by B.B. Branton
posted November 7, 2009
Host Va. Tech used a pair of falls among its five wins to defeat Chattanooga, 21-18, in a college wrestling match in Blacksburg, Va. on Saturday.
The No. 21 Hokies are 1-1 on the young season, while the Mocs are 0-2, losing earlier to Kent State, 22-15.
The UTC wrestlers will compete in the Hokie Open on Sunday.
The Va. Tech Hokies led 9-0 after two weights – a fall at 125 and a decision at 133 - but the Mocs put three on the board at 141 as No. 20 Cody Cleveland upset No. 7 Chris Diaz, 11-6.
Diaz scored the initial takedown of the match, but Cleveland used four takedowns and three escapes for the win. Diaz had defeated Cleveland, 8-6, in last year's dual match in Maclellan Gym.
At 149, No. 15 Pete Yates pinned Moc Dean Pavlou for a 15-3 advantage. Yates was a three-time state champ at Salem High School and 2008 Ga. wrestler of the year.
Next on the mat at 157 was a battle of former Georgia state champs as No 16 Moc senior Joey Knox (Dublin) faced true freshman Taylor Knapp (Collins Hill).
Knox scored the opening takedown and a three-point near fall for a 5-0 lead in the first period. Knapp scored four points in the final two periods, but Knox won, 5-4 and the Mocs trailed 15-6.
At 165, the Mocs Brandon Wright scored the opening takedown and went on to post a 7-5 win.
The Mocs had won three of the past four weights to pull within, 15-9 with four matches remaining.
At 174, Moc freshman Jake Young lost a tough, 7-6, decision to Tony Trongone and the Hokies led 18-9.
At 184, No. 17 Tommy Spellman dec. Jason McCroskey, 7-4 for a 21-9 lead the clinch the win.
At 197, the Mocs Niko Brown led 2-1 in the second period, before Chris Penny earned an escape for a 2-2 tie. But Brown re-gained the lead in the third, 5-2, and extended it to 7-3 for the win.
At 285, UTC's Matt Lettner won by forfeit as Va. Tech claimed a 21-18 triumph.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net
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