016
  • John Hunt

There’s no question that the Bradley Bears are ranked first in the initial state wrestling poll and they proved they deserve to be in that top spot following a 43-30 victory over the Baylor Red Raiders.

Baylor is ranked fourth in that first poll and will surely be a force to be reckoned with in Division II as the season progresses, but the Bears are head and shoulders ahead after their first major test of the young season.

Bradley won by 13 points, but the match really wasn’t that close.

The Bears recorded five pins while Baylor countered with four.  Baylor’s other points came via an injury default while Bradley’s other points came with two regular decisions and a major decision.

“That was fun and about what I expected,” said Bradley coach Ben Smith shortly after the final match concluded.

“We felt good starting at 220 and to get bonus points at that weight was really big.  It’s still really early in the season, but I felt like our conditioning was good, but I’m never happy when we give up that many pins.

“This was a great test for our team as we needed a match like this.  We won nine of the 14 matches, so you have to feel good about that and you have to be satisfied when you come into their gym and win a match like this,” Smith added.

Baylor coach Ben Nelson knows that there are still some adjustments to be made and that his team will be in the thick of things eventually.  He agreed with Smith that it was a great test for his team.

“I can promise you that we’ll get better as we have a really young team this year.  It gets frustrating when you don’t get immediate results, but Bradley has a fine team as always and that’s why we love competing with them. 

“It’s always a good indicator of where we stand.  There is still some fundamental stuff we need to work on, but we’ll be fine,” Nelson added.

D.J.

Gibson gave Bradley a quick lead with a second-period pin at 220, but it was quickly 6-6 when Baylor’s David Thompson scored a pin in the first minute of his match at 285 despite giving up almost 80 pounds to his Bradley opponent.

By the time Austin Atchley posted Baylor’s second pin at 138, Bradley had won five matches in a row and were comfortably ahead at 31-6.

Three-time state champ Knox Fuller recorded a 6-2 win at 145 for Bradley while a 10-4 decision by Austin Mathews in the next match at 152 locked up the win for the  Bears.

While Gibson had the first pin for Bradley, T.J. Hicks, Trey Hicks, Ryan McElhaney and Kevin Gentry also had pins while Wesley Devaney had a 17-3 major decision at 106. Ethan Anderson had Bradley’s other win, a 10-4 decision at 152.

What could have been the best match of the evening didn’t turn out that way as Baylor’s Riley Westlake suffered an apparent concussion on an illegal slam in his match with Bradley’s Henley Headrick at 170 and was awarded the win by injury default.

Westlake was leading 3-2 when the match was stopped midway through the second period.

Other pin winners for Baylor included Mason Reiniche at 160 and Khamari Whimper at 182.

Both teams will be competing in the Cleveland Duals on Saturday.

SODDY DAISY AND WALKER VALLEY were other wrestling winners on Tuesday as Soddy Daisy whipped Hixson by a 62-9 final while Walker Valley outlasted East Hamilton, 36-30.

BRADLEY 43, BAYLOR 30

(Match began at 220 Pounds)

106 – Wesley Devaney (Brad) major dec. Clayton Pettway, 17-3;

113 – T.J. Hicks (Brad) pinned Jake Weekley, :14;

120 – Trey Hicks (Brad) pinned Grant Slye, 3:27;

126 – Ethan Anderson (Brad) dec. Hayden Hartline 11-5;

132 – Ryan McElhaney (Brad) pinned Like Fraley, 1:24;

138 –Austin Atchley (Bay) pinned Curtis Rzeplinski, 1:30;

145 – Knox Fuller (Brad) dec. Alex Atchley, 6-2;

152 – Austin Mathews (Brad) dec. Connor Duffy, 10-4;

160 – Mason Reiniche (Bay) pinned Caleb Adkins 4:28;

170 – Riley Westlake (Bay) won by injury default over Henley Headrick;

182 –Khamari Whimper (Bay) pinned Trey Johnson 3:12;

195 –Kevin Gentry (Brad) pinned Derek Duncan, 4:55;

220 – D.J. Gibson (Brad) pinned Sam Reynolds, 3:37;

285 – David Thompson (Bay) pinned Mathew Cheek, :31.

SODDY DAISY 62, HIXSON 9 

(Match began at 120 Pounds)

106 -- Jacob Allen (SD) pinned Greg Marquez, 2:42;

113 -- Tucker Gill (Hix) pinned Cole Prestwood, 1:46;

120 -- Jacob Pratt (SD) dec. Rylie Hart, 9-5;

126 -- Lance Wheaton (SD) major dec. Christopher Rogers, 14-6;

132 -- Jacob Kilgore (SD) dec. Jonas Shackleford, 1-0;

138 -- Bruce Wilson (Hix) dec. Slater Daniel, 5-2;

145 -- Emory Holcomb (SD) pinned Brayden Walker, 2:43;

152 -- Tony Wilson (SD) pinned Wali Sheikh, 1:07;

160 -- Cade Ghaffari (SD) pinned Brian Wagoner, 2:45;

170 -- Hayden Maynor (SD) pinned Jake Ivey, 4:50;

182 -- Caleb Addison (SD) pinned Ryan Moore, :40;

195 -- Curtis Settles (SD) won by forfeit;

220 -- Ty Boeck (SD) major dec. Truman Ross, 14-6;

285 -- Addison Roberts (SD) pinned Guiliano Palacio, 1:24.

WALKER VALLEY 36, EAST HAMILTON 30

(Match began at 106 Pounds)

106 -- Te'Nario Thomas (EH) pinned Karson Huff, 2:41;

113 -- Conner Thornburg (EH) dec. Chandler Davis, 8-5;

120 -- Seth Carpenter (EH) pinned James Jur, 4:40;

126 -- Cameron Dwyer (WV) won by forfeit;

132 -- Ethan West (WV) pinned Joshua Chisenall, 2:34;

138 -- Grant Lundy (EH) dec. Dillon Clark, 11-6;

145 -- Liam Golden (EH) pinned Joey Vecchione, 2:34;

152 -- Zeth Haynie (WV) pinned Kevin Siniard;

160 -- Robert Varner (WV) dec. Tyler Bayless, 4-2;

170 -- Mikel Gregory (WV) pinned Tyler Green, 2:39;

182 -- Mathew Sailors (EH) pinned Ben Gates, 1:36;

195 -- Double forfeit;

220 -- Mason Bales (WV) won by injury default over Huichan Yun;

285 -- Koby Hooker (WV) dec. Jackson Moore, 8-3.

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

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