Riders storm Cape wrestling 48-28
“Riders on the Storm” by the Doors played, the house lights went down and the Caesar Rodney wrestling team circled the mat prior to their home match versus Cape.
Members of the 2005 state championship team were honored beforehand, one of 14 state wrestling titles the Riders have won in school history.
Cape started strong, trailing 11-10 after four bouts in a match that started at 106 pounds. But the Vikings couldn't weather the storm of a loaded lineup, falling 48-28 to the Henlopen Conference dual meet champions who had already beaten Smyrna and Sussex Central.
The Riders won nine of 14 matches, including pins at 138, 144, 165, 175 and 285. They also got a forfeit at 113.
The Vikings won five matches, including pins at 120, 157, 190 and 215.
The Riders came out of the gate strong with Connor Herrman earning a tech fall (18-3) over Nolan Wright at 106. Cape then forfeited to Ben Donato at 113 and bumped Blake Walker up to 120.
The Cape freshman responded by pinning Ashton Graham at 3:14 of the second period.
Austin Guerrieri moved up to 126, where the Riders sent out freshman Quade Cummings to face the defending state champ.
“I didn’t even think I was wrestling tonight,” Cummings said after the match. Cummings hung tough, getting an initial takedown, but eventually lost a 15-4 decision to Guerrieri.
The Riders led 11-10 but ran off four straight wins to lead 30-10 after eight of 14 bouts.
CR’s Alex Batton won by decision 8-3 over Cale Baker at 132, Johnny Spence pinned Tripp Gannon of Cape (3:16) at 138, the Riders’ Trevor Copes won by fall over Colin Poulis at 144, and Miguel Sigaran won by major decision (11-2) over the Vikings’ Aidan Baum at 150.
Nick Walker of Cape moved up to 157 in the shuffling lineup and won by pin over Ethan Ferger (3:24). The victory was the 100th career win for the Cape junior who was presented with a banner by the Cape Wrestling Boosters.
The Riders responded with Ken King pinning Carson Tuer (1:26) at 165 followed by a Craig Dixon win by fall (0:52) over Jacob Goodsell at 175.
Cape came back with a pair of pins of their own with Luke Arnold-Decyk over Jeremiah Heath (3:05) at 190 and Patrick Donahue over Dionysus Alston (3:41) at 215.
The match closed with a Tristan Cooper win by pin over freshman Wyatt Gaviet (0:07) at 285 pounds.
Cape, 11-8 on the dual meet season, wrestles at Lake Forest (11-4) at 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7.
The Henlopen Conference Championships are Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22 at Milford Central Academy.
