Feb. 15, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 9 nationally, dominated visiting Michigan State in a nationally televised Big Ten wrestling dual, posting a 26-13 win in Rec Hall. Head coach Troy Sunderland's squad won seven of ten bouts and got major decisions from junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) and sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) in the process.
Michigan State got out to an early lead after three injury timeouts forced Nittany Lion sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) into a match termination against Spartan Rex Kendle. But Penn State answered quickly with wins from No. 16 David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) at 174 and No. 14 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) at 184. Senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 197, trounced No. 16 Joe Williams 7-0 to put Penn State up 9-6 in a match that featured four Williams stall warnings.
No. 16 Laboranti then stepped in and broke things open with a 14-4 major of MSU's Alan O'Donnell at HWT. Michigan State did pick up two more wins, getting a decision at 125 as Nittany Lion starter Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) was held out of the dual with a skin condition and Spartan Joel Trombley downed PSU freshman Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) 7-1 at 125. Spartan Franklin Gomez, ranked No. 4 at 133, got a major decision over Penn State's Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) as well, but that would be all the scoring the Spartans would manage.
Penn State closed out the dual with a forfeit victory for No. 9 Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) at 141, a 7-2 win for No. 5 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) at 149, and No. 3 Vallimont's 15-3 major at 157.
Penn State moves to 12-5 on the year, 4-3 in Big Ten action, while Michigan State fell to 3-12, 0-7 in Big Ten action. The Nittany Lions will close out the home portion of their schedule when they hosts Purdue on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets for all regular season duals are on sale now at the athletic department ticket office in the Bryce Jordan Center. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted free! Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order single-dual or season tickets. All Penn State duals will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com. All home duals will feature a live video webcast and live scoring at www.GoPSUsports.com as well.
#9 Penn State 26, Michigan State 13
Friday, February 15, 2008 - State College, Pa.
| 165: Rex Kendle MSU match term Dave Rella PSU, | 3-0 (3 inj. TOs) | 0-6 |
| 174: #16 David Erwin PSU dec. John Murphy MSU, | 5-4 | 3-6 |
| 184: #14 Phil Bomberger PSU dec. Nick Palmieri MSU, | 7-6 | 6-6 |
| 197: #3 Phil Davis PSU dec. #16 Joe Williams MSU, | 7-0 | 9-6 |
| HWT: #16 John Laboranti PSU maj. dec. Alan O'Donnell MSU, | 14-4 | 13-6 |
| 125: Joel Trombley MSU dec. Eric Caschera PSU, | 7-1 | 13-9 |
| 133: #4 Franklin Gomez MSU maj. dec. Tim Haas PSU, | 13-5 | 13-13 |
| 141: #9 Garrett Scott PSU WB Forfeit Jeff Wimberly MSU | (failed skin check) | 19-13 |
| 149: #5 Bubba Jenkins PSU dec. Eddie Skowneski MSU, | 7-2 | 22-13 |
| 157: #3 Dan Vallimont PSU maj. dec. John Fulger MSU, | 15-3 | 26-13 |
Final Score: #9 Penn State 26 Michigan State 13
Attendance: 2,810
Records: Penn State 12-5, 4-3 Big Ten; Michigan State 3-12, 0-7 Big Ten
Up next: Penn State hosts Purdue on Sunday, February 17 in Rec Hall at 1 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
165: The bout began at 165, where Nittany Lion Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) took the mat against Michigan State's Rex Kendle. The duo battled for upper body position early, with neither man gaining an advantage. Kendle gained control of Rella's right ankle with 1:00 left, but action moved off the mat and the bout was scoreless after the first three minutes. Rella chose down to begin the second period but could not escape Kendle's control. Kendle received a first stall warning for a parallel ride with :37 left but did manage to ride Rella out and keep the bout scoreless after two periods. With 2:00 in riding time, Kendle chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Needing a takedown to get back in the match, Rella began forcing Kendle towards the edge of the mat. Rella, cramping badly in the bout, took his third injury time out in the third period and giving Michigan State an injury default and an early 6-0 lead.
174: Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 16, battled Spartan junior John Murphy at 174. Erwin, looking to energize a Rec Hall crowd that was silenced after Rella's loss, quickly stepped behind Murphy to take a 2-0 lead at the 2:10 mark. Erwin quickly cut Murphy loose and began working for another takedown. Murphy managed to block off every Erwin shot and then took one of his own with :50 left. Erwin countered the move and nearly scored himself, but Murphy did a fine job of fighting out of trouble to keep the bout close. Down 2-1, Murphy chose defense to start the second period. Erwin took advantage of the decision and worked to complete a cradle. Murphy was able to fight off Erwin's first attempt and then force a stalemate on Erwin's second attempt. Erwin escaped to a 2-2 tie after a reset with :45 left and then shot low on Erwin, looking to complete a double-leg to take the lead. But the Penn State sophomore managed to force a reset and keep things tied with :20 left in the second period. Tied 2-2 with 1:20 in riding time to his advantage, Erwin chose bottom to start the final stanza. The Nittany Lion slowly worked his way to his feet, stepped behind Murphy and got a hard-fought reversal with 1:20 left in the bout. Erwin then rode Murphy long enough to build up his riding time edge again and then began trying to turn the Spartan for back points. But with :30 left, Murphy reversed Erwin to tie the bout at 4-4, but Erwin had a riding time advantage that the Spartan could not overcome and Erwin escaped with a hard-fought 5-4 win. The victory cut MSU's lead to 6-3.
184: No. 14 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) met Michigan State's Nick Palmieri at 184. Palmieri quickly took a 2-0 lead with a swift ankle pick and takedown at the 2:34 mark. Bomberger escaped easily to a 2-1 deficit and began looking for a scoring chance against the Spartan sophomore. The junior completed a textbook double-leg in the middle of the mat to take a 3-2 lead with 1:14 left. After a Palmieri escaped tied the bout at 3-3, the duo traded shots but no scoring over the period's last seconds. Tied 3-3, Bomberger chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. Palmieri then took a 5-4 lead with a solid takedown at the 1:24 mark, but Bomberger escaped to tie things at 5-5. Palmieri nearly added another takedown, but Bomberger managed to step out of the Spartan's control before giving up any points. Tied 5-5, Palmieri chose down to begin the third period and quickly escaped to a 6-5 lead. Bomberger began pressuring for a go-ahead takedown, but Palmieri was equal to the task, fighting off every Bomberger double-leg attempt for nearly the entire period. But with :05 left, Bomberger pressured Palmieri to the end of the mat and, as the Spartan looked to escape the circle, Bomberger tripped him up and completed the takedown by grabbing both Palmieri's ankles. The takedown gave Bomberger a 7-6 win tied the bout at 6-6.
197: In the dual's only match-up between ranked wrestlers, Penn State's Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) met Michigan State's Joe Williams. Davis entered the dual ranked No. 3 at 197 while Williams was ranked No. 16. The three-time All-American patiently waited for an opening in Williams' defense. Davis continued to pressure the defensive Spartan, getting two stall warnings called on the MSU wrestler and giving Davis a 1-0 lead after the first period. Davis chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-0 lead. Davis wrapped his arms around Williams' chest and threw the Spartan to the mat on the outer circle to get his first takedown and take a 4-0 lead. After a reset in the middle of the mat, Davis began working for a pin. While Davis worked to turn Williams, the Spartan managed to keep from getting turned. Davis led 4-0 after two periods and Williams chose neutral. Williams tried to take Davis down with a shot in the third period, but the Nittany Lion used his flexibility to step out of the situation and force a reset. Another Williams stall gave Davis a 5-0 lead with :45 left. Davis added a final takedown with just :01 left and posted a convincing 7-0 win over the No. 16-ranked Spartan. The victory put Penn State up 9-6.
HWT: Nittany Lion junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.), ranked No. 16, met MSU's Alan O'Donnell at heavyweight. Neither wrestler mounted a serious offensive threat through the first three minutes, with each man looking for an opening that never presented itself. With the bout scoreless after the first period, Laboranti chose bottom to begin the second period and turned a near-escape into a two-point reversal with 1:25 left. Leading 2-0, Laboranti rode O'Donnell for :30 until the Spartan escaped. Laboranti then used a strong move to O'Donnell's midsection to take the Spartan to the mat. He then added two near fall points and, after an O'Donnell escape, led 6-2 after two periods. O'Donnell chose down to begin the third period but Laboranti took advantage of the situation. Just :30 into the ride, Laboranti completed a cradle and turned the Spartan for three near fall points and a 9-3 lead. The Nittany Lion then added another takedown to up his lead to 11-4 (after cutting the MSU wrestler) with :30 left. Not content with a major via a riding time point, Laboranti added a double-leg takedown with :10 left and walked away with an impressive 14-4 major decision. The four team points put Penn State up 13-6 heading into intermission.
125: Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 10 nationally, was forced to miss the dual with a skin infection. In his absence, red-shirt freshman Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut, taking on Michigan State's Joel Trombley at 125. Caschera wasted no time in trying to get an early lead, completing a single leg right out of the gates. But Trombley forced a stalemate and a reset with 2:30 left to wrestle. Trombley got the bout's first takedown after a scramble with 2:00 left. Trombley then put together a strong ride, keeping control of the young Nittany Lion for the remainder of the period. Down 2-0, Caschera chose neutral to start the middle period. Trombley shot low on Caschera, but the Nittany Lion freshman worked around and nearly got his own takedown. In the ensuing scramble, Trombley got his second takedown and upped his lead to 4-0. Trombley picked up a stall warning during his ride after the second takedown but still managed to ride Caschera out. Leading 4-0 with a bonus point assured, Trombley chose down to start the third period. Caschera tried for back points right away, but Trombley slid through and scored a reversal to go up 6-0. Trombley cut Caschera loose with 1:00 left, looking for bonus points with a major. The Spartan tried for the takedown on the edge of the mat, but Caschera did a fine job of forcing a scramble and eventual reset with :20 left. The Nittany Lion freshman would fight off Trombley's efforts and keep the loss to a regular decision, falling 7-1. The Spartan win cut Penn State's lead to 13-9.
133: Senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hills, Pa.) took on one of Michigan State's only two ranked grapplers when he met No. 4 Franklin Gomez at 133. Gomez took an early 2-1 lead with a takedown in the bout's first seconds and the upped his margin to 4-1 with another swift takedown after the Haas escape. Gomez then managed to control Haas for nearly a minute and a half before Haas escaped to a 4-2 deficit. That score would hold for the rest of the period and, up by two, Gomez chose down to start the middle stanza. The fourth-ranked Spartan quickly reversed Haas for a 6-3 lead after Haas escaped. Gomez upped his lead to 8-3 with 1:00 left with another takedown. He then rode Haas out to carry the five point lead (with 2:37 in riding time) into the final period. Haas chose down to start the final period and escaped to an 8-4 lead. Gomez began working towards a major with another takedown, this one on the edge of the mat with 1:10 left. With a 10-4 lead and a bonus point assured, Gomez worked for back points on Haas but could not turn the Nittany Lion senior. Haas escaped with :20 left to cut Gomez lead to 10-5, but Gomez quickly took Haas down on the edge of the mat to take a 12-5 lead with :15 left. A Gomez ride out later and the Spartan posted a 13-5 major decision. The win tied the dual briefly at 13-13.
141: True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), newly ranked at 141 at No. 9, received a forfeit at 141 when Michigan State's Jeff Wimberly did not pass the medical check for skin. The six team points put Penn State up 19-13 and improved Scott's record to 15-3 on the year.
149: Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) put his No. 5 ranking at 149 on the line against Spartan Eddie Skowneski. Jenkins wasted no time in getting his first takedown, driving through Skowneski's legs and taking a 2-0 lead with 2:30 left. After a Skowneski escape, Jenkins added a second takedown at the 1:15 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore then looked to turn the Spartan junior. But Skowneski fought off two Jenkins near fall attempts to keep things close early on. Jenkins led 4-1 after the first period and Skowneski chose down to start the second period. The Nittany Lion sophomore kept control of the Spartan until an escape at the 1:30 mark, but Jenkins build his riding time edge up to 1:59. Jenkins nearly turned Skowneski with a textbook mixer, but Skowneski rolled through without giving up any back points. Still, the takedown put Jenkins up 6-2 with under a minute left in the period. Jenkins then managed to maintain control for the ride out to lead 6-2 with 3:02 in riding time (assuring him of a bonus point). Jenkins chose down to start the final period but could not break free of Skowneski's control for the entire period. Jenkins posted a 7-2 decision and put Penn State up 22-13.
157: Penn State sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 3 nationally at 157, met Michigan State's John Fulger. Vallimont quickly opened up a 2-1 lead after a takedown :15 into the first period (cutting Fulger loose). A second Vallimont escape followed and the Nittany Loin sophomore was up 4-2 midway through the period. The steady Vallimont used another single leg to deftly up his lead to 6-2 (with 1:42 in riding time) after a dominating first period. Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. A fourth takedown in the middle of the mat put Vallimont up 9-2 with 1:20 in the period and the Nittany Lion began working for back points. Vallimont turned Fulger once, but the Spartan managed to keep his back off the mat and avoid any near fall points. With Vallimont up 9-2 with 2:59 in riding time, Fulger chose top to start the third period. Vallimont was undeterred and quickly escaped to a 10-2 lead. He then added his fifth takedown, driving through Fulger's midsection and taking a 12-2 lead with 1:20 left to wrestle. Fulger escaped with :30 left, only to watch as Vallimont grabbed both feet for his sixth takedown of the bout. The move on the edge of the mat put Vallimont up 14-3 and allowed the Nittany Lion sophomore to put an exclamation point on the dual win with a 15-3 major decision. The victory gave Penn State a 26-13 win.