HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

Deep concern was etched on the face of River Bluff wrestling coach Evan Moxie during his team’s home finale against Chapin on Jan. 17.

The Gators trailed Region 5-5A newcomer and 2-time Class 4A Lower State champions with 5 matches left in their home match finale on “Senior Night”. A loss would put a major dent in hopes for a region “Three-Peat”.

Thanks to the lower weight underclassmen, River Bluff ran off 5 straight wins to defeat the Eagles 39-26.

“If I told you I was real confident, I’d be lying,” said Moxie about his team’s comeback hopes. “There were upsets all the way through. It was just one of those weird matches where on both sides guys stepped up and won big matches and it came down to our other guys that are underclassmen that had to step up and win big matches and for us, they did. So I wasn’t real confident until we finally sealed it. Anything could happen.”

Pinfalls victories by Benjamin “Porter” Lesesne (106 lbs.) and Hunter Dixon (182 lbs.) staked Chapin out to a 26-15 advantage through the first 9 matches. The momentum quickly shifted after Armando Maestre scored a pinfall in the 3rd period of his 138 lbs. matchup and Parker Palmer used a small cradle to get the pin at 145 lbs. over Joshua Green to put the Gators up 27-26.

“That’s one of their best kids and for him to be able to get him on his back and pin him, that was huge,” Moxie said.

A pair of decision wins and a final pinfall by William Rogers closed out the comeback win.

Still undefeated in the region, the Gators can clinch it outright with victories Wednesday at White Knoll and Friday at Lexington.