Cape wrestling moves to semifinals with 56-9 win over St. Georges

Vikings face Caesar Rodney Feb. 18 in Smyrna

Robbie Payton gets a takedown over Donald Smith. DAVE FREDERICK PHOTOS

Dave Frederick

February 16, 2023

Newly inducted members of the Cape Honor Society skedaddled from the ceremony in the high school theater to the Big House Feb. 15 for the DIAA quarterfinal match between the visiting St. Georges Hawks and the two-time defending state champion Vikings.

Cape prevailed 56-9 and will face Caesar Rodney in the semifinals at 4 p.m., Saturday Feb. 18, at Smyrna. The other semifinal will be Salesianum against Sussex Central.

Both the Division I and Division II championship matches will run side by side on adjacent mats beginning at 6 p.m.

“We will be at full strength Saturday, but we held some guys back tonight,” said Cape coach Chris Mattioni. “There were some great matches out there. The St. Georges kids are tough, and we had some young guys rise to the occasion in front of a big crowd in the state tournament.”

The match started at 175 with Robbie Payton earning an 8-3 decision over Donald Smith. Patrick Donahue (190) pinned Elijah Brown in 1:11, and Alex Taylor (215) scored a major decision over TJ Arrowood 12-2. Cape led 13-0.

The Vikings forfeited 285 to Amir Selby with Tyler Costello and Mason Couchman resting on padded chairs. Tripp Gannon (106) scored a major decision over Russell Lloyd 16-6. Louis Zitofsky (113) decisioned Cape’s Cale Baker 6-3. The team score was 17-9 after six bouts, but Cape would win the remaining eight matches.

Max Meadows (120) won over Nigel Wood 13-7. Holt Baker (126) beat Nolan McHale with an overtime takedown 12-10. Nick Walker (132) pinned Omar Millwood in 3:27) Josh Wright (138) won by fall over Gavin Sheehan at 3:13. Andrew Schaen (144) pinned Jaden Gunter in 5:42.

Brady Cole (150) won on an overtime takedown of Thomiker White 9-7. Luke Bender (157) won by fall over Ali Cheeks at 0:47. And Jeffrey Rainier, a first-year wrestler as a junior, won his first varsity match with a fall over Maddox Shupe in 4:17.

Takedowns - The Division I quarterfinal scores were Sussex Central 62-12 over Charter School of Wilmington, Caesar Rodney 44-24 over Smyrna and Salesianum 49-17 over William Penn.