WVU Dropped by No. 16 Edinboro
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Feb. 23, 2013) – In its final home match of the season, the West Virginia University wrestling team was defeated by No. 16 Edinboro, 29-9, at the WVU Coliseum.
“I really would have liked for us to come out on top in some of the closer matches this evening,” said coach Craig Turnbull. “We had our chances at 165, 184 and 197, but we were unable to get the victories that we wanted. We will have to rebound quickly, as we have to take on Clarion tomorrow afternoon.”
Senior Shane Young (125) began the match with a victory for the Mountaineers, as he defeated the Fighting Scots Kory Mines, 4-2. Young, who was wrestling in his final match at the WVU Coliseum, converted on a second period takedown, earned a riding time point and an escape point. To close out the third period, Young thwarted two takedown attempts by Mines.
“We have a lot of wrestling left,” Turnbull said. “Shane needs to go out and get a win tomorrow to carry momentum into the Big 12 Duals and Big 12 Championships.
“He will go down as one of our top lightweights, and he has been one of our most tenacious competitors.”
At 133 pounds, junior Colin Johnston was defeated by third-ranked A.J. Schopp of Edinboro. In the first period, Johnston and Schopp battled back and forth, but Schopp was able to earn a takedown. To open the second period, Schopp was able to work Johnston to his back to earn the win by fall at the 3:55 mark of the match.
The Fighting Scots followed their pin at 133 pounds with another pin at 141 pounds. Fourth-ranked Mitchell Port was able to pin the Mountaineers’ Sean Fee at the 1:25 of the first period.
Returning for his second match after suffering an ankle injury, sophomore Brutus Scheffel (149) struggled against No. 16 Dave Habat. Scheffel was defeated by tech fall by Habat, 15-0. The win extended Edinboro’s lead to 17-3.
At 157 pounds, freshman Jason Luster got the starting nod for WVU and made the most of the opportunity. Luster used a strong first period to build a 4-2 lead. After choosing to start on the bottom to start the second period, Luster worked a reversal against Casey Fuller that moved the score to 6-2. Fuller, however, battled back to knot the score at 6-6 in the final seconds of the third period. In sudden victory, Luster converted on a takedown that locked up the win, 8-6.
“The match went to overtime, and he had to earn it,” Turnbull said. “He initiated and finished hard in the overtime. He needs to get wins, and he should be able to win a lot at this level. We will take that win.”
“I felt good tonight,” Luster said. “I had been sick the past couple of weeks, so it felt good to wrestle the way that I did. I was aggressive in overtime, and that was why I got the win.”
With the Fighting Scots lead down to 17-6, freshman Ross Renzi (165) looked to cut further into the deficit. Renzi could not do so, however, as he was defeated by Johnny Greisheumer, 6-3.
Following Renzi’s defeat, freshman Bubba Scheffel (174) earned his ninth win of the season, with an 8-2 decision over Edinboro’s Patrick Jennings. Scheffel converted a takedown in the first period, earned an escape point and a takedown in the second and closed out the match with two near fall points and the riding time point. The win set the score at 20-9 with three matches remaining.
In the 184-pound matchup, junior Lance Bryson was defeated by Vince Pickett, 3-1. Bryson was taken down early in the first period by Pickett. In the second period, Bryson earned the escape point, but was unable to convert on a takedown attempt in the remaining portion of the match.
Freshman Mark Colabucci (197), who was making his first career varsity start in place of an injured A.J. Vizcarrondo, started his match strong. Colabucci scored a takedown in the early parts of the first period to take an early lead, but the Fighting Scots’ Warren Bosch put together strong second and third periods that gave him a 6-2 lead. In the final 30 seconds of the match, Colabucci cut the deficit to 6-5, but it was too late, as Bosch earned the 7-5 win.
“In his first varsity start, Mark learned what it took to put an entire match together,” Turnbull said. “We lost the second period in that match. When Mark did have to go, he responded. It was his first time in the lineup, and we will see if he gets the chance to wrestle tomorrow.
With the match set at 26-9 in Edinboro’s favor, senior Phil Mandzik was defeated by Ernest James, 3-0.
The Mountaineers (1-10, 0-3 Big 12) return to the mat tomorrow afternoon, as they travel Clarion. Action is set to begin at 2 p.m., at Tippin Gym.
Edinboro 29 WVU 9
125: Shane Young (WVU) dec. Kory Mines (EU), 4-2
133: No. 3 A.J. Schopp (EU) win by fall Colin Johnston (WVU), 3:55
141: No. 4 Mitchell Port (EU) win by fall Sean Fee (WVU), 1:25
149: No. 16 Dave Habat (EU) tech fall Brutus Scheffel (WVU), 15-0
157: Jason Luster (WVU) dec. Casey Fuller (EU), 8-6 SV
165: Johnny Greisheimer (EU) dec. Ross Renzi (WVU), 6-3
174: No. 27 Bubba Scheffel (WVU) dec. Patrick Jennings (EU), 8-2
184: Vince Pickett (EU) dec. Lance Bryson (WVU), 3-1
197: Warren Bosch (EU) dec. Mark Colabucci (WVU), 7-5
HWT: No. 20 Ernest James (EU) dec. Phil Mandzik (WVU), 3-0
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