UTC Mocs logoBy the slimmest of margins, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has taken control of Southern Conference wrestling.
The Mocs handed Appalachian State its first league loss of the season with a 19-17 win and improved to 11-5 and 6-0 in league matches with one conference meet remaining Feb. 22 at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (5-15, 2-3).
“Good win,” said coach Eslinger. “We gave them opportunities, but we came up with wins when we had to have them and we’re glad to be coming home with a win.”
CHATTANOOGA 19, APPALACHIAN STATE 17
(Meet started at 125 pounds)125-Sean Boyle (C) dec. Dominic Parisi, 8-6; 133-Nick Soto (C) dec. Vito Pasone, 10-7; 141-Mike Longo (A) dec. Mike Pongracz, 2-1; 149-Shawn Greevy (C) tech. fall Javon Johnson, 6:12; 157-Zachary Strickland (A) dec. Austin Sams, 4-2; 165-Nick Kee (A) major dec. Justin Lampe, 15-5; 174-Forrest Przybysz (A) dec. Sean Mappes, 4-3; 184-McCoy Newberg (C) tech. fall Dominiick Vetell, 7:00; 197-Scottie Boykin (C) dec. Tyler Radford, 15-10; 285-Denzel Dejournette (A) major dec. Ira Dent, 14-2. Records: UTC 11-5, 6-0; Appalachian State 7-8, 4-1.
Before that meet, though, the Mocs step out of conference wrestling to host Oklahoma. That meet, part of the national duals, is at 2 p.m. Sunday at Maclellan Gym.
“It should be a great match. I feel like we’ll be very competitive and definitely feel we have a chance to win,” Eslinger said.
UTC and Appalachian State split the 10 matches but the Mocs picked up bonus (five team points) from Shawn Greevy (149) and McCoy Newberg (184) while allowing the Mountaineers four-point wins (major decisions) at 165 and 285, thus the two-point differential.
“Greevy was down 9-1 and came back with 25 straight points. McCoy got his tech fall with like five seconds left. They were so huge,” Eslinger said.
UTC also got comeback wins from 133-pound Nick Soto and 197-pound Scottie Boykin. Soto was behind 7-1 and rallied for a 10-7 victory and Boykin gave up a 5-point first-period move but won 15-10.
The Mocs led 19-13 after Boykin’s win and headed into the heavyweight match and they were without Jared Johnson, who is unbeaten in SoCon competition. Johnson was left at home with Type-A flu.
“I wasn’t about to let him make the trip; didn’t want to get the other nine guys sick – or myself,” the coach said.
So the alternative was 190-pound Clay Dent.
“I told him we couldn’t give up the pin, and he went out and fought his tail off against a guy that outweighed him by 60 pounds,” Eslinger said.
Dent gave up a major decision but preserved the Mocs’ victory.
Only a win over SIUE stands between UTC and its 15th overall and third straight league championship. The win improved Eslinger’s SoCon record to 35-1 and extended UTC’s league win streak to 21 straight.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765.