WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Jan. 24) – The Waynesburg wrestling team ran into a buzz saw in white singlets on Saturday when they hosted Division II Gannon University. After taking a 3-0 lead, the Yellow Jackets were overpowered in most of the final nine bouts of the afternoon and fell 33-12.

 

The Jackets were wrestling without regular starters Nick Garber at 133 pounds and Pat McCabe at 141, who were out of the lineup with injuries.

 

As previously mentioned, the day started out well for Waynesburg when freshman 125-pounder Rico Borz defeated Chris Santucci by 3-1 decision to get the match underway. Ironically, Borz and Santucci are former teammates at Bethel Park High School.

 

After suffering a pin and a technical fall at 133 and 141, respectively, freshman 149-pounder Jesse Byerly (pictured above) got the Jackets back on the board at 149 with a 9-4 win over Kevin Methany.

However, after Byerly's win cut the deficit to 11-6, the Jackets lost the next four bouts, three of them with bonus points, to fall behind 28-6.

 

First-year 197-pounder Corbin Semple ended the scoring drought with a fall at 197 pounds to pull his team to within 28-12 on the scoreboard. It was Semple's ninth-straight victory, which have all come with bonus points.

 

The match ended with the Golden Knights earning a technical fall in the heavyweight bout.

 

The loss dropped the Jackets to 8-3 in dual matches this season, while Gannon improved to 4-2 on the year. Waynesburg returns to the mats next Saturday, when they host West Virginia Tech for a 1 p.m. contest.

 

Gannon 33, Waynesburg 12

 

125         Rico Borz (WAY)                   dec.3-1  Chris Santucci (GAN)         0-3

133         Ethan Swope (GAN)            fall 2:12  Tyler Altmeyer (WAY)           6-3

141          A.J. Milanak (GAN)                  tech fall 18-3 (RT) 7:00   Abdul Yusuff (WAY)   11-3        

149         Jesse Byerly (WAY)             dec. 9-4 Kevin Methany (GAN)          11-6

157          Brandon Monin (GAN)             maj. dec. 10-0 (RT) Jared Roberts (WAY)             15-6

165         Bret Terry (GAN)                   dec. 7-4 (RT)        Alex Evanoff (WAY)              18-6

174         Ted Hogue (GAN)                maj. dec. 10-2      Jake Benczo (WAY)             22-6

184         Chris Daniels (GAN)           fall 2:39  Charles Thomas (WAY)     28-6

197         Corbin Semple (WAY)        fall 2:45  Dean Smith (GAN)              28-12

285          Frank McGrath (GAN)             tech fall 18-0 (RT) 4:59           Rich Janicki (WAY) 33-12

 

Exhibitions:

125 Josh Klimko (WAY) dec. 10-5           Justin Rivera (GAN)       

133 Ed Marshall (GAN)   fall 2:19 Dan Boring (WAY)

141 Sam Brehm (GAN)   fall 1:36 Dean Baker (WAY)

149 Chris Pihiou (WAY)  dec. 4-2 (RT)     Sean Floor (GAN)