No. 9 Lehigh wins nine bouts to top Oklahoma, 31-4, but Sooners battled in every match
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by Gary Blockus, Special to TheMat.com
NCAA champion Darian Cruz of Lehigh has Christian Moody in trouble, and emerged with a tight 7-5 win at 125 pounds. Photo by Justin Lafleur.
The score may have been 31-4, but Oklahoma fought hard in every bout despite falling on the road to No. 9 Lehigh on Friday night.
Lehigh picked up bonus wins when No. 4 Ryan Preisch scored his first pin of the season and No. 12 heavyweight Jordan Wood earned a major decision, but those were the big highlights.
Lehigh won nine of 10 bouts to kick off the closing weekend of the season but four were by two points and returning 125-pound national champion Darian Cruz had to fight off a four-point tilt in the third period to hang on for a 7-5 win over No. 16 Christian Moody to start the night in front of 1714 fans at Grace Hall in Bethlehem.
“He’s really good,” Cruz said of Moody. “I wrestled him before, but I feel I made him look a lot better than he was. I was very frustrated afterward. I have to dominate more. At this point in the season, I’m looking to dominate my weight and win nationals, but in the end, Moody’s really good.”
Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro was a bit taken aback by the opening five bouts, but pleased with steadier performances in the closing five.
“They just didn’t have good third periods,” he said of Crus, Scott Parker (No. 7 at 133), No. 11 Luke Karam, who gave up an 8-0 major decision to Oklahoma senior Mike Longo at 141.
“It wasn’t a team thing because the second half guys came out and wrested hard against higher ranked guys. It’s one of those times when we won the point battles in those early matches but we didn’t’ win the fight battles. As a coach, that gets you because you can’t always wrestle your best, but you have to fight your best.”
Cruz (21-0), ranked No. 2 at 125, moved into a tie for sixth place on the all-time Lehigh wins list, tying Steve Cassidy with 111 wins.
It was all Cruz early, jumping out to a 7-0 lead, and all Moody in the third period.
Moody started out on top in the third period and caught Cruz for four back points on a cross-chest tight waist tilt. Cruz gave up a stalling point later in the period but held on for the 7-5 decision to put Lehigh on top 3-0.
Oklahoma’s Jake Rubio held Parker scoreless after one at 133 – five bouts were scoreless after the first period -- but Parker reversed to start the second period. Rubio chose neutral for the final period. He went for a slap single, but Parker countered and nearly took him to his back in a scoreless flurry with Parker picking up the 2-0 decision.
Longo put Oklahoma on the board at 141 with an 8-0 upset of Karam. Longo pushed Karam off the mat and hard to the ground in the scoreless opening period, drawing boos from the Grace Hall crowd. Longo escaped quickly to start the second period, but the two got into a crafty funky scramble. Longo earned a takedown before the buzzer, which was challenged by the Lehigh coaching staff, but upheld after video review.
Karam chose defense to start the final period, and Longo turned the freshman with a reverse headlock for four nearfall, and earned riding time for the major as the Sooners trailed 6-4 after three bouts.
Oklahoma’s Davion Jeffries surprised No. 19 Cortlandt Schuyler with an early takedown after the Lehigh wrestler nearly took Jeffries to his back to open the bout. Schuyler escaped, got a takedown, Jeffries escaped, and the two traded near takedowns before Schuyler got one on a slick duck under for a 5-3 lead after one period.
Jeffries escaped to start the second period, Schuyler in the third, and Jeffries got a takedown in the waning seconds of the third, it didn’t matter as Schuyler survived with an 8-6 decision as Lehigh’s lead went to 9-4.
Lehigh junior Ian Brown scored an opening-period takedown on Justin Thomas and tried several different moves for a tilt that never came. Thomas chose neutral to start the middle period, which looked like a good move until Brown hit a duck under for a stand-up takedown with just a few seconds left. Brown escaped to start the final period but got caught in an awkward position and gave up a takedown before ending with a 6-2 decision and a 12-4 lead for Lehigh at the break.
Lehigh’s Gordon Wolf, ranked No. 19 at 165, picked up a 5-1 win over Dawaylon Barnes despite taking numerous slaps to the head before finally picking up a penalty point for getting poked in the eye.
Wolf earned a reverse off the whistle at the start of the second period. Barnes escaped at the edge of the mat and then fought off one good shot before Wolf tackled him for the only takedown of the bout.
Lehigh sophomore Jordan Kutler, No. 4 at 174, scored a nice take takedown on a leg grab, elevate and drop in the opening period against No. 10 Yoanse Mejias, and added a third-period score takedown as well for a 6-0 win and an 18-4 team lead.
Preisch, No. 4 at 184, picked up an early takedown on Oklahoma freshman Matt Waddell and worked a half for a four-point tilt, reloading it for the pin in 2:54 for Lehigh’s first bonus win of the night to clinch the victory, and his first pin of the season.
“I’m just really excited to be back here,” Preisch said. “I haven’t wrestled here since Michigan [on Nov. 19]. I thought about it the whole week, the fans, I was excited. I hadn’t pinned anyone yet this year, so it felt really good.
In a thrilling battle at 197, Oklahoma senior Andrew Dixon reversed freshman Chris Weiler at the start of the second period and nearly put him on his back, but Weiler, who had numerous blood time stops, escaped before eventually earning takedown. He gave up a reverse with 11 seconds in the period before escaping to tie it 4-4. Weiler escaped to start the final period which turned out to be the difference.
Jordan Wood, No. 12 at 285, put on moves more akin to a 141-pounder with his opening takedown on fellow freshman Connor Webb, finishing up on his third shot by dropping to his knees for the double leg. He let Webb up after picking up riding time, and then rode him 20 more seconds to start the second period before Webb’s escaped, then added another takedown before escaping to start the final period.
No. 9 LEHIGH 31, OKLAHOMA 4
at Bethlehem, Pa., February 16
125: No. 2 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. No. 16 Christian Moody (Oklahoma) 7-5.
133: No. 7 Scott Parker (Lehigh) dec. Jake Rubio (Oklahoma) 2-0.
141: Mike Longo (Oklahoma) maj. dec. No. 11 Luke Karam (Lehigh) 8-0.
149: No 19 Cortlandt Schuyler (Lehigh) dec. Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma) 8-6.
157: Ian Brown (Lehigh) dec. Justin Thomas (Oklahoma) 6-2.
165: No. 19 Gordon Wolf (Lehigh) dec. Dawaylon Barnes (Oklahoma) 5-1.
174: No. 4 Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) dec. No. 10 Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma) 6-0.
184: No. 4 Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) pin Matt Waddell (Oklahoma) 2:54.
197: Chris Weiler (Lehigh) dec. Andrew Dixon (Oklahoma) 5-4.
285: No. 12 Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Connor Webb (Oklahoma) 14-4
Attendance: 1,714
The score may have been 31-4, but Oklahoma fought hard in every bout despite falling on the road to No. 9 Lehigh on Friday night.
Lehigh picked up bonus wins when No. 4 Ryan Preisch scored his first pin of the season and No. 12 heavyweight Jordan Wood earned a major decision, but those were the big highlights.
Lehigh won nine of 10 bouts to kick off the closing weekend of the season but four were by two points and returning 125-pound national champion Darian Cruz had to fight off a four-point tilt in the third period to hang on for a 7-5 win over No. 16 Christian Moody to start the night in front of 1714 fans at Grace Hall in Bethlehem.
“He’s really good,” Cruz said of Moody. “I wrestled him before, but I feel I made him look a lot better than he was. I was very frustrated afterward. I have to dominate more. At this point in the season, I’m looking to dominate my weight and win nationals, but in the end, Moody’s really good.”
Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro was a bit taken aback by the opening five bouts, but pleased with steadier performances in the closing five.
“They just didn’t have good third periods,” he said of Crus, Scott Parker (No. 7 at 133), No. 11 Luke Karam, who gave up an 8-0 major decision to Oklahoma senior Mike Longo at 141.
“It wasn’t a team thing because the second half guys came out and wrested hard against higher ranked guys. It’s one of those times when we won the point battles in those early matches but we didn’t’ win the fight battles. As a coach, that gets you because you can’t always wrestle your best, but you have to fight your best.”
Cruz (21-0), ranked No. 2 at 125, moved into a tie for sixth place on the all-time Lehigh wins list, tying Steve Cassidy with 111 wins.
It was all Cruz early, jumping out to a 7-0 lead, and all Moody in the third period.
Moody started out on top in the third period and caught Cruz for four back points on a cross-chest tight waist tilt. Cruz gave up a stalling point later in the period but held on for the 7-5 decision to put Lehigh on top 3-0.
Oklahoma’s Jake Rubio held Parker scoreless after one at 133 – five bouts were scoreless after the first period -- but Parker reversed to start the second period. Rubio chose neutral for the final period. He went for a slap single, but Parker countered and nearly took him to his back in a scoreless flurry with Parker picking up the 2-0 decision.
Longo put Oklahoma on the board at 141 with an 8-0 upset of Karam. Longo pushed Karam off the mat and hard to the ground in the scoreless opening period, drawing boos from the Grace Hall crowd. Longo escaped quickly to start the second period, but the two got into a crafty funky scramble. Longo earned a takedown before the buzzer, which was challenged by the Lehigh coaching staff, but upheld after video review.
Karam chose defense to start the final period, and Longo turned the freshman with a reverse headlock for four nearfall, and earned riding time for the major as the Sooners trailed 6-4 after three bouts.
Oklahoma’s Davion Jeffries surprised No. 19 Cortlandt Schuyler with an early takedown after the Lehigh wrestler nearly took Jeffries to his back to open the bout. Schuyler escaped, got a takedown, Jeffries escaped, and the two traded near takedowns before Schuyler got one on a slick duck under for a 5-3 lead after one period.
Jeffries escaped to start the second period, Schuyler in the third, and Jeffries got a takedown in the waning seconds of the third, it didn’t matter as Schuyler survived with an 8-6 decision as Lehigh’s lead went to 9-4.
Lehigh junior Ian Brown scored an opening-period takedown on Justin Thomas and tried several different moves for a tilt that never came. Thomas chose neutral to start the middle period, which looked like a good move until Brown hit a duck under for a stand-up takedown with just a few seconds left. Brown escaped to start the final period but got caught in an awkward position and gave up a takedown before ending with a 6-2 decision and a 12-4 lead for Lehigh at the break.
Lehigh’s Gordon Wolf, ranked No. 19 at 165, picked up a 5-1 win over Dawaylon Barnes despite taking numerous slaps to the head before finally picking up a penalty point for getting poked in the eye.
Wolf earned a reverse off the whistle at the start of the second period. Barnes escaped at the edge of the mat and then fought off one good shot before Wolf tackled him for the only takedown of the bout.
Lehigh sophomore Jordan Kutler, No. 4 at 174, scored a nice take takedown on a leg grab, elevate and drop in the opening period against No. 10 Yoanse Mejias, and added a third-period score takedown as well for a 6-0 win and an 18-4 team lead.
Preisch, No. 4 at 184, picked up an early takedown on Oklahoma freshman Matt Waddell and worked a half for a four-point tilt, reloading it for the pin in 2:54 for Lehigh’s first bonus win of the night to clinch the victory, and his first pin of the season.
“I’m just really excited to be back here,” Preisch said. “I haven’t wrestled here since Michigan [on Nov. 19]. I thought about it the whole week, the fans, I was excited. I hadn’t pinned anyone yet this year, so it felt really good.
In a thrilling battle at 197, Oklahoma senior Andrew Dixon reversed freshman Chris Weiler at the start of the second period and nearly put him on his back, but Weiler, who had numerous blood time stops, escaped before eventually earning takedown. He gave up a reverse with 11 seconds in the period before escaping to tie it 4-4. Weiler escaped to start the final period which turned out to be the difference.
Jordan Wood, No. 12 at 285, put on moves more akin to a 141-pounder with his opening takedown on fellow freshman Connor Webb, finishing up on his third shot by dropping to his knees for the double leg. He let Webb up after picking up riding time, and then rode him 20 more seconds to start the second period before Webb’s escaped, then added another takedown before escaping to start the final period.
No. 9 LEHIGH 31, OKLAHOMA 4
at Bethlehem, Pa., February 16
125: No. 2 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. No. 16 Christian Moody (Oklahoma) 7-5.
133: No. 7 Scott Parker (Lehigh) dec. Jake Rubio (Oklahoma) 2-0.
141: Mike Longo (Oklahoma) maj. dec. No. 11 Luke Karam (Lehigh) 8-0.
149: No 19 Cortlandt Schuyler (Lehigh) dec. Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma) 8-6.
157: Ian Brown (Lehigh) dec. Justin Thomas (Oklahoma) 6-2.
165: No. 19 Gordon Wolf (Lehigh) dec. Dawaylon Barnes (Oklahoma) 5-1.
174: No. 4 Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) dec. No. 10 Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma) 6-0.
184: No. 4 Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) pin Matt Waddell (Oklahoma) 2:54.
197: Chris Weiler (Lehigh) dec. Andrew Dixon (Oklahoma) 5-4.
285: No. 12 Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Connor Webb (Oklahoma) 14-4
Attendance: 1,714
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