The Stow Varsity Wrestling team hosted North Royalton Thursday evening for a conference dual meet. This was the last home match of the season and was senior night for 11 Stow wrestlers, which is traditionally followed by a team dinner for the wrestling team and their families. Halfway through the match, though, it looked like it would be a very depressing dinner.
Freshman Anthony Valore got the Bulldogs off to what looked like a good start. Valore was trailing 3-0 going into the 3rd period, but was able to work a reversal and catch his opponent on his back for a pin giving Stow the early 6-0 lead. However, those 6 points remained the only points on the scoreboard for the Bulldogs for the next six matches as North Royalton dominated the bottom half of the Stow line up. Sophomore Justin George wrestled hard but lost a major decision 11-3 at 113 pounds. This was the closest contest for Stow through the 145 pound weight class. North Royalton wrestlers beat some of Stow's best performers and won by pin at 120 pounds, technical fall at 126 pounds, major decision at 132 pounds, pin at 138 pounds, and a pin at 145 pounds.
In a quiet Bulldog gym with Stow trailing 31-6, Sophomore Hunter Massey stepped on the mat at 152 pounds trying to change the momentum and he did. Massey wrestled a strong match and cruised to a 8-1 decision. At 160 pounds, Senior Connor McMahon, jumped out to a big lead early as he played cat and mouse with his opponent with McMahon performing the role of the cat. In the 2nd period he ended the match when he applied a cradle for the pin to reduce the Stow deficit to 31-15.
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However, for the Bulldogs to rally, they would need wins and pins from the upperweights. Sophomore Joe Kollar wrestled at 170 pounds. After taking an early lead with a takedown, Kollar put his opponent on his back and pinned him with 51 seconds remaining in the 2nd period. The pin moved Stow to a 31- 21 deficit and the gym roared to life as the momentum had swung to the Bulldogs favor. Senior Troy Steiger followed at 182 pounds. Steiger took an early lead with a nice double leg takedown and was in command for his entire match. He finished with a 10-1 major decision to bring the score closer. Stow now trailed 31-25.
Junior Gage Finegan would have a chance to tie the match with a pin at 195 pounds. Finegan took an early lead with a takedown and then had the home crowd cheering as he went after the pin and he got it with 37 seconds left in the 1st period. His efforts tied the match score at 31-31.
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With Stow's heavyweight, Zach Milush out due to illness, coach Randy Jenkins sent Senior Jeremy Light out at 220 pounds and moved Stow's regular 220 pounder, Senior Dan Garner, to heavyweight to try to complete the comeback. Light came out aggressively against his stocky opponent and repeatedly pushed him off the mat with takedown attempts, but the match remained scoreless late in the 1st period. Light then went for a headlock and got it, and then pinned his opponent with 14 seconds left in the first period bringing the Stow fans to their feet for what had been an amazing comeback. The Bulldogs now had the lead 37-31.
The 220 pounder, Garner, then stepped in at heavyweight against his 255 pound opponent. If he could avoid being pinned, Stow would win the match. The first period was scoreless and Garner rode out the second period on top but could score no points. In the third, Garner got to his feet and then turned to take his opponent down for a reversal. He then worked from top and caught his opponent on his back and pinned him with 38 seconds remaining to seal the victory for Stow 43 -31.
It was an incredible rally as Stow, after trailing 31-6, then won the final seven matches, with 5 pins for the victory. The Bulldogs are off this weekend and will travel to Brunswick next Thursday for a dual meet.
The senior Stow wrestlers recognized for their dedication to this challenging sport were: Kevin Johnson, Joe Combs, Mike Edwards, Dan Garner, Reece Iovine, Jeremy Light, J.J. McCaffrey, Connor McMahon, Zach Milush, Troy Steiger, and Joshua Whiting. A team dinner for wrestlers and families was enjoyed in the commons after the match. (This author enjoyed pasta salad prepared by Mrs. Finegan and meatballs prepared by Mrs. Steiger. The dessert offerings were outstanding and included cake, cookies, Mrs Garner's famous buckeyes, and a whip cream fluff thing that may have one 220 pound wrestler permanently wrestling heavyweight.)