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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 11-29-83 |
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SJSU Wrestlers Beat Bakersfield In Close One |
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by John Ormsby |
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| Wrestling fans have come to expect a tough battle when SJSU and Cal State Bakersfield hit the mat. They weren't disappointed last Tuesday when the teams wrestled to another narrow decision in a dual meet at Spartan Gym. The Spartans (2-0) took a 21-19 decision from the Roadrunners (0-1) in the latest chapter of a true wrestling rivalry. The meet was close the entire way, and SJSU relied on some good fortune as well as good wrestling to pull out the victory. Brian Canali opened the meet with a 8-4 victory over Bakersfield's John Smithson at 118 pounds. Canali held a narrow 6-4 lead late in the third round when he sealed the bout by taking down the tiring Smithson with 20 seconds remaining. Albert Perez and John Loomis squared off at 126 pounds and this time it was Loomis breaking up a close bout in the late stages of the final round to earn a 8-4 decision. With the team score tied at three, Spartan freshman Anthony Palomino and Bakersfield's Brian Stevens matched up at 134 pounds in that turned out to be one of the night's most important bouts. Palomino, wrestling more like a senior than a freshman, built an 11-6 lead in the first two rounds. With just 23 seconds left in the bout, Stevens went down with a knee injury and was unable to continue. Roadrunner head coach Joe Seay was visibly upset when his wrestler couldn't continue, and for good reason. The default gave SJSU the maximum six points for the victory instead of three it would have received had Stevens been able to hold on for the remaining 23 seconds. The Spartans took a 9-3 lead and the three points gained by the default proved to be the ultimate margin of victory. "Anthony is looking very tough," Spartan coach T.J. Kerr said, "and that extra three points made a big difference in the score." The Roadrunners climbed back into the lead by taking the next two bouts. Junior Steve Markey took a 10-4 decision from Spartan senior Dave Barnes at 142 pounds in a bout marked by bad feeling on both sides. Barnes appeared angered by Markey's stalling tactics late in the bout and Markey was visibly upset when Barnes took him down after the referee's whistle. The Roadrunners pulled ahead 10-9 at the intermission thanks to a fine effort by Jesse Reyes. The senior bulled his way to a 13-5 win over Jay Slivkoff at 150 pounds. Reyes used his superior strength to control the match, raking up points on takedowns. The Spartans came out after intermission and recaptured the lead by winning the next two bouts. Junior Pat Huyck took a close 4-2 decision from Troy Osborn at 158 pounds. Huyck broke open a 2-2 score with a takedown in the final seconds of round two and held on for the win. Darryl Pope was next and the sophomore wrestled a controlled bout while downing Bakersfield senior Ray Mann 7-4. The Spartans held a 15-10 lead with three bouts remaining. The Roadrunners were not about to roll over. Scott Teuscher gave SJSU's Marvin Jones his first loss of the season by eking out a 4-3 win at 177 pounds. Jones wrestled hard down the stretch, but was unable to score a takedown in the final seconds to salvage the bout. With the score narrowed to 15-13, Spartan Andy Tsarnas came up with a crucial pin at 190 pounds to steal the meet. The senior finally corralled up Bob Button, who lived up to his Roadrunner nickname long enough to pin him with 1:27 remaining in the second round. The pin gave SJSU six points for a 21-13 lead with one bout remaining to end the Roadrunners' hopes for a victory. The six points proved necessary when Bakersfield heavyweight Mike Blaske took a 12-0 decision from Mike Monroe in the final bout of the night. Kerr emphasized the importance of Tsarnas' pin after the meet. "That was a very important bout," he said. "We were looking for the pin, but the guy (Button) was really running. I wasn't sure if we were even going to get a major victory." Tsarnas also had the feeling would come in handy. "I wrestled Blaske last year at 190 pounds and i wasn't sure how Mike would do against him," he said. "I thought we might need that pin." Kerr was pleased with the victory over the powerful Roadrunners. "It was a great meet," the coach said. "Anytime you beat Bakersfield, you have to be happy." |
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