Wrestling: Lincoln-Way Central tops Joliet West
during the 152 pound match Thursday night in Joliet , January, 5, 2012.
| Ray Luna ~ For Sun-Times
Updated: January 5, 2012 9:45PM
In a wrestling meet in which there aren’t many close matches, turning tight bouts into big victories certainly is critical.
That’s what Lincoln-Way Central was effective at doing in Thursday’s SouthWest Suburban Conference dual at Joliet West.
The Knights got two pins in tight matches and recorded falls right before the ends of periods on two occasions.
Central finished with four pins, getting three of those in a key stretch where it took control en route to a 37-27 victory.
West (10-6) led 9-6 after three matches but Central (16-1) won six of the next seven to build a 34-14 lead.
“It definitely helps when you look up the clock and you get a fall with a second left in a period,” Knights coach Jason DePolo said. “I thought we did a great job on getting back points off takedowns.”
The hosts won three of the final four but Central’s Joey Nelson wrapped up the win with a 7-3 decision over Jorge Ulloa at 120 pounds.
Central received pins from Jamie Fabian (132) in the opener. Brett Ditchman (182), Joe Lyman (220) and Grant Bartell (285) also won via pin.
The falls by Fabian and Lyman were in close matches, while pins by Ditchman and Fabian came with one or two seconds left in the second period.
Tyler Schneider (152) added a major decision, while Chris Attaway (160) and Bryce Gorman (170) just missed doing the same for the Knights.
“We talk a lot about getting bonus points, and as you saw, the pins helped us out,” Lyman said. “Whatever we don’t have in talent we make up for in hard work and getting after it in the practice room.”
The Tigers got a fall from Cory Winchell (113), plus victories by technical fall from Jim Spangler (138) and Matt Koran (195).
Javie Hopson (145) and Jared Sims (106) won major decisions for West. Nick Winchell (126) edged Dominic Botta 2-1 in the finale.
“This obviously wasn’t what we wanted at all,” Tigers coach Joey Benefiel said. “All of our guys need to be prepared to wrestle in every single match, and that wasn’t the case at some weights tonight.”
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