Wrestling Team Sees 16-Match Winning Streak Come to an End with Losses to Central Michigan, Hofstra
HEMPSTEAD, NY – The Edinboro wrestling team saw its streak of 16 straight wins in dual matches come to an end on Sunday as the Fighting Scots faced two of the top teams in the country. Competing at Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex, the 13th-ranked Fighting Scots dropped a 28-11 decision to fifth-ranked Central Michigan. That was followed by a 24-19 loss to 16th-ranked Hofstra.
Edinboro is now 4-2, and has lost back-to-back dual meets for the first time since 2004-05. Central Michigan is 7-0, and Hofstra is 4-4.
While Edinboro suffered its first loss in 17 matches and just its second in 36 dual meets, Central Michigan won its 17th straight dual. The Chippewas had set their school record with a 16th straight win earlier in the day, a 22-14 win over Hofstra.
The Fighting Scots won just three matches against Central Michigan. Eric Morrill edged 11th-ranked Luke Smith at 125 lbs., 3-1, to give the Fighting Scots an early 3-0 lead. But the Chippewas, with eight ranked wrestlers in their lineup, won the next three bouts. Conor Beebe, ranked 19th, decisioned Ricky Deubel, 8-3, at 133 lbs. Ryan Morgan, filling in as the starter for injured Torsten Gillespie at 141 lbs., lost by major decision to 15th-ranked Eric Kruger, 10-2. The Fighting Scots trailed 10-3 when Nathaniel Holt edged Daryl Cocozzo, 10-9, at 149 lbs.
Gregor Gillespie snapped the string with a 10-2 major decision against Steve Brown. The Edinboro junior came in ranked third by InterMat at 157 lbs. Jarrod King, ranked 16th, gave Edinboro an 11-10 lead with a 10-1 major decision against Pete Puckette at 165 lbs.
Unfortunately, Central Michigan won the final four bouts. At 174 lbs., Third-ranked Brandon Sinnott escaped with a 3-2 decision over Phil Moricone, who came in ranked 12th.
Freshman Chris Honeycutt, who entered the rankings at 184 lbs. for the first time in 18th place, was unable to come up with another upset after a strong showing at the Southern Scuffle. Honeycutt lost to third-ranked Christian Sinnott, 10-6.
The Chippewas closed out the match with a pair of pins. Sixth-ranked Wynn Michalak won by fall over Pat Bradshaw at 56 seconds in the 197 lbs. match. At heavyweight, fifth-ranked Bubba Gritter pinned Joey Fendone at 4:00. Fendone came in ranked 16th.
The Hofstra match did not start on a good note for the Fighting Scots, as the Pride won the first four matches before Gillespie ended the streak. At 125 lbs., Morrill suffered a 9-4 loss to tenth-ranked Dave Tomasette. Morrill is now 12-6. Eighth-ranked Lou Ruggirello won by fall over Deubel at 2:57 at 133 lbs., dropping Deubel’s record to 16-10. The two had met in the Southern Scuffle, with Ruggirello prevailing, 9-3.
Fifth-ranked Charles Griffin won by technical fall over Morgan (7-6), 18-3, at 141 lbs., and that was followed by a 6-4 decision in sudden victory for Mitch Smith over Cocozzo at 149 lbs. Cocozzo now has a 23-8 record.
Gillespie improved to 22-2 with his tenth win by technical fall, prevailing 16-0 at 157 lbs. The junior now has a 96-8 career record. King continued his hot wrestling with a 13-1 major decision over Jonny Bonilla-Bowman at 165 lbs., pulling the Fighting Scots to within 17-9. King is now 20-6.
Moricone once again faced one of the top wrestlers in the country and barely lost at 174 lbs. The junior dropped a 5-3 decision to sixth-ranked Alton Lucas. Lucas finished first at the Southern Scuffle a week ago. Moricone falls to 15-8, with all eight losses to nationally-ranked grapplers.
Honeycutt’s win by fall at 184 lbs. suddenly had the Scots within striking distance at 20-15. The freshman needed just 1:06 to pin Justin Danz and improve his record to 18-5. However, Joe Rovelli, ranked ninth at 197 lbs., handed Bradshaw an 11-1 loss to end Edinboro’s comeback hopes. That left Bradshaw with a 19-9 ledger.
Fendone finished the day with a split in his matches as the junior heavyweight won an 11-2 major decision over Tom Daddino. Fendone is now 11-4.
Edinboro returns to action on Friday, January 18 when it begins EWL action at Clarion. That match begins at 7:30 p.m.
#5 Central Michigan 28, #13 Edinboro 11
EU-CMU
125
lbs.
Eric Morrill (E) dec. #11 Luke Smith (CMU),
3-1
3-0
133
lbs.
#19 Conor Beebe (CMU) dec. Ricky Deubel (E),
8-3
3-3
141
lbs.
#15 Eric Kruger (CMU) maj. dec. Ryan Morgan (E),
10-2
3-7
149
lbs.
Nathaniel Holt (CMU) dec, Daryl Cocozzo (E),
10-9
3-10
157
lbs.
#3 Gregor Gillespie (E) maj. dec. Steve Brown (CMU),
10-2
7-10
165
lbs.
#16 Jarrod King (E) maj. dec. Pete Puckette (CMU)
10-1
11-10
174
lbs.
#3 Brandon Sinnott (CMU) dec. #12 Phil Moricone (E)
3-2
11-13
184
lbs.
#3 Christian Sinnott (CMU) dec. #18 Chris Honeycutt (E),
10-6
11-16
197
lbs.
#6 Wynn Michlak (CMU) fall over Pat Bradshaw (E),
0:56
11-22
285
lbs.
#5 Bubba Gritter (CMU) fall over #16 Joe Fendone (E),
4:00
11-28
#16 Hofstra 24, #13 Edinboro 19
EU-HU
125
lbs.
#10 Dave Tomasette (H) dec. Eric Morrill (E),
9-4
0-3
133
lbs.
#8 Lou Ruggirello (H) fall over Ricky Deubel (E),
2:57
0-9
141
lbs.
#5 Charles Griffin (H) tech fall. Ryan Morgan (E),
18-3
0-14
149
lbs.
Mitch Smith (H) dec. Daryl Cocozzo (E), 6-4 sv
(0:29)
0-17
157
lbs.
#3 Gregor Gillespie (E) tech. fall Anthony Tortora (H),
16-0
5-17
165
lbs.
#16 Jarrod King (E) maj. dec. Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (H),
13-1
9-17
174
lbs.
#6 Alton Lucas (H) dec. #12 Phil Moricone (E),
5-3
9-20
184
lbs.
#18 Chris Honeycutt (E) fall over Justin Danz (H),
1:06
15-20
197
lbs.
#9 Joe Rovelli (H) maj. dec. Pat Bradshaw (E),
11-1
15-24
285
lbs.
#16 Joey Fendone (E) maj. dec. Tom Daddino (H),
11-2
19-24