As far as collegiate sporting events go, it doesn't get much more fun or exciting as the wrestling match between Chattanooga and Oklahoma in the EAS Sports Nutrition/NWCA National Duals presented by Hibiclens and the United States Marine Corps in Maclellan Gym this afternoon. The hometown Mocs erased a 16-9 deficit in the final three matches to score a 19-16 win over the Sooners.
“Great match and a lot of fun,” stated an ecstatic Heath Eslinger, head coach of the Mocs. “For the fans, the athletes, the coaches and everybody here, it was lots of fun. That's what sporting events are about; kudos to the Chattanooga wrestling community for coming out in full force.”
UTC's sophomore trio of McCoy Newberg, Scottie Boykin and Jared Johnson had three big victories in the comeback today. If you missed it, be sure to check out the full replay here on the SoCon Digital Network.
Down 16-9 with three matches left, Newberg took on Brook Climmons at 184. A takedown and two back points in the first period set the tone. Another takedown and two more back points in the third rounded out a 13-2 major decision. That closed the gap to 16-13 in favor of the Sooners.
Boykin's bout did not feature the high-scoring highlights that you normally see when he steps on the mat. In fact, he was trailing 1-0 in the third to Andrew Dixon after allowing an escape. He turned up the pressure and forced two stalling calls to even the match a 1-1 at the end of regulation.
To the chants of SCOTT-EEE BOY-KIN, he scored the win with a quick takedown early in overtime. That not only tied the dual at 16-16, but sent the crowd of nearly 600 into a frenzy. Those were the 20th wins of the season for both Newberg (20-5) and Boykin (20-9).
On paper the heavyweight match between Johnson (26-6) and No. 11 Ross Larson (22-6) looked like a good one. With the match tied and everything on the line, it was a great one.
Johnson kept the crowd going with a quick takedown in the first period. He quickly turned Larson for two back points and a 4-0 lead. He increased his lead to 7-0 with three more back points, but Larson countered with a reversal before the first buzzer. Regardless, Johnson built up nearly two minutes of riding time that would play a huge role later.
Larson chose bottom to start the second period and scored another reversal. He quickly caught Johnson on his back and nearly ended the match with a pin. Johnson got loose for an escape to carry an 8-7 lead into the final period.
Johnson chose neutral to start the final two minutes, but gave up a takedown and the lead early in the last frame. He tied it at 9-9 with an escape and sent the crowd into orbit with a takedown in the last 30 seconds. Larson came right back with a reversal to even the score at 12-12, but the reaction of the crowd, and the chants of U-T-C, made it clear that Johnson had the riding time point when the final horn sounded.
Seniors Sean Boyle (125) and Shawn Greevy (149) and sophomore Michael Pongracz (141) had wins early in the match. The Mocs actually held a 9-4 lead before dropping matches a 157, 165 and 174.
The win is the ninth in a row for Chattanooga, who improves to 12-5 overall. Oklahoma dropped to 6-10. UTC advances to the quarterfinals of the NWCA National Duals on Feb. 21 at the University of Iowa. Be sure to check back to GoMocs.com for more information on times, opponents and links to follow all of the action.
Chattanooga 19 – Oklahoma 16
Feb. 15 – Maclellan Gym
125: No. 10 Sean Boyle (UTC) – Dec. 9-3 - Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) – UTC 3-0
133: No. 4 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) – MD 15-3 – No. 13 Nick Soto (UTC) – Oklahoma 4-3
141: Michael Pongracz (UTC) – Dec. 2-0 - Trae Blackwell (Oklahoma) – UTC 6-4
149: Shawn Greevy (UTC) – Dec. 6-2 - Shayne Tucker (Oklahoma) – UTC 9-4
157: No. 19 Justin DeAngelis (Oklahoma) – Dec. 7-1 - Austin Sams (UTC) – UTC 9-7
165: Clark Glass (Oklahoma) – Fall 4:32 - Justin Lampe (UTC) – Oklahoma 13-9
174: No. 17 Matt Reed (Oklahoma) – Dec. 7-5 - Sean Mappes (UTC) – Oklahoma 16-9
184: McCoy Newberg (UTC) – MD 13-2 – Brooks Climmons (Oklahoma) - Oklahoma 16-13
197: Scottie Boykin (UTC) – SV-1, 3-1 - Andrew Dixon (Oklahoma) – Tied 16-16
285: Jared Johnson (UTC) – Dec. 12-11 – No. 11 Ross Larson (Oklahoma) – UTC 19-16
