Labette overpowers PCC grapplers
Published: Thursday, November 15, 2007 12:42 PM CST
Labette Community College wrestlers flexed their nationally ranked muscle with a 38-3 victory over Pratt Community College in the Beaver Dome Wednesday.
Control... PCC's Tommy Edgmon tries to gain control of Labette 125-pounder
Jared Denier during the Beavers' 38-3 loss to the Cardinals Wednesday.
Edgmon, the lone PCC winner, defeated Denier 5-4.
In the NJCAA Division I rankings released Tuesday, Labette was third in the nation, moving up from fourth. Seven Cardinals were stationed in the top 8 individual rankings. Pratt was 11th in the previous NJCAA poll, but slipped to 16th.
At the 2007 NJCAA national championships, Labette finished second.
"I thought we'd do a lot better than that, but I knew it could possibly happen if we didn't wrestle well," said PCC head coach Chas Thompson. "It was a combination of them executing and us not taking care of our end of the deal."
He added: "It was the first dual of the year. I didn't expect them (PCC) to be amazing, but they didn't do as well as they could have."
The loss was bittersweet for Thompson, who is a former Labette wrestler. His father, Jody Thompson, was the program's first head coach and remained in the position for 28 years.
"It is fair to say I am disappointed," he said. "It doesn't feel good to get beat like that at home, especially with as good of a team as we had."
The Cardinals won nine of 10 weight classes.
Tommy Edgmon was Pratt's lone winner.
Edgmon, competing at 125, trailed Jared Denier 3-2 in the first period with less than 10 seconds to go then earned two points on a reversal to pull in front 4-3.
Denier tied the match at 4-4 in the second.
After a scoreless third, Edgmon was given a point for riding time and emerged with a 5-4 victory.
PCC's lone ranked wrestler in the latest NJCAA poll, Carl Wilkinson at 197 pounds, is No. 5. His opponent, Chance Rencountre, is also ranked fifth.
Following a scoreless first period, Rencountre went up 3-2 after two.
In the third, Wilkinson earned an escape with 54 seconds remaining. The tie remained, forcing overtime.
Rencountre's reversal and near fall in the first 30-second overtime gave him an insurmountable 7-3 lead.
Beaver freshman Zach Hentzen battled Willy Pendleton in the 149-pound match.
Pendleton, ranked No. 8 nationally, finished ninth at the 2007 NJCAA nationals.
They were tied at 1-1 in the second period.
Pendleton picked up a single third-period point on an escape to win 2-1.
Thompson did not believe taking a more aggressive approach would have changed the outcome of the dual.
"We weren't necessarily in a position to be aggressive against their team because their guys, with the exception of Carl, were ranked above us. At times there were instances I wanted our guys to be a lot more aggressive, but I couldn't get it out of them. I don't know if it was the respect they had for their opponent, or the first time being home. For some of them, it was the first time at a college dual. It could have been a multitude of things."
Labette gave Thompson a barometer to determine his team's early season status.
"They (Labette) have been in the top three the last four years in the country. It just shows where we are at and what we have to work toward," he said.
The Beavers now head to Greeley, Colo., for the Northern Colorado Open November 18.
Match results:
125: Edgmon P dec. Denier L 5-4
133: Berens L dec. Beebe P 9-1
141: Ward L dec. Carrillo P 9-4
149: Pendleton L dec. Hentzen P 2-1
157: Cornejo L pin Markey P
165: Morgan L pin Schmult P
174: Yust L pin Thomas P
184: Kuhlmann L dec. Malay P 5-2
197: Recountre L dec. Wilkinson P 7-5
285: Hohensee L dec. Mock P 12-1
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