MORGANTOWN — The third-ranked University wrestling team welcomed the top-rated Wheeling Park Patriots to UHS Wednesday night for a rare December match bringing to town not only the top teams but some of the top wrestlers in the state of WV.
The Patriots defeated the Hawks by a final score of 36-27 after 14 competitive matches ranging from the 106-lb weight class up to the 285-lb weight class with points being awarded to the team winning the match based on the result.
“It’s funny, I told our AD (Jeff Bailey) that on paper the dual score would be 36-27,” chuckled UHS head coach Ken Maisel. “Some of it didn’t happen the way I thought it would happen, but there were some that we knew could go either way and we didn’t get either one so that hurt us a little.”
The 165-lb match in particular was a huge swing match for the Patriots, as sophomore Jameson Maynard was able to defeat UHS senior Dakota Hagedorn by point decision, 9-7.
“That was one we didn’t see coming,” Maisel said. “Dakota beat (Maynard) 9-0 last year but overall we are pleased with the team’s effort. Effort is something you can control but we will need to work on other things going forward.”
The 165 result allowed WP to grow the lead to 17-5 through the first five matches completed, but back-to-back pins in the 175 and 190-lb. matches for the Hawks saw them tie the match at 17. Emerson Murphy and defending state champion Luca Felix each defeated their opponents by way of pin-fall, earning a huge seven points for UHS. Felix improved to 11-0 on the season.
UHS sophomore Brock Kehler, another defending champion, defeated senior Erick Brothers 9-1 as well, to give the Hawks their first lead of the match, 21-17. He also sits at 11-0 on the year.
The following pair of matches would see each team trading pins in the 285 and 106 matches. WP led 23-21 before Hawks sophomore Herschel Heiskel earned another seven for his team to make it 27-23.
The Patriots wouldn’t allow UHS to seize momentum, however, earning victories in the final four matches (113, 120, 126, 132) by way of points and giving them a 36-27 dual victory.
“The fact that we were right in it to the very end was a credit to our guys,” Maisel said after the match. “We’ve been harping a lot on stance, and shot defense, and bottom defense, which are things that aren’t easy to work on. Technique is only part of wrestling you have to have the effort there as well.”
Full match results are below:
106: UHS Heisker def. WP Charlton by pin
113: WP Lucas def. UHS Emery by points (7-3)
120: WP White def. UHS Gillespie by points (9-0)
126: WP Duncil def. UHS Graser by points (3-0)
132: WP Lowe def. UHS Pauley by points (4-3)
138:WP Carman def. UHS Angelozzi by points (13-2)
144: WP Lucas def. UHS Mckenzie by points (12-1)
150: WP Velas def. UHS Ludrosky by pin
157: UHS Parker def. WP Washington by points (17-2 mercy)
165: WP Maynard def. UHS Hagedorn by points (9-7)
175: UHS Murphy def. WP Lemasters by pin
190: UHS Felix def. WP Washington by pin
215: UHS Kehler def. WP Brothers by points (9-1)
285: WP Means def. UHS Hastings by pin
