Nov. 23, 2008
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, rode the momentum of senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) and a sizeable bonus point advantage to a 24-16 win over No. 15 Edinboro in the second round of the 2008 Sprawl and Brawl Duals hosted by Binghamton University. Haas posted the dual's biggest win, upsetting No. 15 Ricky Deubel at 133 while the Nittany Lions won the dual on bonus points, 9-1, to hand the Scots their first loss of the year.
The two teams split the bouts evenly at 5-5, but all the energy and momentum was Penn States as, even in defeat, the young Nittany Lions pressured Edinboro in each bout. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) got things started in fine fashion with a technical fall win at 125 before Haas emotional 5-4 win over Deubel at 133. Freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) followed with a major at 141 and junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) pinned No. 17 Torsten Gillespie in just 1:20. After the thrilling fall, Penn State found itself up 18-0.
Edinboro answered with a win at 157, where 2007 national champ Gregor Gillespie majored Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.). Senior Nittany Lion Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) was superb even in a losing effort, battling No. 6 Jarrod King at 165 for a full seven minutes before falling 8-5. With Edinboro trying to build momentum, Nittany Lion true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) silenced the Scots and all but ended the dual with his first collegiate pin. Wright, ranked No. 16 at 174, pinned Edinboro's Paul Paddock in 2:41. Edinboro won the dual's final three bouts, with Nittany Lion senior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) losing at 184 to No. 14 Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro. Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) was once again energized in defeat, battling veteran Edinboro 197-pounder Pat Bradshaw hard before falling 4-1. Freshman heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) faced his stiffest test of his young career, taking on No. 8 Joe Fendone of Edinboro in the HWT bout. Wade was tied throughout the first half of the bout, but Fendone managed back points in the third period before posting a hard-fought 6-2 win.
The Nittany Lions picked up nine bonus points courtesy of two pins, a technical fall and a major and won the battle of bonus points 9-1. The Nittany Lions had 14 takedowns to Edinboro's 11.
Penn State is now 2-2 on the year in dealing Edinboro its first loss of the season. The Scots fall to 4-1. The Nittany Lions will still face host Binghamton in today's action. Penn State returns to action in State College when it takes part in the 2008 Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 7. Action begins at 8:30 a.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door. Penn State's next dual meet is set for Sunday, Dec. 14, when the Nittany Lions host West Virginia in Rec Hall. Action starts at 1 p.m. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling 814-863-1000 or 800-NITTANY. Season tickets are $32 for adults and $24 for youth. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.
#14 Penn State 24, #15 Edinboro 16
Sunday, November 23, 2008 - Binghamton, N.Y.
125: Brad Pataky PSU tech. fall Kyle Fluke EU, 18-3 (TF 7:00) 5-0
133: Tim Haas PSU dec. #15 Ricky Deubel EU, 5-4 8-0
141: Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Joel Webster EU, 16-4 12-0
149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU pinned #17 Torsten Gillespie EU, WBF (1:20) 18-0
157: #3 Gregor Gillespie EU maj. dec. #2 Dan Vallimont PSU, 8-0 18-4
165: #6 Jarrod King EU dec. Mark Friend PSU, 8-5 18-7
174: #16 Quentin Wright PSU pinned Paul Paddock EU, WBF (2:41) 24-7
184: #14 Chris Honeycutt EU dec. #13 Phil Bomberger PSU, 8-3 24-10
197: Pat Bradshaw EU dec. Clay Steadman PSU, 4-1 24-13
HWT: #8 Joe Fendone EU dec. Cameron Wade PSU, 6-2 24-16
Final Score: #14 Penn State 24, #15 Edinboro 16
Attendance: 525
Records: Penn State 2-2, Edinboro 4-1
Up next: At Sprawl and Brawl Duals, Sunday, Nov. 23, Binghamton, N.Y.; vs. host Binghamton at 3:30 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Penn State sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) got the call at 125 against Edinboro's Kyle Fluke. Pataky wasted no time in taking a 2-0 lead, getting a takedown just seconds into the bout. The Lion sophomore then rode Fluke for nearly a minute before the `Boro grappler escaped to a 2-1 deficit. A second Pataky takedown gave the Nittany Lion a 4-1 lead with 1:05 left in the opening stanza. Pataky then dominated action from the top, looking to turn Fluke and perhaps pick up near fall points. But the Edinboro grappler managed to stay off his back. The Pataky ride-out, however, allowed him to lead 4-1 with 2:05 in riding time heading into the second period. Pataky chose down to start the second stanza and quickly reversed Fluke to take a 6-1 lead. The Nittany Lion sophomore finally completed a two-on-one title for two back points and an 8-1 lead. Pataky proceeded to ride Fluke out once again and led 8-1 after two periods (with a riding time bonus point assured). Fluke chose top to start the final period, hoping to turn Pataky and get back into the bout. But Pataky quickly escaped to a 9-1 lead and began looking to secure bonus points. A text-book double leg gave Pataky his third takedown and another tilt led to two more back points. The quick four-point move put Pataky up 13-1 with 1:15 left and a technical fall was within reach. Pataky got his takedown with a strong mid-waist throw and moved out to a 15-3 lead after cutting Fluke loose. Needing just one more takedown for the technical fall, Pataky got the points with just :11 left. The ride-out gave plus the bonus point gave Pataky an 18-3 technical fall at the 7:00 mark and put Penn State up 5-0 early.
133: Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) took to the mat at 133 against Edinboro's Ricky Deubel, who was ranked No. 15 nationally. Haas and Deubel battled evenly throughout the first part of period one, with neither wrestlers managing any points early on. Deubel got the first takedown at the 1:35 mark, to take a 2-0 lead. A Haas escape cut Deubel's lead to 2-1 and the Nittany Lion senior began looking for points of his own. Gaining control of Deubel's head, Haas worked the Fighting Scot to the mat but could not complete the combination and a reset was called. Trailing 2-1, Haas chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 deadlock. Deubel shot low at Haas, but Haas countered and gained control of Deubel's head once again. After a short scramble, Haas worked his way down and around Deubel to get the takedown at the 1:28 mark and take a 4-2 lead over the ranked Edinboro man. Haas then put together a convincing ride, breaking Deubel down repeatedly and building up a :58 riding time edge before Deubel escaped with just :02 left to cut Haas lead to 4-3 heading into the third period. Deubel chose down to start the third period but could not break free of the Nittany Lion senior. Haas rode Deubel until just 1:34 remained and he had a 1:26 riding time edge. The escape tied the bout at 4-4, but Haas had the riding time edge. Energized from his strong performance against a returning All-American Friday night at Cornell and his pin earlier in the day in a win over Virginia, Haas stayed in Deubel's face, not allowing the Fighting Scot any openings and working for a takedown of his own. After a reset with just :26 left, Deubel stepped up his pace, looking for a takedown, but Haas was too much as Deubel shots couldn't connect. Haas superb 5-4 win put Penn State up 8-0 early.
141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) took to the mat against Edinboro's Joel Webster at 141. Coming off a win over No. 3 Mike Grey of Cornell two nights earlier, Molinaro lifted Webster off the ground and planted him to his back with just over 1:00 gone in the opening period. The four-point move put Molinaro up 4-0 early. Webster escaped after a reset to cut Molinaro's lead to 4-1. Molinaro fought off one strong Webster scoring chance, forcing a reset after a Webster blood timeout with :50 left in the period. Molinaro countered a slight Webster shot and powered his way through the Scot's waste for a second takedown and a 6-1 lead with just over :20 left. The Nittany Lion freshman then rode Webster out to carry the 6-1 lead (with :47 in riding time) after one period. Molinaro chose down to start the second period and deftly reversed Webster to extend his lead to 8-1. Riding a wave of momentum, Molinaro punished Webster from the top, building up a sizeable riding time edge while looking for a turning combination. Webster managed to escape with :40 left, but Molinaro quickly powered through his waste again for yet another takedown and a 10-2 lead after two periods. Webster chose down to start the third period. Molinaro rode the Scot long enough to clinch the riding time point and continued to dominate action from the top. Molinaro cut Webster after a reset an then added another takedown at the :52 mark. He picked up three near fall points and led 15-4 after cutting Webster loose. Molinaro's dominating performance resulted in a 16-4 major decision and gave Penn State a 12-0 lead.
149: In one of the bout's marquee match-ups, Nittany Lion All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, met Edinboro's Torsten Gillespie, ranked No. 17. Jenkins, making short work of the talented Scot, quickly completed a cement mixer and, with just 1:00 gone, tossed Gillespie to his back. After about :20 of work, Jenkins got the stunning pin at the 1:20 mark and gave the Nittany Lions an 18-0 lead after just four bouts.
157: In a potential national championship preview, Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 2 at 157, met 2007 National Champion Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, ranked No. 3. Looking to bounce back from an upset loss earlier in the day, Vallimont was facing his second 157-pound champion in three days (the Nittany Lion lost to 2008 champ Jordan Leen of Cornell on Friday night). Each wrestler worked for an opening throughout the bulk of the first period. With :35 left, Vallimont got in high on Gillespie's right thigh and began looking for the bout's first takedown. But the two-time `Boro All-American forced a scramble for the period's final seconds to keep things scoreless heading into the second period. Vallimont chose down to start the second period only to be turned to his back for a three-point near fall :30 in. Leading 3-0, Gillespie tilted Vallimont once more for two more near fall points to take a 5-0 lead. Leading 5-0 with 2:00 in riding time, Gillespie chose neutral to start the final period. Gillespie then took Vallimont down with :18 left and rode the Nittany Lion All-American out for an 8-0 major decision, cutting Penn State's lead to 18-4.
165: Senior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) took to the mat at 165 against No. 6 Jarrod King of Edinboro. King quickly bolted out to a 2-0 lead with a takedown just :07 into the bout. Friend quickly escaped to cut King's lead to 2-1 and began looking for a takedown of his own. King got in low on Friend's ankle and looked to up his lead, but Friend steadily worked his way around and behind the senior from Edinboro to get his own takedown and take a 3-2 lead. Friend was strong on top, keeping control of King long enough to build up a substantial riding time edge. Breaking King down, Friend dominated the ranked `Boro grappler for the remainder of the period to lead 3-2 with 1:42 in riding time. Up by one, Friend chose down to start the second period. The inspired Nittany Lion senior escaped to a 4-2 lead with 1:25 left in the period and still holding a 1:09 riding time edge. Friend countered King's how shots by tying King's shoulders up and forcing the Scot to readjust after every shot attempt. King managed to tie the bout at 4-4 with a quick takedown with just :10 left and, riding Friend out, knocked his riding time edge down below a minute. Tied 4-4, King chose neutral to start the third period and fought hard for a go-ahead takedown with 1:40 left. Friend escaped to a 6-5 deficit with under :50 left. Looking for a go-ahead takedown, Friend dove in on King's right ankle and nearly locked on. But King countered the move and secured the win with a final takedown. King posted an 8-5 win over an inspired Mark Friend and cut Penn State's lead to 18-7.
174: Nittany Lion true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 6, took to the mat against Edinboro's Paul Paddock. Wright nearly got the first points of the bout with a strong throw at the 1:20 mark, but action moved out of the circle, forcing a reset. Wright broke through shortly thereafter, in a big way. Gaining control of Paddock's head, the talented Lion rookie then reached down and gained control of his ankle and turned him to his back with a swift move. After a few seconds of work from top and a simple re-adjustment, Wright got his first collegiate pin at the 2:11 mark. The victory put Penn State up 24-7 with just three bouts left, all but clinching the dual meet.
184: Senior Nittany Lion Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 13 nationally at 184, took to the mat against No. 14 Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro. Each wrestler looked for a scoring opening throughout the first period and it was Honeycutt who would notch the points with a takedown with only :09 left in the period. Trailing 2-0, Bomberger chose down to begin the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit. The Nittany Lion senior got his first takedown at the :55 mark, working his way through a double-leg to take a 3-2 lead. A quick Honeycutt escaped tied the bout at 3-3 and action moved to the center circle. Bomberger once again got taken down in the final seconds of the period, this time with just :03 left, allowing Honeycutt to take a 5-3 lead into the third period. Leading by two, Honeycutt chose down to begin the final period and escaped to a 6-3 lead. Bomberger worked hard for a takedown, but each effort was met by solid Honeycutt defense. Honeycutt iced the bout with a takedown at the :21 mark, riding Bomberger out to an 8-3 win. The victory cut Penn State's lead to 24-10.
197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) took to the mat against Edinboro veteran Pat Bradshaw. Bradshaw drew first blood with a solid takedown at the 1:20 mark. Steadman worked hard from the bottom, hoping to reverse Bradshaw, but the Scot grappler maintained control for the final 1:40 of the period and led 2-0 after one. Bradshaw chose down to begin the middle stanza, only to find Steadman's ride just as impressive. Steadman maintained control of Bradshaw long enough to cut the riding time edge down below a minute, but Bradshaw now led 3-0. Steadman chose down to begin the final period but Bradshaw managed to keep control of the Lion rookie. Steadman escaped to a 3-1 deficit with 1:00 left. Steadman could not find a way to break through Bradshaw's defense and, with the riding time point, the Scot posted a 4-1 win. The decision made the score 24-13 in Penn State's favor.
HWT: Nittany Lion freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), fresh off his dual clinching win against Virginia, faced his most daunting task of his young Penn State career in Edinboro's Joe Fendone, ranked No. 8 at HWT. Fendone got the bout's first takedown, taking a 2-0 lead at the 2:04 mark after a protracted scramble. Fendone rode Wade for a minute, trying to turn the Nittany Lion freshman to his back. But the athletic big man forced his back into Fendone's chest, forced Fendone's back to the mat and notched a reversal with just under a minute left. Tied 2-2, Wade then rode the Fight Scot senior for the remainder of the period to keep the score tied heading into the second stanza. Fendone chose top to begin the second period, hoping to turn the young Lion for back points. But Wade steadily worked his body underneath Fendone and once again nearly got a defensive pin. Still tied, Wade struggled mightily to get out from underneath, but Fendone managed to hang on and ride Wade out. Tied 2-2, but looking at a 1:49 riding time disadvantage, Wade chose down to start the third period and looked for a go-head escape. But this time, Fendone managed to fight off Wade's defensive pin efforts and notch a three-point near fall to up his lead to 5-2 with a riding time point secured. Fendone proceeded to ride Wade out and post a 6-2 win. Still, despite three straight Edinboro wins, the Nittany Lions posted a convincing 24-16 dual meet victory.