CBA grapplers complete senior night sweep

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 28, 2016 1:46 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- Justin Washington needed less than a minute to forget his opening-match loss on senior night.

58 seconds to be exact.

And no one could have been more happier than Charles B. Aycock assistant coach Mark Bass. As soon as Washington pinned Southern Wayne 182-pounder Tim Taylor, Bass leapt to his feet and pumped his fist in the air.

Washington's smile told the rest.

"He's had a tough last month and a half," Bass said. "An injury ... surgery for cauliflower ear (and) is coming back from that. He started the season strong and when the injury happened ... his recovery he's just had, it's been very hard for him to get his confidence back.

"He's lost a lot of matches he shouldn't have and this being senior night for him, he's going to remember that win because he showed up."

Washington's fall -- one of five recorded by the Golden Falcons -- helped spark a 54-24 triumph over the Saints in the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A regular-season finale for both teams Wednesday evening.

Aycock (24-12 overall) claimed the league's lone 3-A dual-team playoff berth and extended its string of 17 consecutive postseason appearances. The Saints (3-3 ECC) haven't beaten their county rival since 2001 when Nick Smith was head coach.

The next four individual matches resulted in forfeits after Washington's victory. When wrestling resumed, Aycock prevailed in five of the final six contested bouts.

Austin Doyle (106 pounds), Hayden Gurley (126) and Zach Creel (138) each pinned their respective opponent. Tyler Marquard pulled off an 8-7 decision against the Saints' Devante Jackson, while teammate Chase Hapes wrapped up the night with an 8-4 decision over SW's Willie Leonard.

"You're not going to get much by forfeits and you're going to have to win the individual matches, and they're a tough team to beat that way," second-year SW head coach Kelvin Gurley said. "They're well-coached, very technical, their kids start wrestling early so they already have a lot of good fundamental work by the time they get to this level.

"I'm very satisfied with our guys' effort. They went out there and wrestled hard."

The Saints, who had just 11 grapplers suited up, collected eight pins during a 42-36 conquest of athletic J.H. Rose. Gurley's club built a 24-0 lead with consecutive falls from Leonard, Mikal Leach, Kimari Johnson and Austin Parker.

The Rampants closed the gap to 36-30, but the Saints secured the outcome with Jackson's 17-second fall over Daveon Green at 132 pounds.

Aycock trailed Rose 33-30 until Gurley and Marquard capped the comeback with back-to-back falls at 126 and 132 pounds, respectively.

Doyle, senior Jaret Paynter, Brandon Washington, returning state qualifier Josh Wallace and Creel also had their hand raised in victory.

"The effort (vs. Rose) was good. They had good athletes at the weight classes they filled," Bass said. "I think the work we put in the (wrestling) room and the guys knowing that the team had to have the work (on the mat) because of the holes we had in the lineup due to injuries and sickness.

"The guys really came through. Some gave us more (effort) than they have year, really dug deep for us tonight."