Men’s wrestlers go 2-2, winning in dominant fashion and losing decisively, at Rocky Top Duals

Saturday, December 14

Gatlinburg, TN

TBD

Liberty University Club Sports

Rocky Top Duals

Freshman Drake Bowers, one of three Flames to finish 3-1 in Liberty's four matches at the Rocky Top Duals, pins Montreat's Dylan Hogan. (Photos by Robert Leek)

Men’s wrestlers go 2-2, winning in dominant fashion and losing decisively, at Rocky Top Duals

12/14/2024 8:01:00 PM | Men's Wrestling

Freshmen Matox Allen and Drake Bowers and junior heavyweight Wade Wheeler each finished 3-1 in their matches to help fuel the Flames.

Garrett-Good-Liberty-wrestler — Flames 165-pound senior Garrett Good wrestles against Andrew (Ga.) College in the team's final match of the day.

As the only NCWA program in the 16-team Rocky Top Duals field replete with NAIA schools, Liberty University's men's wrestling team fared well with a 2-2 showing against predetermined opponents Saturday in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

"Overall, I feel like we are leaving with our head above the water," said Flames Head Coach Jesse Castro, who traveled with 22 wrestlers. "Considering our youth, it was a very respectable performance."

Liberty opened the round-robin tournament with a 29-11 loss to Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) College, the No. 30-ranked NAIA program in the country.
"We had a shot at stealing that one, but failed to come through on three close matches, which is again characteristic of a young team finding its niche," Castro said.

Blaise-Verdino-Liberty-Montreat — Freshman Blaise Verdino started the Flames' 57-0 rout of Montreat with an 18-2 technical fall over Coy Reid at 133 pounds.

The Flames found their swagger in a 57-0 drubbing of Montreat (N.C.) College, sparked by six consecutive pins and a technical fall by 133-pound freshman Blaise Verdino over Coy Reid, 18-2 in 5:37.

After forfeit wins by sophomore Aiden Scheeringa at 125 pounds and junior Rcey Ortega at 141, Liberty senior Garrett Good started the domino effect with the first of six straight falls at 149 pounds — needing just 32 seconds to deck Montreat's Nathan Alley.

Rcey Ortega Liberty wrestler Andrew College — Junior Rcey Ortega lifts an Andrews College wrestler over his shoulder.

Matox Allen, one of three Flames to finish 3-1 on the day, kept the momentum in Liberty's favor by pinning Bryson McCraw in 1:45 at 157 pounds. Fellow freshman Drake Bowers, who also posted a 3-1 record, followed suit by leveling Dylan Hogan in 1:36 at 165. At 174, Liberty freshman Ronald Black felled Dalton Towe in 1:21 before freshman Paul Moore pinned Milosz Gargol in 1:38 at 184. Senior Gabe Hayes concluded the run of falls by flattening Matthew Cranfill in 3:49 at 197 pounds.

Junior heavyweight Wade Wheeler, also 3-1 for the tournament, capped the match with a 13-0 major decision over Montreat's Grant Trotter.
However, Liberty couldn't carry the dominance into its third match, a 41-0 setback at the hands of the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.), the nation's No. 5-ranked NAIA program.

"The wrestlers demonstrated a strong disposition in the way they fought," Castro said. "University of the Cumberlands was too positionally sound for our young bucks, yet they didn't back down."

The Flames finished the day with a 37-6 rout of Andrew (Ga.) College.

Next Saturday, Liberty will travel to Hershey, Pa., to compete in the Chocolate Duals. It will enjoy a 20-day Christmas Break before kicking off the spring semester at the Jan. 10-11 Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va.