RIVERSIDE — In dual team wrestling, sometimes it’s how well you lose that counts.
That became evident when Carroll rallied to an exciting 36-35 dual match team win over visiting Xenia, Friday, Jan. 31.
Xenia had rolled out to a 32-24 lead with three matches yet to be contested, when Carroll first-year wrestler Olivier Uwizeye went up against the Buccaneers Noah Frisby at 145 pounds. Frisby, who went down a weight class in place of Phillip Nared who was injured, won the match by an 8-4 decision but had come close to claiming a major decision which would’ve given Xenia more points for the match win.
Teams are awarded three team points for a wrestler’s win by decision (a seven point or less differential), and they’re given four points for a major decision (winning the match by 8-14 points). Pins give a team six points, and technical falls (winning by 15 points) earn the team five.
Frisby had gone out in front 8-2 and had just under a minute left in the match for a chance to extend his lead. But instead, it was Uwizeye who managed to take advantage of two stalling points to ensure at least a decision loss, and not anything worse.
“Olivier is a first-year wrestler, but him losing by not a tech fall or a pin, that helped us win,” Ashworth said. “It was one of those deals where every little point mattered in this match. You’d never think that a guy who loses is being cheered for, but he was tonight.”
Frisby’s decision over Uwizeye extended the Bucs lead to 35-24 in the points standings, but Jason King’s pin for the Patriots win at 160 pounds and Davon Younker’s pin in the final match of the night at 170 pounds, earned the Patriots 12 points and rallied Carroll to the nonleague match win.
“There’s a little rivalry going here. Xenia. Carroll. Two schools about 15 minutes away from each other, battling under the spotlight, it’s fun,” Carroll coach Jason Ashworth said. “And coach Schooley, he knows how to wrestle in a dual meet. Ever since we’ve gotten them on the schedule, he’s great at getting a good lineup going, and he knows how the game goes.
“It’s always great to wrestle those guys, because 1) I know they’re well-coached, and 2) they’ll always be ready to come out and give a good test to our guys.”
Xenia coach Sean Schooley came away feeling encouraged with how his team wrestled, despite the narrow loss.
“In the middle weight classes, I thought we matched up pretty well with them. It was really toe-to-toe out there,” he said. “Those last three matches decided the team match. This was our first dual match this season that was pretty exciting. It was good, it was fun.”
For Xenia, Andrew Smith (182 pounds), Jamell Smith (195) and Bryent Shepherd (220) each claimed forfeit wins, Kanden Pittman won at 126 by a 13-5 major decision, and Desmond Diggs won at 132 pounds by injury default (scored as seven points) to give the Buccaneers their early lead.
Carroll’s early-match forfeit wins came from heavyweight Garrett Walker, Theryn Marsh (106 pounds), and E.J. Cristobal (120), which had the team score at 18-all before the first match was contested on the mat. There was no match held at 113 pounds.
On Senior Night, Carroll recognized senior wrestlers Johnny Adkins, Jason King, Jamen Hill, Nicholas Romano, Neil Colucci and team statisticians Paige Bey, Lauren Heil and Madison Hennessey prior to the match with Xenia.
