The Bellwood-Antis wrestling squad has been having all kinds of problems with wrestlers who can’t wrestle because they quit, they get hurt, they are sick. You come up with a reason and probably there were several Blue Devil wrestlers who weren’t able to wrestle a dual meet or tournament or two for that reason. If you wondered why B-A coach Ron Wilson keeps saying he hopes to get his starting lineup healthy, present and on the mat sometime before the end of the season, he isn’t making up excuses. He really means that for many reasons, the Blue Devils haven’t been able to put the lineup Coach Wilson hoped for at the beginning of the season to have together by this time.
That fact was never more evident than on Tuesday night at Portage when Bellwood-Antis destroyed Portage 39-16 in matches actually wrestled, even with an injury default at 140 when Padraig Flynn injured a knee, but left Portage with a 40-39 loss because the Blue Devils had to forfeit four weight classes. These are weights that all have been filled various times during the 2002-03 season, but not on Tuesday.
The dual meet began at 130 ad B-A freshman Josh Ervine (10-13) jumped out to a 5-0 advantage after one period before eventually working an escape, takedown and pin in the third period over John Baker.
Ronnie Colyer (4-8) followed that at 135, by building up an 11-5 lead on Chuck Gouse using three sets of nearfalls, before applying a pinning combination at the 4:51 mark to put Bellwood-Antis ahead 12-0.
Then bad luck struck. Four forfeits weren’t enough. At 140, Padraig Flynn gave up the first points on a takedown by Jeremy Johnson, but had pushed into a 3-2 lead on a penalty point and reversal. Thirty seconds into the second period, suddenly without any action taking place, Flynn stopped wrestling and toppled to the mat. When he tried to stand on his knee after taking injury time, it was obvious to coach Wilson his wrestler couldn’t go any longer. Instead of a possible victory worth from three to six points, Bellwood-Antis ended up giving up six points for an injury default, a swing of at least nine points when the Blue Devils eventually lost by one. Coach Wilson emphasized after the dual that the Flynn match was not to blame for the team loss, just one more thing that has joined the already long list of circumstances beyond anyone’s control that has contributed to a 3-8 record thus far for the Blue Devils.
With the team score 12-6, Bellwood-Antis 145-pounder Dan Himes (4-2), out since the Mount Union match on made his return a good one using two takedowns for a 4-1 triumph over Mark Ferrance.
At 152, Jared Ervine (13-9) took Mike Capon down for a 2-0 first-period advantage, then scored another takedown and followed up with a pin in the second period at the 3:37 mark to give B-A a 21-6 lead.
Mark Rusnak majored Dwayne Cherry 11-3 to temporarily stop the Blue Devil momentum at 160. Rusnak had edged Cherry 8-7 at the East West Tournament over the Christmas holidays.
With the team score 21-10, in favor of the Blue Devils, Mike Thomas (171) and Dustin Earnest (189) pinned their opponents to stretch the margin to 33-10.
Thomas (6-7) and Mike McKrush were locked in a 0-0 tie after the first period when the B-A junior escaped, took McKrush down and worked for the fall in 2:48.
At 189, in a battle of two wrestlers who never wrestled at any level before this year, Earnest gave up a pair of first period takedowns to trail 4-1 to Eric Skutch after the opening stanza. Earnest (3-5) registered a takedown and three-point nearfall to take a slim 5-4 lead going into the final two minutes, then had to fight off his back to come back and get a pin at the 5:38 mark for his first win on the mat after winning twice by forfeit.
Bellwood-Antis’ final win came at 103 after veteran John Sigado pinned Chris Carrier at 215 and a forfeit at heavyweight moved Portage 12 points closer and assured the Mustangs the team victory with three more forfeits to come.
Shane Evans (7-11) opened up a big lead in the first period over Justin Hutsky with a takedown and nearfall, then scored another takedown and put Hutsky on his back for the fall in 5:09.
Portage picked up forfeits at 112, 119 and 125 to end the match.
“Our kids turned it up a notch tonight,” said coach Wilson. “They went out and wrestled very aggressively and got pins where we needed them. We just came up a little bit short. I’ve been saying all along it’s not the kids effort that has been the problem, it’s been one bit of adversity after the other. Tonight was just another one of those cases. Hopefully we can get everything put back together again by the end of the year and when we go into districts put on a show.”
On a happy note the junior high, coached by Tim Andrekovich and assistant Darrell Claar, improved to 7-4 with a 61-39 win over the Portage juniors.
Trevor Latchford (145), Dan Pielmeier (155), Willie Dukes (165) and Andy Martinez (185) pinned four straight opponents and Carl Weiser (95), Eli Colyer (100), Jordan Miller (75), Don Partner (80) and Joe Delmastro received forfeits for B-A. Brandon Beech (105) won a major decision and Ronnie Wilson (115) won a regular decision for the Little Blue Devils.
Portage 40 Bellwood-Antis 39
130 – Josh Ervine (BA) pinned John Baker 5:09
135 – Ron Colyer (BA) pinned Chuck Gouse 4:51
140 – Jeremy Johnson (P) won by default Padraig Flynn 2:30
145 – Dan Himes (BA) dec. Mark Ferrance 4-1
152 – Jared Ervine (BA) pinned Mike Capon 3:37
160 – Bryan Rusnak (P) won by maj. dec. Dwayne Cherry 11-3
171 – Mike Thomas (BA) pinned Mike McKrush 2:48
189 – Dustin Earnest (BA) pinned Eric Skutch 5:38
215 – John Sigado (P) pinned Chris Carrier o:31
275 – Rich McKrush (P) won by forfeit
103 – Shane Evans (BA) pinned Justin Hutsky 3:36
112 – Chris Shoff (P) won by forfeit
119 – Jon Pollock (P) won by forfeit
125 – Corey Monfordini (P) won by forfeit.
Junior High
Bellwood-Antis 61 Portage 39
90 – Troy McVicker (P) dec. Ricky Shawley 2-0
95 – Carl Weiser (BA) won by forfeit
100 – Eli Colyer (BA) won by forfeit
105 – Brandon Beech (BA) maj. dec. Mike Hegeman 12-3
110 – Robbie Roxby (P) won by forfeit
115 – Ronnie Wilson dec. Pat Hegeman 6-4
122 – Jared Pollock (P) won by forfeit
130 – Ryan Fuller (P) pinned Dustin Harris 1:19
138 – Wayne Gathers (P) pinned Josh Hanna 0:51
145 – Trevor Latchford (BA) pinned Ray George 1:28
155 – Dan Pielmeier (BA) pinned Chris Patrick 4:14
165 – Willie Dukes (BA) pinned Tony Thompson 1:20
185 – Andy Martinez (BA) pinned Ryan Williams 2:24
210 – Travis Macidyn (P) pinned Brian Dougherty 0:53
250 – Brad Rousell (P) pinned Kris Morder 0:31
75 – Jordan Miller (BA) won by forfeit
80 – Don Partner (BA) won by forfeit
85 – Joe Delmastro (BA) won by forfeit
