By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
East Hardy Wrestling had suffered a setback earlier in the season against Moorefield, but the Cougars recuperated and pounced with full strength erasing a 23-9 deficit to cage the Yellow Jackets 43-34 and claim the Hardy Hammer for county bragging rights on the mat.
“We just needed to wrestle better than we had in the past. I finally had all my kids this evening. We had our full lineup and they wrestled well. Moorefield wrestled well and he has a lot of potential there and a lot of good leaders and a good team. It is a good rivalry. He had a good team over there and we’re just happy we came out on top this evening,” East Hardy Wrestling coach Steven Miller remarked.
The Hardy Hammer match was last Monday in Baker beginning with the 285-lb. weight class featuring East Hardy’s Sean O’Callaghan against Moorefield’s Aiden Jones.
O’Callaghan got the scoring started with a takedown, then Jones countered with a reversal.
Both wrestlers got escape points prior to another first period takedown by O’Callaghan.
Jones earned one escape point in the second period getting away from the bottom spot and standing up for the lone point of the frame.
O’Callaghan added an escape point in the third point to collect an 8-4 decision win over Jones.
East Hardy’s Aaron Barb (106) took a forfeit win to put the Cougars ahead 9-nil, then the Yellow Jackets scored 23 consecutive points for a 23-9 lead.
Moorefield’s LaTanya Redman (113) garnered the first points for the Yellow Jackets with a first period pin at 1:03 over East Hardy’s Jaedyn Funk, 9-6.
Redman grabbed a handful of hair pulling Funk down at the border of the mat, then rolled out.
Redman flipped Funk for the winning pin.
Moorefield’s Javier Acosta (120) gathered a forfeit win for a 12-9 edge.
Moorefield’s Andrew Wolfe (126) notched a first period pin at 0:20 over East Hardy’s Gracie Heishman.
Wolfe recorded a takedown and collected back points, then Heishman managed to flip over before being turned back for a pin.
Jean Gonzalez (132) provided the Yellow Jackets with a 23-9 advantage on an 18-3 technical fall win (five points) over East Hardy’s Chloe D’Amico.
Gonzalez got an early first period takedown and was on top for most of the period before an escape by D’Amico.
Gonzalez notched a reversal in the second period, then D’Amico made an escape.
Gonzalez sandwiched two takedowns around near fall points in the second frame, while D’Amico managed one escape.
Gonzalez created an escape in the third period and finished off the technical fall win with a takedown.
East Hardy’s Chase Rexrode (138) ended the scoring drought for the Cougars with a first period pin at 0:22 over Moorefield’s Jordan Fields for a 23-15 score.
Moorefield’s Riley Pillus (144) took a forfeit win to boost the lead to 29-15.
The Cougars won the next four matches turning the tide for the lead.
East Hardy’s Khristian Bauserman (150) collected a 17-4 major decision win against Moorefield’s Alex Rodriguez.
Bauserman and Rodriguez got tangled up three times with momentum carrying them out of bounds thrice in the opening frame.
Bauserman recorded a takedown and rolled out to close out the first period.
The grapplers flipped around on the mat before Rodriguez made a reversal and shifted out of bounds.
Bauserman was able to get a cradle formed just as time expired in the second period.
Rodriguez started on top, but Bauserman stood up and made an escape in the third period.
Bauserman executed a couple takedowns and earned near fall points during the third period, while Rodriguez added three escape points.
East Hardy’s Cooper Eckard (157) garnered a second period pin at 0:53 against Moorefield’s Wyatt Shirk to close the gap to 29-25.
The Cougars took a 31-29 lead as Shawn Bodkin (165) recorded a first period pin at 0:12 over Moorefield’s Dylan Colasessano.
East Hardy’s Ryan Harman (175) collected an injury forfeit win against Moorefield’s Caleb Flynn.
Moorefield’s EJ Wyman (190) recorded an 18-3 technical fall victory over East Hardy’s Eli Mathias to cut the deficit down to 37-34.
Garrett Van Meter (215) secured the overall 43-34 match victory for the Cougars with a first period pin at 0:57 over Moorefield’s Daltan Ault.
The Class AA/A Region II Championships will be held at Braxton County on February 21-22 for the Hardy County grappling squads.
Moorefield has two more home matches on the schedule with Pendleton County yesterday (weather permitting) and greets Frankfort tomorrow (weather permitting).
