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PANTHERS FALL IN BACKYARD BRAWL, 18-16
Feb. 2, 2007
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt wrestling team welcomed EWL rival West Virginia tonight for the 51st meeting of the "Backyard Brawl." The Panthers (6-5, 1-2 EWL) fell, 18-16, to the Mountaineers (2-3, 1-1 EWL). Pitt picked up bonus points at 125 pounds with a major decision and won five of the 10 bouts. The dual meet started with the 125-pound bout as Pitt's Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) took on West Virginia's Scott Stuart. Gentzle defeated Stuart in last season's dual by a major decision. Tonight's match started with Gentzle scoring early on a takedown. Stuart came back with an escape, and Gentzle picked up two more on another takedown. A quick takedown and a three back points gave Gentzle a 9-2 lead at the end of the first. In the second period, Gentzle had another takedown and Stuart scored on an escape to make the score 11-3 heading into the final period. In the third, Gentzle had two takedowns and a point for riding time to give him the 16-5 major decision and putting the Panthers ahead, 4-0. Next up was 133 pounds between Pitt's No. 13 Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) and West Virginia's Mark Anderson. In the first period, Headlee scored early on a takedown, giving him a 2-1 lead after the first. An escape in the second period put him up, 3-1, heading into the final two minutes. With a point for riding time, Headlee picked up a 4-2 decision. The Panthers maintained the lead, 7-0. At 141 pounds, Pitt's Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) faced No. 11 Brandon Rader. An NCAA All-American last season, Rader entered tonight's bout with only one loss on the season. In the first period, Rader moved ahead scoring on two takedowns. But Ciampoli came back with a takedown at the end of the first to tie the match up at four. Rader had an escape in the second to take a 5-4 lead. In the third period, Ciampoli had two escapes, but Rader scored on a takedown and received a point for riding time. He won an 8-6 decision to put West Virginia on the board. Pitt stayed ahead, 7-3.
The 149-pound bout was between Pitt freshman Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) and West Virginia's David Jauregui. In the first period, Jauregui scored on a takedown for a two-point lead. The second period moved quickly with Jauregui scoring on four takedowns and Generalovich having a series of escapes. Jauregui had a 12-5 lead heading into the final two minutes. In the third, Jauregui had two more takedowns and a point for riding time to win a 19-7 major decision. West Virginia tied the team score up at seven. Pitt's No. 8 Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) faced West Virginia's Zac Fryling at 157 pounds. The two went head-to-head earlier this season with Kocher winning a 3-1 decision to win the West Virginia Open. Fryling had a takedown early in the first, but Kocher came back with an escape. With a 2-1 score going into the second, Kocher had an escape to tie the bout up. The third period was scoreless, sending the match into overtime. The two wrestlers were scoreless in the first overtime, but Kocher had an escape to win the tie breaker, 3-2. Pitt moved back into the lead, 10-7. Next up was 165 pounds as Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) wrestled West Virginia's Eric Connolly. After a scoreless first period, Richmond scored two on a reversal early in the second. Connolly picked up one on an escape, but Richmond had a takedown for a 4-2 lead. In the third period, Connolly had two escapes, but Richmond had a takedown and point for riding time. Richmond won the match, 7-4, moving Pitt up, 13-7. At 174 pounds, Pitt's No. 3 Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) took on West Virginia's Kurt Brenner. A takedown early in the first put Brenner up by two. Gavin came back with an escape and a takedown to take the lead, 3-2. Brenner, however, had an escape at the end of the first to tie it up at three. Gavin took control again in the second with an escape, 4-3. Brenner had an escape in the third to tie it up at four. With seconds remaining in the match, Gavin scored on a takedown and earned three back points for the 9-4 decision. Pitt kept control of the dual meet, 16-7. The 184-pound bout featured Pitt's Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and West Virginia's Chance Litton. In last year's dual with the Mountaineers, Litton won a 5-1 decision over Deliere. Tonight, the first and second periods were scoreless. Litton scored two on a reversal in the second. With a point for riding time, he won a 3-0 decision to give West Virginia some team points. Pitt stayed in the lead, 16-10. Next at 197 pounds, Pitt senior Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) wrestled in his final home match as he faced West Virginia's No. 18 Jared Villers. In last season's dual, Villers won a 16-0 technical fall over Heist. In the first period tonight, Villers picked up an 8-0 lead with two near falls and a takedown. Another takedown and two back points put Villers up, 12-0, heading into the final period. Villers had a takedown and a two-point near fall plus riding time to win a 17-0 technical fall at 5:57. The Panthers now had only a one-point lead heading into the final match. The final bout of the evening was between Pitt's Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and West Virginia's Dustin Rogers. Sheaffer scored two on a takedown in the first, and Rogers came back with an escape. With a 2-1 lead going into the second, Sheaffer had an escape to increase his lead by two. Rogers had an escape in the third, closing in on Sheaffer. He scored two on a takedown to take the lead, and an escape from Sheaffer sent it into overtime. In sudden victory, Rogers scored two on a takedown to win the match, 6-4. The Mountaineers came away with the dual victory, 18-16. West Virginia 18, Pitt 16 |
 
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