Oct. 30, 2009

• 2009 Blue-Gold Challenge Match Results

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A pin by sophomore 133-pounder Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) erased a six-point advantage by the Navy Blue team with just two matches remaining and anchored a valiant come-from-behind effort by the Navy Gold team, as the annual Navy Blue-Gold Challenge Match ended in a 16-16 tie Friday evening at Halsey Field House. The Navy Blue team led by as many as 10 points in the match (13-3).

Instead of the usual format of the full 10-match schedule, just nine of the weight classes counted towards the team scoring. The Navy Blue squad won five of the nine matches, and while both teams earned an extra-point major decision, it was Haislip's win by fall over classmate Pat McCaffrey that proved to be the turning point in the match.

Anchored by returning All-American Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.), the Navy Blue team looked as though it would easily blow past the Navy Gold team as it earned wins in four of the first five matches. Saddoris, who is up a weight class this season, said it might take him a little big of time making the adjustment to the heavier weight class.

It seemed hardly an adjustment for Saddoris, as he made it look easy in claiming a 20-9 major decision over sophomore Cory Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J.). Vernon trailed by just two points after the opening period and four after the second, but Saddoris scored four takedowns and a reversal in the final period to give his team an early 4-0 advantage.

A change in weight can put a wrestler at a disadvantage, but for Saddoris, he felt it was the right move at the right time.

"Staying at 149 pounds was just a no go for me," said Saddoris, who placed sixth at last year's NCAA Championship. "I gained a good amount of weight over the summer just working out and hitting the gym and felt as though it was better for my health if I went ahead and made the move. I think I have the same amount of speed and my strength is better, so it hasn't been a hindrance so far."

The blue squad pushed its lead to 7-0 as rookie Oscar Huntley (Emerald Isle, N.C.) scored a takedown with under a minute remaining in his match to earn a 3-2 victory over junior Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) at 165 pounds. Huntley, who wrestled for Colonial Forge in Virginia as a prep, was one of five freshmen in action Friday night and one of three to win matches.

Junior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) gave the gold team its first points of the evening, as his experience helped get him through a tough match against newcomer Andrew Buck. DeMichiel, who is up two weight classes from 165 to 184, took the lead with a takedown late in the first period and never relinquished it despite a competitive match by the three-time High School All-American out of Carson, Wash.

The 197-pound match featured rookies Nick Hylton (Lester, W.Va.) and Ben Hatef (Bowie, Md.). While the match would eventually go to Hylton for his 29 seconds of riding time after two sudden periods and two sets of 30-second tie-breakers, the entire match left a lot unanswered. Neither wrestler looked to take a chance at scoring in the match. In fact the five of the six-combined points scored by the wrestlers were awarded on escapes, while the Hylton was dinged with a technical violation for pressing on outside of the circle after the whistle had been blown.

Rookie Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) gave the Navy Blue team its biggest lead of the evening, a 10-points, 13-3 advantage, after handing junior Mike Landis (Hershey, Pa.) a 5-3 loss. Miller, who has gained roughly 35 pounds since graduating high school, provided the crowd with one of the most entertaining matches of the evening. Quick on his feet and nifty with his counter offense, Miller served notice that he will be a wrestler to keep an eye on this season. After two periods of action, the match was knotted up at 2-2. Miller immediately took the lead on an escape, but was not satisfied. He shot out at Landis' legs with 12 seconds remaining and was awarded a takedown on the edge of the mat before letting Landis free.

"I was a little nervous coming in to tonight's match," said Miller, who did not start wrestling until his freshman year in high school and went on to win a state championship at Stephen Decatur High School. "I was the younger, less experienced wrestler in this match and I knew heading in that I had to be both offensively and defensively minded and move on the bottom."

And what about the weight difference?

"It's one thing to wrestle heavyweights in high school, but it's a different breed at the college level," added Miller, who had the wherewithal to make the decision to push up his weight now knowing he would eventually end up as a heavyweight. "It's a totally different style of wrestling than what I'm used to. It's more of a brute style. I feel my strength and ability to score is with my counter offense."

After taking a 2-0 advantage after the opening period, second-year standout Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) broke through in the second period to take a 9-2 lead and eventually a 12-3 major decision over the blue squad's Austin Clouse (Annapolis, Md.) at 125 pounds.

After Kalil trimmed the lead to six, Haislip was able to erase the Navy Blue lead with his pin over McCaffrey. Following a scoreless opening period, Haislip got McCaffrey on his back for a three-point near fall. Twenty seconds later, McCaffrey reversed the hold and then was awarded three-point near fall to take a 5-3 advantage. Haislip got to within one with an escape with just under a minute to go in the period when he got McCaffrey to his back and this time ended the match with a pin at 4:49.

Senior Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) gave the Navy Blue team the lead once again as he took care of sophomore Joey Breen (Pasadena, Md.) in what was Breen's first match in nearly a year. Breen suffered a thumb injury that would later escalate into a serious infection that took him out of school for an entire semester. Breen tied the match up in the second period at two-all, but a Pagan takedown with 1:10 left in the period and an escape to open the third salted the match away, 6-2.

The match came down to the final bout of the night and one that featured the team's leader, senior Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.). Shober scored three takedowns and an escape by the middle of the second period and never looked back, as he earned an 8-3 victory over sophomore John Majka (Chicago, Ill.) and left the two teams locked at 16-16.

Returning NCAA qualifier Luke Rebertus (Elkton, Md.) and senior Mike Billings (Waterford, Mich.) squared off in an exhibition match upon the conclusion of the Blue-Gold Challenge Matches, where Rebertus would squeak by with a 5-4 win.

"I was pleased with how our guys competed tonight," said 10th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "While we have a lot of room to get better and refine our skills, there were several good matches. At this point in the season, we are looking to see how each wrestler competes and how he reacts to the crowd, to having an official here, to winning or losing. It's an evaluation period so that we are able to correct those bad habits now so that in March we'll be ready to compete at the highest level.

"I really felt like all five freshmen did a pretty good job of competing," added Burnett. "I'm looking forward to seeing what the season has in store for us and I think the guys are really looking forward to getting the season started and wrestling someone other than one another."

Navy officially opens its season next Saturday at the Eastern Michigan Open where last year three Mids claimed titles in their respective weight classes, including Saddoris and McCaffrey.

2009 Blue-Gold Challenge Matches157    Bryce Saddoris (B) major Cory Vernon (G), 20-9 (2:19 RT)    4-0165    Oscar Huntley (B) dec Robby Neill (G), 3-2                  7-0184    Matt DeMichiel (G) dec Andrew Buck (B), 5-2                 7-3197    Nick Hylton (B) dec Ben Hatef (G), 3-3 TB2 (0:29)          10-3Hwt    Dan Miller (B) dec Mike Landis (G), 5-3                    13-3125    Aaron Kalil (G) major Austin Clouse (B), 12-3 (3:11 RT)    13-7133    Dustin Haislip (G) fall Pat McCaffrey (B), 4:49           13-13141    Matt Pagan (B) dec Joey Breen (G), 6-2 (1:58 RT)          16-13149    Glenn Shober (G) dec John Majka (B), 8-3 (2:25 RT)        16-16
Exhibition174    Luke Rebertus (G) dec Mike Billings (B), 5-4 (1:16 Billings RT)