Highlighted by three straight pins by Justin Lampe (165), Sean Mappes (174) and Bryce Carr (184), Chattanooga opened the 2016-17 season with a 40-12 home win against Southeastern Saturday at Chamberlain Field.
In a match with three lead changes, the Mocs won seven of the 10 matches, including the final five.
The Fire, coached by former UTC wrestler Javier Maldonado, posted regular decisions by Olson Delisca (125) and Giovanny Bonilla (157) sandwiched around a pin by Adrian Hughes (149) and led 12-11 after five matches.
“Hughes and Bonilla are true freshman and wrestled tough today,” said Maldonado. “I told our guys not to worry about the W’s and L’s, but give me great effort which they did.”
Following Bonilla’s win and a 12-11 lead by the Fire, the Mocs then ran off five straight wins by Lampe, Mappes, Carr, Clay Dent (197, tech fall) an Jared Johnson (285, fall) to secure the season-opening victory in this the 70th anniversary campaign of Mocs wrestling.
“I think today’s match outside on a sunny day was great and we had a good crowd,” said UTC head coach Heath Eslinger now in his eighth season.
“Chris (DeBien) wrestled well (fall at 133), Roman Boylen really took ownership of his match (15-0 tech fall at 141) and then our guys in the upper weights showed where our strength is with four pins and a tech fall.”
Four Venues … Four Wins: With today’s win at Chamberlain Field, the Mocs have dual wins in all four on-campus venues – Old Gym(torn down), Maclellan Gym, McKenzie Arena and Chamberlain Field – in the history of the program dating back to the first season in the winter of 1947.
Kudos For Outside Setup: “I know it took a lot of work by many people today to make an outside match possible and I am very appreciative of their help,” said Eslinger.
Best Match: at 125, Southeastern's Olson Delisca scored a winning takedown in the closing seconds for a 9-8 victory against Mocs Alonzo Allen in the best match of the day ... Delisca gained the first takedown, but Allen countered with an escape and a takedown of his own for a 3-2 lead after the first period ... Delisca posted two takedowns and an escape, while Allen had two escapes and a takedown for a 7-7 tie after two ... Delisca scored the late takedown and won 9-8 while Allen had the one point on riding time.
No. 23 Chattanooga 40 – Southeastern 12
125: Olson Delisca (SEU) dec. Alonzo Allen, 9-8 … SEU 3-0
133: Chris Debien (UTC) pinned Jaaziel Santana, 3:25 … UTC 6-3
141: Roman Boylen (UTC) tech fall Caleb Rudisill, 15-0 (4:13) … UTC 11-3
149: Adrian Hughes (SEU) pinned Austin Gould, 5:28 … UTC 11-9
157: Giovanny Bonilla (SEU) dec. Trey Watson, 18-11 … SEU 12-11
165: Justin Lampe (UTC) pinned Tim Dinsdale, 5:31 … UTC 17-12
174: Sean Mappes (UTC) pinned Braxxtin Todd, 0:32 … UTC 23-12
184: Bryce Carr (UTC) pinned Zech Rives, 0:41 … UTC 29-12
197: Clay Dent (UTC) tech fall Branden Noriega, 18-2 (4:07) … UTC 34-12
285: No. 12 Jared Johnson (UTC) pinned Silas Root, 0:57 … UTC 40-12
Records: UTC (1-0), Southeastern (0-1)
Wins UTC, 7-3
Regular Decisions: SEU, 2-0
Major Decisions: None
Tech Falls: UTC 2-0
Falls: UTC, 5-1
Takedowns: UTC, 17-11
2-Pt Near Fall: UTC, 5-1
4-Pt Near Fall: UTC, 4-3
First Takedowns: UTC, 7-3
Fastest Fall: 0:32 at 174, Sean Mappes (UTC) pinned Braxxtin Todd
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net