FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Fort Hays State kicked of the 2016-17 wrestling season on Thursday (Nov. 3) with the annual Black and Gold Scrimmage at Gross Memorial Coliseum. For the second straight year, the black team came out on top, this time by the score of 32-12.
The scrimmage kicked off with two new 125 ponders Conrad Cole and Braden Visnieski. Cole gave the Black team a 5-0 lead after winning with a technical fall 18-3. He was in full command from the start of the match with four takedowns and a four-point near fall in the first period.
The Gold team responded at 133 pounds as Dakota Miller defeated Kaleb Furr with a tech fall of his own to even the score. After getting the first take down of the match, Miller recorded two four-point nearfalls before the first period was over. After choosing to start down in the second period he proceeded to get an escape, takedown, and another four-point near fall for a 17-1 win.
In the 141-pound bout, the Black squad jumped ahead again thanks to a pin by Brandon Ball over Anthony Calderon. Ball recorded a two-point takedown in the first period, then followed that with a takedown and four-point near fall in the second before finally getting the pin 1:09 into the third.
Greg Tooley and Efe Osaghae had one of the most entertaining matches of the night at 157 pounds. Scoreless after one period, Osaghae chose down at the start of the second and then immediately earned an escape. Tooley responded with a takedown 30 seconds later only to let Osaghae escape once more. With the score locked at 2-2 heading into the third period, Tooley started down and battled for an escape point. The match ended by the 3-2 count in favor of Tooley, increasing the black team’s lead to 14-5.
William Homalon extended the lead to 20-5 with a third-period pin over Kalin Collins. Homalon had three take downs in the match, two in the first period and another in the third, and was finally able to flip Collins on his back with 39 seconds remaining in the match.
In a crossover match of 174 and 184 pounds, Rakim Dean cut into the Black team’s lead making it 20-8 after a 5-3 decision over Micquille Robinson. Dean started on top in the second period and took a four point lead thanks to a near fall, but Robinson battled and was able to earn an escape and takedown before the period was over. After starting down in the third Dean wiggled his way to another escape point and that was all the scoring for the match.
At 197 pounds Jon Inman showed why he was an All-American last year with a major decision over Micah Felton. Inman had two takedowns in the first period and surrendered an escape, but then went to work in the second period. After starting down he earned an escape, a takedown, and a four-point near fall to take an 11-1 lead into the third. He added two more takedowns and an escape pulling the Gold within eight at 20-12.
In the heavyweight bout, Dakota Gulley and Christian Lance squared off. Gulley worked a takedown but allowed an escape in the first. In the second Gulley recorded another takedown but Lance was able to escape twice and get a takedown of his own to take the 5-4 lead heading into the fourth. After starting down in the third, Gulley escaped but then was immediately taken down again by Lance. Lance allowed Gulley to escape once more but it was too-little too-late as Lance walked away with the 7-6 decision.
In a second bout of 133 pounders, Dakota Miller hit the mat again this time against Josh Martinez. Unfortunately, Miller suffered an injury during the match and could not continue awarding the Black team six more points, extending the lead to 29-12.
In the final match of the day Ball once again stepped to the mat to take on Jacob Kay. Kay earned an early takedown in the first but then gave a point back after locking his hands on the ground. In the second, Ball scored on a reversal and then earned a four-point near fall. Toss in a riding time point and the Black team walked away with the comfortable 32-12 win.
The first real test for the Tigers will be on Sunday (Nov. 6) when they head to Oklahoma City University for the Oklahoma City Open.