IAC WRESTLING: SVEC POUNDS DRYDEN ON SENIOR NIGHT (2022-01-19)

By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — SVEC honored its senior wrestlers with a 53-18 IAC Division I victory over Dryden here Wednesday evening.

Prior to the match Ezekiel Foster, Tyler Knickerbocker, Devin Beach, John Hammond Jr. and Keegan Dobell were recognized for their contributions to the program.

The Eagles stepped on the mat ready to compete from the get-go.

"I think we found a little bit of that energy we've been looking for all season," SVEC coach Jesse Buck said. "We had some really good practices leading up to this and that's how we like to see it. Everybody went out there with energy. Everybody was competing the whole time and everybody was cheering on their teammates, so I'm very happy with the win."

John Johnston opened the match with a fall over Nick Bieber in 3:52 at 160 pounds.

The Purple Lions would tie things up when Hunter Covington received a forfeit at 172, but Devin Beach (189) would put the home team ahead for good with a 15-0 technical fall over Joe Kring in two minutes flat. That gave SVEC an 11-6 advantage.

Hammond (215) made quick work of Aaron Thompson with a 30-second fall, Dobell received a forfeit victory at 285 and Caden Ruben accepted a forfeit at 102.

Kaleb Soto (110) built a 12-0 lead over Oscar Brotherton before recording a fall at 3:47 to extend the lead to 35-6.

At 118, Tayah Beach recorded the evening's quickest pin, dispatching Travis Chamberlain in 25 seconds. It also clinched the team victory for SVEC.

Buck was pleased with the team's overall performance, especially Soto and Beach.

"Kaleb Soto had a great match, went out there and competed really well. He had one of the tougher kids and he was in control of the whole match. He was scoring points non-stop. He did great.

"Tayah Beach, she looked like an animal tonight, so proud of her and she's worked incredibly hard. We've been able to see her have some success this season. I'm glad she's been able to get out there and have some success. We love having her on the team and I'm glad she got the win out there tonight."

Sam Lamorte received a forfeit for Dryden at 126, then the Eagles' Shane Neal (132) pinned Dean Belden in 1:31.

There was no match at 138, and the Lions picked up a 33-second pin from Josh Rowland over Thomas Wallace at 145.

Tyler Knickerbocker closed out the night with a fall over Paul Best in 438.

It was the Eagles second dual meet win in a row, having defeated Whitney Point, 42-24, a week earlier.

The back-to-back victories should help boost the team's confidence heading into the IAC championship tournament Saturday at Waverly.

"I think it's going to be big for sure," Buck said. "We needed a couple of hard practices, which we got, got everybody's mind right, and then to come out here and really just show that that hard work is paying off. I think they really felt that and they got a little boost in their system. I think it's going to speak volumes when we go there for IACs, because, I don't think we've shown our full capacity really until tonight, and I think we have a lot of kids who could do very well at the tournament."

SVEC 42, WHITNEY POINT 24
Dobell opened the match with a forfeit win at 285.

With no matches at 102 or 110, Soto picked up the next victory, a 41-second fall at 118.

Mason Baxter (126) pinned Tayah Beach in 2:43, but Neal (132) got the points back with a fall in 1:14 over Jonathan McCall.

The Golden Eagles received forfeits at 138 and 152, but in between Wallace scored a fall in 2:49 at 145.

Whitney Point added forfeit wins at 152 and 172, but again, SVEC notched a pin in between. This one was a fall by Johnson in 2:31 over Hayden Clark at 160.

Devin Beach (189) chalked up a pin over Zach McCall in 1:33 and Hammond ended the match with a forfeit win at 215.

Exhibition: Jacob Van Etten dispatched Alex Dickel in 1:54 and Tayah Beach decked Aaron Castro in 1:14.

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IN PHOTO 1: SVEC's John Hammond Jr. ... PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.