Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Covington High School wrestling team put it another great effort on Thursday night as they traveled to Tipp City to compete with the Red Devils, along with Troy and Miami East. The Buccs faced Troy in the opening round, and won a barnburner, 38-36, over the Trojans. On the opposite mat, Tipp City defeated Miami East on tiebreaker criteria to advance against Covington. The Buccs then caught on fire in the final round, defeating the Red Devils by a score of 65-18, to extend their dual meet record to a perfect 19-0. The night also saw Covington senior Josh McMillion pick up his 100th career victory.
The opening dual looked to be a very difficult one for Covington on paper as the Trojans matched up very well, and the Buccs would spot them a net of 6 team points due to forfeits. Bryton Lear got things started off for Covington at 112 lbs with a takedown before eventually getting pinned by Troy’s Tyler Sparks. Matt Briesch (119) would tie the score for the Buccs with a pin over Thomas Caughill. Troy’s standout Cole Cochran returned the lead to the Trojans with a pin over Sam Angle at 125 lbs, before Riley McCormick extended Troy’s lead, 15-6, with a decision over Kyler Deeter at 130 lbs.
Covington’s Dylan Gustin (135) then faced Troy’s Adam Sturwold in the key matchup of the dual. Gustin – who lost to Sturwold 13-6 earlier in the season – wrestled in a nail-biting back-and-forth match before pulling out a pin to give the Buccs a valuable six team points. Tyler Tebbe (140) kept things going for Covington with a first-period pin over Devante Bush, followed by Andrew DeHart’s pin over Anthony McCloy at 145 lbs.
The Buccs would then extend their lead to 33-15 as Josh McMillion picked up a forfeit at 152 lbs and Aaron Devenport earned an 8-4 decision over Michael Fraley. Troy answered with a forfeit by Ryan Crabtree at 171 lbs., a pin by Corbin Gearheardt (189) over Brian Olson, and an 8-3 decision by Christopher Williams (215) over Covington’s Josh Shefbuch. Shefbuch – who bumped up a weight class – found himself in a precarious position, but managed to fight off his back, saving a valuable 3 team points from going to Troy if he had been pinned. Those 3 points turned out to be the difference at the conclusion of the dual.
The Trojans took back the lead, 36-33, with a forfeit at 285 lbs by Alec Sears, but at 103 lbs, Brock Smith’s technical fall win over Troy’s Brandon Stradling would give Covington the lead at the end for the 38-36 victory.
The Buccs would roll in their final dual against Tipp City. Eleven of Covington’s twelve competing wrestlers earned victories en route to a 65-18 victory over the Red Devils. Earning pins for Covington were Bryton Lear (112), Matt Breisch (119), Sam Angle (125), Dylan Gustin (135), Tyler Tebbe (140), Josh McMillion (152) and Brian Olson (171). Kyler Deeter (130) earned a technical fall for the Buccs, while Brock Smith (103), Aaron Devenport (160) and Josh Shefbuch (189) picked up forfeits. Andrew DeHart (145) lost by injury default to Tipp City’s Jake Watkins. Covington then forfeited the 215 and 285 lb. weight classes to the Red Devils.
In reserve action, Brandon Flora (135) defeated Thomas Conner of Troy by pin, and Justin Millhouse (112) won by pin over Troy’s Kyle Croft and dropped an 11-8 decision to Tipp City’s Jordan Holzfaster.
The Buccs travel to perennial power Coldwater next Thursday, January 21.
