LEBANON, Ill. – In the biggest dual win of the season thus far for the No. 24 Maryville wrestling team, the Saints walked into the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts for No. 7-ranked McKendree's annual "Wrestling at the Hett" event, leaving with a 19-16 win. Maryville rallied late, scoring four-straight wins in the final matches of the dual to secure the upset.
Facing a lineup that included five wrestlers in the top 15 of their class, the Dawgs went 6-4 on the day, with an upset by No. 11
Cole Ritter over No. 7 Matt Ortiz at 174 being the biggest draw of the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The lighter classes shined for the Saints early, with
Sam Shafer and
Evan Binder shutting out both of their opponents, making it 6-0 after two.
The strength of the Bearcats lineup came in the heart of the order as after
JP Homfeld (141) forced an extra period with No. 3 Ronan Schuelke, falling just short, the Bearcats grabbed three straight extra-point victories from 149 through 165 leaving it a 16-6 match heading into 174.
The match between Ritter and Ortiz was clinical, with Ritter grabbing takedown in the first and third period, including near-fall points in the third to find a massive 9-4 upset victory and to begin to turn the tides. Litzsinger, much like Ritter, was active early, getting a takedown in the first, with riding time and an escape earning in a 5-1 win. The wins brought it down to 16-12 with just two matches left.
Jeremiah Larson came up big right when the Saints needed him, earning a 11-0 major tying it up and giving No. 2 Herman a chance to walk it off against No. 11 Tyler Haynes. And that he did, using a second period takedown to walk the Bearcats off the mat.
#24 MARYVILLE 19, #7 MCKENDREE 16
125:
Sam Shafer (MU) over Jason Strope (MCK) (Dec 6-0)
133:
Evan Binder (MU) over Anthony Bernardo (MCK) (Dec 5-0)
141: No. 3 Ronan Schuelke (MCK) over
JP Homfeld (MU) (SV-1 9-6)
149: No. 7 Joey Semerad (MCK) over
Dylan Gvillo (MU) (MD 15-4)
157: James Hoskinson (MCK) over
Javier Gutierrez (MU) (MD 9-0)
165: No. 7 Cory Peterson (MCK) over
Nick Baer (MU) (TF 19-4 3:53)
174: No. 11
Cole Ritter (MU) over No. 7 Matt Ortiz (MCK) (Dec 9-4)
184:
Dalton Litzsinger (MU) over Lucas Wendling (MCK) (Dec 5-1)
197:
Jeremiah Larson (MU) over Shamon Handegan (MCK) (MD 11-0)
285: No. 2
Ryan Herman (MU) over No. 11 Tyler Haynes (MCK) (Dec 5-0)
