Cape wrestling team rolls the Riders 51-23

Vikings record eight pins, now head to Beast of the East

C.J. Fritchman is back on the mat after a week’s respite due to injuries sustained in a van collision. He pins Mason Bush in 1:16. DAVE FREDERICK PHOTOS

Dave Frederick

December 16, 2021

The Cape wrestling match at Caesar Rodney Dec. 15 started at a good weight for the Vikings, beginning at 160 pounds with C.J. Fritchman and ending with a double hammer of Mikey Frederick (145) and Luke Bender (152), as the defending Division I state champions rolled over Caesar Rodney 51-23.

Cape had eight pins in the match, starting with at 160 with Fritchman over Mason Bush (1:16), Carson Kammerer at 170 over Owen Dixon (1:40), Alex Taylor at 195 over Sam Saghomonian (2:26), Lucas Ruppert at 285 over Robert Meister (5:42), Holt Baker at 120 over Antonio Darby (2:59), Josh Wright at 126 over Craig Dixon (1:17), Frederick at 145 over Cody Waski (3:28), and Bender at 152 over Jaxon Kopp (0:43).

Dalton Deevey won 5-4 over Josh Dyer in the 220-pound match.

Caesar Rodney wins came from DeVaughn Baker at 182 with a fall over Leo Hunsberger (1:23), Alex McEvoy at 106 with a tech fall over Jacob Godsell (19-4), Cole Moffett at 113 with a decision over Rony Perez-Mejia (8-2), Marion Smith at 132 with a fall over Noah Diamond (1:20) and Cameron Cataldi at 130 with a decision over Andrew Schaen (5-4).

“Teams have been banged up this early season. I know CR had a couple studs missing from their upper weights, and we were missing Josh Alvares at 132,” said coach Chris Mattioni. “This is a tough week with CR, then we are taking 10 wrestlers to the Beast of the East tournament, and next Wednesday we wrestle at Caravel. We are working on getting healthy and staying there.”

Caravel Academy wrestled at Sussex Central Dec. 15, beating the Golden Knights 50-16. The Buccaneers are defending Division II state champions and have a star-studded lineup.

There are roughly 900 wrestlers spread across 14 weight classes at this weekend’s Beast of the East tournament at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark. Fourteen will be champions, another 14 will place second, while another 14 will wrestle back and place third. The other 858 grapplers will lose twice.