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Cape wrestling outlasts Laurel, downs IR

Vikings get two wins in one day
Cape junior Chris Handlin works for the pin over Laurel’s Dalton Perdue at 4:33 of the 170-pound weight class. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Dan Cook
January 29, 2018
Cape freshman Jackson Handlin battles to a 9-2 decision over Laurel’s Michael Bell in the 145-pound weight class.
Cape junior 285-pounder Jonah Robertson waits to shake hands with his opponent, Khashad Gillespie, after pinning the Laurel wrestler at 3:50.
Cape’s Zane Kesler, top, grapples to a 13-9 decision over Bulldog Chase Phippin at the 152-pound class.
Cape’s Andre Currie, left, gets a pin over Laurel’s Caleb Hudson at the 4-minute mark of the 138 weight class.
Vikings junior Eduardo Saez, top, turned up the excitement in the third period, winning by fall over Laurel’s Rae’Mier DeShields at 3:55 of the 182 weight class.
In the final match of the night, Anthony Caruso picks up a 6-1 decision over Laurel’s Woo Fosque in the 126 weight class.
Laurel’s Jailon Gillespie, right, had all he could handle and just squeaked by Cameron Smith with a 9-3 decision at 195.
Cape’s Royuan Jones, right, worked for an ultimate tiebreaker (UTB 3-2) win over Laurel’s Ja'Mir Townsend at the 160-pound class.
Cape coach Chris Mattioni gives instructions to Zane Kesler.
The Cape student cheering section gives accolades to Eduardo Saez as he pinned Laurel’s Rae’Mier DeShields at 3:55 of the 182 weight class.
Laurel head coach Jesse Glanden is ejected after his second unsportsmanlike penalty during the 285-pound class.
Cape’s Eduardo Saez, right, gets the advantage over Colin Donaway in the 182 class. Saez went on to pick up an 11-5 decision.
Cape’s L B Harrington ties up with Indian River’s Ian Shaubach. The Indian River 106-pounder got a pin at 2:37 in the match.
Cape’s Andre Curry, top, works toward a pin over Connor Sewitsky at 5:32 of the 138 class.
Cape’s Jackson Handlin works for the pin over Aaron King at 3:16 at the 145 class.
Cape’s Chris Handlin pins IR’s Eric Winstead at 1:44 of the 170 weight class.
Cape’s Finbar Rishko and Indian River’s Dylan Ely tie up in the 132 class. Ely won by a slim 3-2 decision.
Cape’s Billy Ott pulls Brock Wingate back on the mat and grapples to a 4-2 victory in the 220 class.
Cape’s Chris Handlin and his teammates are wearing an AC sticker on their headgear to honor their friend Alex Creasey who passed away last week.
Milford 2017 graduate Alex Creasey, top, wrestled Cape’s Zeke Bean in the 145-pound class at the 2017 Henlopen Conference Championships.

The Cape gym was jumping Jan. 26, as the Vikings wrestling squad outlasted Laurel 39-21, and then traveled to Dagsboro Jan. 27, squeaking out a 36-34 victory over the Indian River.

“We just went out and wrestled a high-tempo match,” said Cape coach Chris Mattioni. “We are confident in our conditioning, and we know that if we go out and keep it high tempo that we are going to beat guys because we are going to wear them down. I thought it was going to be real close. Laurel head coach Jesse Glanden, who has been there for just a few years, has done a tremendous job there with getting guys out. It wasn’t too long ago where they were defaulting seven matches.”

Mattioni was quick to praise his 182-pounder for his key match.

“Eduardo [Saez] got behind, but didn’t get discouraged,” he said. “He kept the match close and started taking his shot and got the pin over Rae’Mier DeShields. I think that was the momentum push that we needed, and it changed the tide in our favor.”

“Every time I wrestle, it’s all in my heart,” said Saez. “When I’m down in the points, there is something inside me that tells me to never give up, never give in, and I keep fighting to the very end.”

Cape’s Andre Currie started the scoring for the Vikings with a pin over Laurel’s Caleb Hudson at the 4:00 mark of the 138 class. Jackson Handlin followed for the Vikings with a 9-2 decision over over Michael Bell in the 145-pound class. Zane Kesler then took a 13-9 decision over Chase Phippin in the 152-pound match.

In an ultimate tiebreaker match, Roy Jones oulasted Ja'Mir Townsend at 160, before Chris Handlin won at 170 with a pin over Laurel’s Dalton Perdue.

Arguably the most exciting match of the evening was Saez getting the pin over Laurel’s Rae’Mier DeShields at 3:55 of the 182-pound match. Cameron Smith avoided getting pinned by the more experienced Jailon Gillespie at 195, and Billy Ott followed with a 5-3 decision over Laurel’s Michael Handy at 220.

Jonah Robertson then pinned Khashad Gillespie at 3:50 of the 285 class, while Anthony Caruso finished the scoring with a 6-1 decision over Woo Fosque at 126.

The Vikings didn’t have much time to rest, as they grappled a tough Indian River team 13 hours later.

The Indians began the match on fire, jumping out to an 18-0 lead on the strength of three lightweight pins. Cape’s Caruso finally got the Vikings on the board with a pin over Christian Lopez at 1:29 of the 126-pound match. After an Indians decision at 132, Cape’s Andre Currie pinned Connor Sewitsky at 5:32 at 138, and Jackson Handlin pinned Aaron King at 3:16 in the 145 class. Other wins came from Jones with a pin over Will Keller at 4:16 at 160, Chris Handlin pinning Eric Winstead at 1:44 at 170, an 11-5 decision by Saez over Colin Donaway, and a 4-2 decision by Ott over IR 220-pounder Brock Wingate.

This set up a 36-31 advantage for Cape with the 285 class in a make-it-or-break-it situation. Cape’s Jonah Robertson had to win or not get pinned to solidify Cape’s win. The match went into overtime 1-1, with Indian River’s Ramond Turner getting the takedown to allow the Vikings to escape with the slim two-point victory.

“They had three experienced wrestlers at 106, 113 and 120, where two were state placers last season and wrestling three inexperienced guys [from Cape],” Mattioni said. “Our guys battled, but got pinned. Our guys are getting better.

“To come off a huge win against Laurel and come here and eke it out, I think that it’s a great accomplishment for us,” Mattioni continued. “Overall, I’ve always said that good teams find ways to win, and we were able to pull this off in a close decision.”

The Vikings move to 5-4 on the season, while Laurel is 5-2 and Indian River dropped to 16-3.

On a side note: The Vikings are now wearing an AC over a Buccaneers head sticker on their headgear. The tribute is for 2017 Milford graduate and wrestler Alex Creasey, who was a four-time state placer for the Bucs. He wrestled to third place in the 2014 and 2017 state championships and helped lead Milford to four Division II Dual Team State Championships. Alex wrestled for Team Delaware and graduated from Milford High School with over a 4.0 GPA, garnering first-team Academic All-American honors. Alex passed away last Thursday and will be sorely missed by the wrestling community.

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