Wrestlers slapped down in season opener

DEC. 6, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM-

Though the Blazers never expected to pull out a win against the consistently solid Springbrook team, they were nevertheless disappointed by a lopsided 9-69 loss in the wrestling squad's first dual meet of the season. The team has few returning varsity wrestlers, and even with the use of rookies was forced to forfeit five of the fourteen matches.

The night got off to a bad start, as the Blazers lost the first three matches in short order. Sophomore Kekura Musa (112) and junior Noah Sennett (119) put up good fights against their opponents, each managing to rack up several points, but were overpowered and pinned in the second period. The Blazers then forfeited the 125-pound weight class, giving Springbrook an early lead, 0-18.

Next up was senior Jake Weinfeld (130), a second-year varsity wrestler. He took his adversary down early with a throw from a headlock, but struggled to get the pin and finish the match. The two wrestlers battled back and forth through all three periods, reversing each other several times, before Weinfeld was taken down with a single leg shot. He quickly flipped his opponent however, and held him down for the team's only pin of the night.

Junior Zach Brown (135), a junior varsity wrestler who was bumped to varsity to fill a spot left vacant by a teammate who failed to make weight, was taken down quickly and forced onto his back but managed to scrape his way into the second period before being locked up in a cradle and pinned.

Junior Haben Ghebremeschel (140) easily took down his opponent early in the match but was plagued by an elbow sprained in practice earlier in the season. The injury made it difficult for him to pin his quick, wiry opponent, so Ghebremeschel decided to gain a point advantage by repeatedly taking him down and letting him escape. In the last seconds of the period, with Ghebremeschel up 16-11, the Springbrook wrestler took him to his back and almost pinned him, but time ran out and the Blazer won the match 16-14, securing three more points for his team.

Junior Bereket Kebede (145), another veteran wrestler, had an energetic match with constant reversals and flips, but his opponent pulled ahead with several back points and Kebede was unable to catch up, giving Springbrook another three points and a 9-27 lead. Sophomore Alhaji Janneh (152) had a similar match, trading takedowns and back points with his opponent throughout the first period, but was caught in a half-nelson in the second period and pinned for another six Blue Devil points.

Senior Mike Street (160) and his opponent circled each other for most of the first period, feinting and struggling for hand control until Street was taken down at the end of the period. They traded reversals and takedowns, each working methodically and with good control, and in the waning seconds of the last period Street scored a takedown to come within a point of tying it up, 6-7. Unfortunately, his opponent scored a quick reversal and took him by surprise, scoring a pin with only seven seconds remaining.

The Blazers forfeited the next four weight classes, and were down 9-63 going into the last match of the night. Senior Arnold Phimmasone (103), another first-year wrestler, fought scrappily against his more experienced opponent and scored a takedown and two back points with a cradle, but was thrown to his back early in the second period and pinned to end the meet.

Although the team's performance during the meet was far from excellent, according to Coach Jake Scott the team "wrestled with heart and I saw the things we practiced out on the mat." Each member of the team needs to work individually to improve on their weak areas, he said.

The team's next match is Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Paint Branch at 6 p.m.