La Plata wrestling sweeps to open season
La Plata opens season with tri-match sweep at Calvert
As they first stepped onto the wrestling mat in their all-gray warmups to prepare for their first match against McDonough in Tuesday night’s season-opening tri-meet at Calvert, the La Plata Warriors stood in stark contrast to the other teams in the gym simply because of their sheer numbers.
But just because La Plata’s team had over twice the bodies of its opponents, it didn’t necessarily translate into the Warriors boasting a ton of experience.
“It’s good to have the numbers we have, but the vast majority are brand new and have never done it before,” La Plata head coach John Pankhurst said. “They need as much experience as they can get.”
Most of the Warriors got some time on the mat in earning the team’s first two wins of the season, first a 78-6 victory over McDonough and then a 69-9 triumph over the host Cavaliers in the night’s finale. Calvert salvaged a split with a 66-12 decision over McDonough.
“We’re happy to get two this evening,” Pankhurst said. “We have several brand-new guys we’re breaking in and a couple of kids who are second-year stepping up from JV to varsity this year, and I have a couple guys nicked up so we’re not quite to where I hope we’re going to be in a little bit.
“This is good experience. Some of the kids coming up from JV only got 10 or 12 matches last year, so any match I can get them is really beneficial for them. We get the film and can get back and get to work.”
Against McDonough (0-2 overall), La Plata (2-0) won 13 of 14 bouts with five coming via forfeit and the other eight by fall. Delivering pins for the Warriors were Nate Lednum, who opened the action with a win by fall at 160 pounds, Corbin Bales (170), Austin Mattingly (113), Owen Butler (126), Marco Frederico (132), Alex Blake (138), Mike Bellerose (145) and Jack Chipps (152). McDonough’s Devon Ross picked up the Rams’ lone victory in the dual, winning the 106-pound match by fall.
Later, the Warriors enjoyed similar success against the undermanned Cavaliers (1-1).
Calvert forfeited six bouts, while La Plata won six of the eight contested on the mat. Bales (170), Mattingly (113), Blake (138) and Chipps (138) all won by fall in their respective second matches of the night, while Chase Altizer (195) secured a pin in his bout and Jason Mohler nabbed a 7-5 decision against Calvert’s Mark Maldonado at 182.
Calvert’s Matt Davis won the marquee match of the night, nipping Frederico in a 5-4 decision at 132. The hosts also picked up a win in the final bout of the night, with Andrew McCorison winning by fall in the second period of the 160-pound bout.
In the opening match of the night between Calvert and McDonough, Calvert took seven bouts by fall and another four by forfeit. The Rams picked up two wins by forfeit, while the 120-pound bout was a double forfeit.
Earning wins on the mat for the Cavaliers against the Rams were Brandon Fulcher (152), McCorison (160), Garrett Libby (170), Paul Schmidt (113), Davis (132), Devin Jones (138) and Kyle Joy (145).
“I’m just glad to see the kids get out here and battle,” Calvert head coach Mike Free said. “Our numbers are way lower than I’ve ever had them, but it is what it is. Certain kids didn’t come back out, but the kids that we have are going to battle. It’s kind of hard giving up five, six forfeits. We’re going to go out there and fight and scrap with the best of them. Hopefully the kids will get better and enjoy the sport and continue to come back.”
La Plata and Calvert are scheduled to travel to Howard County to compete in the Scorpion Duals at Oakland Mills High School today and tomorrow. McDonough is slated to be in the Mad Mats tournament at Magruder High School in Montgomery County today and tomorrow.
For the Warriors, the tournament would figure to provide many of the more inexperienced wrestlers with the opportunity to get some much-needed mat time.
“We need more reps,” Pankhurst said. “It’s different being in practice and then being out here and wrestling somebody else. I think we had a couple of guys in first-time ever, real-live lights got a little nervous and their condition wasn’t very good. So to get that in the first time I think they’ll better this weekend, now that they know what it’s all about.”